JP5667604B2 - Bathroom Dryer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bathroom dryer. In particular, the present invention relates to a bathroom dryer having a function of notifying a user of the necessity of cleaning a filter attached to an air intake port.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a bathroom dryer in which a dryer body including a circulation fan and a ventilation fan and heating means such as a heat exchanger and a heater are embedded in a ceiling wall of the bathroom. This type of bathroom dryer has operation modes such as ventilation operation to exhaust the air in the bathroom to the outdoors, heating operation to heat the interior of the bathroom, and drying operation to dry the laundry in the bathroom. Have.

  In the bathroom dryer as above, a filter is attached to the intake port to remove dust in the air when the air in the bathroom is sucked into the dryer body. As a result, the filter is clogged and the ventilation performance and drying performance are reduced. For this reason, a bathroom dryer that provides a temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the bathroom and a temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the vicinity of the heating means, and notifies the filter clogging when the temperature difference between the two temperature sensors exceeds a specified value. Has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). In this bathroom dryer, if dust accumulates inside the filter, the amount of circulating air passing through the filter when the circulation fan is driven decreases, and accordingly, the residence time of the air heated by the heating means inside the dryer body becomes longer. Then, utilizing the fact that the temperature in the vicinity of the heating means is higher than the temperature in the bathroom, filter clogging is determined from whether the temperature difference between both temperature sensors exceeds a specified value.

JP 2007-101118 A

  By the way, when the filter is clogged as described above, the load of the fan motor that drives the circulation fan is reduced and the current value is reduced as the amount of circulation air circulating the air in the bathroom decreases. Therefore, the current value difference between the initial current value for driving the circulation fan at a predetermined rotational speed and the current value for driving the circulation fan at the same rotational speed during the drying operation when the filter is not clogged. If it is determined, it is considered that filter clogging can be determined without using a plurality of temperature sensors.

  However, in the dry operation, both the circulation fan and the ventilation fan are driven to heat and circulate the air in the bathroom, and a part of the air in the bathroom is exhausted outdoors. Therefore, even if each fan is driven at a predetermined rotational speed, if the ventilation airflow changes, the load on the fan motor that drives the circulation fan is likely to change due to this change.

  For example, since the ventilation fan communicates with the outdoors during the drying operation, the exhaust resistance changes and the ventilation air volume changes depending on the outdoor wind direction and air volume, and the structure of the exhaust duct and the exhaust port. When such a change in ventilation air volume occurs, the circulation air volume of the air in the bathroom being circulated is also affected accordingly. Therefore, even if the circulation fan is driven at a predetermined speed, the fan motor As the load changes, the current value increases or decreases.

  Recently, bathroom dryers that not only ventilate and dry the bathroom but also connect a ventilation unit with a ventilation fan to a toilet or other living room to perform multi-room ventilation at the same time have been developed. Yes. In such a bathroom dryer performing multi-room ventilation, in order to maintain a good indoor environment, it is required not only to perform ventilation but also to ensure a constant ventilation air volume in each room. Therefore, it is necessary to change the rotation speed of the ventilation fan between when only one room is ventilated and when multiple rooms are ventilated. Therefore, if ventilation or stop of the room other than the bathroom is performed during the drying operation, the rotation speed of the ventilation fan is increased or decreased so that the predetermined ventilation air volume can be obtained in each room, and the ventilation air volume of the bathroom also changes accordingly. . As a result, the load of the fan motor that rotates the circulation fan changes, and the current value increases or decreases. Therefore, when the filter clogging is determined by the change in the current value for driving the circulation fan during the drying operation, the current value cannot be accurately detected due to the external factors as described above, and the filter clogging is erroneously detected. Cheap.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bathroom dryer capable of accurately determining filter clogging during a drying operation.

According to a first aspect of the invention,
A filter attached to the air intake of the bathroom;
A circulation fan for circulating air in the bathroom through the filter;
A ventilation fan that exhausts the air in the bathroom to the outside through the filter;
A control unit for determining the necessity of filter cleaning due to clogging of the filter during a drying operation for driving the circulation fan and the ventilation fan;
A bathroom drier equipped with a notification device for notifying the necessity of filter cleaning,
The control unit is a first determination environment in which, during the drying operation, the ventilation fan is stopped and only the circulation fan is driven,
Under the first determination environment, an initial operation current value C _Sm when the circulating fan is driven at a predetermined rotational speed in the initial stage where the filter is not clogged, and the circulating fan at the same rotational speed as the predetermined rotational speed. The current value difference (C _Sm −C _m ) from the current value C _m during operation when the is driven,
When the current value difference becomes higher than a predetermined clogging threshold value α _m, a bathroom dryer that notifies the necessity of the filter cleaning from the alarm is provided.

According to the above-mentioned bathroom dryer, when determining the filter clogging, the ventilation fan is stopped during the drying operation to form the first determination environment in which only the circulation fan is driven. in a state where the influence is eliminated to, it is possible to detect the operation when the current value C _m for driving the circulation fan. And when clogging of the filter becomes significant, the ventilation resistance increases, and the amount of air sucked into the dryer main body from the bathroom decreases, so the load of the fan motor for driving the circulation fan decreases, during operation the current value C _m is decreased. Therefore, in the first determination environment in which only the circulation fan is driven, the current value difference (C _Sm −C _m ) between the initial operation initial current value C _Sm and the operation current value C _m without clogging of the filter. , And whether or not the current value difference exceeds a predetermined clogging threshold value α _m can accurately determine the necessity of filter cleaning.

According to the second aspect of the present invention,
A filter attached to the air intake of the bathroom;
A circulation fan for circulating air in the bathroom through the filter;
A ventilation fan that exhausts the air in the bathroom to the outside through the filter;
Open / close means for communicating / blocking a ventilation air path formed by driving the ventilation fan;
A control unit for determining the necessity of filter cleaning due to clogging of the filter during a drying operation for driving the circulation fan and the ventilation fan in a state where the opening / closing means is opened and the ventilation air passage is in communication. When,
A bathroom drier equipped with a notification device for notifying the necessity of filter cleaning,
The control unit closes the opening / closing means during the drying operation to provide a second determination environment in which the ventilation air passage is blocked,
Under the second determination environment, an initial operation current value C _Sn when the circulating fan is driven at a predetermined rotational speed at an initial stage when the filter is not clogged, and the circulating fan at the same rotational speed as the predetermined rotational speed. Current value difference (C _Sn −C _n ) with the current value C _n during operation when the
When the current value difference becomes higher than a predetermined clogging threshold value α _n, a bathroom dryer that notifies the necessity of the filter cleaning from the alarm is provided.

The bathroom dryer includes an opening / closing means for communicating / blocking a ventilation air passage formed by driving a ventilation fan, and when the filter is clogged during the drying operation, the opening / closing means is closed. Since the second determination environment in which the ventilation air passage is blocked is formed, the current value C _n during operation for driving the circulation fan can be detected in a state where the influence on the circulation air flow due to the change in the ventilation air flow is eliminated. it can. Thereby, for example, even if an external factor such as a change in the ventilation air volume in another room occurs, it is possible to prevent an influence on the circulating air volume in the bathroom. And when clogging of the filter becomes significant, the ventilation resistance increases, and the amount of air sucked into the dryer main body from the bathroom decreases, so the load of the fan motor for driving the circulation fan decreases, during operation the current value C _n is decreased. Therefore, in the second determination environment where the ventilation air passage is blocked, the current value difference (C _Sn −C _n ) between the initial operation initial current value C _Sn and the operation current value C _n without clogging of the filter. , And whether or not the current value difference exceeds a predetermined clogging threshold value α _n can accurately determine the necessity of filter cleaning. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned bathroom dryer, since it is not necessary to stop the ventilation fan when judging filter clogging, even in a bathroom dryer that performs multi-room ventilation, drying operation is continued while continuing ventilation in other rooms other than the bathroom. Filter clogging can be determined.

Preferably, in the bathroom dryer according to the first or second aspect,
The control unit starts the drying operation, and determines whether the filter needs to be cleaned after a predetermined initial drying time has elapsed or when the relative humidity in the bathroom is less than a predetermined clogging-determinable humidity. To do.

  In the drying operation, when a large amount of clothing is dried or when the clothing is dried in a short time using hot air, a large amount of water evaporates from the clothing at the beginning of the operation. In such an operating environment, the moisture contained in the air increases, so that the water tends to adhere to the filter. As a result, even in an environment where the ventilation resistance becomes high and there is no influence of the change in the ventilation airflow, there is a possibility that the current value during operation of the circulation fan decreases and the filter clogging cannot be accurately determined. However, the comparison of the current value of the circulation fan at the initial stage of operation and the current value at the time of operation is that after the predetermined initial drying time when moisture hardly adheres to the filter or when the relative humidity in the bathroom is less than the predetermined clogging determination possible humidity. Therefore, the influence on the current value during operation due to the adhesion of water is reduced, and the necessity of filter cleaning can be determined more accurately.

Preferably, in the bathroom dryer according to the first or second aspect,
The control unit determines the necessity of the filter cleaning every time a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the drying operation.

  In the dry operation, filter clogging is likely to occur due to dust generated from clothes. Therefore, the necessity of filter cleaning can be determined at an early stage by determining filter clogging at regular intervals.

Preferably, in the bathroom dryer according to the first or second aspect,
The control unit determines the necessity of the filter cleaning at the end of the drying operation.

  At the end of the drying operation, filter clogging occurs most, and the current value during operation decreases and the current value difference increases, so that filter clogging can be determined more accurately. Also, at the end stage where the drying operation has been executed for a certain period of time, it is less necessary to drive the ventilation fan to ventilate the air. Filter clogging can be determined without incurring.

  As described above, according to the bathroom dryer of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the influence on the circulating air volume resulting from the change in the ventilation air volume during the drying operation due to external factors. Therefore, by measuring the current value during operation for driving the circulation fan during the drying operation, it is possible to accurately determine the necessity of cleaning the filter attached to the air intake port.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a bathroom dryer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a control flow diagram showing an example of the control operation of the drying operation of the bathroom dryer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a control flow diagram illustrating an example of a control operation for determining filter clogging during the drying operation in the bathroom dryer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a bathroom dryer according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a control flowchart showing an example of the control operation of the drying operation of the bathroom dryer according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a control flow diagram illustrating an example of a control operation for determining filter clogging during a drying operation in a bathroom dryer according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the bathroom dryer according to the present embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

  The bathroom dryer according to the present embodiment is a single-room ventilation type bathroom dryer that ventilates only the bathroom A. As shown in FIG. 1, the dryer main body 2 includes a circulation unit 4 and a ventilation unit 6, and is embedded so that the lower surface of the circulation unit 4 faces the attachment port 11 opened in the ceiling wall 12 of the bathroom A. It is installed in a state. In the present specification, the direction in which the circulation unit 4 and the ventilation unit 6 are connected is referred to as the front-rear direction, the side on which the ventilation unit 6 is provided is the front side, and the side on which the circulation unit 4 is provided. Is called the rear side.

  The circulation unit 4 includes a circulation casing 40 and a lower surface cover 41 that covers the opening 42 on the lower surface of the circulation casing 40 from the bathroom A side, and a circulation fan that circulates the air in the bathroom A in the circulation casing 40. 3 and an L-shaped heat exchanger 5 are disposed. The circulation fan 3 is composed of a cross flow fan having one end connected to a circulation fan motor (not shown) provided outside the side wall of the circulation casing 40 and the other end pivotally supported in a rotatable state. The heat exchanger 5 includes a lower heat exchanger 5a and an upper heat exchanger 5b disposed so as to surround the bottom portion and the rear side portion of the circulation fan 3, and each heat exchanger 5a. , 5b is composed of an endothermic tube 51 bent in a meandering manner at both ends thereof, and a large number of fins 52 through which the endothermic tube 51 is inserted. The endothermic tube 51 is installed outdoors, not shown. It is connected to the heat source machine by circulation piping.

  The lower surface cover 41 has an intake port 43 and a blow-out port 44 communicating with the bathroom A. A mesh-like filter F for removing dust in the air when the air in the bathroom A is taken into the circulation casing 40 is detachably attached to the upper surface of the intake port 43. Therefore, when the circulation fan 3 is driven, the air in the bathroom A sucked from the intake port 43 through the filter F is heated or cooled by the hot water or the heat exchanger 5 using water, and the bathroom A is discharged from the outlet 44. A circulation air passage Rc that is blown inward is formed. In addition, a louver 45 capable of changing the direction of air blowing is provided at the air outlet 44. The louver 45 is pivotally supported in a state of being able to rotate in a range of about 60 degrees to about 110 degrees with respect to the ceiling wall 12, and the opening degree of the louver 45 is increased by a drive motor (not shown) provided on a shaft support portion at one end. Adjusted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a communication passage 46 that is separated from the circulation air passage Rc by a partition wall W that is spaced above the heat exchanger 5 b and the circulation fan 3 is formed in the circulation casing 40. In addition, a communication port 47 is formed in the front wall 40 </ b> A of the circulation casing 40. The communication port 47 is connected to a ventilation unit 6 provided with a ventilation fan 7 for exhausting the air in the bathroom A to the outside.

  Further, in the circulation casing 40, a humidity sensor 53 for detecting the humidity of the bathroom A and a room temperature sensor 54 for detecting the temperature of the bathroom A are provided adjacent to the lower heat exchanger 5a. Humidity and room temperature detection signals detected by the humidity sensor 53 and the room temperature sensor 54 are output to the control unit 10 described later.

  The ventilation unit 6 includes a ventilation casing 60, and a ventilation fan 7 is disposed in the ventilation casing 60. The ventilation casing 60 is formed with a ventilation port communicating with the exhaust duct on a side wall (not shown). Further, the ventilation fan 7 is composed of a sirocco fan, one end of which is connected to the ventilation fan motor 8 provided outside the front wall of the ventilation casing 60 and the other end of which is pivotally supported. Therefore, when the ventilation fan 7 is driven, the air in the bathroom A sucked from the intake port 43 through the filter F is guided to the ventilation unit 6 through the communication passage 46 and the communication port 47 of the circulation casing 40 and exhausted. A ventilation air path Rv exhausted to the outside through the duct is formed.

  The bathroom dryer according to the present embodiment has a drying operation mode, a cool air operation mode, a heating operation mode, and a ventilation operation mode as operation modes, and is configured such that the air flow rate can be changed in each operation mode. Yes. And the remote control 9 (alarm) provided on the wall surface of the bathroom A, the kitchen, etc. has a drying operation switch 91, a cool air operation switch 92, a heating operation switch 93, a ventilation operation switch 94 for setting each operation mode, Setting switches 95 and 96 for setting operating conditions such as temperature and operating time, and a filter lamp 97 for notifying the necessity of filter cleaning are provided. When the user operates each switch, the control unit 10 An operation command is issued to each operation mode and each operation mode is executed under the set operation conditions.

  Although not shown, the control unit 10 includes, as functional components, a heat source unit control unit that controls the operation of the heat source unit, a humidity determination unit that determines humidity in the bathroom A using the humidity sensor 53, and a bathroom unit that uses the room temperature sensor 54. A room temperature determination unit that determines the room temperature in A, a water temperature determination unit that determines the temperature of water supplied from the heat source unit to the heat exchanger 5, a circulation fan control unit that controls the rotational drive of the circulation fan 3, and a ventilation fan 7 Ventilation fan control unit that controls the rotational drive of the motor, multiple timers that measure the operating time such as drying time and heating time set by the remote controller 9 and clogging judgment time, and the operating time in each operating mode are integrated A program that stores an integration unit that calculates the total operation time, and an operation program that executes each operation mode and a filter clogging determination program that determines the necessity of filter cleaning during drying operation The data storage unit and the data table of the initial operation current value necessary for driving the circulation fan 3 and the ventilation fan 7 at a predetermined individual rotational speed and the accumulated total operation time are stored in the initial stage when the filter F is not clogged. And a remote control 9 provided inside and outside the bathroom A, and a cleaning determination unit that determines the necessity of filter cleaning based on the current value during operation of the circulation fan 3 when the drying operation is being performed. The circulation fan motor, the ventilation fan motor 8, the humidity sensor 53, the room temperature sensor 54, the heat source machine, and the like are connected to each other through electric wiring (not shown).

  In addition, each operation initial current value of the circulation fan 3 and the ventilation fan 7 in each operation mode may be registered in a memory in advance at the time of factory shipment, or when a bathroom dryer is installed in the bathroom A, a predetermined value may be set. A trial operation for driving the circulation fan 3 and the ventilation fan 7 at an individual rotation number may be performed, and each initial operation current value during the trial operation may be measured and registered in the memory. For reference, Table 1 shows the set air flow rates of the circulation fan 3 and the ventilation fan 7 when the drying operation is performed by the bathroom dryer of the present embodiment.

  Next, the control operation in the case of performing a drying operation with the bathroom dryer according to the present embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the control flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3.

  When the drying operation switch 91 of the remote control 9 is turned on and an instruction to start the drying operation is given, the control unit 10 outputs a heat source operation signal to an external heat source unit, and circulates hot water from the heat source unit to the heat exchanger 5. Supply is started, and energization to the circulation fan motor and the ventilation fan motor 8 is started, and the fans 3 and 7 are rotated for drying so that the circulation fan 3 and the ventilation fan 7 can obtain a predetermined air flow rate. The number is driven (step ST1). Then, the air in the bathroom A is led into the circulation casing 40 from the intake port 43 through the filter F, and part of the air is exhausted to the outside from the ventilation port of the ventilation unit 6 through the communication path 46 and the other part. After passing the arrangement part of the heat exchanger 5, the drying operation sent out into the bathroom A is started again.

When the drying operation is started, the control unit 10 turns on the timer and starts measuring the operation current value C _m for driving the circulation fan 3 and the relative humidity output from the humidity sensor 53 ( Step ST2).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the current total operation time obtained by adding the current drying operation time to the past total operation time registered in the memory exceeds a predetermined integration time (for example, 1,000 hours) ( Step ST3).

When the total operation time exceeds the predetermined integration time (Yes in step ST3), the relative humidity in the bathroom A detected by the humidity sensor 53 is a predetermined clogging determination possible humidity (for example, 80% RH). ) Is determined (step ST4). If the total operating time exceeds the predetermined accumulated time, there is a high possibility that dust will adhere to the filter F to some extent, but if the humidity in the bathroom A is high at the beginning of the drying operation, moisture will adhere to the filter F. despite does not occur clogging due dust Te, it is possible that the ventilation resistance is lowered operating at current value C _m increases. Therefore, if the total operating time is long, before the filter clogging is determined, the humidity in the bathroom A is detected in advance, and if the filter is clogged after the humidity has been reliably reduced, the filter cleaning can be performed more reliably. Necessity can be determined.

  On the other hand, if the total operation time does not exceed the predetermined integration time (No in step ST3), it is determined whether or not a predetermined initial drying time (for example, 30 minutes) has elapsed since the start of the drying operation. (Step ST5). If the drying operation is continued for a certain period of time or more, the humidity in the bathroom A is usually likely to be lowered. Therefore, the filter clogging can be determined without detecting the humidity by the humidity sensor 53.

  If the humidity in the bathroom A has decreased or if a predetermined initial drying time has elapsed (Yes in step ST4 or ST5), the control unit 10 determines whether the filter is clogged at regular intervals. Then, it is determined whether or not the filter detection is permitted (step ST6). When the first filter clogging determination is performed after the start of the drying operation, filter detection is not permitted (No in step ST6), and therefore a predetermined interval time (for example, 30 minutes) has elapsed since the timer was started. It is confirmed whether or not (step ST7). In addition, since the interval time of the present embodiment matches the initial drying time described above, filter clogging is determined every 30 minutes after the start of the drying operation. May be set independently, or the interval time may be changed during the drying operation.

If the predetermined interval time has elapsed (Yes in step ST7), the timer is reset, filter detection is permitted (step ST8), and the first filter clogging determination program of steps ST21 to ST29 shown in FIG. A subroutine (SUB1) is executed (step ST9). In this subroutine, first, the control unit 10 stops energization to the ventilation fan motor 8 (step ST21), turns on the timer, and waits for a predetermined stop time (for example, 5 seconds) until the ventilation fan 7 stops. ) Is measured (step ST22). Thereby, the ventilation fan 7 stops and the 1st determination environment where only the circulation fan 3 is driven is formed. In the first determination environment, since the ventilation fan 7 is stopped, even if an external factor such as an outdoor air volume or a wind direction changes, the circulating air volume does not change accordingly. Therefore, by forming the first determination environment, a reduction in the operating time of the current value C _m due to filter clogging it can be accurately determined.

  When the stop standby time elapses (Yes in step ST23), the timer is reset and then the timer is turned on to measure a predetermined first determination time (for example, 30 seconds) after the timer is reset. Start (step ST24).

In determination of filter clogging, the control unit 10 operates when the circulation fan 3 is driven at a predetermined rotation speed in an environment where the ventilation fan 7 is not driven, which is the same as the first determination environment registered in the memory. A current value difference (C _Sm −C _m ) between the initial current value C _Sm and the operating current value C _m of the circulating fan 3 being driven is acquired, and this current value difference is a predetermined clogging threshold value α _m. It is determined whether or not (for example, 10 mA) is exceeded (step ST25). That is, when the circulation fan 3 is set to be driven at a predetermined rotational speed in order to ensure a constant circulation air volume, if the filter F becomes clogged, the ventilation resistance becomes high, since the amount of air drawn from the bathroom a is reduced, the load of the circulating fan motor for driving the circulation fan 3 is lowered, the operating time of the current value C _m is decreased. Accordingly, in the initial stage when the filter F is not clogged, the initial operation current value _CSm for driving the circulation fan 3 at a predetermined rotational speed in the state where the ventilation fan 7 which is the same as that in the first determination environment is not driven is detected If the current value difference (C _Sm −C _m ) from the operated current value C _m is higher than the predetermined clogging threshold value α _m , it can be determined that the filter F is clogged.

If the current value difference (C _Sm −C _m ) is higher than the clogging threshold value α _m (Yes in step ST25), the control unit 10 turns on the filter lamp 97 of the remote controller 9 to filter the user. The necessity of cleaning is notified (step ST26). Thereby, filter clogging can be determined without providing a plurality of temperature sensors inside and outside the dryer body 2. In addition, the temperature of the air circulating in the circulation air path Rc is not easy to rise in a short time, and the temperature sensor is inferior in quick response, so the judgment of filter clogging tends to be delayed, while the circulation fan 3 is driven. Since the current value to be increased or decreased in a short time due to the change in the circulating air volume, the necessity of filter cleaning can be determined early during the drying operation.

  The determination of the filter clogging is continued until the first determination time ends, and when the first determination time has elapsed (Yes in step ST27), the timer is reset and the drying operation switch 91 is turned off or the drying timer. Whether or not is completed is determined (step ST28). If the drying operation is continued (No in step ST28), energization to the ventilation fan motor 8 is resumed to drive the ventilation fan 7 (step ST29), and the subroutine is terminated. Thereby, since the circulation unit 4 communicates with the ventilation unit 6, the ventilation air path Rv is formed again, and a part of the air in the bathroom A is exhausted to the outside through the communication path 46 and the communication port 47.

  When the subroutine is exited, in order to continue driving the circulation fan 3 and the ventilation fan 7, filter detection is prohibited (step ST10), the timer is turned on, and measurement of the next interval time is started. Then, until the drying operation switch 91 is turned off or the drying timer expires (No in step ST11), the filter clogging determination is executed every time a certain interval time elapses as described above.

When the drying operation switch 91 is turned off or the drying timer ends (Yes in step ST11), the control unit 10 executes the first filter clogging determination program described above, and performs the filter at the end of the drying operation. Clogging is determined (step ST12). At this end stage, since the dust should have adhered most to the filter F, the current value C _m during operation decreases and the current value difference (C _Sm −C _m ) increases. Clogging can be determined. At the end stage where the drying operation is performed for a certain time, it is less necessary to drive the ventilation fan 7 to perform ventilation. Therefore, if the filter clogging is determined only at the end stage, the drying performance is improved during the drying. Filter clogging can also be determined without reducing it.

  When the determination of the filter clogging at the end stage is completed, a heat source stop signal is transmitted to stop the supply of hot water to the heat exchanger 5 and to stop energization of the circulation fan motor. Is stopped (step ST13), and the total operation time is registered in the memory in order to determine filter clogging in the operation mode to be executed next (step ST14).

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a bathroom dryer according to the present embodiment. This bathroom dryer is a multi-room ventilation type bathroom dryer that can ventilate not only the bathroom but also the toilet and other rooms at the same time. Since the basic configuration of the circulation unit 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment, only different parts will be mainly described.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the ventilation casing 60a is provided with a bathroom inlet 65 communicating with the communication port 47 and a ventilation port communicating with the outside through an exhaust duct, as in the first embodiment. The other side chamber inlet (not shown) is formed on the side wall. These other-room intake ports communicate with the toilet and other rooms, respectively. Further, a ventilation fan motor 8a is provided outside the upper wall of the ventilation casing 60a. The ventilation fan 7a is connected to the ventilation fan motor 8a at one end and is pivotally supported with the other end being rotatable. It consists of sirocco fans. Accordingly, by driving the ventilation fan 7a, the air sucked from each room is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust duct.

  A damper D that is opened and closed by a damper motor (not shown) is provided as an opening / closing means between the communication port 47 of the circulation casing 40 and the bathroom intake port 65 of the ventilation casing 60a. Accordingly, when the damper D is opened and the circulation unit 4 and the ventilation unit 6a are in communication with each other, the ventilation fan 7a is driven so that the air sucked from the intake port 43 through the filter F is communicated with the communication path 46. Further, a ventilation air passage Rv that is guided to the ventilation unit 6a through the communication port 47 and is exhausted to the outside through an exhaust duct (not shown) is formed. By closing the damper D, the ventilation air passage Rv is blocked.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 10a includes an open / close section that outputs an open / close signal for opening / closing the damper D to the damper motor, together with the functional components similar to those of the first embodiment.

  Next, the control operation in the case of performing the drying operation with the bathroom dryer of the present embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the control flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6.

  When the drying operation switch 91 of the remote controller 9 is turned on to instruct the start of the drying operation, the control unit 10a outputs a heat source operation signal to an external heat source unit, and circulates and supplies hot water from the heat source unit to the heat exchanger 5. And the damper D is released. In addition, it is confirmed whether or not the ventilation operation is already performed in another room other than the bathroom A, and a predetermined set air flow rate is obtained by the circulation fan 3 and the ventilation fan 7a according to the state of the ventilation operation in the other room. As described above, these fans are driven at each drying speed (step ST51). Then, the air in the bathroom A is led into the circulation casing 40 from the intake port 43 through the filter F, and part of the air is exhausted to the outside from the ventilation port of the ventilation unit 6a through the communication path 46, and the other part. After passing the arrangement part of the heat exchanger 5, the drying operation sent out into the bathroom A is started again.

The drying operation is started, the control unit 10a is, as in the first embodiment, starts the measurement operation when the current value C _n and the relative humidity, the total operating time, the humidity in the bathroom A, an initial drying time When filter detection is permitted (steps ST52 to ST58), a subroutine (SUB2) of the second filter clogging determination program in steps ST71 to ST79 shown in FIG. 6 is executed (step ST59). In this subroutine, the control unit 10a first closes the damper D (step ST71), turns on the timer, and measures a predetermined closing standby time (for example, 5 seconds) until the damper D is closed (step 5) (step ST71). ST72). Thereby, the 2nd determination environment where the ventilation wind path Rv was interrupted | blocked is formed. In this second determination environment, the ventilation fan 7a is driven, but the damper D is closed and the ventilation air path Rv is shut off, so even if external factors such as ventilation operation in another room change. This will not change the circulating airflow. Therefore, by forming the second determination environment, a reduction in the operating time of the current value C _n due to filter clogging it can be accurately determined. In addition, even when the ventilation operation is performed in the other room simultaneously with the drying operation, the ventilation fan 7a is not stopped, so that it is possible to prevent a decrease in the ventilation performance of the other room. Further, when the ventilation operation is started in another room after the drying operation is started, the rotation speed of the ventilation fan 7a is changed so that a predetermined ventilation air volume is secured from each room, but the ventilation air from the bathroom A is changed. Since the path Rv is blocked, the influence on the circulating air volume can be prevented.

  When the closing standby time has elapsed (Yes in step ST73), after resetting the timer, the timer is turned on in order to determine filter clogging and measurement of a predetermined second determination time (for example, 30 seconds) is started. (Step ST74).

In the determination of filter clogging, as in the first embodiment, the current value difference (C _Sn −) between the operation initial current value C _Sn of the circulation fan 3 and the operation current value C _n of the circulating fan 3 being driven. C _n ) is acquired, and it is determined whether or not the current value difference exceeds a predetermined clogging threshold value α _n (for example, 10 mA) (step ST75).

If the current value difference (C _Sn −C _n ) is higher than the clogging threshold value α _n (Yes in step ST75), the control unit 10a turns on the filter lamp 97 of the remote controller 9 to filter the user. The necessity of cleaning is notified (step ST76). Thereby, filter clogging can be determined without providing a plurality of temperature sensors inside and outside the dryer body 2a. In addition, the temperature sensor is inferior in quick response, but according to the comparison of the current value for driving the circulation fan 3, the change in the circulation air volume can be detected at an early stage. Can be judged.

  The determination of the filter clogging is continued until the second determination time ends, as in the first embodiment. When the second determination time has elapsed (Yes in step ST77), the drying operation switch 91 is turned off. Alternatively, it is determined whether or not the drying timer has expired (step ST78). If the drying operation is continued (No in step ST78), the damper D is released (step ST79), and the subroutine is terminated. Thereby, since the circulation unit 4 communicates with the ventilation unit 6a, the ventilation air path Rv is formed again, and a part of the air in the bathroom A is exhausted to the outside through the communication path 46 and the communication port 47.

  The control operation of the drying operation after exiting the subroutine is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the damper D is closed at the end, and the drying operation switch 91 is turned off or the drying operation switch 91 is turned off at regular intervals. The filter clogging determination is executed at the end stage when the timer ends (steps ST60 to ST64).

(Other embodiments)
(1) In the above embodiment, a fixed clogging threshold is used to determine filter clogging. However, the clogging threshold may be changed as appropriate according to the formation mode of the circulation air path. For example, even if the circulation fan is driven at the same number of rotations, the clogging threshold value may be set according to the louver angle because the circulation air volume varies depending on the louver angle.

(2) In the above embodiment, when determining filter clogging, the circulation fan is driven at the same rotational speed as the predetermined rotational speed set at the start of the drying operation, but there is a large current value difference. The circulation fan may be driven at a predetermined rotational speed different from the drying rotational speed so as to be obtained.

(3) In the above embodiment, filter clogging is determined at regular intervals and at the end stage in order to reliably detect filter clogging, but at least during the period from the start to the end of the drying operation. What is necessary is just to determine filter clogging once.

(4) In the above embodiment, the total operation time is confirmed before determining the filter clogging, but the filter clogging may be determined without confirming the total operation time.

3 Circulation fan 7, 7a Ventilation fan 9 Remote control (notifier)
10, 10a Control unit A Bathroom D Damper F Filter

Claims (5)

A filter attached to the air intake of the bathroom;
A circulation fan for circulating air in the bathroom through the filter;
A ventilation fan that exhausts the air in the bathroom to the outside through the filter;
A control unit for determining the necessity of filter cleaning due to clogging of the filter during a drying operation for driving the circulation fan and the ventilation fan;
A bathroom drier equipped with a notification device for notifying the necessity of filter cleaning,
The control unit is a first determination environment in which, during the drying operation, the ventilation fan is stopped and only the circulation fan is driven,
Under the first determination environment, an initial operation current value C _Sm when the circulating fan is driven at a predetermined rotational speed in the initial stage where the filter is not clogged, and the circulating fan at the same rotational speed as the predetermined rotational speed. The current value difference (C _Sm −C _m ) from the current value C _m during operation when the is driven,
When the current value difference is higher than a predetermined clogging threshold value α _m, the bathroom dryer notifies the necessity of the filter cleaning from the alarm. A filter attached to the air intake of the bathroom;
A circulation fan for circulating air in the bathroom through the filter;
A ventilation fan that exhausts the air in the bathroom to the outside through the filter;
Open / close means for communicating / blocking a ventilation air path formed by driving the ventilation fan;
A control unit for determining the necessity of filter cleaning due to clogging of the filter during a drying operation for driving the circulation fan and the ventilation fan in a state where the opening / closing means is opened and the ventilation air passage is in communication. When,
A bathroom drier equipped with a notification device for notifying the necessity of filter cleaning,
The control unit closes the opening / closing means during the drying operation to provide a second determination environment in which the ventilation air passage is blocked,
Under the second determination environment, an initial operation current value C _Sn when the circulating fan is driven at a predetermined rotational speed at an initial stage when the filter is not clogged, and the circulating fan at the same rotational speed as the predetermined rotational speed. Current value difference (C _Sn −C _n ) with the current value C _n during operation when the
When the current value difference is higher than a predetermined clogging threshold value α _n, the bathroom dryer notifies the necessity of the filter cleaning from the alarm. The bathroom dryer according to claim 1 or 2,
The control unit starts the drying operation, and determines whether the filter needs to be cleaned after a predetermined initial drying time has elapsed or when the relative humidity in the bathroom is less than a predetermined clogging-determinable humidity. Bathroom dryer. In the bathroom dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The said control unit is a bathroom dryer which judges the necessity for the said filter cleaning, whenever a fixed time passes since the said drying operation start. In the bathroom dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The control unit is a bathroom dryer that determines the necessity of the filter cleaning at the end of the drying operation.

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