JP7340785B2 - Dryer, moisture content estimation device, and moisture content estimation program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dryer that dries objects to be dried such as clothes, a moisture content estimation device that can be used in the dryer, and a moisture content estimation program.

As a method for increasing the drying performance of clothes dryers and washer/dryers, there is a method of using microwaves as a heat source for heating moisture in clothes (for example, see Patent Document 1). According to this method, by irradiating the clothes with microwaves and directly heating the moisture in the clothes, the moisture in the clothes can be quickly evaporated, compared to conventional hot air drying using heaters or heat pumps. You can dry your clothes in a short time.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a conventional clothes dryer described in Patent Document 1. This clothes dryer includes a microwave irradiation means 101 that irradiates microwaves to clothes, a clothes storage 102 that stores clothes, a blower 103 that takes outside air into the clothes storage 102 and sends out air inside the clothes storage 102, and a heater 104 for drying, a microwave control means 105 for controlling the microwave irradiation means 101, a microwave reflection detection means 106 for sensing the state of microwave reflection, and a control for controlling the microwave control means 105. It is equipped with a circuit 107.

The clothes dryer having this configuration can shorten the drying time of clothes when the moisture content of the clothes is about 30% or less by directly heating the water adhering to the clothes fibers using microwaves. Furthermore, if the clothing has metal buttons or the like, it is possible to detect that an abnormality has occurred in the reflected microwave waves and stop the microwave irradiation.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-000249

The present inventors have developed a technology for estimating the amount of moisture contained in items to be dried in order to properly control the dryer, such as by suppressing the generation of sparks from metals such as buttons attached to clothes to be dried. Recognizing the need for this as a problem, we came up with the present invention.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a technique for more accurately estimating the amount of moisture contained in an object to be dried.

In order to solve the above problems, a dryer according to an aspect of the present invention includes a tank that stores an object to be dried, a heating section that heats the object to be dried stored in the tank, and a dryer that transmits electromagnetic waves of a plurality of different frequencies into the tank. an irradiation unit that irradiates the area, a detection unit that is installed between the irradiation unit and the tank, and detects the intensity of the reflected waves reflected from the tank; and a moisture amount estimating section that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the dried object.

Another aspect of the present invention is a moisture content estimating device. This device includes an intensity acquisition unit that acquires the intensity of each reflected wave reflected from the tank when electromagnetic waves of different frequencies are irradiated onto a tank containing an object to be dried; A moisture content estimating section that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the intensity of each reflected wave.

Note that arbitrary combinations of the above-mentioned components and expressions of the present invention converted between methods, devices, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc. are also effective as aspects of the present invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for more accurately estimating the amount of moisture contained in an object to be dried.

1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a washer/dryer according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a microwave heating device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a microwave control device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the intensity of reflected waves detected by a microwave detection section. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of adjustment of the output of the microwave irradiation section by the output adjustment section. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a microwave control device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the intensity of reflected waves detected by the microwave detection section of the washer/dryer according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the average intensity of reflected waves detected by the microwave detection section of the washer/dryer according to Embodiment 2 and the water content. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a microwave heating device according to Embodiment 3. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a microwave control device according to Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a figure showing the composition of the washer-dryer concerning Embodiment 4. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a moisture content estimating device according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a microwave control device included in a moisture content estimating device according to a fourth embodiment. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional clothes dryer described in Patent Document 1. FIG.

The dryer according to the first aspect of the invention includes a tank for storing objects to be dried, a heating section for heating the objects to be dried stored in the tank, an irradiation section for irradiating the tank with electromagnetic waves of a plurality of different frequencies, and an irradiation section. A detection unit is provided between the tank and the tank, and detects the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank, and a detection unit is provided between the tank and the tank to detect the intensity of the reflected wave. A moisture amount estimating section that estimates the amount of moisture. According to this aspect, the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried can be estimated more accurately. Furthermore, the drying process can be terminated when the amount of moisture decreases to a predetermined value at which drying is completed.

In a second invention, based on the first invention, the moisture content estimating section is configured to calculate the amount of water based on the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank, or based on the intensity of the electromagnetic wave irradiated to the tank and the reflected wave reflected from the tank. The device is configured to estimate the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the ratio of the intensity of the According to this aspect, the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried can be estimated more accurately.

A third invention is based on the first or second invention, wherein the moisture content estimating unit calculates the average intensity of a plurality of different electromagnetic waves irradiated to the tank and the intensity of each reflected wave of the electromagnetic waves of a plurality of different frequencies. It is configured to estimate the amount of moisture based on the ratio to the average. According to this aspect, the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried can be estimated more accurately.

In a fourth invention, in any one of the first to third inventions, the irradiation section irradiates the tank with electromagnetic waves having a frequency of 2.45 GHz band or 915 MHz band, and the detection section irradiates the tank with electromagnetic waves having a frequency of 2.45 GHz band or 915 MHz band. The device is configured to detect the intensity of reflected waves at a frequency of . According to this aspect, the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried can be estimated using microwaves in a frequency band that can be used by the microwave heating device.

The moisture content estimating device of the fifth invention includes an intensity acquisition unit that acquires the intensity of each reflected wave reflected from the tank when a tank containing an object to be dried is irradiated with electromagnetic waves of a plurality of different frequencies; A moisture amount estimating section that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the intensity of each reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquiring section. According to this aspect, the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried can be estimated more accurately. Furthermore, the drying process can be terminated when the amount of moisture decreases to a predetermined value at which drying is completed.

The moisture content estimation program of the sixth invention causes a computer to acquire the intensity of each reflected wave reflected from the tank when electromagnetic waves of a plurality of different frequencies are irradiated to the tank containing the object to be dried. and a moisture amount estimating section that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the intensity of each reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquiring section. According to this aspect, the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried can be estimated more accurately.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Further, there is no problem in combining the contents described in the plurality of embodiments to the extent possible.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a washer/dryer according to a first embodiment. The washer/dryer 50 of this embodiment has the function of washing and drying laundry such as clothes, and can be used as a washing machine that only performs the washing function or as a dryer that only performs the drying function. , also functions as a washer dryer, performing washing and drying functions.

As shown in FIG. 1, the washer/dryer 50 includes a water tank 3 formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom in which washing water is stored. The water tank 3 is swingably supported within the housing 2 (main body) by a damper 4 provided below. A rotary tank 1 in which laundry such as clothes (also referred to as "drying objects" when referring to the drying function) is rotatably provided in a water tank 3. This rotating tank 1 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The rotating tank 1 is provided with its rotating shaft tilted forward upward with respect to the horizontal.

A drive motor 6 is attached to the back of the water tank 3. This drive motor 6 rotates the rotary tank 1 around the rotation axis in forward and reverse directions. The washer/dryer 50 rotates the rotary tub 1 by driving the drive motor 6 to agitate, beat, wash, rinse, and dry the laundry stored in the rotary tub 1 .

A door body 5 is provided at the front of the housing 2 so as to face the open ends of the rotating tank 1 and the water tank 3. A user can take laundry (clothing) in and out of the rotating tub 1 by opening the door body 5.

Further, an elastic sealing member is provided at the edge of the front opening of the water tank 3 over the entire circumference. When the user closes the door body 5, the sealing member is pressed by the door body 5 and elastically deforms, thereby ensuring watertightness and airtightness of the water tank 3 to the outside of the machine.

A water supply pipe 13 is connected to the top of the water tank 3. A water supply valve 12 is provided in the middle of the water supply pipe 13. The water supply valve 12 supplies water into the water tank 3 via the water supply pipe 13. Further, a drain pipe 11 is connected to the lowest part of the water tank 3. A drain valve 10 is provided in the middle of a drain pipe 11. The drain valve 10 drains the water in the water tank 3 to the outside of the machine via the drain pipe 11.

A damper 4 is provided below the water tank 3. The damper 4 supports the water tank 3 and attenuates vibrations of the water tank 3 that occur due to unevenness of clothing in the rotating tank 1 during dehydration or the like. A cloth amount detection section (not shown) is attached to this damper 4. The cloth amount detection section detects the amount of vertical displacement of the shaft of the damper 4 due to a change in the weight of clothes or the like in the rotating tub 1. The washer/dryer detects the amount of clothes in the rotating tub 1 based on the amount of displacement detected by the clothes amount detection section.

The washer/dryer 50 also includes a circulation air path 7 that circulates air in the water tank 3 and the rotating tub 1, and a microwave heating device 30 that heats the moisture in the clothes in the rotating tub 1. The microwave heating device 30 , which constitutes a heating section that heats the object to be dried, irradiates microwaves from a microwave irradiation port 32 provided in the water tank 3 to heat the moisture in the clothes in the rotating tank 1 .

The air circulation path 7 is configured as an air circulation path for drying clothes in the drying process. The air circulation path includes a water tank 3 and a rotating tank 1. The circulation air passage 7 is connected to an air outlet 8 (drying air outlet) provided on the upper side of the aquarium 3 , an outlet 9 (drying air outlet) provided on the rear side of the aquarium 3 , and the aquarium 3 . It is connected and provided.

A blower fan 16 is provided in the circulation air path 7 as a blower. The blower fan 16 circulates the drying air in the water tank 3 and the rotating tank 1 into the circulation air path 7.

An intake air passage 14 and an exhaust air passage 15 are connected to the circulation air passage 7, respectively. The intake air passage 14 takes air inside the housing 2 into the circulation air passage 7. The exhaust air passage 15 discharges the air within the circulation air passage 7 to the outside of the circulation air passage 7. The ends of the intake air passage 14 and the exhaust air passage 15 on the side not connected to the circulation air passage 7 are respectively open to the outside of the circulation air passage 7. The exhaust air passage 15 is provided upstream of the flow of drying air than the intake air passage 14. Alternatively, the air may be discharged to the outside of the circulating air path 7 through the drain pipe 11 without providing the exhaust air path 15.

A heater 17 that heats the drying air is incorporated in the circulation air path 7. This heater 17 is provided on the downstream side of the intake air passage 14 and in front of the air outlet of the water tank 3. Like the microwave heating device 30, this heater 17 also constitutes a heating section that heats the object to be dried, and is energized at the same time as the microwave heating device 30 or in place of the microwave heating device 30. In addition, methods for heating the object to be dried using the heating section include direct heating using microwaves, indirect heating by heating circulating air with a heater, or heating the inner wall of the rotating tank 1. There are various methods, and there are no particular limitations.

The washer/dryer 50 of this embodiment dries objects to be dried using microwaves irradiated from the microwave heating device 30 to the rotating tub 1 through the microwave irradiation port 32. If sparks occur due to metal objects such as buttons or fasteners being attached, or if there is a high possibility that sparks will occur, reduce the output of the microwave irradiated from the microwave heating device 30 to the rotating tank 1, or The drying process is stopped and the process is switched to drying using the heater 17.

Next, the flow of dry air will be explained. When the blower fan 16 is driven, the drying air, which has become humid due to the moisture taken from the laundry in the rotary tub 1, passes through the outlet 9 provided at the lower side of the water tank 3 and becomes a circulating air. It flows into the air passage 7 or the exhaust air passage 15. When the exhaust air path 15 is not provided, the air flows into the circulation air path 7 or the drain pipe 11. The air that has flowed into the exhaust air path 15 is exhausted to the outside of the circulation air path 7. On the other hand, the air that has flowed into the circulation air path 7 is sent toward the heater 17 by the blower fan 16, and is heated by the heater 17 when the heater 17 is operating.

The intake air passage 14 is provided so as to communicate with the circulation air passage 7 on the intake side of the blower fan 16 . The intake air passage 14 is also provided so as to communicate with the circulation air passage 7 upstream of the heater 17 . Therefore, the air outside the circulation air passage 7 taken in from the intake air passage 14 passes through the heater 17 after being mixed with the drying air flowing toward the circulation air passage 7 side. At this time, if the heater is operating, the mixed air is heated by the heater 17. Moreover, since the air outside the circulation air path 7 is mixed with the drying air, the humidity of the drying air after mixing becomes lower than that before mixing.

The air that has passed through the heater 17 passes through the air outlet 8 and is blown out into the rotating tank 1 again. Note that a clothes dryer without a washing function is not provided with a water tank 3 for storing washing water, a water supply valve 12, a water supply pipe 13, and a drain valve 10. The connection between the rotating rotary tank 1 and the circulation air passage 7 is configured such that the rotary tank 1 slides on a sealing member such as felt.

An inflow temperature detection section 18 is provided near the outlet 8 in the circulation air path 7 or near the heater 17. The inflow temperature detection unit 18 detects the temperature of the drying air flowing into the rotating tank 1 . The inflow temperature detection section 18 is composed of, for example, a thermistor.

A control device 20 is provided within the housing 2 . The control device 20 controls the blower fan 16, the microwave heating device 30, and the like. The control device 20 also controls the drive motor 6, water supply valve 12, drain valve 10, etc., and sequentially executes each process of washing, rinsing, and drying.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a microwave heating device 30 according to the first embodiment. The microwave heating device 30 includes a microwave irradiation unit 31 that irradiates microwaves, a waveguide 34 that guides the irradiated microwaves, and a microwave irradiation port 32 that is provided in the water tank 3 at the tip of the waveguide 34. , a microwave control device 40 that adjusts the output of the microwave irradiated from the microwave irradiation section 31 , and a microwave control device 40 that is provided between the microwave irradiation section 31 and the microwave irradiation port 32 and controls the microwave reflected from the rotating tank 1 . a reflection section 33 that reflects part or all of the microwave radiation and irradiates it onto the rotating tank 1; It has a microwave detection section 36 that detects the intensity of waves.

The microwave irradiation unit 31 is a microwave oscillator such as a magnetron, and oscillates electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 2.45 GHz that can be used by a microwave heating device. Note that the electromagnetic waves are not limited to the 2.45 GHz band allocated as the ISM (Industry Science Medical) band, and may be electromagnetic waves of a similarly allocated frequency such as the 915 MHz band. Microwaves whose output is adjusted to an arbitrary value by the microwave control device 40 are irradiated from the microwave irradiation section 31 . The irradiated microwaves are irradiated into the rotating rotating tank 1 through the waveguide 34 and the microwave irradiation port 32, and heat the moisture contained in the objects to be dried, such as clothes. At this time, by blowing drying air from the ventilation fan 16 to the clothes in the rotating tank 1, the moisture evaporated from the drying object is removed from the water tank 3 through the exhaust port 9 through the exhaust air passage 15 along with the drying air. is discharged to. Alternatively, it is discharged to the outside of the water tank 3 through the drain pipe 11. This accelerates the drying of clothes.

Among the microwaves irradiated into the rotating tank 1, a part of the microwaves that are not absorbed by the moisture contained in the drying object are irradiated with microwaves from the rotating tank 1 through the microwave irradiation port 32 as reflected waves. Return to part 31. The microwaves returned to the microwave irradiation section 31 are converted into heat and treated as waste heat.

The microwave detection unit 36 is capable of detecting microwaves with a frequency of 2.45 GHz band irradiated by the microwave irradiation unit 31, and detects the intensity of the reflected waves reflected from the rotating tank 1 and returned to the microwave irradiation unit 31. do. As will be described later, when estimating the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the ratio of the intensity of the electromagnetic waves irradiated to the rotating tank 1 and the intensity of the reflected waves reflected from the rotating tank 1, The microwave detection unit 36 also detects the intensity of the microwave irradiated onto the rotating tank 1. In this case, the microwave detection unit 36 detects the intensity of the incident microwave wave traveling from the microwave irradiation unit 31 toward the rotating tank 1 and the microwave irradiation from the rotating tank 1, like a general directional coupler. It may be possible to separately detect the intensity of the reflected microwave wave traveling in the direction of the section 31. Further, a plurality of microwave detection sections 36 may be provided so that the incident wave and the reflected wave can be detected separately.

The reflecting unit 33 reflects part or all of the reflected waves that are reflected from the rotating tank 1 and travels in the direction of returning to the microwave irradiating unit 31, and rotates them again together with the microwave irradiated from the microwave irradiating unit 31. Inject it into tank 1. Thereby, energy loss can be reduced and drying time can be shortened. Since the microwave detection unit 36 is installed between the rotating tank 1 and the reflecting unit 33, it is not affected by the reflecting unit 33 and can accurately measure the intensity of the microwave reflected from the rotating tank 1. Can be detected well.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of microwave control device 40 according to the first embodiment. The microwave control device 40 is realized by hardware such as a microcomputer, a microcontroller, and an integrated circuit.

The microwave control device 40 includes an intensity acquisition section 41, an output adjustment section 42, and a water content estimation section 43. These configurations are realized in hardware by the CPU, memory, and other LSI of any computer, and in software by programs loaded into memory, but here we will discuss their cooperation. It depicts the functional blocks realized by Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be implemented in various ways, such as only hardware or a combination of hardware and software.

The microwave control device 40 controls the microwave irradiation unit 31 in accordance with instructions from the control device 20 in a cleaning process, a rinsing process, or a drying process controlled by the control device 20. The microwave control device 40 heats washing water in a washing process, heats rinsing water in a rinsing process, heats water contained in an object to be dried in a drying process, and heats washing water or an object to be dried in a drying process. Microwaves are irradiated from the microwave irradiation unit 31 to the rotating tank 1 in order to heat and sterilize attached bacteria. In addition, when heating the washing water or rinsing water, microwaves may be irradiated to the water tank 3 in which these water is stored.

The intensity acquisition unit 41 acquires the intensity of the microwave detected by the microwave detection unit 36. The output adjustment section 42 adjusts the output of the microwave irradiation section 31 according to the intensity of the reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition section 41. Specifically, the output adjustment unit 42 lowers the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 when the intensity of the reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition unit 41 exceeds a predetermined value. This makes it possible to accurately detect an increase in the electric field strength within the rotary tank 1 and lower the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31, thereby preventing the generation of sparks due to metals contained in the objects to be dried within the rotary tank 1. Can be suppressed.

The water content estimating unit 43 calculates based on the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the rotating tank 1 or the ratio between the intensity of the incident wave irradiated to the rotating tank 1 and the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the rotating tank 1. The amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried is estimated based on the following. For example, when based on the ratio of the intensity of the incident wave and the reflected wave, the moisture content estimation unit 43 uses the intensity acquisition unit 41 to acquire the intensity of the incident wave and the intensity of the reflected wave from the microwave detection unit 36 that can independently detect the intensity of the incident wave and the reflected wave. Using a formula that uses the ratio of the intensity of the incident wave and the intensity of the reflected wave as a variable, or a table or graph showing the correspondence between the intensity ratio and the amount of water, the remaining amount can be determined from the intensity ratio of the incident wave and the reflected wave. Estimate the amount of water in the water. A mathematical formula, table, or graph for estimating the water content from the intensity ratio of the incident wave and the reflected wave is stored in advance in a storage device provided in the microwave control device 40.

The output adjustment section 42 may reduce the output of the microwave irradiation section 31 when the amount of moisture estimated by the moisture amount estimating section 43 is less than a predetermined value. When the amount of moisture contained in the drying object in the rotating tank 1 decreases, the amount of microwaves absorbed by the moisture decreases. The electric field strength within 1 becomes high and sparks are likely to occur. Even in such a case, the possibility of sparks occurring can be reduced by lowering the output of the microwaves irradiated into the rotating tank 1. Since the amount of moisture is calculated based on the intensity of the reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition section 41, in this case as well, the output adjustment section 42 adjusts the amount of moisture according to the intensity of the reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition section 41. This means that the output of the microwave irradiation section 31 is adjusted.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the intensity and water content of the reflected waves detected by the microwave detection unit 36. The output of the microwave to be irradiated is kept constant. The water content can be determined, for example, from the weight of the object to be dried, which is measured by a load cell or the like provided in the rotating tank 1. As the moisture content of the object to be dried decreases, the amount of moisture that absorbs the microwaves irradiated into the rotating bath 1 decreases. As a result, the electric field strength within the rotating tank 1 increases, and the intensity of the reflected waves also increases. As the electric field strength inside the rotary tank 1 increases, the possibility that sparks will be generated due to the metal present in the rotary tank 1 also increases. Before this occurs, the output of the microwave irradiated into the rotating tank 1 is lowered. Thereby, generation of sparks can be suppressed while maintaining drying efficiency. Note that the moisture content estimation unit 43 may calculate the degree of dryness of the object to be dried, and the output adjustment unit 42 may adjust the output of the microwave based on this degree.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the adjustment of the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 by the output adjustment unit 42 in terms of the object to be dried and the drying time. After the drying process starts, while the object to be dried contains a relatively large amount of water, most of the electromagnetic waves irradiated to the rotating tank 1 are absorbed by the water and contribute to heating. The electric field strength within is not excessively high, and the strength of the reflected waves is also low. At this time, even if the object to be dried has a metal button, zipper, etc., there is a low possibility that sparks will occur, so electromagnetic waves of arbitrary output may be irradiated from the microwave irradiation section 31. The output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 includes the amount of water estimated to be contained in the object to be dried, the weight of the object to be dried measured by a load cell installed in the rotating tank 1, and the drying time set by the user. , room temperature, humidity, etc.

When the amount of moisture estimated by the moisture amount estimation section 43 is less than a predetermined value, the output adjustment section 42 lowers the output of the microwave irradiation section 31. The output adjustment section 42 may lower the output of the microwave irradiation section 31 in stages using a plurality of threshold values, as shown in FIG. Further, the output adjustment section 42 may continuously lower the output of the microwave irradiation section 31 as the amount of water decreases.

Similarly, when the output adjustment section 42 adjusts the output of the microwave irradiation section 31 according to the intensity of the reflected wave, it lowers the output of the microwave irradiation section 31 when the intensity of the reflected wave exceeds a predetermined value. Alternatively, the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 may be lowered stepwise using a plurality of threshold values, or the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 may be lowered continuously as the intensity of the reflected wave increases. . Conversely, when the intensity of the reflected wave decreases, the output adjustment section 42 may improve the drying efficiency by increasing the output of the microwave irradiation section 31.

The moisture content estimated by the moisture content estimation unit 43 may be used by the control device 20 to control the operation of the washer/dryer 50. For example, the control device 20 may stop the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 and end the drying process when the moisture content decreases to a predetermined value that indicates completion of drying. The moisture content threshold for determining whether to end the drying process may be determined depending on the type of the object to be dried, or may be set by the user. For example, if you want to dry an object that retains a relatively large amount of moisture to give it a moist texture, set a high threshold value so that the object contains a relatively large amount of moisture. The drying may be completed with . Further, for example, the control device 20 may terminate the drying process after stopping the output of the microwave irradiation section 31 and performing the blowing operation.

In this way, the microwave irradiation section 31 is controlled depending on the electric field strength in the rotating tank 1 estimated from the intensity of the reflected wave and the water content in the rotating tank 1 estimated from the intensity ratio of the incident wave and the reflected wave. By adjusting the output, it is possible to prevent the electric field strength within the rotating tank 1 from becoming excessively high, and to suppress the generation of sparks. In addition, throughout the drying process, it is possible to directly heat the moisture contained in the drying object using microwaves while appropriately suppressing sparks from metal attached to the drying object, increasing drying efficiency. It can improve drying time and shorten drying time. Then, when the moisture content decreases to a predetermined value that indicates the completion of drying, the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 can be stopped and the drying process can be completed.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 6 shows the configuration of a microwave control device 40 according to the second embodiment. The microwave control device 40 according to the second embodiment has the configuration of the microwave control device 40 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. A frequency changing section 44 that changes the frequency is provided. Other configurations and operations are similar to those in the first embodiment. The differences from Embodiment 1 will be mainly explained.

In the first embodiment, it was assumed that a microwave oscillator whose frequency is not variable, such as a magnetron, would be used as the microwave irradiation section 31. Therefore, the microwave detection section 36 detected the intensity of the reflected wave when the microwave of a certain frequency was irradiated from the microwave irradiation section 31. However, in the second embodiment, a semiconductor element capable of oscillating microwaves of a plurality of different frequencies is used as the microwave irradiation unit 31, and the frequency of the microwave irradiated from the microwave irradiation unit 31 to the rotating tank 1 is set to a frequency It can be changed by the changing unit 44. Therefore, the microwave detection unit 36 detects the reflected waves when the rotating tank 1 is irradiated with microwaves of a plurality of different frequencies.

The frequency change unit 44 changes the frequency of the microwave irradiated from the microwave irradiation unit 31 to the rotating tank 1 at any timing during cleaning, rinsing, or drying operation. As a result, the propagation path of the microwave irradiated into the rotating tank 1 changes, the angle at which the microwave is irradiated to the drying object, and the distribution of the microwave intensity within the rotating tank 1 change, so that the microwave is reflected. The strength of the waves also changes accordingly.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the frequency and intensity of a reflected wave detected by the microwave detection unit 36 of the washer/dryer 50 according to the second embodiment. The output of the microwave to be irradiated is kept constant. (a) and (b) shown in FIG. 7 show the intensity distribution of reflected waves 20 minutes and 60 minutes after starting microwave irradiation, respectively. As the microwave irradiation time increases, the overall intensity of the reflected waves increases, but the peak position and shape of the reflected waves change. Therefore, when focusing on specific frequencies, there are some frequencies whose intensity does not increase as the irradiation time elapses. When only reflected waves of such frequencies are detected by the microwave detection unit 36, it may not be possible to accurately estimate the amount of water.

Furthermore, since the propagation path of the microwave irradiated from the microwave irradiator 31 to the rotating tank 1 differs depending on the frequency, the intensity of the reflected wave that returns to the microwave irradiator 31 without being absorbed by moisture in the rotating tank 1 is as follows: It depends not only on the amount of water contained in the objects to be dried in the rotating tank 1 but also on the position of the objects to be dried in the rotating tank 1 and the distribution of moisture. Therefore, depending on the distribution of the objects to be dried and moisture in the rotating tank 1, there may be errors in the correlation between the electric field strength or moisture content in the rotating tank 1 and the intensity of the reflected waves detected by the microwave detector 36. may occur.

In this embodiment, the intensity acquisition unit 41 acquires the intensity of each reflected wave when the frequency change unit 44 causes the microwave irradiation unit 31 to irradiate microwaves of a plurality of different frequencies onto the rotating tank 1. The output adjustment unit 42 adjusts the output of the microwave based on the average value or integral value of the intensity of the reflected waves that have been acquired. This makes it possible to smooth out fluctuations in the intensity of reflected waves caused by changes in the distribution of objects to be dried or moisture, so it is possible to more accurately estimate the electric field strength and moisture content in the rotating tank 1. The microwave output can be adjusted more appropriately. Furthermore, by repeating the above operation of acquiring and smoothing the intensity of reflected waves at a plurality of frequencies multiple times in a short time, it is possible to estimate the moisture content more accurately and adjust the output of the microwave.

FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the average intensity of reflected waves detected by the microwave detection unit 36 of the washer/dryer 50 according to the second embodiment and the water content. The output of the microwave to be irradiated is kept constant. The relationship between the average intensity of reflected waves and the water content when drying 100%, 50%, and 25% of the clothes relative to the rated capacity of the washer/dryer 50 is almost the same, and the relationship between the water content and the amount of items to be dried is It was shown that the water content can be estimated from the average value of the reflected wave intensity using the same curve regardless of the difference.

The frequency change unit 44 causes the microwave irradiation unit 31 to irradiate the rotating bath 1 with microwaves of a plurality of different frequencies periodically at predetermined timings, for example, at predetermined intervals during cleaning, rinsing, or drying operations. The frequency changing unit 44 may change the frequency stepwise or continuously at predetermined intervals to scan a predetermined range. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, frequencies may be scanned in a predetermined range centered around 2.45 GHz. In this case, considering the ISM band, it is possible in the range of 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz. The intensity acquisition unit 41 acquires the intensity of reflected waves from the microwave detection unit 36 when the rotating tank 1 is irradiated with microwaves of respective frequencies. The water content estimating unit 43 calculates the average value of the reflected waves of a plurality of different frequencies, and estimates the water content using the curve approximation equation shown in FIG. The output adjustment unit 42 adjusts the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 according to the moisture content estimated by the moisture content estimation unit 43.

As described above, according to the technique of the present embodiment, it is possible to more accurately estimate the amount of water in the rotating tank 1, thereby preventing the electric field strength in the rotating tank 1 from becoming excessively high and preventing sparks. The occurrence can be suppressed. In addition, throughout the drying process, it is possible to directly heat the moisture contained in the drying object using microwaves while appropriately suppressing sparks from metal attached to the drying object, increasing drying efficiency. It can improve drying time and shorten drying time.

[Embodiment 3]
FIG. 9 shows the configuration of a microwave heating device 30 according to the third embodiment. The microwave heating device 30 according to the third embodiment includes a second microwave irradiation section 37 in addition to the configuration of the microwave heating device 30 shown in FIG. The second microwave irradiation section 37 is a frequency-variable microwave irradiation section made of a semiconductor element or the like, similar to the microwave irradiation section 31 described in the second embodiment. Other configurations and operations are similar to those in the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 shows the configuration of a microwave control device 40 according to the third embodiment. In the microwave control device 40 according to the third embodiment, the microwave irradiation section 31 is configured of a magnetron or the like in which the frequency of the oscillated microwave is not variable, as in the microwave irradiation section 31 of the first embodiment. The water in the rotating tank 1 is heated by irradiating the rotating tank 1 with microwaves in the 2.45 GHz band. Like the microwave irradiation unit 31 of the second embodiment, the second microwave irradiation unit 37 is composed of a semiconductor element or the like in which the frequency of the oscillated microwave is variable. Used to estimate strength and moisture content.

In the third embodiment, a second microwave irradiation section 37 is provided separately from the microwave irradiation section 31. The installation location of the second microwave irradiation section 37 is not particularly limited as long as it is a location where the rotating tank 1 can be irradiated with microwaves. The second microwave irradiation section 37 may irradiate the rotating tank 1 with electromagnetic waves of a different frequency from the 2.45 GHz band microwave that the microwave irradiating section 31 irradiates to the rotating tank 1 . The electromagnetic waves that the second microwave irradiation unit 37 irradiates into the rotating tank 1 in order to estimate the amount of water in the rotating tank 1 can be electromagnetic waves of any frequency as long as they can be absorbed by water. Good too. Specifically, electromagnetic waves of 10 MHz to 25 GHz, in which the ISM band frequency band exists, are preferable.

Further, the second microwave irradiation section 37 may irradiate the rotating tank 1 with electromagnetic waves having a lower intensity than the microwave irradiation section 31. Since the second microwave irradiation unit 37 is not provided to heat the water in the rotating tank 1, it emits microwaves of the intensity necessary to heat the water in the rotating tank 1 into the rotating tank. It is not necessary to irradiate the rotating tank 1 with microwaves having an intensity that allows the microwave detection unit 36 to detect reflected waves. Therefore, a small, low-output semiconductor element can be used as the second microwave irradiation section 37. Thereby, the manufacturing cost of the washer/dryer 50 can be reduced.

[Embodiment 4]
FIG. 11 shows the configuration of a washer/dryer 50 according to the fourth embodiment. The washer/dryer 50 according to the fourth embodiment includes a moisture content estimation device 60 in place of the microwave heating device 30 in the configuration of the washer/dryer 50 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 shows the configuration of a water content estimating device 60 according to the fourth embodiment. The moisture content estimating device 60 according to the fourth embodiment has the same configuration as the microwave heating device 30 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 9, but the microwave irradiation section 31 and the reflection section 33 are omitted.

FIG. 13 shows the configuration of a microwave control device 40 included in a moisture content estimating device 60 according to the fourth embodiment. The microwave control device 40 according to the fourth embodiment has the configuration of the microwave control device 40 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 10, but the output adjustment section 42 is omitted.

The washer/dryer 50 according to the fourth embodiment dries the object to be dried by blowing dry air heated by the heater 17 into the rotary tank 1, like a conventional dryer. The second microwave irradiation unit 37 is used to estimate the amount of water contained in the water. As described in the second embodiment, the second microwave irradiation section 37 is preferably configured with a semiconductor element or the like that can change the frequency of the oscillated microwave. Furthermore, the frequency of the microwave oscillated by the magnetron may be modulated by a frequency modulator or the like. Thereby, the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried can be estimated with higher accuracy. Semiconductor elements are generally more expensive than microwave oscillators such as magnetrons, but as explained in the third embodiment, a relatively inexpensive low-output semiconductor element can be used as the second microwave irradiation section 37. Since this is possible, the manufacturing cost of the washer/dryer 50 can be suppressed.

The present invention has been described above based on examples. Those skilled in the art will understand that this example is merely an example, and that various modifications can be made to the combinations of these components and processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. .

Note that 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, the present invention may be applied to a vertical washer/dryer using a hanging drying method or a pulsator method other than the drum type.

1 Rotating tank, 2 Housing, 3 Water tank, 4 Damper, 5 Door body, 6 Drive motor, 7 Circulating air path, 8 Air outlet, 9 Discharge port, 10 Drain valve, 11 Drain pipe, 12 Water supply valve, 13 Water supply pipe , 14 intake air passage, 15 exhaust air passage, 16 ventilation fan, 17 heater, 18 inflow temperature detection section, 20 control device, 30 microwave heating device, 31 microwave irradiation section, 32 microwave irradiation port, 33 reflection section, 34 Waveguide, 36 Microwave detection unit, 37 Second microwave irradiation unit, 40 Microwave control device, 41 Intensity acquisition unit, 42 Output adjustment unit, 43 Moisture content estimation unit, 44 Frequency change unit, 50 Washing and drying Machine, 60 Moisture content estimation device.

Claims (6)

a tank for accommodating objects to be dried;
a first irradiation unit that irradiates the tank with electromagnetic waves in order to heat the moisture contained in the drying object stored in the tank and dry the drying object, and the frequency of the irradiated electromagnetic waves is not variable ;
a second irradiation unit that irradiates the tank with electromagnetic waves of a plurality of different frequencies and whose frequency of the irradiated electromagnetic waves is variable ;
a detection unit that is provided between the second irradiation unit and the tank and detects the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank;
a moisture content estimating unit that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the drying object housed in the tank based on the intensity of the reflected wave detected by the detection unit;
Equipped with
The dryer is characterized in that the second irradiation section irradiates the tank with electromagnetic waves having a lower intensity than that of the first irradiation section. The water content estimating unit is configured to calculate the amount of water based on the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank, or based on the ratio of the intensity of the electromagnetic wave irradiated to the tank and the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank. The dryer according to claim 1, further comprising: estimating the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried. The water content estimating unit calculates the water content based on a ratio between the average intensity of a plurality of different electromagnetic waves irradiated to the tank and the average intensity of each reflected wave of electromagnetic waves of a plurality of different frequencies. The dryer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dryer performs estimation. The irradiation unit irradiates the tank with electromagnetic waves having a frequency of 2.45 GHz band or 915 MHz band,
The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection unit detects the intensity of reflected waves in a frequency of 2.45 GHz band or 915 MHz band. irradiating the tank containing the object to be dried from a first irradiation unit whose frequency of irradiated electromagnetic waves is not variable in order to dry the object by heating moisture contained in the object to be dried; When electromagnetic waves of different frequencies with lower intensity than the electromagnetic waves to be irradiated are irradiated from a second irradiation unit whose frequency of irradiated electromagnetic waves is variable, the intensity of each reflected wave reflected from the tank is obtained. an intensity acquisition unit for
a moisture content estimation unit that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the intensity of each reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition unit;
A moisture content estimation device comprising: computer,
irradiating the tank containing the object to be dried from a first irradiation unit whose frequency of irradiated electromagnetic waves is not variable in order to dry the object by heating moisture contained in the object to be dried; When electromagnetic waves of different frequencies with lower intensity than the electromagnetic waves to be irradiated are irradiated from a second irradiation unit whose frequency of irradiated electromagnetic waves is variable, the intensity of each reflected wave reflected from the tank is obtained. strength acquisition section,
a moisture content estimation unit that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the intensity of each reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition unit;
A moisture content estimation program to function as a.