JP6700675B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a clothes dryer.

  In recent years, in a clothes dryer, the finish of drying has come to be emphasized. In order to improve the dry finish, it is effective to apply high-speed wind to the clothes to stretch the wrinkles. Therefore, for example, there is a clothes dryer in which a path for supplying a large amount of air is switched to a path for supplying high-speed air during the drying operation. However, when switching to a route that supplies high-speed air during the drying operation, the air volume decreases, so that the drying efficiency decreases, the drying operation time extends, and the power consumption increases.

JP, 2011-101669, A

  Therefore, there is provided a clothes dryer capable of improving the finish of drying clothes while suppressing the extension of the drying operation time and the increase in power consumption.

  The clothes dryer according to the embodiment has a drying chamber having an exhaust port, a first air supply port, and a second air supply port, in which an object to be dried is stored, the exhaust port provided outside the drying chamber, and the first air supply port. A circulation air passage connecting the air supply port, a dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the air in the circulation air passage, a heating means for heating the air in the circulation air passage, a dehumidifying means for dehumidifying and heating by the heating means. And a main blower for supplying the air in the circulating air passage into the drying chamber from the first air supply port, and an auxiliary for supplying the air outside the circulating air passage into the drying chamber from the second air supply port. A blower. The air volume of the air supplied from the first air supply port into the drying chamber is larger than the air volume of the air supplied from the second air supply port into the drying chamber, and the air is supplied from the second air supply port. The velocity of the air supplied into the chamber is higher than the velocity of the air supplied into the drying chamber from the first air supply port.

Further, the clothes dryer according to the embodiment includes a water tank having an exhaust port, a first air supply port, and a second air supply port, and a rotary tank provided in the water tank for accommodating an object to be dried. A drying chamber, a circulation air passage provided outside the drying chamber to connect the exhaust port and the first air supply port, a dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying air in the circulation air passage, and air in the circulation air passage. Heating means for heating the air, a main air blower for supplying air in the circulation air passage dehumidified by the dehumidifying means and heated by the heating means into the drying chamber from the first air supply port, and the circulation air passage A filter device provided in the middle part of the filter for collecting foreign matter contained in the air flowing in the circulation air passage, and provided in the circulation air passage downstream of the filter device and upstream of the dehumidifying means. The branch port for branching the air flowing in the circulation air channel, the branch air channel branching from the branch port to connect the branch port and the second air supply port, and the air passing through the branch air channel 2 Auxiliary blower for supplying air into the drying chamber from the air supply port. The air volume of the air supplied from the first air supply port into the drying chamber is larger than the air volume of the air supplied from the second air supply port into the drying chamber, and the air is supplied from the second air supply port. The speed of the air supplied into the chamber is higher than the speed of the air supplied into the drying chamber from the first air supply port.

A rear view showing an example of a schematic configuration of the washer/dryer according to the first embodiment with a part thereof cut away. The side view which fractures|ruptures a part and shows about an example of schematic structure of the washing-drying machine by 1st Embodiment. The figure which showed typically the structure of the circulation air duct about 1st Embodiment. Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the washer/dryer for the first embodiment. Flowchart showing the control contents of the drying operation by the control device in the first embodiment. The rear view which fractures|ruptures and shows a part about an example of schematic structure of the washing-drying machine by 2nd Embodiment. The figure which showed typically the structure of the circulation air duct about 2nd Embodiment. Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the washer/dryer in the second embodiment. The flowchart which shows the control content of the drying operation by a control apparatus about 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, clothes dryers according to a plurality of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each embodiment, the substantially same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

(First embodiment)
First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. The washer/dryer 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes an outer box 11, a water tank 12, a rotary tank 13, a rotary tank motor 14, and a door 15 (see FIG. 2). In the present embodiment, the door 15 side of the outer box 11 is the front side of the washer/dryer 10. In addition, the installation surface side of the washer/dryer 10, that is, the vertically lower side is the lower side of the washer/dryer 10, and the opposite side of the installation surface, that is, the vertically upper side is the upper side of the washer/dryer 10.

  The washer/dryer 10 has a washing function and a heat pump type drying function, and is a so-called drum type washer/dryer in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub 13 is inclined with respect to the ground. The outer box 11 is formed of a steel plate or the like into a substantially rectangular box shape. The water tank 12 is housed inside the outer box 11. The rotary tank 13 is housed inside the water tank 12. Both the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 are formed in a cylindrical shape.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the water tank 12 has an opening 121 formed at one end of a cylindrical shape and a water tank end plate 122 provided at the other end. The opening 121 is located above the water tank end plate 122 in the inclined water tank 12. Similarly, the rotary tank 13 has an opening 131 formed at one end of a cylindrical shape and a rotary tank end plate 132 provided at the other end. The opening 131 is located above the rotary tank end plate 132 in the inclined rotary tank 13. The opening 131 of the rotary tank 13 is surrounded by the opening 121 of the water tank 12. The water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 function as a drying chamber that accommodates an object to be dried such as clothes.

  The water tank 12 has an exhaust port 16, a first air supply port 171, and a second air supply port 172. The exhaust port 16 is provided in a portion near the upper front of the peripheral wall forming the tubular portion of the water tank 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the first air supply port 171 and the second air supply port 172 are respectively provided in the water tank end plate 122 and slightly above the center of the water tank end plate 122. The exhaust port 16, the first air supply port 171, and the second air supply port 172 communicate the inside and the outside of the water tank 12. In the case of the present embodiment, the opening area of the second air supply port 172 is smaller than the opening area of the first air supply port 171.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the water tank 12 has a drain 18 and an overflow port 124. The drain portion 18 is provided on the rear end side of the bottom portion of the water tank 12 that is located below in the direction of gravity. The drainage unit 18 is located below the exhaust port 16, the first air supply port 171, and the second air supply port 172. The drainage unit 18 includes a drainage port 123, a drainage valve 19, and a drainage hose 20. When the drain valve 19 is opened, the water in the water tank 12 is discharged from the drain port 123 to the outside of the washer/dryer 10 via the drain valve 19 and the drain hose 20.

  The overflow port 124 is provided in the water tank end plate 122 and is connected to the drain hose 20. The height position of the overflow port 124 is approximately the same as the lower end portion of the opening 121 of the water tank 12. The first air supply port 171 and the second air supply port 172 are located above the overflow port 124. When the water level in the water tank 12 exceeds a certain amount, in this case, when the water reaches the vicinity of the lower end of the opening 121, the water in the water tank 12 overflows from the overflow port 124. The water overflowing from the overflow port 124 is discharged to the outside of the washer/dryer 10 via the drain hose 20.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rotary tank 13 has a plurality of holes 21 and a plurality of communication ports 22. The hole 21 and the communication port 22 communicate the inside and the outside of the rotary tank 13. The holes 21 are formed in the entire area of the peripheral wall forming the cylindrical portion of the rotary tank 13. The communication port 22 is formed in the entire area of the rotary tank end plate 132. The holes 21 and the communication ports 22 mainly function as water passage holes through which water flows in and out during washing operation and dehydration operation, and function as air passage holes through which air flows in and out during drying operation. Note that in FIG. 1, only a part of the plurality of holes 21 and the communication ports 22 is shown for simplicity. Although not shown in detail, the rotary tank 13 is provided with a plurality of baffles inside the cylindrical portion. The baffle stirs the laundry stored inside the rotary tub 13.

  The rotary tank motor 14 is provided on the water tank end plate 122 outside the water tank 12. The rotary tank motor 14 is, for example, an outer rotor type DC brushless motor. The shaft portion 141 of the rotary tank motor 14 penetrates through the water tank end plate 122, projects into the water tank 12, and is fixed to the center of the rotary tank end plate 132. Thereby, the rotary tank motor 14 rotates the rotary tank 13 relative to the water tank 12. In this case, the shaft portion 141, the rotation axis of the rotary tank 13, and the central axis of the water tank 12 are coincident with each other.

  The door 15 is provided on the outer surface side of the outer box 11 via a hinge (not shown). The door 15 rotates about a hinge as a fulcrum to open and close an opening (not shown) formed on the front surface of the outer box 11. The opening formed in the outer box 11 is connected to the opening 121 of the water tank 12 by the bellows 111. Laundry such as clothes is put into and taken out of the rotary tub 13 through the openings 121 and 131 with the door 15 opened.

  The washer/dryer 10 includes a controller 23 and an operation panel 24, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The control device 23 is composed of a microcomputer and controls the overall operation of the washer/dryer 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel 24 is provided on the front surface of the outer box 11 and above the door 15. As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 23 is connected to the rotary tank motor 14, the drain valve 19, the operation panel 24, and the like. The user operates the operation panel 24 to perform various settings such as selection of a driving course. The washer/dryer 10 also includes a water supply device (not shown). The water supply device is for supplying water from an external water source such as a water supply into the water tank 12.

  The washer/dryer 10 includes a circulation air passage 30 as shown in FIG. The circulation air passage 30 connects the exhaust port 16 and the first air supply port 171 outside the water tank 12. Specifically, the circulation air passage 30 is composed of an exhaust duct 31, a filter device 32, a connection duct 33, a heat exchange section 34, and an air supply duct 35.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the exhaust duct 31 connects the exhaust port 16 of the water tank 12 and the filter device 32. The exhaust duct 31 is formed of, for example, a bellows-shaped hose. The filter device 32 is provided in the middle of the circulation air passage 30, and collects foreign matter such as lint contained in the air flowing in the circulation air passage 30. In this case, the filter device 32 is provided on the upper inner side of the outer box 11 and above the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13. Inside the filter device 32, a filter 321 is provided as shown in FIG. Foreign substances such as lint contained in the air discharged from the exhaust port 16 are removed by passing through the filter 321 of the filter device 32.

  The filter device 32 is connected to the upstream side of the heat exchange section 34 via a connection duct 33. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heat exchange section 34 is provided in the lower inner portion of the outer box 11 and below the filter device 32, the water tank 12, and the rotary tank 13. The heat exchange unit 34 generates dry hot air by dehumidifying and heating the air passing through the inside. An evaporator 41 and a condenser 42 that constitute the heat pump unit 40 are provided in the heat exchange section 34.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the heat pump unit 40 has an evaporator 41, a condenser 42, a compressor 43, and a pressure reducing device 44. The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 are provided inside the heat exchange section 34. The compressor 43 and the decompression device 44 are provided outside the heat exchange section 34. The heat pump unit 40 is configured by connecting a condenser 42, a decompression device 44, and an evaporator 41 in an annular order in order with respect to the direction in which the refrigerant flows with respect to the compressor 43. The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 are, for example, configured by tubes having a large number of fins provided at minute intervals, and by flowing the refrigerant inside the tubes, the heat of the air passing through the fins and the refrigerant Exchange. The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 function as a heat exchanger.

  The evaporator 41 is provided upstream of the condenser 42 with respect to the flow of air in the heat exchange section 34 during the drying operation. The air passing through the heat exchange section 34 is cooled by the evaporator 41 and dehumidified thereby. The air dehumidified by the evaporator 41 is then heated by the condenser 42 to become warm air. In this case, the evaporator 41 functions as a dehumidifying unit that dehumidifies the air flowing through the circulation air passage 30. The condenser 42 also functions as a heating unit that heats the air flowing through the circulation air passage 30.

  The downstream side of the heat exchange section 34 is connected to the first air supply port 171 via the air supply duct 35. A main air blower 50 is provided at a connection portion between the heat exchange section 34 and the air supply duct 35. The main blower device 50 is a centrifugal blower such as a sirocco fan or a turbo fan, and has a blade portion 51, a fan motor 52, and a fan casing 53. The main blower 50 is not limited to a centrifugal blower, and may be an axial blower. In the case of this embodiment, the blade portion 51 is provided inside the fan casing 53, and the fan motor 52 is provided outside the fan casing 53. The suction side of the main blower 50 is connected to the downstream end of the heat exchange section 34, and the discharge side of the main blower 50 is connected to the upstream end of the air supply duct 35.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the main blower device 50 is connected to the control device 23. The fan motor 52 of the main blower device 50 is configured so that the rotation speed can be changed under the control of the control device 23. The main blower device 50 sucks the air in the heat exchange section 34 and discharges it to the air supply duct 35 side. As a result, as shown by an arrow A in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a flow of air that circulates in the water tank 12 and the circulation air passage 30 is generated. In this case, regarding the flow of air in the circulation air passage 30, the exhaust port 16 is the most upstream side and the first air supply port 171 is the most downstream side.

  In this configuration, when the heat pump unit 40 and the main air blower 50 are driven, the hot air dehumidified and heated in the heat exchange unit 34 is first blown through the air supply duct 35 by the air blowing action of the main air blower 50. It is supplied from the air supply port 171 into the water tank 12. After that, the warm air mainly enters the rotary tub 13 through the communication port 22, removes moisture from the laundry in the rotary tub 13, and then mainly exits from the hole 21 to the outside of the rotary tub 13. Then, the moist air is sucked into the circulation air passage 30 from the exhaust port 16. The air sucked into the circulation air passage 30 first passes through the exhaust duct 31 and the filter device 32. Then, it flows to the heat exchange part 34 via the connection duct 33. In this way, the drying operation is performed by circulating air between the water tank 12 and the circulation air passage 30, and dehumidifying and heating the air in the circulation air passage 30.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the washer/dryer 10 includes an auxiliary blower 60. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary blower 60 is for supplying the air outside the circulation air passage 30, in this case, the air inside the outer box 11 into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 from the second air supply port 172. Is. As shown in FIG. 1, the auxiliary blower 60 is provided on the water tank end plate 122 outside the water tank 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the auxiliary blower 60 has a blade portion 61, a fan motor 62, and a fan casing 63. The blade portion 61 and the fan motor 62 are provided inside the fan casing 63. The discharge side of the auxiliary blower 60 is connected to the second air supply port 172. The fan casing 63 is smoothly thinned from the periphery of the blade portion 61 and the fan motor 62 toward the second air supply port 172. Further, the fan casing 63 has a suction port 631 communicating with the outside.

  The auxiliary blower 60 is a mixed flow blower. In general, a mixed-flow blower provides a larger air volume than a centrifugal blower and a higher static pressure than an axial-flow blower when compared at the same size and the same rotation speed. be able to. In the case of the present embodiment, the static pressure of the auxiliary blower 60 is set higher than the static pressure of the main blower 50. On the other hand, the air volume of the main air blower 50 is set to be larger than the air volume of the auxiliary air blower 60. The auxiliary blower 60 is not limited to the mixed flow type, and may be any blower that can obtain a static pressure higher than that of the main blower 50. Further, the static pressure and the air volume of each of the blowers 50 and 60 can be adjusted by changing the size and the number of rotations of the blades 51 and 61 of each of the blowers 60 and 50.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the auxiliary blower 60 is connected to the controller 23. The fan motor 62 of the auxiliary air blower 60 is configured so that the rotation speed can be changed under the control of the controller 23. When the fan motor 62 operates, the auxiliary blower device 60 sucks the air outside the circulation air passage 30 through the suction port 631 and supplies the air into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 through the second air supply port 172.

  Here, the opening area of the second air supply port 172 is set smaller than the opening area of the first air supply port 171. Further, the static pressure of the auxiliary blower 60 is set higher than the static pressure of the main blower 50. Therefore, when the main air blower 50 and the auxiliary air blower 60 are driven simultaneously, the speed of the air supplied from the second air supply port 172 into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 is from the first air supply port 171. The speed is higher than the speed of the air supplied into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13. On the other hand, the amount of air supplied from the first air supply port 171 into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 is supplied from the second air supply port 172 into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 by the auxiliary blower 60. It is more than the amount of air blown.

  The circulation air passage 30 has an adjustment port 36 as shown in FIG. The adjustment port 36 is provided in the middle of the circulation air passage 30 and on the upstream side of the evaporator 41. The adjustment port 36 communicates the inside of the heat exchange section 34 with the outside of the heat exchange section 34 and the inside of the outer box 11. When the main air blower 50 is driven, the pressure in the circulation air passage 30 tends to decrease due to the circulation of air, whereby the air outside the circulation air passage 30 is taken into the circulation air passage 30 from the adjustment port 36. When the auxiliary air blower 60 is driven in addition to the main air blower 50, the pressure in the circulation air duct 30 tends to rise due to the high-pressure air blowing action of the auxiliary air blower 60, thereby circulating the circulation air duct 30. Part of the air is discharged from the adjusting port 36 to the outside of the circulation air passage 30. In this way, the pressure in the circulation air passage 30 is maintained at a constant level.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the washer/dryer 10 includes an outlet air temperature sensor 25 and an inlet air temperature sensor 26. The outlet air temperature sensor 25 and the inlet air temperature sensor 26 are connected to the control device 23, respectively, as shown in FIG. The outlet air temperature sensor 25 is provided in the circulation air passage 30 near the exhaust port 16. The outlet air temperature sensor 25 can detect the temperature of the air discharged from the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13. The inlet air temperature sensor 26 is provided in the circulation air passage 30 in the vicinity of the first air supply port 171. The inlet air temperature sensor 26 can detect the temperature of the air supplied into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13.

  The controller 23 can measure the drying rate of the object to be dried in the rotary tank 13 based on the difference between the detection results of the outlet air temperature sensor 25 and the inlet air temperature sensor 26 during the drying operation. That is, when the drying rate is low and the clothes and the like contain a large amount of moisture, the clothes and the like in the rotary tank 13 take more heat from the air supplied into the rotary tank 13. Therefore, when the drying rate is low, the difference between the temperature of the air supplied to the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 and the temperature of the air discharged from the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 becomes large. On the other hand, when the drying rate of the clothes and the like increases and the drying rate increases, the clothes and the like in the rotary tank 13 do not take too much heat from the air supplied into the rotary tank 13. Therefore, when the drying rate increases, the difference between the temperature of the air supplied to the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 and the temperature of the air discharged from the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 decreases.

  The drying rate is an index showing the degree of progress of drying, and 100% is defined when the drying is completed. In addition, the washer/dryer 10 detects the drying rate of the drying target by measuring the humidity in the rotary tank 13 with a humidity sensor or measuring the conductivity of the drying target with two electrodes. Is also good.

  Next, the control contents performed by the control device 23 during the drying operation will be described with reference to FIG. When starting the drying operation, the control device 23 drives the rotary tank motor 14, the heat pump unit 40, and the main blower device 50 as shown in step S11. Then, the clothes in the rotary tank 13 are stirred by the rotation of the rotary tank 13, and the hot air dehumidified and heated in the heat exchange section 34 is supplied into the rotary tank 13. As a result, the drying operation is started.

  Next, the control device 23 determines in step S12 whether or not the drying rate has reached a predetermined value or more. When the controller 23 determines that the drying rate has reached the predetermined value (YES in step S12), the controller 23 proceeds to step S13 to drive the auxiliary blower 60. Then, the high-speed air is supplied from the second air supply port 172 into the rotary tank 13 by the air blowing action of the auxiliary air blowing device 60. As a result, the clothes and the like in the rotary tank 13 are unraveled, and wrinkles on the clothes and the like are suppressed.

  Here, the predetermined value in step S12 serves as a criterion for determining whether to drive the auxiliary air blower 60 in addition to the main air blower 50 during the drying operation. The predetermined value is set to a drying rate of 80%, for example. The reason is as follows. That is, it has been empirically found that wrinkles are easily formed on the clothes during the period when the drying rate is about 85% to 90%. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control device 23 drives the auxiliary blower 60 before the drying rate in the above-described period in which wrinkles tend to occur is reached, for example, when the drying rate reaches 80%. With this, it is possible to prevent the above-mentioned drying rate of 85% to 90% from passing in the state where the clothes and the like have creases, and it is possible to effectively suppress the wrinkles of the clothes and the like.

  By the way, when the drying rate is lower than 80%, since clothes and the like contain a relatively large amount of moisture, it is originally difficult for wrinkles to be formed on the clothes and the like. Therefore, when the auxiliary blower 60 is driven in a state where the drying rate is low, it is difficult to obtain the wrinkle-suppressing effect commensurate with the increase in power consumption required to drive the auxiliary blower 60. Therefore, in this embodiment, the predetermined value is set to around 80%. As a result, wrinkles can be effectively suppressed while suppressing an increase in power consumption due to the driving of the auxiliary blower 60.

  Further, once wrinkles are formed on clothes or the like, it is difficult to extend the wrinkles even if a high-speed wind is applied. However, in the case of the present embodiment, the air outside the circulation air passage 30, that is, the air inside the outer casing 11 is supplied from the second air supply port 172. In this case, a part of the air flowing through the circulation air passage 30 is discharged from the adjustment port 36 to the outside of the circulation air passage 30 or the inside of the outer box 11. This air is not dehumidified because it has not passed through the evaporator 41. Therefore, the air in the outer box 11 contains a relatively large amount of moisture. Then, when the auxiliary blower 60 is driven, the air in the outer box 11 containing a large amount of moisture is supplied into the rotary tank 13 at a high speed from the second air supply port 172. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the air supplied from the second air supply port 172 can apply high-speed air containing a little moisture to clothes and the like. That is, it is possible to stretch the wrinkles by applying high-speed wind while giving moisture to clothes and the like. Therefore, according to this structure, the wrinkles of the clothes or the like once attached can be effectively lengthened.

  Next, the control device 23 determines in step S14 whether or not the drying rate has reached 100%. When the drying rate reaches 100% (YES in step S14), the control device 23 proceeds to step S15 to stop the heat pump unit 40 and the auxiliary blower 60. As a result, the supply of warm air is stopped. Then, the control device 23 maintains the drive of the rotary tank motor 14 and the main blower device 50 to perform the cooling operation. As a result, cold air that has not been heated is supplied into the rotary tank 13 to remove heat from clothes and cool the clothes. Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed after starting the cooling operation in step S15 (YES in step S16), the control device 23 also stops the rotary tank motor 14 and the main blower device 50 in step S17 to complete the drying operation. (End).

  According to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, the washer/dryer 10 includes the main blower device 50 and the auxiliary blower device 60. The main air blower 50 can supply the hot air dehumidified and heated by the heat exchange unit 34 into the rotary tank 13 with a larger air volume than the auxiliary air blower 60. That is, since the air supplied from the first air supply port 171 by the main air blower 50 is a large amount of air and is dry and high temperature, it is suitable for drying clothes and the like. On the other hand, the auxiliary blower 60 can supply the air in the outer box 11 into the rotary tank 13 at a higher speed than the main blower 50. That is, since the air supplied from the second air supply port 172 by the auxiliary blower 60 is high speed and contains a little moisture, it is suitable for stretching wrinkles of clothes or the like.

  In this case, while the drying operation is performed mainly by the air blow by the main air blower 50, the auxiliary air blower 60 is additionally driven if necessary, so that the amount of airflow during the drying operation is not reduced and wrinkles on clothes or the like are not reduced. The sticking can be effectively suppressed. That is, according to this configuration, the air supplied from the second air supply port 172 by the auxiliary air blower 60 effectively suppresses the wrinkles of clothes and the like, and as a result, improves the finish of drying clothes and the like. Can be made Furthermore, when controlling the wrinkles by applying high-speed wind to clothes and the like, the amount of warm air required for the drying operation is not reduced, so that it is possible to prevent the extension of the drying operation time, which in turn reduces power consumption. The increase can be suppressed.

  Here, the wind speed of the air blown from each of the air supply ports 171 and 172 is determined by the opening area and the air volume of each of the air supply ports 171 and 172. That is, if the air volumes blown out from the air supply ports 171 and 172 are approximately the same, the smaller the opening area of the air supply ports 171 and 172, the higher the speed. In the case of this embodiment, the opening area of the second air supply port 172 is set smaller than the opening area of the first air supply port 171. Therefore, the wind supplied from the second air supply port 172 can be made faster. As a result, the clothes and the like can be blown with higher speed, and as a result, wrinkles on the clothes and the like can be more effectively suppressed.

  The fan casing 63 is smoothly thinned from the periphery of the blade portion 61 and the fan motor 62 toward the second air supply port 172. According to this, the flow path resistance in the fan casing 63 can be minimized. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the wind loss in the fan casing 63 and maintain the wind velocity of the wind blown from the fan casing 63 as high as possible. Therefore, the clothes and the like can be blown with a higher speed, so that the clothes and the like can be more effectively suppressed from wrinkling.

  Here, in the washing/drying machine 10 of the present embodiment, when the rotary shaft of the rotary tub 13 is inclined with respect to the ground, clothes or the like are near the bottom of the rotary tub 13, that is, the rotary tub end, during the drying operation. It is easy to collect near the plate 132. If the drying progresses with the clothes and the like accumulated in one place, the clothes and the like are easily wrinkled. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the second air supply port 172 is provided in the water tank end plate 122 that is the bottom of the rotary tank 13. Therefore, clothes and the like collected near the bottom of the rotary tank 13 can be pushed forward by the high-speed air blown from the second air supply port 172. As a result, clothes and the like can be prevented from accumulating near the bottom of the rotary tub 13, and wrinkles can be suppressed more effectively.

  Further, the auxiliary blower 60 supplies the air in the outer box 11 into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13. In this case, the air inside the outer box 11 is warmed to some extent by the dry operation, and therefore warmer than the air outside the outer box 11. Therefore, by using high-speed air blown against clothes or the like as the air in the relatively warm outer box 11, it is possible to suppress the temperature decrease in the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 as much as possible. As a result, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the drying efficiency due to the temperature decrease in the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 as much as possible. As a result, it is possible to suppress the extension of the drying operation, and thus suppress the increase in power consumption.

  The fan motor 62 of the auxiliary blower 60 is provided in the fan casing 63 connected to the water tank 12. Therefore, if the water in the water tank 12 enters the fan casing 63, the fan motor 62 may be adversely affected. Further, if the fan motor 62 is made to have a waterproof structure, the cost increases. On the other hand, the second air supply port 172 is provided above the overflow port 124. According to this, it is possible to prevent the water in the water tank 12 from reaching the second air supply port 172 and entering the fan casing 63 from the second air supply port 172. As a result, it is possible to reduce the failure of the fan motor 62 and to avoid the increase in cost due to the waterproof structure.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the washer/dryer 10 of the second embodiment is replaced with the auxiliary blower 60 of the first embodiment, and the branch port 331, the branch duct 37, the damper 38, and the auxiliary blower are provided. And a device 70. As shown in FIG. 7, the branch port 331 is provided in the middle part of the circulation air passage 30, in this case, in the middle part of the connection duct 33. Further, in this case, the branch port 331 is provided on the downstream side of the filter device 32 and on the upstream side of the heat exchange section 34.

  The branch duct 37 connects the branch port 331 and the second air supply port 172. That is, the branch port 331 branches a part of the air flowing in the circulation air passage 30 to the branch duct 37 side. The branch duct 37 is smoothly thinned from the periphery of the auxiliary blower 70 toward the second air supply port 172. In this case, the branch duct 37 functions as a branch air duct that branches from the branch port 331 and connects the branch port 331 and the second air supply port 172. The cross-sectional area of the branch duct 37 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the connection duct 33. The damper 38 opens and closes the branch port 331, and is provided in the connection duct 33. As shown in FIG. 8, the damper 38 is connected to the control device 23 and is driven by a command from the control device 23.

  In the present embodiment, the auxiliary blower 70 is for supplying the air passing through the branch duct 37 from the second air supply port 172 into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13. As shown in FIG. 7, the auxiliary blower 70 has blades 51 and a fan motor 52, and is provided inside the branch duct 37. That is, the auxiliary blower 70 has the same configuration as the auxiliary blower 60 except that the function of the fan casing 63 is replaced by the branch duct 37.

  That is, also in the second embodiment, the air volume of the air supplied from the first air supply port 171 into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 is supplied from the second air supply port 172 into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13. Larger than the air volume. The speed of the air supplied from the second air supply port 172 into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 is higher than the speed of the air supplied from the first air supply port 171 into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13. is there.

  The control device 23 executes the drying operation based on the control flow shown in FIG. 9. The control flow shown in FIG. 9 is basically the same as the control flow of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5, but the control flow of FIG. 9 is step S21 instead of step S13 and step S15 of FIG. And that step S22 is included.

  In this embodiment, the normal state of the damper 38 is set to the state in which the branch port 331 is closed. In step S21 of FIG. 9, the controller 23 drives the auxiliary blower 60 and the damper 38 to open the branch port 331. As a result, a part of the wind passing through the circulation air passage 30 is guided into the branch duct 37. In addition, in step S22 of FIG. 9, the control device 23 stops the heat pump unit 40 and the auxiliary blower device 60, restores the damper 38, and closes the branch port 331.

  According to this, the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained. In this case, the air supplied from the second air supply port 172 is not dehumidified because it is the air that has not passed through the heat exchange section 34. Therefore, also in the second embodiment, since the air supplied from the second air supply port 172 contains a little moisture, it is suitable for extending the wrinkles of clothes and the like as in the first embodiment. There is.

  Here, when the drying rate becomes high to some extent, more lint comes out from clothes and the like. In this case, the sectional area of the branch duct 37 is set smaller than the sectional area of the connection duct 33. The auxiliary blower 70 is provided in the branch duct 37. Therefore, when the air in the circulation air passage 30 is branched to the branch duct 37 without removing the lint, lint is accumulated in the branch duct 37 or the auxiliary blower 70 is entangled with lint. As a result, the drying performance may be deteriorated and the auxiliary blower 70 may be damaged.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the branch port 331 that branches into the branch duct 37 is provided on the downstream side of the filter device 32. Therefore, the air after the foreign matter such as lint is collected by the filter device 32 is branched to the branch duct 37. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lint from being accumulated in the branch duct 37 and the lint from being entangled in the auxiliary blower 70, and as a result, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the drying performance and the failure of the auxiliary blower 70.

  Further, the damper 38 can open and close the branch port 331 under the control of the control device 23. In this case, the control device 23 closes the damper 38 and the branch port 331 in a state where the auxiliary blower 70 is not driven. Therefore, when the drying operation is performed mainly by the main air blower 50 without driving the auxiliary air blower 70, it is possible to prevent the air in the circulation air passage 30 from being branched to the branch duct 37. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of air supplied from the first air supply port 171, and as a result, it is possible to suppress the extension of the drying operation time.

The above-described embodiments are not limited to the so-called diagonal drum type washer/dryer 10 having an axis inclined with respect to the horizontal, but may be a drum type washer/dryer having a horizontal rotation axis.
The dehumidifying means and the heating means are not limited to the heat pump type. That is, the dehumidifying means may be a water cooling type instead of the evaporator 41. The heating means may be a heater or the like instead of the condenser 42.
Further, the configuration of the above embodiment can be applied to a clothes dryer having no washing function.

  Although a plurality of embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the scope equivalent thereto.

  In the drawings, 10 is a washer/dryer (clothes dryer), 12 is a water tank (drying chamber), 13 is a rotating tank (drying chamber), 171 is a first air supply port, 172 is a second air supply port, and 30 is a circulation. Air passage, 331 is a branch port, 37 is a branch duct (branch air passage), 38 is a damper, 41 is an evaporator (dehumidifying means), 42 is a condenser (heating means), 50 is a main air blower, and 60, 70 are The auxiliary blower is shown.

Claims (5)

A drying chamber having an exhaust port, a first air supply port, and a second air supply port, in which an object to be dried is housed;
A circulation air passage provided outside the drying chamber to connect the exhaust port and the first air supply port;
Dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the air in the circulation air passage,
Heating means for heating the air in the circulation air passage,
A main air blower that supplies the air in the circulation air passage dehumidified by the dehumidifying means and heated by the heating means into the drying chamber from the first air supply port;
An auxiliary blower for supplying the air outside the circulation air passage from the second air supply port into the drying chamber,
The air volume of the air supplied from the first air supply port into the drying chamber is larger than the air volume of the air supplied from the second air supply port into the drying chamber, and the air is supplied from the second air supply port. The speed of the air supplied to the room is higher than the speed of the air supplied to the drying room from the first air supply port,
Clothes dryer. A drying chamber configured by a water tank having an exhaust port, a first air supply port, and a second air supply port; and a rotary tank provided in the water tank for accommodating an object to be dried,
A circulation air passage provided outside the drying chamber to connect the exhaust port and the first air supply port;
Dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the air in the circulation air passage,
Heating means for heating the air in the circulation air passage,
A main air blower that supplies the air in the circulation air passage dehumidified by the dehumidifying means and heated by the heating means into the drying chamber from the first air supply port;
A filter device provided in the middle of the circulation air passage to collect foreign matter contained in the air flowing in the circulation air passage,
A branch port that is provided on the downstream side of the filter device and on the upstream side of the dehumidifying means in the circulation air passage, and branches the air flowing in the circulation air passage.
A branch air passage that branches from the branch port and connects the branch port and the second air supply port;
An auxiliary air blower for supplying the air passing through the branch air passage into the drying chamber from the second air supply port,
The air volume of the air supplied from the first air supply port into the drying chamber is larger than the air volume of the air supplied from the second air supply port into the drying chamber, and the air is supplied from the second air supply port. The speed of the air supplied to the room is higher than the speed of the air supplied to the drying room from the first air supply port,
Clothes dryer. Further comprising a damper for opening and closing the branch opening,
The clothes dryer according to claim 2 . The second air supply port has an opening area smaller than that of the first air supply port,
The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The auxiliary blower is a mixed flow type,
The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

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