JP7375720B2 - Bathroom Dryer - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to bathroom dryers.

BACKGROUND ART Among bathroom dryers that dry, heat, and ventilate a bathroom, there are known bathroom dryers that operate to suppress the growth of mold in the bathroom. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a bathroom dryer that performs a heating circulation blowing operation in which air heated by a heat exchanger is circulated into the bathroom by a circulation blower while exhausting air inside the bathroom to the outside of the bathroom. ing. In this bathroom dryer, the humidity is extremely reduced by heating and circulating air, removing bound water adhering to the surface of mold, drying and killing the mycelium, and suppressing mold. In this case, many mold hyphae can be suppressed by keeping the humidity in the bathroom at 40% or less for one hour or more.

Patent No. 5119959 (Paragraphs 0100-0123, Figure 1)

In the bathroom dryer disclosed in Patent Document 1, heating circulation blowing operation is performed for a long time in order to remove bound water adhering to the surface of mold, so the power consumption particularly related to heating the air to be blown is reduced. The problem is that the amount increases.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a bathroom dryer that can suppress the growth of mold in a bathroom while reducing power consumption.

The bathroom dryer according to the present disclosure includes an inlet for sucking air from the bathroom, an outlet for blowing out the air sucked from the inlet into the bathroom, and an outlet for discharging the air sucked in from the inlet to the outdoors. A main body part is provided with an exhaust port, a circulating air passage that communicates with the suction port and the air outlet, and an exhaust air passage that communicates with the suction port and the exhaust port, and a main body that sucks air from the suction port and generates the circulating air. an air blower that sends the air to the circulation air passage and the exhaust air passage, an air passage adjustment means that adjusts the opening degree of the circulation air passage and the opening degree of the discharge air passage, a heating means that heats the air flowing through the circulation air passage, and an air passage adjustment means. a first operation of driving the blower with the circulation air passage closed and the discharge air passage opened by the means; and a first operation of driving the blower with the circulation air passage opened and the discharge air passage closed by the air passage adjustment means. A second operation in which the air blower is driven to heat the air by the heating means, and a third operation in which the blower is driven in a state where both the circulation air passage and the discharge air passage are opened by the air passage adjustment means. The operating time of the first action and the operating time of the third action are longer than the operating time of the second action.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress the growth of mold in the bathroom while reducing the power consumption of the bathroom dryer.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a usage pattern of a bathroom dryer according to an embodiment. It is a sectional view of a bathroom dryer showing an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the downstream side of the circulation air path when the rotary damper of the bathroom dryer according to the embodiment is set at the lower end position. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the downstream side of the circulating air path when the rotary damper of the bathroom dryer according to the embodiment is set at the upper end position. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the downstream side of the circulation air path when the rotary damper of the bathroom dryer according to the embodiment is set at an intermediate position. It is a block diagram showing the composition of the control function of the bathroom dryer showing an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a processing circuit of a bathroom dryer according to an embodiment. It is a flow chart of mold suppression operation of a bathroom dryer showing an embodiment. It is a graph showing an example of changes in relative humidity and temperature in a bathroom when the bathroom dryer according to the embodiment is operated in mold suppression mode. It is a front view of the operation part of the bathroom dryer showing an embodiment.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals.

Embodiment.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing how a bathroom dryer 1 is used in an embodiment. Solid arrows in FIG. 1 indicate the direction of air flow. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, a bathroom dryer 1 is installed on the ceiling of a bathroom 2. The bathroom 2 is provided with a bathtub 3. Further, a dressing room 4 is provided adjacent to the bathroom 2. The bathroom 2 and the changing room 4 are separated by a door 5. A louver 6 is provided at the bottom of the door 5, which is a vent that communicates the bathroom 2 and the changing room 4. Furthermore, an operating section 70 for the user to operate the bathroom dryer 1 is provided on the wall of the changing room 4.

As shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, the bathroom dryer 1 can suck air in the bathroom 2 and blow out the sucked air into the bathroom 2. Further, an exhaust duct 7 connected to the outdoors is connected to the bathroom dryer 1. The bathroom dryer 1 can suck in air from the bathroom 2 and exhaust it to the outside through an exhaust duct 7. When the bathroom dryer 1 sucks the air in the bathroom 2, it can suck the air in the dressing room 4 through the louver 6 of the door 5.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the bathroom dryer 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the bathroom dryer 1 includes a main body 10, a blower 30, an air passage adjustment means 40, a heating means 50, and a control section 60.

The main body portion 10 constitutes a housing that accommodates the blower 30. The main body portion 10 is provided with an inlet 12, an outlet 14, an exhaust outlet 16, a circulation air passage 18, and an exhaust air passage 20. The suction port 12 is an opening for sucking air from the bathroom 2. The blowout port 14 is an opening for blowing out the air sucked in from the suction port 12 into the bathroom 2. The exhaust port 16 is an opening for discharging the air sucked in from the suction port 12 to the outdoors, that is, to the outside of the bathroom 2. In this embodiment, an exhaust duct 7 is connected to the exhaust port 16 . The circulation air passage 18 is an air passage that communicates the inlet 12 and the outlet 14. The exhaust air passage 20 is an air passage that communicates the suction port 12 and the exhaust port 16. The circulation air path 18 and the exhaust air path 20 are a common air path from the suction port 12 to the middle, and branch into two air paths halfway to the air outlet 14 and the air path to the exhaust port 16. ing.

Further, a design panel 22 is provided on the lower side of the main body 10, that is, on the side facing into the bathroom 2. A panel air outlet 24 is provided below the air outlet 14 in the design panel 22 for blowing out the air blown from the air outlet 14 into the bathroom 2.

The blower 30 sucks air from the suction port 12 and sends the sucked air to the circulation air path 18 and the exhaust air path 20. In this embodiment, the blower 30 is arranged in a common air path of the circulation air path 18 and the exhaust air path 20. Further, the blower 30 includes a fan 32 that is an impeller, and a fan motor 34 that rotates the fan 32. The fan 32 is, for example, a sirocco fan, and is arranged to face the suction port 12. The blower 30 can be operated at two operating intensities: strong and weak. When the operating intensity is strong, the rotation speed of the blower 30 is higher than when the operating intensity is weak, and the blower 30 sucks air from the suction port 12 and transfers it from the circulation air path 18 to the air outlet 14 or the exhaust air path. The amount of air sent from the air outlet 20 to the exhaust port 16 increases.

The air passage adjustment means 40 adjusts the opening degree of the circulation air passage 18 and the opening degree of the discharge air passage 20. Specifically, the air path adjusting means 40 operates in a first state in which the circulation air path 18 is closed and the exhaust air path 20 is open, and in a second state in which the circulation air path 18 is open and the exhaust air path 20 is closed. and a third state in which both the circulation air passage 18 and the exhaust air passage 20 are opened. In this embodiment, the air path adjustment means 40 is arranged downstream of the blower 30 and upstream of the air outlet 14 and the exhaust port 16. The air flow adjusting means 40 branches the air flow blown from the blower 30, and changes the air flow between the circulation air path 18 and the exhaust air path 20. Further, the air passage adjusting means 40 includes a rotary damper 42 formed in a curved plate shape and a damper rotating shaft 44. The rotary damper 42 is arranged in the circulation air passage 18 and rotates around a damper rotation shaft 44 provided at the base end. The rotary damper 42 is driven by a driving means (not shown) such as a stepping motor. By adjusting the position of the rotary damper 42, the opening degree of the circulation air passage 18 and the opening degree of the exhaust air passage 20 are adjusted.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the downstream side of the circulation air path when the rotary damper 42 of the air path adjustment means 40 is at the lower end position. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the downstream side of the circulation air path when the rotary damper 42 is at the upper end position. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the downstream side of the circulation air path when the rotary damper 42 is placed at an intermediate position. As shown in FIG. 3, the rotary damper 42 is rotatable downward to a position (lower end position) where it closes the circulation air passage 18 leading to the air outlet 14. At this time, the exhaust air passage 20 is open and in the first state described above. In the first state, air sucked in from the suction port 12 flows through the exhaust air path 20 and is discharged outdoors from the exhaust port 16. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the rotary damper 42 is rotatable upward to a position (upper end position) where it closes the exhaust air passage 20 leading to the exhaust port 16. At this time, the circulation air passage 18 is open and in the second state described above. In the second state, the air sucked in from the suction port 12 flows through the circulation air path 18 and is blown out from the air outlet 14 into the bathroom 2 . As a result, air is circulated within the bathroom 2. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the rotary damper 42 can take any position (intermediate position) between the lower end position and the upper end position. When the rotary damper 42 is in the intermediate position, it is in the third state described above. In the third state, the air sucked in from the suction port 12 is divided into two air streams by the rotary damper 42. One airflow flows through the exhaust air passage 20 and is discharged outdoors from the exhaust port 16, and the other airflow flows through the circulation air passage 18 and is blown out from the air outlet 14 into the bathroom 2. Furthermore, in the third state, by changing the position of the rotary damper 42 between the lower end position and the upper end position, the exhaust air volume which is the air volume discharged from the exhaust port 16 and the air volume blown out from the air outlet 14 are changed. The circulating air volume can be distributed at any ratio.

The heating means 50 heats the air flowing through the circulation air path 18. In the present embodiment, the heating means 50 is arranged in the circulation air passage 18 on the downstream side of the air passage adjustment means 40 and on the upstream side of the air outlet 14 . The heating means 50 is configured, for example, by arranging a plurality of heating elements at intervals or by providing a plurality of radiation fins around the heating elements. Air flow paths are formed around the heating element and around the radiation fins. By passing air through the flow path, heat is radiated from the heating element to the air. As the heating element, for example, an electric heater is used in which a heating element surrounded by an electrical insulator with high thermal conductivity is housed in a metal pipe. When the heating means 50 is composed of a plurality of electric heaters, the heating means 50 operates by switching between energized and de-energized states of the electric heaters. When the electric heater is energized, the air flowing through the circulation air passage 18 is heated, and when the electric heater is not energized, the air flowing through the circulation air passage 18 is not heated. Further, the heating means 50 can be operated at two operating intensities: strong and weak. When the operating intensity is strong, the amount of heat generated by the heating means 50 increases, for example, by increasing the number of electric heaters that are energized, compared to when the operating intensity is weak.

The control unit 60 controls the operation of the bathroom dryer 1. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control function of the bathroom dryer 1. In the present embodiment, the control section 60 is electrically connected to the blower 30, the air path adjustment means 40, the heating means 50, and the operation section 70 through signal lines (not shown). The control unit 60 controls the blower 30, the air path adjustment means 40, and the heating means 50, respectively, according to the operation command input from the operation unit 70, and causes the bathroom dryer 1 to perform various operations. The control unit 60 is arranged above the fan motor 34 of the blower 30. Further, the control unit 60 is connected to a commercial power source (not shown).

The functions of the control unit 60 are realized, for example, as a processing circuit with the hardware configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the processing circuit. The functions of the control unit 60 are realized, for example, by the processor 62 shown in FIG. 7 executing a program stored in the memory 64. Further, multiple processors and multiple memories may cooperate to realize the above functions. Further, some of the functions of the control unit 60 may be implemented as an electronic circuit, and other parts may be implemented using the processor 62 and the memory 64.

The control unit 60 has a mold suppression operation which is an operation mode for suppressing the growth of mold in the bathroom 2. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the mold suppression operation. As shown in FIG. 8, the mold suppression operation is an operation mode in which a first operation ST1, a second operation ST2, and a third operation ST3 are performed in this order.

The first operation ST1 is an operation in which the blower 30 is driven in a state in which the circulation air path 18 is closed and the exhaust air path 20 is opened by the air path adjustment means 40, that is, in the first state described above. In the first operation ST1, air in the bathroom 2 is sucked in by the blower 30 from the suction port 12, and the sucked air is discharged outdoors from the exhaust port 16 through the discharge air path 20. Thereby, the moisture in the bathroom 2 is quickly discharged. In order to sufficiently discharge the moisture in the bathroom 2, it is preferable that the number of times of ventilation in the first operation ST1 is 50 times or more. Here, the ventilation frequency is a value obtained by multiplying the discharge air volume by the discharge time divided by the volume of the bathroom 2.

In the second operation ST2, the blower 30 is driven and the heating means 50 blows air in a state in which the circulating air path 18 is opened and the exhaust air path 20 is closed by the air path adjusting means 40, that is, in the above-mentioned second state. This is a heating operation. In the second operation ST2, air in the bathroom 2 is sucked in from the suction port 12 by the blower 30, and the sucked air is blown out from the blow-off port 14 into the bathroom 2 through the circulation air path 18. At this time, since the air passing through the circulation air passage 18 is heated by the heating means 50, the air blown out from the outlet 14 becomes warm air. In the second operation ST2, the relative humidity in the bathroom 2 is lowered by increasing the temperature in the bathroom 2 by the hot air blown out from the air outlet 14. Generally, it is said that when the relative humidity is 88% or higher, black mold grows more easily. Therefore, by lowering the relative humidity in the bathroom 2 to 88% or less, for example, to about 80% by the second operation ST2, it is possible to suppress the growth of black mold. Moreover, by using warm air, the relative humidity in the bathroom 2 can be reduced in a short time.

The third operation ST3 is an operation in which the blower 30 is driven in a state in which the circulation air path 18 and the discharge air path 20 are both opened by the air path adjustment means 40, that is, in the third state described above. In the third operation ST3, the air in the bathroom 2 is sucked in by the blower 30 from the suction port 12, and part of the sucked air passes through the discharge air path 20 and is discharged outdoors from the exhaust port 16, and the other part is blown out from the air outlet 14 into the bathroom 2 through the circulation air path 18. At this time, since the heating means 50 is not operating, the air blown out from the air outlet 14 is at room temperature. The air blown from the air outlet 14 promotes the evaporation of water droplets on the ceiling, walls, floor, etc. of the bathroom 2. Although the relative humidity in the bathroom 2 increases due to the evaporation of water droplets, since the air in the bathroom 2 is simultaneously exhausted from the exhaust port 16, the increase in the relative humidity in the bathroom 2 can be suppressed.

In the third operation ST3, both the exhaust from the exhaust port 16 and the air from the air outlet 14 are performed, but if only the exhaust from the exhaust port 16 is performed, there will be no space in the bathroom 2 from the dressing room 4. There is only an air flow flowing through 6 into the bathroom 2. This air flow alone creates a laminar flow inside the bathroom 2, so that the evaporation of water droplets on the ceiling, walls, etc. of the bathroom 2 is not easily promoted. On the other hand, by exhausting air from the exhaust port 16 and blowing air from the air outlet 14, the air flow flowing through the louver 6 into the bathroom 2 and the air blowing from the air outlet 14 collide, and the air flow from the air outlet 14 collides. Turbulence occurs within 2. Thereby, the evaporation of water droplets on the ceiling, walls, etc. of the bathroom 2 can be effectively promoted.

Furthermore, in the third operation ST3, the main purpose of the air blowing from the air outlet 14 is to generate turbulent flow in the bathroom 2 and promote the evaporation of water droplets on the ceiling, walls, etc. of the bathroom 2. However, even if the water droplets are evaporated, if they are not discharged from the bathroom 2, there is a possibility that they will condense again on the ceiling, walls, etc. of the bathroom 2, so exhaust is also performed through the exhaust port 16. As for the ratio between the amount of air discharged from the exhaust port 16 and the amount of circulating air blown out from the air outlet 14, it is preferable that the amount of air discharged is larger than the amount of circulating air in order to suppress an increase in the relative humidity in the bathroom 2. Furthermore, as a result of experimentally confirming the ratio between the discharge air volume and the circulating air volume, it is more preferable that the ratio of the discharge air volume: the circulating air volume = 3:1.

To switch from the first operation ST1 to the second operation ST2 in the mold suppression operation, after the first operation ST1 ends, the control unit 60 stops the blower 30 and moves the rotary damper 42 of the air path adjustment means 40 from the lower end position. This is done by moving it to the upper end position. In this state, the control unit 60 drives the blower 30 and operates the heating means 50, thereby starting the second operation ST2. Further, the switching from the second operation ST2 to the third operation ST3 is performed by, after the end of the second operation ST2, the control unit 60 stopping the heating means 50, stopping the blower 30, and controlling the rotary damper of the air path adjusting means 40. 42 from the upper end position to the intermediate position. In this state, the control unit 60 drives the blower 30, thereby starting the third operation ST3. In switching from the first operation ST1 to the second operation ST2 and from the second operation ST2 to the third operation ST3, by moving the rotary damper 42 after stopping the blower 30, the influence of the air blown from the blower 30 is reduced. The rotary damper 42 can be moved without being affected.

The operating time of the mold suppression operation is set based on at least one of the floor area and volume of the bathroom 2. For example, if the floor area of the bathroom 2 is 1 tsubo (approximately 3.3 square meters), the operating time of the mold suppression operation is 120 minutes for the first operation ST1, 10 minutes for the second operation ST2, and 230 minutes for the third operation ST3. minute is set. In addition, when the floor area of the bathroom 2 is 1.5 tsubo (approximately 5 square meters), the operating time of the mold suppression operation is 120 minutes for the first operation ST1, 15 minutes for the second operation ST2, and 345 minutes for the third operation ST3. minute is set. That is, in this example, the operating time of the second operation ST2 and the operating time of the third operation ST3 are changed according to the floor area of the bathroom 2. These operating times are programmed in the control unit 60 in advance. Note that the operating time may be changed depending on the volume of the bathroom 2, or may be changed depending on both the floor area and the volume of the bathroom 2.

An example of mold suppression operation is shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a graph showing an example of changes in relative humidity and temperature in the bathroom 2 when operating in mold suppression mode. In this example, as the mold suppression operation, the first operation ST1 was performed for 120 minutes, the second operation ST2 was performed for 10 minutes, and the third operation ST3 was performed for 230 minutes. In the first operation ST1 and the third operation ST3, the blower 30 was operated at a high operating intensity, and in the second operation ST2, the blower 30 was operated at a weak operating intensity. The air in the changing room 4 adjacent to the bathroom 2 was set to a high humidity environment with a temperature of 25° C. and a relative humidity of 85%. First, hot shower water was discharged into the washing area in Bathroom 2, and then mold suppression operation was carried out.

As shown in FIG. 9, after the hot water shower is released, the temperature inside the bathroom 2 is as high as about 33° C., and the relative humidity is close to 100%. First, by the first operation ST1, the temperature in the bathroom 2 has decreased to about 25° C., which is about the same as that in the changing room 4. Although there is no major change in the relative humidity in the bathroom 2, the amount of saturated water vapor decreases as the temperature decreases, so the absolute amount of water vapor in the bathroom 2 decreases due to the first operation ST1, and the humidity in the bathroom 2 decreases. is being discharged. Subsequently, in the second operation ST2, the temperature in the bathroom 2 rises due to the warm air from the air outlet 14, and the relative humidity drops to about 70%. Then, in the third operation ST3, by blowing air into the bathroom 2 from the air outlet 14 and discharging the moisture in the bathroom 2, a sudden increase in relative humidity in the bathroom 2 is suppressed, and the growth of black mold is prevented. The relative humidity is maintained lower than the current relative humidity of 88%.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the bathroom dryer 1 further includes an operation section 70. The operation unit 70 is a remote controller for a user to operate the bathroom dryer 1. The operation unit 70 is communicably connected to the control unit 60 via a signal line (not shown). Therefore, the driving command from the operation unit 70 is transmitted to the control unit 60 via a signal line (not shown). FIG. 10 is a front view of the operating section 70. As shown in FIG. 10, the operation unit 70 has a button 72 for instructing mold suppression operation. When the user presses the button 72, the mold suppression operation is started. The operation unit 70 also includes a button 74 for instructing execution of the first operation ST1 of the mold suppression operation, a button 76 for instructing execution of the second operation ST2, and a button 78 for instructing execution of the third operation ST3. It further has. By pressing each of these buttons, each operation of the mold suppression operation can be performed independently. Note that when the operation unit 70 has a touch panel, each button may be a button displayed on the touch panel. Further, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone may be used as the operation unit 70, and the operation unit 70 may communicate with the control unit 60 by a wireless communication method via a communication network.

As described above, the bathroom dryer 1 according to the present embodiment includes the suction port 12 for sucking air from the bathroom 2 and the blowout port 14 for blowing out the air sucked from the suction port 12 into the bathroom 2. , an exhaust port 16 for discharging the air sucked in from the suction port 12 to the outdoors, a circulation air passage 18 that communicates the suction port 12 and the blow-off port 14, and a circulation air passage 18 that communicates the suction port 12 and the exhaust port 16. The main body 10 is provided with a discharge air passage 20, a blower 30 that sucks air from the suction port 12 and sends it to the circulation air passage 18 and the discharge air passage 20, and the opening degree of the circulation air passage 18 and the discharge air passage. The air circulation passage 18 is closed and the exhaust air passage 20 is opened by the air passage adjustment means 40 that adjusts the opening degree of the air circulation passage 20, the heating means 50 that heats the air flowing through the circulation air passage 18, and the air passage adjustment means 40. a first operation ST1 in which the blower 30 is driven in a state in which the blower 30 is driven in a state where the circulating air passage 18 is opened by the air passage adjusting means 40 and the exhaust air passage 20 is closed; This is an operation mode in which a second operation ST2 in which the air is heated, and a third operation ST3 in which the blower 30 is driven in a state where both the circulation air passage 18 and the discharge air passage 20 are opened by the air passage adjustment means 40 are carried out in order. The control unit 60 has a mold suppression operation.

Through such mold suppression operation, first in the first operation ST1, air in the bathroom 2 is sucked in by the blower 30 from the suction port 12, passes through the discharge air path 20, and is discharged from the exhaust port 16. Next, in the second operation ST2, air in the bathroom 2 is sucked in from the suction port 12 by the blower 30, passes through the circulation air path 18, is heated by the heating means 50, and is blown out from the blow-off port 14 as warm air. be done. Then, in the third operation ST3, the air in the bathroom 2 is sucked in by the blower 30 from the suction port 12, a part of it passes through the circulation air path 18 and is blown out from the air outlet 14, and the other part is blown out from the air outlet 14. 20 and is discharged from the exhaust port 16.

Normally, after the bathroom 2 is used, the temperature inside the bathroom 2 is as high as 30° C. to 40° C., the relative humidity is close to 100%, and there are many water droplets on the ceiling, walls, floor, etc. If the second operation ST2 of operating the heating means 50 is performed in this state, the temperature in the bathroom 2 will rise due to the warm air from the air outlet 14, and the amount of water vapor that the air can contain will increase. Some of the water droplets on the ceiling and walls evaporate and turn into water vapor. However, since the relative humidity in the bathroom 2 continues to remain close to 100%, it is not very effective in suppressing mold. Furthermore, if the second operation ST2 is stopped, the temperature in the bathroom 2 will decrease, and dew condensation will occur on the ceiling, walls, etc. of the bathroom 2, which may cause mold to grow. Therefore, the appropriate timing to perform the second operation ST2 of operating the heating means 50 is when the water vapor in the bathroom 2 has been discharged and the absolute humidity has decreased. ST2 is performed after the first operation ST1. In this way, by performing the second operation ST2 after discharging the moisture in the bathroom 2 by the first operation ST1, the relative humidity in the bathroom 2 can be significantly reduced by performing the second operation ST2 for a short time. be able to. In the bathroom dryer 1, heating the air by the heating means 50 consumes the most power, so by shortening the operating time of the second operation ST2 in this way, the power consumption can be reduced. In addition, in the third operation ST3, the air from the air outlet 14 promotes the evaporation of water droplets on the ceiling, walls, etc. in the bathroom 2, but since the higher the temperature in the bathroom 2, the easier the evaporation, the second operation ST2 By performing the third operation ST3 later, the evaporation of water droplets on the ceiling, walls, etc. can be promoted more effectively. The relative humidity in the bathroom 2 will rise due to the evaporation of the water droplets, but since the relative humidity has become low, for example, 80% or less, in the second operation ST2, the air outlet 14 will be removed from the air outlet 14 in the third operation ST3. By exhausting the air from the exhaust port 16 simultaneously with the air blowing, the relative humidity can be maintained at a relative humidity of 88% or less, at which mold easily grows. In this way, it is possible to suppress the growth of mold in the bathroom 2 while reducing the power consumption of the bathroom dryer 1.

In addition, the mold suppression operation described above includes a second operation ST2 in which the heating means 50 heats the air. For example, if only the ventilation in the bathroom 2 is performed without heating the air by the heating means 50, that is, if only the first operation ST1 is performed, the power consumption is reduced by the amount that the air is not heated. . However, when ventilating the bathroom 2, air flows into the bathroom 2 from the changing room 4 adjacent to the bathroom 2. Here, when the relative humidity in the changing room 4 is high, such as during the rainy season, even if the bathroom 2 is ventilated, the same high relative humidity as in the changing room 4 will be maintained in the bathroom 2, causing mold. It may not be possible to suppress the growth of On the other hand, in the mold suppression operation described above, the relative humidity in the bathroom 2 is greatly reduced in the second operation ST2, so the final relative humidity in the bathroom 2 can be maintained at 88% or less, and mold The growth of can be suppressed.

In addition, in the third operation ST3, the air passage adjusting means 40 controls the opening degree of the circulation air passage 18 and the opening of the exhaust air passage 20 so that the amount of air discharged from the exhaust port 16 is larger than the amount of air blown out from the air outlet 14. Adjust the opening. With this configuration, while promoting the evaporation of water droplets on the ceiling, walls, etc. of the bathroom 2, the increase in relative humidity in the bathroom 2 is suppressed, and the evaporated water droplets do not condense on the ceiling, walls, etc. of the bathroom 2 again. can be prevented from happening.

The operating time of the mold suppression operation is set based on at least one of the floor area and volume of the bathroom 2. The time required to ventilate and dry the inside of the bathroom 2 is affected by the floor area and volume of the bathroom 2. With this configuration, the operating time can be adjusted appropriately according to the floor area and volume of the bathroom 2. Since this can be set, it is possible to prevent the operating time from becoming unnecessarily long and the power consumption to increase, and also to reliably suppress the growth of mold in the bathroom 2.

The operation time of the first operation ST1 and the operation time of the third operation ST3 are longer than the operation time of the second operation ST2. Since the operation time of the first operation ST1 is longer than that of the second operation ST2, the second operation ST2 can be carried out after the moisture in the bathroom 2 has been sufficiently discharged. The relative humidity within 2 can be reduced. Furthermore, since the operating time of the third operation ST3 is longer than that of the second operation ST2, the water vapor evaporated in the second operation ST2 can be discharged outdoors more reliably, and after the second operation ST2 is performed. Also, water droplets remaining on the ceiling, walls, etc. of the bathroom 2 can be evaporated more reliably.

An operating section 70 having a button 72 for instructing mold suppression operation is connected to the control section 60 . With such a configuration, the user can perform the mold suppression operation simply by pressing the button 72, thereby improving convenience for the user.

In addition, although the heating means 50 showed the example comprised from multiple electric heaters in this Embodiment, it is not limited to this. The heating means 50 only needs to be capable of heating the air flowing through the circulation air path 18, and may be configured to heat the air using a heat medium such as high-temperature water, for example.

Further, although an example has been shown in which the opening degree of the circulation air passage 18 and the opening degree of the discharge air passage 20 are adjusted by one air passage adjustment means 40, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a damper serving as the air passage adjusting means 40 is provided in each of the circulation air passage 18 and the exhaust air passage 20, and the damper provided in the circulation air passage 18 adjusts the opening degree of the circulation air passage 18, and the exhaust air The opening degree with respect to the exhaust air passage 20 may be adjusted by a damper provided in the passage 20.

In the mold suppression operation, in switching from the first operation ST1 to the second operation ST2 and from the second operation ST2 to the third operation ST3, the rotary damper 42 of the air path adjustment means 40 is moved after the blower 30 is stopped. However, it is not limited to this. For example, in switching from the first operation ST1 to the second operation ST2, after the first operation ST1 ends, the control unit 60 moves the rotary damper 42 from the lower end position to the upper end position while keeping the blower 30 operating. The second operation ST2 may be started by operating the heating means 50. Further, the control unit 60 may operate the blower 30 to blow the air at the air blowing amount in the second operation ST2 after moving the rotary damper 42. Similarly, in switching from the second operation ST2 to the third operation ST3, after the second operation ST2 ends, the control unit 60 stops the heating means 50 and moves the rotary damper 42 to the upper end while the blower 30 is operating. The third operation ST3 may be started by moving from the position to the intermediate position. Further, the control unit 60 may operate the blower 30 to blow the air at the air blowing amount in the third operation ST3 after moving the rotary damper 42. In this way, in switching each operation, by moving the rotary damper 42 while the blower 30 is operating, the time between stopping and driving the blower 30 is unnecessary, and the switching from the first operation ST1 to the second operation ST2 is made possible. The switching and the switching from the second operation ST2 to the third operation ST3 can be performed in a short time.

Note that it is also within the scope of the technical idea shown in the embodiments that the embodiments described above may be modified or omitted as appropriate.

1 Bathroom dryer, 2 Bathroom, 3 Bathtub, 4 Changing room, 5 Door, 6 Lounge, 7 Exhaust duct, 10 Main body, 12 Suction port, 14 Air outlet, 16 Exhaust port, 18 Circulation air duct, 20 Exhaust air duct , 22 design panel, 24 panel air outlet, 30 blower, 32 fan, 34 fan motor, 40 air path adjustment means, 42 rotary damper, 44 damper rotation shaft, 50 heating means, 60 control unit, 62 processor, 64 memory, 70 Operation unit, 72, 74, 76, 78 buttons, ST1 first action, ST2 second action, ST3 third action.

Claims (4)

a suction port for sucking air from the bathroom; a blowout port for blowing out the air sucked from the suction port into the bathroom; and an exhaust port for discharging the air sucked from the suction port to the outdoors. , a main body portion provided with a circulation air passage that communicates the suction port and the air outlet, and an exhaust air passage that communicates the suction port and the exhaust port;
a blower that sucks the air from the suction port and sends it to the circulation air path and the exhaust air path;
Air path adjusting means for adjusting the opening degree of the circulation air path and the opening degree of the discharge air path;
heating means for heating the air flowing through the circulating air path;
a first operation of driving the blower in a state in which the circulating air passage is closed by the air passage adjusting means and the exhaust air passage is open; a second operation in which the blower is driven with the air passage closed and the air is heated by the heating means; and a second operation in which the circulation air passage and the discharge air passage are both opened by the air passage adjustment means. a third operation of driving the blower, and a control unit having an operation mode that sequentially performs the following ;
The bathroom dryer, wherein the operating time of the first operation and the operating time of the third operation are longer than the operating time of the second operation. In the third operation, the air path adjusting means adjusts the opening degree of the circulation air path and the opening degree of the exhaust air path so that the amount of air discharged from the exhaust port is larger than the amount of air blown out from the outlet. 2. The bathroom dryer according to claim 1, wherein: The bathroom dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operating time of the operating mode is set based on at least one of a floor area and a volume of the bathroom. The bathroom dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the control unit is connected to an operation unit having a button for instructing operation in the operation mode.