JP6913843B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a clothes dryer for drying textile products such as clothes and a clothes dryer (washing dryer) having a washing function in addition to drying.

As a method for improving the efficiency of the drying performance of a clothes dryer or a washer / dryer, there is a method of mounting a heat pump device on a drying device for drying clothes. According to this method, the heat energy used for drying clothes is recovered by the heat absorber and reused. As a result, clothes can be dried efficiently.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional clothes dryer. FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a drying system of the clothes dryer. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the clothes dryer is provided with a circulation duct 102 including a rotating drum 101 for accommodating clothes. A heat pump device 103 is provided in the circulation duct 102 as a drying device.

The heat pump device 103 is composed of a compressor 104 that compresses the refrigerant, a radiator 105 that dissipates heat from the compressed refrigerant, an expansion mechanism 106 that reduces the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant, and a refrigerant that has been decompressed to a low pressure. It is composed of a heat absorber 107 that takes heat from the surroundings. Then, they are connected by a pipeline so as to circulate the refrigerant in them.

In addition to the rotating drum 101, the circulation duct 102 is provided with a blower 108 that circulates drying air, and a radiator 105 and a heat absorber 107 of the heat pump device 103. The radiator 105 heats the circulating drying air. The endothermic absorber 107 cools and dehumidifies the drying air.

In the clothes dryer having this configuration, the moisture evaporated from the clothes is condensed on the heat absorber 107, and at the same time, the heat energy used for drying the clothes is recovered by the heat absorber 107. Therefore, the loss of heat energy can be extremely reduced, and clothes with a high dehumidification rate can be dried with low electric power (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-178289

However, in the conventional configuration, in the drying air circulation duct 102, there are a portion where the air is heated by the radiator 105 and a portion where the air is cooled by the heat absorber 107. In principle of the heat pump device, the electric input for driving the compressor 104 is added to the heat energy recovered by the heat absorber 107 and radiated from the radiator 105. Therefore, only the thermal energy of the electric input to the compressor 104 contributes to the temperature rise of the drying air.

As a result, for example, when the temperature of the drying air is rapidly increased in the early stage of the drying process for the purpose of shortening the drying time, the heating capacity that the clothes dryer can exert depends on the power consumption that drives the compressor 104. Be restricted. As a result, the original characteristic of the heat pump, which is that heat is taken in from outside the space to be heated by using a small amount of electric power and used as a large amount of heat energy, is not utilized.

Further, at the final stage of the drying process, the thermal energy of the electric input in the compressor 104 is accumulated in the drying air in the circulation duct 102 and the rotating drum 101. As a result, the temperature of the drying air rises, and the relative humidity of the drying air flowing into the heat absorber 107 decreases. This creates the need to increase the cooling capacity required to dehumidify the drying air. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the cooling capacity of the heat pump device 103. That is, there is a problem that the amount of power consumption increases.

Further, when the power consumption in the compressor 104 is accumulated in the drying air in the circulation duct 102 and the rotating drum 101, the temperature of the drying air and the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant rise, the heat pump device 103 finally reaches. Reach the upper limit of ability. In that case, it becomes necessary to stop the operation of the heat pump device 103 or reduce the electric input in the compressor 104 of the heat pump device 103 by operating the safety device. This has the problem of prolonging the drying time.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a clothes dryer having high efficiency drying performance by suppressing an increase in drying time and an increase in power consumption.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the clothes dryer of the present invention dissipates heat from the main body, a rotary tank rotatably provided in the main body, a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, and the compressed refrigerant. A heat pump device configured by connecting a radiator that reduces the pressure of a high-pressure refrigerant, an expansion mechanism that reduces the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant, and a heat absorber that removes heat from the surroundings by the reduced pressure refrigerant by a pipeline so that the refrigerant can circulate. A circulation air passage having a drying air outlet and a drying air outlet communicating with the rotary tank to circulate the drying air in the rotary tank, and a heat pump device provided in the circulation air passage. A blower that supplies the drying air heated by the above to the inside of the rotary tank, an exhaust air passage that is provided so as to communicate with the circulation air passage and discharges the drying air to the outside of the machine, and a circulation air passage outside the circulation air passage. An intake unit through which ambient air enters the circulation air passage, a control device for controlling the blower device, the heat pump device, and the like are provided, and the radiator is provided in the circulation air passage, and the exhaust air is provided. The path is branched and connected from between the drying air outlet of the circulation air passage and the radiator, and the heat absorber is provided only in the exhaust air passage.

With this configuration, when the temperature of the exhaust air in the first half of the drying process is low, the heat energy of the air outside the circulation air passage can be collected by the endothermic air passage and taken into the circulation air passage and further into the rotary tank. become. As a result, it becomes possible to improve the temperature rise rate of the drying air temperature, and the drying performance is improved.

In addition, even when the temperature of the exhaust air in the latter half of the drying process is high, the housing does not cool and dehumidify all or part of the moisture contained in the exhaust air while suppressing the heat energy loss due to the exhaust. It becomes possible to exhaust to the outside of the body, and the drying performance is improved.

Therefore, the clothes dryer of the present invention can shorten the drying time and save energy while suppressing an increase in power consumption of the heat pump device in the entire drying process, and improve the drying performance.

The clothes dryer of the present invention can collect heat from the air outside the housing and exhaust the moisture of the drying air while suppressing the loss of heat energy due to the exhaust. This makes it possible to improve energy efficiency and drying performance in the entire drying process.

Longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the washer / dryer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Configuration diagram of the drying system of the washer / dryer in this embodiment Configuration diagram of the main parts of the drying system of the washer / dryer in this embodiment The figure which shows the transition of the warm air temperature of the washer / dryer in this embodiment Configuration diagram of the drying system of the washer / dryer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the relationship between the exhaust rate and the drying efficiency at the time of speed drying of the washer / dryer in this embodiment. The figure which shows the relationship between the exhaust rate and the drying efficiency at the time of energy saving drying of a washer / dryer in this embodiment. Longitudinal section showing the configuration of a conventional clothes dryer Drying system configuration diagram of a conventional clothes dryer

The clothes dryer of the first invention comprises a main body, a rotary tank rotatably provided in the main body, a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a radiator that dissipates the heat of the compressed refrigerant, and a high-pressure refrigerant. A heat pump device configured by connecting an expansion mechanism that reduces pressure and a heat absorber that takes heat from the surroundings by a refrigerant that has been depressurized to a low pressure by a pipeline so that the refrigerant can circulate, and drying that communicates with the rotary tank. A circulating air passage that has an air outlet for drying and an air outlet for drying and circulates the drying air in the rotary tank, and drying air provided in the circulating air passage and heated by the heat pump device. The air blower supplied into the rotary tank, the exhaust air passage which is provided so as to communicate with the circulation air passage and discharges the drying air to the outside of the machine, and the air around the outside of the circulation air passage are the circulation air passage. The air intake unit that enters the inside, the control device that controls the blower device, the heat pump device, and the like are provided, the radiator is provided in the circulation air passage, and the exhaust air passage is the circulation air passage. A branch connection is made between the drying air outlet and the radiator, and the heat absorber is provided only in the exhaust air passage.

With this configuration, a part of the drying air is discharged to the outside of the clothes drying device after passing through the heat absorber. As a result, the heat absorber exchanges heat only with the exhaust air for drying, so that the temperature of the exhaust air that has passed through the heat absorber can be lowered. As a result, when the temperature of the exhaust air in the first half of the drying process is low, the temperature of the exhaust air is lower than that of the intake air. As a result, the heat energy of the air outside the circulating air passage can be collected by the heat absorber and taken into the circulating air passage and further into the rotary tank.

As a result, in addition to the electric input for driving the compressor, the heat energy of the air outside the housing collected by the heat absorber is stored in the circulation air passage and further in the rotary tank, so that the air temperature for drying is stored. It becomes possible to improve the temperature rise rate of the air, and the drying performance is improved.

In addition, even when the temperature of the exhaust air in the latter half of the drying process is high, the housing does not cool and dehumidify all or part of the moisture contained in the exhaust air while suppressing the heat energy loss due to the exhaust. It becomes possible to exhaust to the outside of the body, and the drying performance is improved.

Therefore, in the entire drying process, it is possible to shorten the drying time and save energy while suppressing an increase in power consumption of the heat pump device, and the drying performance is improved.

The second invention, in particular, in the first invention, includes an exhaust air volume adjusting device capable of changing the amount of air discharged from the circulating air passage through the exhaust air passage to the outside of the machine. With this configuration, it is possible to adjust the amount of air flowing into the heat absorber and exhausting it according to the progress of drying of clothes and the temperature change of the circulating air. In the early stages of drying or when the temperature of the circulating drying air is low, the amount of exhaust air discharged from the exhaust air passage is reduced to suppress the increase in power consumption by the radiator. also. In the latter half of drying or when the temperature of the circulating drying air is high, the drying time is shortened by increasing the amount of exhaust air discharged from the exhaust air passage.

Therefore, in the entire drying process, it is possible to make the drying time shortened and the energy saving more appropriate while suppressing the increase in the power consumption of the heat pump device.

In the third invention, in particular, in the second invention, the ratio of the amount of air discharged from the circulating air passage to the outside of the machine through the exhaust air passage is set to 20 to 50%. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the energy loss due to the exhaust to the outside of the machine by reducing the ratio of the air volume flowing into the exhaust air passage. In addition, the temperature of the drying air can be raised, and the rate of evaporation of water from clothes is improved. As a result, it becomes possible to perform a drying operation in which the drying time is shortened.

In the fourth invention, in particular, in the second invention, the ratio of the amount of air discharged from the circulating air passage to the outside of the machine through the exhaust air passage is set to 50 to 100%. With this configuration, by increasing the ratio of the air volume flowing into the exhaust air passage, the air volume taken in from the outside of the circulating air passage also increases at the same time. Then, it becomes possible to lower the temperature of the drying air flowing into the radiator. As a result, the pressure on the high pressure side of the heat pump device can be lowered, and the energy efficiency of the heat pump device is improved. As a result, it becomes possible to perform the drying operation while suppressing the power consumption of the heat pump device.

A fifth invention, particularly in the second invention, is that the exhaust air volume adjusting device is provided at a branch portion between the circulation air passage and the exhaust air passage. With this configuration, it is possible to directly and greatly change the amount of air flowing into the heat absorber and exhausted as the drying of the clothes progresses. As a result, in the entire drying process, it is possible to more efficiently shorten the drying time and save energy while suppressing an increase in power consumption of the heat pump device, and the drying performance is improved.

A sixth invention, in particular, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, the intake portion is provided between the branch portion of the circulation air passage with the exhaust air passage and the radiator. Is. With this configuration, the temperature of the drying air flowing into the radiator is effectively lowered by the air taken in from outside the circulation air passage. As a result, the pressure on the high pressure side of the heat pump device is lowered, and the energy efficiency of the heat pump device is improved. As a result, it becomes possible to effectively perform the drying operation while suppressing the power consumption of the heat pump device.

A seventh invention, in particular, in any one of the first to sixth inventions, is that the heat absorber is arranged adjacent to the upper side of the radiator. With this configuration, the effect of suppressing the adhesion of frost to the heat absorber due to the heat transferred from the high-temperature radiator is exhibited, and the air flow path is secured. As a result, the decrease in the amount of air passing through the endothermic device is suppressed, and the decrease in the amount of heat absorption in the endothermic device is suppressed. As a result, the drying time can be shortened and energy can be saved.

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

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the washer / dryer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a drying system of a washer / dryer according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a main part of the drying system according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the explanation will be given mainly using a washer / dryer. The washer / dryer is a clothes dryer having a washing function. Therefore, the washer / dryer is also a kind of clothes dryer.

As shown in FIG. 1, the washer / dryer includes a water tank 3 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape in which washing water is stored. The water tank 3 is swingably supported in the housing 2 (main body) by a damper 4 provided below the water tank 3. A rotary tank 1 for accommodating clothes is rotatably provided in the water tank 3. The rotary tank 1 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape. The rotary tank 1 is provided with its rotation axis tilted forward with respect to the horizontal.

A drive motor 6 is attached to the back surface of the water tank 3. The drive motor 6 rotates the rotary tank 1 in the forward direction and the reverse direction around the rotation axis. The washer / dryer performs stirring, rinsing, and drying of the clothes put into the rotary tub 1 by the rotation of the rotary tub 1 driven by the drive motor 6.

A door body 15 is provided on the front portion of the housing 2 so as to face the opening end side of the rotary tank 1 and the water tank 3. The user can put laundry (clothes) in and out of the rotary tub 1 by opening the door body 15.

Further, an elastic sealing member 23 is provided on the edge of the front opening of the water tank 3 over the entire circumference. When the user closes the door body 15, the seal member 23 is pressed by the door body 15 and elastically deformed, so that the watertightness and airtightness of the water tank 3 with respect to the outside of the machine are ensured.

The water supply pipe 14 is connected to the upper part of the water tank 3. A water supply valve 13 is provided in the middle of the water supply pipe 14. The water supply valve 13 supplies water into the water tank 3 via the water supply pipe 14. Further, the drain pipe 12 is connected to the lowermost part of the water tank 3. A drain valve 11 is provided in the middle of the drain pipe 12. The drain valve 11 discharges the water in the water tank 3 to the outside of the machine via the drain pipe 12.

A damper 4 is provided below the water tank 3. The damper 4 supports the water tank 3 and damps the vibration of the water tank 3 generated due to the bias of clothes in the rotary tank 1 during dehydration or the like. A cloth amount detecting unit (not shown) is attached to the damper 4. The cloth amount detecting unit detects the amount of displacement in which the shaft of the damper 4 is displaced up and down due to a change in weight due to clothing or the like in the rotary tank 1. The washer / dryer detects the amount of clothes in the rotary tub 1 based on the displacement amount detected by the cloth amount detecting unit.

Further, the washer / dryer includes a circulation air passage 7 that circulates the air in the water tank 3 and the rotary tank 1, and a heat pump device 50 that exchanges heat with the drying air that circulates in the circulation air passage 7.

The circulation air passage 7 is configured as an air circulation air passage for drying clothes in the drying step. The air circulation air passage includes a water tank 3 and a rotary tank 1. The circulation air passage 7 is connected to an outlet 16 (drying air outlet) provided on the upper side surface of the water tank 3 and an air outlet 8 (drying air inlet) provided on the rear side surface of the water tank 3. It is provided. The airtightness of the air circulation air passage including the water tank 3 and the rotary tank 1 during operation of the washer / dryer is maintained by the seal member 23 provided at the front opening of the water tank 3 and the door body 15 being in close contact with each other. Will be done.

A blower fan 5 is provided in the circulation air passage 7 as a blower device. The blower fan 5 circulates the drying air in the water tank 3 and the rotary tank 1 in the circulation air passage 7.

An intake air passage 17 and an exhaust air passage 18 are connected to the circulation air passage 7, respectively. The intake air passage 17 takes in the air in the housing 2 into the circulation air passage 7. The exhaust air passage 18 discharges the air in the circulation air passage 7 to the outside of the circulation air passage 7. Intake air passage 17 and exhaust air passage 18
The ends on the side not connected to the circulation air passage 7 of the above are open to the outside of the circulation air passage 7, respectively. The exhaust air passage 18 is provided on the upstream side of the flow of the drying air from the intake air passage 17.

The circulation air passage 7 extends from the discharge port 16 substantially horizontally along the upper side surface of the water tank 3 in the back direction. Then, in the rear part of the water tank 3, the circulation air passage 7 is arranged along the rear side surface of the water tank 3 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotary tank 1 and toward the rotation axis of the rotary tank 1. .. The exhaust air passage 18 is arranged adjacent to the upper side of the circulation air passage 7 in substantially parallel with respect to the portion of the circulation air passage 7 along the upper side surface of the water tank 3.

As schematically shown in FIG. 3, a radiator 52 constituting the heat pump device 50 is incorporated in the circulation air passage 7. The radiator 52 is provided on the downstream side of the intake air passage 17 and in front of the air outlet 8 of the water tank 3.

A heat absorber 54 constituting the heat pump device 50 is incorporated in the exhaust air passage 18. The heat absorber 54 is not provided in the circulation air passage 7. The exhaust air passage 18 is branched from between the discharge port 16 (drying air discharge port) of the water tank 3 of the circulation air passage 7 and the radiator 52.

As shown in FIG. 1, the circulation air passage 7 and the exhaust air passage 18 have a portion arranged substantially vertically in parallel. The radiator 52 in the circulation air passage 7 and the heat absorber 54 in the exhaust air passage 18 are both arranged vertically and vertically adjacent to each other in the portions arranged substantially vertically in parallel. That is, the heat absorber 54 is arranged immediately above the radiator 52.

Further, a dehumidifying water drainage pipe line 19 is provided below the heat absorber 54. The dehumidified water drainage pipe 19 discharges the dehumidified water flowing out of the heat absorber 54 to the outside of the circulation air passage 7.

Further, the inflow temperature detecting unit 9 is provided in the vicinity of the air outlet 8 or the radiator 52 in the circulation air passage 7. The inflow temperature detection unit 9 detects the temperature of the drying air flowing into the rotary tank 1. The inflow temperature detection unit 9 is composed of, for example, a thermistor or the like.

The blower motor 10 rotates and drives the blower fan 5 that works during drying. Further, in the blower motor 10, for example, the rotation operation such as the rotation speed is controlled by a controller such as an inverter.

The control device 30 is provided in the housing 2. The control device 30 controls the blower fan 5, the heat pump device 50, and the like. The control device 30 also controls the drive motor 6, the water supply valve 13, the drain valve 11, and the like, and sequentially executes the washing, rinsing, and drying steps.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the configuration of the heat pump device 50 mounted on the washer / dryer of the first embodiment and the flow of drying air will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heat pump device 50 includes a compressor 51, a radiator 52, an expansion mechanism 53, and a heat absorber 54. A refrigerant circuit is formed by cyclically connecting these components in the above-mentioned order along the pipeline 55 in a ring shape. A refrigerant is sealed in the refrigerant circuit. The overheated high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the compressor 51 is discharged from the compressor 51 into the pipeline 55. The high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged into the pipeline 55 flows into the radiator 52. As described above, the radiator 52 is installed in the circulation air passage 7 through which the drying air is circulated. Therefore, the refrigerant is cooled by the drying air as it flows through the radiator 52. Then, the high-pressure gas refrigerant is condensed by the radiator 52, which is a condenser, and changes into a high-pressure liquid refrigerant.

The high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out of the radiator 52 is expanded by the expansion mechanism 53 and becomes a low-pressure state. Then, it flows into the heat absorber 54. As described above, the heat absorber 54 is installed in the exhaust air passage 18. The exhaust air passage 18 is connected to a circulation air passage 7 through which drying air is circulated. Therefore, the refrigerant evaporates as it flows through the heat absorber 54, thereby cooling a part of the drying air discharged from the rotary tank 1. Then, the low-pressure liquid refrigerant is evaporated by the endothermic absorber 54, which is an evaporator, and changes its state to a low-pressure gas refrigerant.

The low-pressure gas refrigerant flowing out of the heat absorber 54 is sucked into the compressor 51. Then, it is compressed again in the compressor 51. Through the above process, the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit. As the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit, for example, a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant such as R407C, a pseudo azeotropic mixed refrigerant such as R410A, or a single refrigerant can be used.

Next, the configuration regarding the flow of the drying air and the flow of the drying air will be described. When the blower fan 5 is driven, the drying air that has become humid due to the moisture taken from the laundry in the rotary tank 1 passes through the exhaust port 16 provided on the upper side surface of the water tank 3 and is circulated. It flows into the road 7 or the exhaust air passage 18.

The air flowing into the exhaust air passage 18 is cooled and dehumidified by the heat absorber 54 and discharged to the outside of the housing 2. On the other hand, the air flowing into the circulation air passage 7 is sent toward the radiator 52 and heated by the radiator 52.

The intake air passage 17 is provided so as to communicate with the circulation air passage 7 on the intake side of the blower fan 5. The intake air passage 17 is also provided so as to communicate with the circulation air passage 7 on the upstream side of the radiator 52. Therefore, the air outside the housing 2 taken in from the intake air passage 17 is mixed with the drying air flowing to the circulation air passage 7 side, and then passes through the radiator 52. At this time, the mixed air is heated by the radiator 52.

The heated air passes through the blower fan 5 and the air outlet 8 arranged in the middle of the circulation air passage 7, and is blown out into the rotary tank 1 again.

The clothes dryer having no washing function is not provided with a water tank 3 for storing washing water, a water supply valve 13, a water supply pipe 14, and a drain valve 11. The connection between the rotating rotary tank 1 and the circulation air passage 7 is configured so that the rotary tank 1 slides on a seal member such as felt.

The operation and operation of the washer / dryer configured as described above will be described. The following description is made assuming a typical case where the outside air temperature is 20 ° C. and the target temperature of the drying air is 60 ° C. to 65 ° C. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a transition of the warm air temperature of the washer / dryer in the present embodiment.

The washer / dryer in the present embodiment has an exhaust air passage 18 branched from the circulation air passage 7 through which the drying air is circulated. The exhaust air passage 18 is branched from between the discharge port 16 (drying air discharge port) of the water tank 3 of the circulation air passage 7 and the radiator 52. The end of the exhaust air passage 18 on the side not connected to the circulation air passage 7 is open to the outside of the housing 2. An endothermic absorber 54, which is an evaporator of the heat pump device 50, is arranged in the exhaust air passage 18.

With this configuration, a part of the drying air is discharged to the outside of the washer / dryer after passing through the heat absorber 54. As a result, the heat absorber 54 exchanges heat only with the exhausted drying air. Therefore, the endothermic device 54 can lower the temperature of the exhaust air that has passed through the endothermic device 54. For example, in the first half of the drying process in which the temperature of the exhaust air is low, the relationship between the temperature T1 of the air taken in outside the housing 2 and the temperature T2 of the air exhausted outside the housing 2 is T1. > T2. As a result, the heat pump device 50 can take in the heat energy of the air outside the housing 2 into the housing 2 by the heat absorber 54. Therefore, the washer / dryer can take in the drying air heated by adding the collected heat energy into the housing 2 and further into the rotary tub 1 by the blower fan 5.

As a result, in addition to the heating by the radiator 52, the heat energy collected by the endothermic 54 is also used to raise the temperature of the drying air. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the temperature rise rate of the warm air temperature of the drying air is faster than that of the conventional clothes dryer.

Further, with this configuration, the washer / dryer can store the thermal energy of the air outside the housing 2 taken in by the heat absorber 54 in the housing 2 in addition to the electric input for driving the compressor 51. This makes it possible to improve the temperature rise rate of the drying air temperature. Therefore, it is possible to realize a washing / drying machine in which the drying time is shortened and the drying performance is improved.

Further, for example, in the latter half of the drying process, the temperature of the exhaust air becomes high and the relative humidity becomes low. In such a state, the washer / dryer suppresses the heat energy loss by taking away the sensible heat of the exhaust air. However, the dew point temperature of the exhaust air is lower than the temperature of the endothermic 54, so that the latent heat cannot be taken away, and all or part of the moisture contained in the exhaust air is not dehumidified by the endothermic 54. It is discharged to the outside of the body 2. As a result, it is possible to realize a washer / dryer with improved energy saving and further improved drying performance.

As described above, the washer / dryer according to the present embodiment can shorten the drying time while suppressing the increase in the power consumption of the heat pump device 50 in the entire drying process.

Further, when the outside air temperature is low, the temperature of the refrigerant in the endothermic absorber 54 becomes 0 ° C. or lower. Then, the dehumidified water generated by cooling and dehumidifying the air flowing into the exhaust air passage 18 by the endothermic absorber 54 becomes frost. This frost sequentially frosts on the heat absorber 54 from the upstream side of the air flow, blocking the air flow path of the heat absorber 54. As a countermeasure configuration against this, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the endothermic absorber 54 is arranged immediately above the radiator 52 so as to be adjacent to the radiator 52. With this configuration, the effect of suppressing the adhesion of frost to the heat absorber 54 due to the heat transmitted from the high temperature radiator 52 is exhibited, and the air flow path is secured. As a result, the washer / dryer according to the present embodiment can suppress a decrease in the amount of air passing through the heat absorber 54, and can suppress a decrease in the amount of heat absorbed in the heat absorber 54.

It is preferable that the intake air passage 17 is intentionally provided as in the present embodiment, but it is not necessary to provide the intake air passage 17 in particular. However, since it is naturally communicated from the circulation air passage 7 through the exhaust air passage 18, it is sufficient that a gap or the like is configured so that air corresponding to the amount of exhaust gas from the exhaust air passage 18 enters. That is, it suffices if there is an intake portion in which the surrounding air outside the circulation air passage 7 enters the circulation air passage 7.

Further, in addition to the heat absorber 54 provided in the exhaust air passage 18, another heat absorber may be provided in the circulation air passage 7 as in the conventional case. However, the configuration in which the other heat absorber is provided in the circulation air passage 7 has the same problems as the conventional configuration described above. Therefore, it is desirable that the circulation air passage 7 does not have a heat absorber and the exhaust air passage 18 has a heat absorber only, as in the configuration of the present embodiment. With the configuration of this embodiment, a greater effect can be obtained in shortening the drying time and saving energy.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a main part of the drying system of the washer / dryer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The washer / dryer according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The washer / dryer according to the second embodiment is provided with an exhaust air volume adjusting device in addition to the configuration provided for the washer / dryer according to the first embodiment. The washer / dryer according to the second embodiment is configured in the same manner as the washer / dryer according to the first embodiment, except for the portion described below. A detailed description of this similar configuration will be omitted.

The exhaust air volume adjusting device 20 includes a wind direction plate 21 that changes the direction of the flow of drying air, and a drive unit 22 such as a motor that can adjust the inclination of the wind direction plate 21. As shown in FIG. 5, the exhaust air volume adjusting device 20 is installed at a branch portion between the circulation air passage 7 and the exhaust air passage 18. The exhaust air volume adjusting device 20 can adjust the exhaust air volume discharged from the exhaust air passage 18 by changing the angle of the wind direction plate 21 by the drive unit 22.

In the washer / dryer according to the first embodiment, the ratio of the air volume flowing into the heat absorber 54 and the radiator 52 is always constant regardless of the progress of drying of clothes and the change in the temperature of the circulating drying air. Is. However, the optimum air volume ratio to be flowed into the heat absorber 54 and the radiator 52 depends on the progress of drying of clothes and the temperature of the circulating drying air. Therefore, although the washer / dryer having the configuration of the first embodiment can shorten the drying time while suppressing the power consumption, it performs optimum drying according to the conditions at each time point in the entire drying process. It is not possible. That is, it is not possible to optimally suppress the power consumption and shorten the drying time.

The washer / dryer according to the present embodiment operates the exhaust air volume adjusting device 20 to adjust the amount of air flowing into the heat absorber 54 and exhausting the air according to the progress of drying of clothes and the temperature change of the circulating air. Is possible. The washer / dryer in the present embodiment reduces the amount of exhaust air discharged from the exhaust air passage 18 when the temperature of the circulating air is low, such as in the early stages of the drying process, and suppresses an increase in power consumption by the radiator 52. .. also. When the temperature of the drying air circulated in the circulating air passage 7 is high, such as in the latter half of drying, more air is sucked into the heater 54 by increasing the amount of exhaust air discharged from the exhaust air passage 18. To shorten the drying time.

Next, a more specific description will be given based on the data obtained by the inventors. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the exhaust rate and the drying efficiency when the measurement is performed with particular attention paid to shortening the drying time. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the exhaust rate and the drying efficiency when measured with particular attention paid to energy saving. In all the data, the environment outside the machine was measured at a temperature of 20 ° C. and a humidity of 60 to 65%.

The exhaust rate (%) is the ratio of the air volume that is adjusted by the exhaust air volume adjusting device 20 to the air volume that flows in the circulating air passage 7 and is discharged to the outside of the machine from the exhaust air passage 18. The drying efficiency (%) is (dry moisture content (g) x latent heat of vaporization (J / g)) / power consumption (Wh) in the compressor 51.

FIG. 6 is a graph obtained by measuring the drying efficiency by changing the exhaust rate under the condition that the power consumption of the compressor 51 is substantially constant (for example, about 400 Wh). In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, high drying efficiency can be obtained by adjusting the exhaust rate to 20% to 50%. As a result, the obtained drying time was about 60 min.

FIG. 7 is a graph obtained by measuring the drying efficiency by changing the exhaust rate under the condition that the target drying time is substantially constant (for example, about 120 min). In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, high drying efficiency can be obtained by adjusting the exhaust rate to 50% to 100%. As a result, the power consumption of the compressor 51 can be suppressed to about 200 Wh.

In an actual washer / dryer, in addition to the speed drying mode set mainly for shortening the drying time and the energy saving drying mode set mainly for energy saving, there is an intermediate drying mode between the two. It can be set as appropriate. In addition, a plurality of these drying modes may be installed, and drying may be performed by selection by the user or automatic selection with reference to the temperature and humidity environment of the outside air, the amount of clothes to be dried, and the like. Further, the plurality of drying modes described above may be configured to switch as the drying progresses.

As described above, the washer / dryer according to the present embodiment can optimally control the amount of air flowing into the heat absorber 54 according to the progress of drying of clothes, as compared with the first embodiment. be. This makes it possible to shorten the drying time while suppressing an increase in power consumption of the heat pump device 50 in the entire drying process. Therefore, it is possible to realize a washer / dryer with further improved drying performance.

As is clear from the above description of each embodiment, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a clothes dryer (washing dryer) having significantly improved drying performance as compared with the conventional one.

The scope of application of the present invention is not limited to the drum-type clothes dryer (washer / dryer) described in the above embodiment. For example, it may be applied to a hanging drying method other than the drum type, a pulsator type vertical washer / dryer, and the like.

As described above, the clothes dryer according to the present invention can provide an efficient drying function that reduces the energy loss of exhaust heat, shortens the drying time, and improves energy saving. Therefore, it is a drum type. It can be applied not only to the clothes dryer of the above, but also to the hanging drying method other than the drum type and the vertical washing / drying machine of the pulsator type.

1 rotary tank 2 housing (main body)
3 Water tank 4 Damper 5 Blower fan (blower)
6 Drive motor 7 Circulation air passage 8 Air outlet (air suction outlet for drying)
16 Outlet (air outlet for drying)
17 Intake air passage (intake part)
18 Exhaust air passage 19 Dehumidified water drainage pipe 20 Exhaust air volume adjustment device 21 Wind direction plate 30 Control device 50 Heat pump device 51 Compressor 52 Dissipator (condenser)
53 Expansion mechanism 54 Heat absorber (evaporator)
55 pipeline

Claims (7)

With the main body
A rotary tank rotatably provided in the main body and
The refrigerant uses a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a radiator that dissipates the heat of the compressed refrigerant, an expansion mechanism that reduces the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant, and a heat absorber that removes heat from the surroundings by the reduced pressure of the refrigerant. A heat pump device configured by connecting with a conduit so that it can be circulated,
A circulation air passage that has a drying air outlet and a drying air outlet that communicate with the rotary tank and circulates the drying air in the rotary tank.
A blower device provided in the circulation air passage and supplying drying air heated by the heat pump device into the rotary tank, and a blower device.
An exhaust air passage that communicates with the circulation air passage and discharges drying air to the outside of the machine.
An intake unit in which the surrounding air outside the circulation air passage enters the circulation air passage, and
A control device for controlling the blower device, the heat pump device, and the like is provided.
The radiator is provided in the circulation air passage and is provided.
The exhaust air passage is branched and connected from between the drying air outlet of the circulation air passage and the radiator.
The heat absorber is a clothes dryer provided only in the exhaust air passage. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust air volume adjusting device capable of changing the amount of air discharged from the circulating air passage to the outside of the machine through the exhaust air passage. The clothes dryer according to claim 2, wherein the ratio of the air volume discharged from the circulation air passage to the outside of the machine through the exhaust air passage is set to 20 to 50%. The clothes dryer according to claim 2, wherein the ratio of the air volume discharged from the circulation air passage to the outside of the machine through the exhaust air passage is set to 50 to 100%. The clothes dryer according to claim 2, wherein the exhaust air volume adjusting device is provided at a branch portion between the circulating air passage and the exhaust air passage. The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the intake portion is provided between a branch portion of the circulation air passage with the exhaust air passage and the radiator. The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the heat absorber is arranged adjacent to the heat sink.

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