JP7473908B2 - Clothes Processing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a clothes treatment device that performs processes such as drying and removing wrinkles from clothes.

Conventionally, there is known a clothing processing device that can hang clothes in a storage section, dry the clothes with hot air, and remove wrinkles from the clothes with steam. An example of such a clothing processing device is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

JP 2018-057413 A

In the above-mentioned clothing treatment device, if the contact efficiency between the hot air and the clothing is poor, the drying efficiency will be poor, making it difficult to improve the drying performance. Therefore, in order to improve the drying performance, it may be necessary to improve the contact efficiency between the hot air and the clothing.

In addition, in the above-mentioned clothing treatment device, the surface of the clothing to which steam is applied is stretched by the weight of the clothing, thereby removing wrinkles from the clothing. However, if an additional force could be applied to the clothing to stretch the surface of the clothing, the wrinkle removal performance could be improved.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a clothing processing device that can improve drying and wrinkle removal performance.

A clothing processing device according to a main aspect of the present invention includes a housing, a storage chamber arranged inside the housing in which clothes are stored in a hanging state, a hot air supply unit that supplies hot air into the storage chamber, a steam supply unit that supplies steam into the storage chamber, an air circulation unit that draws in air in the storage chamber and blows it out into the storage chamber, and a dehumidification unit that dehumidifies the air in the storage chamber. Here, the air circulation unit includes a circulation fan arranged at the rear end of the bottom inside the storage chamber and blows air drawn in from an air intake port out of an outlet port, a deflection member that comes into contact with the air blown out of the outlet port to deflect the air, and a drive unit that swings the deflection member up and down so that the deflection angle of the air changes and the direction in which the air moves changes vertically . The dehumidification unit includes a circulation air duct arranged between the rear surface of the storage chamber and the rear surface of the housing, which circulates air between the storage chamber and the storage chamber, and a heat exchanger provided in the circulation air duct. An air inlet for the air circulation duct is formed above the air circulation section on the rear surface of the storage chamber, an air outlet for the air circulation duct is formed above the inlet, and a hood is provided to cover the front of the inlet. The hood has an intake opening that opens to the air circulation section side, receives a portion of the air blown out by the air circulation section, and guides it to the air circulation duct through the inlet.

The circulation fan may be, for example, a cross-flow fan having a cylindrically arranged runner and a fan whose axial dimension is greater than its radial dimension.

According to the above configuration, when drying clothes, hot air is supplied into the storage chamber by the hot air supply unit, and at this time, the air circulation unit can be operated. In this case, air in the storage chamber that has been warmed by the supply of hot air is taken in through the intake port and blown out as hot air from the exhaust port. The blown out hot air is deflected by the deflection member and directed toward the clothes. At this time, the deflection member oscillates to change the deflection angle of the hot air, so that the hot air comes into contact with the clothes from various directions. This improves the efficiency of contact of the hot air with the clothes, making it easier to dry the clothes.

Moreover, the hot air comes into contact with the clothes from various directions, i.e., the direction in which the hot air pushes the clothes changes, causing the hanging clothes to swing. This allows the hot air to reach areas that are difficult to reach when the clothes are stationary, such as between the sleeves and the torso. It also makes it easier for dust adhering to the clothes to come off.

When removing wrinkles from the clothes, steam is supplied into the storage chamber by the steam supply unit, and the air circulation unit can be operated at this time. In this case, air in the storage chamber is taken in through the suction port and blown out as wind from the discharge port. The blown out wind is deflected by the oscillating deflection member so that it comes into contact with the clothes from various directions and shakes the clothes. When clothes are swung while hanging, forces such as centrifugal force are easily applied to the clothes. This makes it easier to stretch the surface of the clothes where the steam is applied, making it easier to remove wrinkles from the clothes. Also, shaking the clothes can cause dust adhering to the clothes to fall off.

In addition, when drying clothes, the dehumidifying unit can be operated to dehumidify the air in the storage chamber that contains moisture removed from the clothes, so less moisture is discharged from the clothes treatment device to the outside, making it less likely for the humidity around the clothes treatment device to become high.

Furthermore, a portion of the air blown out by the air circulation unit is guided by the hood to the circulation air duct, so that the air circulates between the storage chamber and the circulation air duct, and the air is dehumidified by heat exchange in a heat exchanger provided in the circulation air duct. In this way, the air circulation unit can be used to circulate air between the storage chamber and the circulation air duct, eliminating the need to provide a separate fan for circulation, and thus reducing costs.

In the clothing processing device according to this aspect , the dehumidifying unit includes a cooling fan that sends cooling air to the heat exchanger , and the rear surface of the housing is provided with an intake port for drawing in the cooling air from the outside and an exhaust port for exhausting the cooling air that has passed through the heat exchanger to the outside.

The clothing treatment device is easily installed so that the rear surface of the housing is close to the wall of the room. With the above configuration, when the clothing treatment device is installed as described above, air is drawn into the air intake and exhausted from the exhaust port, which makes it easier for air to flow between the rear surface of the housing and the wall of the room, making it less likely for moisture to accumulate between them, and therefore less likely for condensation to form on the wall.

The clothing treatment device according to this aspect may be further configured to include an exhaust port for exhausting air from within the storage chamber. In this case, the exhaust port is provided on the ceiling of the storage chamber.

With the above configuration, when exhaust drying is performed by discharging the air in the storage chamber to the outside of the clothing processing device, the warm air that has removed moisture from the clothing is more easily discharged from the storage chamber, making it easier for the clothing to dry.

The clothing treatment device according to this embodiment may be further configured to include an exhaust port for exhausting air from within the storage chamber, an exhaust duct for directing the air exhausted from the exhaust port to the outside of the clothing treatment device, and an opening/closing unit for opening and closing the exhaust duct.

According to the above configuration, the exhaust duct can be closed or opened as necessary. In particular, when steam is supplied into the storage chamber to remove wrinkles from the clothes, the exhaust duct can be closed by the opening and closing part, and the leakage of steam to the outside of the clothes treatment device can be suppressed. This makes it easier for the storage chamber to be filled with steam, improving the effect of removing wrinkles from the clothes, and suppressing an increase in humidity around the clothes treatment device.

When the above configuration is adopted, the configuration may further include an ozone supply unit that supplies air containing ozone into the storage chamber, and an ozone removal unit that is disposed downstream of the opening and closing unit in the exhaust duct and removes ozone contained in the air flowing through the exhaust duct.

In this configuration, when deodorizing clothes, air containing ozone is supplied into the storage chamber by the ozone supply unit, and at this time the air circulation unit can be operated. In this case, the air containing ozone in the storage chamber is taken in from the suction port and blown out as ozone wind from the discharge port. The blown out ozone wind is deflected by the oscillating deflection member so that it comes into contact with the clothes from various directions. This improves the contact efficiency of the ozone wind with the clothes, making it easier to deodorize the clothes. In addition, by shaking the clothes, ozone can be distributed to parts of the clothes that are difficult to reach when the clothes are stationary, and dust attached to the clothes is also easier to remove.

Furthermore, since an ozone removal section is provided in the exhaust duct, the air from which ozone has been removed by the ozone removal section can be discharged to the outside of the clothing processing device. Moreover, since the ozone removal section is located downstream of the opening and closing section, the opening and closing section is closed when steam is supplied to the storage chamber, preventing the ozone removal section from getting wet with steam and preventing a decrease in the ozone removal performance of the ozone removal section.

The present invention provides a clothing processing device that can improve drying and wrinkle removal performance.

The effects and significance of the present invention will become clearer from the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the following embodiment is merely an example of how the present invention can be put into practice, and the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described below.

FIG. 1(a) is a front view of a clothing treatment device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a right side view of the clothing treatment device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of a clothing treatment device according to an embodiment, taken at the location of a first supply unit. FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view of a garment treatment device taken at the location of a second supply unit according to an embodiment. 4(a) and (b) are plan cross-sectional views of a clothing treatment device according to an embodiment with the cover removed and attached, respectively. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part of a clothing processing device according to an embodiment, taken at the position of an intake duct of a first supply unit. Figure 6(a) is a plan cross-sectional view of a clothing treatment device cut at the position of the exhaust unit according to the embodiment, and Figure 6(b) is a side cross-sectional view of the upper part of the clothing treatment device cut at the position of the exhaust unit according to the embodiment. Figure 7(a) is a front cross-sectional view of the main parts of a clothing processing device cut at the front position of the air circulation unit in the embodiment, and Figure 7(b) is a front view of the air circulation unit in the embodiment with the cover removed. FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part of a clothing processing device according to an embodiment. Figure 9(a) is a rear view of a dehumidifying unit arranged on the rear surface of the storage chamber in accordance with an embodiment, and Figure 9(b) is a plan cross-sectional view of the main parts of a clothing processing device taken at line A-A' in Figure 9(a) in accordance with an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a clothing processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing operation control of a clothing processing device according to an embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

1(a) is a front view of the clothing processing device 1, and FIG. 1(b) is a right side view of the clothing processing device 1. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of the clothing processing device 1 cut at the position of the first supply unit 300. In FIG. 2, the second supply unit 400 and the air circulation unit 700 are omitted. FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view of the clothing processing device 1 cut at the position of the second supply unit 400. In FIG. 3, the air circulation unit 700 is omitted. FIGS. 4(a) and (b) are plan cross-sectional views of the clothing processing device 1 with the cover 240 removed and attached, respectively. In FIGS. 4(a) and (b), the air circulation unit 700 and the dehumidification unit 800 are omitted. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the main parts of the clothing processing device 1 cut at the position of the intake duct 350 of the first supply unit 300. In FIG. 2, the flow of air containing ozone and warm air is indicated by solid arrows. In addition, in Fig. 3, the flow of steam is indicated by solid arrows, and the flow of condensed water is indicated by dashed arrows. Furthermore, in Fig. 5, the flow of air from outside the clothing processing device 1 is indicated by solid arrows, and the flow of air from inside the storage chamber 200 is indicated by dashed arrows. Furthermore, in Fig. 3, for convenience, the hanger stand 260, which is located in front of the cut surface, is drawn with a dashed line.

The clothing processing device 1 includes a housing 100 having a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped shape. The outer bottom surface of the housing 100 has legs 110 at the four corners. Inside the housing 100, a storage chamber 200 is arranged in which various types of clothing such as suits and coats are stored in a hanging state. The storage chamber 200 has a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped shape. Inside the housing 100, below the storage chamber 200, a first supply unit 300 capable of supplying hot air and ozone to the storage chamber 200 and a second supply unit 400 capable of supplying steam to the storage chamber 200 are arranged. The first supply unit 300 corresponds to the hot air supply section and ozone supply section of the present invention, and the second supply unit 400 corresponds to the steam supply section of the present invention.

The front of the storage chamber 200 opens as a clothing insertion port 201. The front of the housing 100 opens in a portion corresponding to the insertion port 201. A door 500 is provided on the front of the housing 100. The door 500 has approximately the same size as the front of the housing 100. The insertion port 201 is covered by the door 500. The right end of the door 500 is connected to the housing 100 by a hinge portion (not shown), and the door 500 can be opened forward using the hinge portion as a fulcrum.

The first supply port 210 and the second supply port 220 are provided adjacent to each other in the center of the bottom surface of the storage chamber 200. The first supply port 210 and the second supply port 220 have a nearly semicircular cylindrical shape with straight portions on both sides. The arc-shaped portion 211 of the first supply port 210 and the arc-shaped portion 221 of the second supply port 220 are curved in opposite directions when viewed from above. As a result, the combined shape of the first supply port 210 and the second supply port 220 is close to a circle as shown by the dashed line in Figure 4 (a). A small gap is provided between the first supply port 210 and the second supply port 220, and a mounting boss 230 having a mounting hole 231 is provided in this gap.

A cover 240 is disposed above the first supply port 210 and the second supply port 220 so as to cover them. The cover 240 includes a disk-shaped top surface portion 241 and a peripheral surface portion 242 extending diagonally downward from the periphery of the top surface portion 241. The top surface portion 241 is larger than the combined size of the first supply port 210 and the second supply port 220. A shaft 243 protruding downward is formed in the center of the back surface of the top surface portion 241. The shaft 243 is attached to the mounting hole 231 of the mounting boss 230 so that a predetermined gap is formed between the top surface portion 241 of the cover 240 and the first supply port 210 and the second supply port 220. A plurality of discharge holes 244 are formed around the entire circumference of the peripheral surface portion 242 of the cover 240. The discharge hole 244 has a rectangular shape that is long in the radial direction of the cover 240, and is located around the first supply port 210 and the second supply port 220, i.e., outside the projected area of the first supply port 210 and the second supply port 220 on the cover 240. This makes it difficult for dust and foreign matter that has fallen from the clothes to enter the first supply port 210 or the second supply port 220 through the discharge hole 244. A predetermined gap is provided between the outer periphery of the cover 240 and the bottom surface of the storage chamber 200.

The storage chamber 200 has a bottom air intake 250 consisting of multiple holes at the front right part of the bottom surface.

A hanger stand 260 is provided in the center of the top surface of the storage chamber 200 in the front-to-rear direction. The hanger stand 260 includes a round rod-shaped pole 261 extending in the left-to-right direction, and a support plate 262 that supports the left and right ends of the pole 261 from the top surface of the storage chamber 200. A hanger on which a garment is hung is hung on the pole 261 of the hanger stand 260. In this way, the garment is held in a state suspended from the top surface of the storage chamber 200 by the pole 261 of the hanger stand 260. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, multiple garments can be hung side by side on the pole 261 so that the front-to-back directions of the garments are in the direction in which the pole 261 extends.

Referring to Figures 2 and 5, the first supply unit 300 includes a first supply duct 310, an ozone generator 320, a heater 330, a blower fan 340, and an intake duct 350.

The first supply duct 310 has an inlet 311 connected to the outlet 342 of the blower fan 340, and an outlet 312 connected to the inlet of the first supply port 210. The ozone generator 320 is disposed near the inlet 311 in the first supply duct 310. The first supply duct 310 extends leftward from the inlet 311, curves back to the right after passing the position of the ozone generator 320, and then extends upward to reach the first supply port 210.

The ozone generator 320 is a discharge type ozone generator that generates a discharge such as a corona discharge or a silent discharge between a pair of electrodes to generate ozone from the air passed between the pair of electrodes. The heater 330 is disposed in the first supply duct 310 closer to the first supply port 210 than the ozone generator 320, and heats the air flowing in the first supply duct 310. For example, a PTC heater can be used as the heater 330.

The blower fan 340 is a centrifugal fan with an intake port 341 on the side and an exhaust port 342 on the periphery. The blower fan 340 takes in air from the intake port 341 and sends the taken in air to the ozone generator 320 in the first supply duct 310. A fan other than a centrifugal fan, for example an axial fan, may be used as the blower fan 340.

A front air intake 101 is formed on the front of the housing 100 at a position opposite the intake port 341 of the blower fan 340. A dust filter 120 is provided in the front air intake 101 to remove dust and other particles contained in the air taken in through the front air intake 101.

The door 500 has multiple air vents 501 formed on the rear surface at positions corresponding to the front air intake 101 of the housing 100, and an air intake 502 formed on the bottom surface. Inside the door 500, the intake 502 and the multiple air vents 501 are in communication.

An intake duct 350 is provided between the front intake port 101 and the bottom intake port 250 and the suction port 341. The intake duct 350 is composed of a first duct 351 connected to the front intake port 101, a second duct 352 connected to the bottom intake port 250, and a third duct 353 connecting the first duct 351 and the second duct 352 to the suction port 341.

An intake damper 360 is provided in the third duct 353 of the intake duct 350. The intake damper 360 includes an opening/closing plate 361 and a damper motor 362 that rotates the opening/closing plate 361. The opening/closing plate 361 switches between a first blocking position that blocks the outlet 352a of the second duct 352 and a second blocking position that blocks the outlet 351a of the first duct 351. When the opening/closing plate 361 is switched to the first blocking position, air outside the clothing processing device 1 can be sucked in through the front intake port 101, and when the opening/closing plate 361 is switched to the second blocking position, air inside the storage chamber 200 can be sucked in through the bottom intake port 250. Hereinafter, the outside of the clothing processing device 1 will be referred to as the outside of the machine.

Referring to FIG. 3, the second supply unit 400 includes a second supply duct 410, a steam generating device 420, and a drainage device 430. The second supply duct 410 has a shape with a lower portion bulging to the right. The second supply duct 410 has an outlet 411 at its upper end, which is connected to the inlet of the second supply port 220. The second supply duct 410 also has an inlet 412 on the right side of its lower portion. Furthermore, the second supply duct 410 has a water storage section 413 below the inlet 412, with its bottom lower than the position of the inlet 412. The bottom surface of the water storage section 413 has an outlet 414.

The steam generating device 420 includes a water supply tank 440, a water supply tank 450, a pump module 460, and a steam generator 470. The water supply tank 440 stores water to be supplied to the steam generator 470. The water supply tank 440 is removably installed in a water supply tank installation section (not shown) within the housing 100. When the water supply tank 440 is installed in the water supply tank installation section, its supply port 441 is connected from above to an inlet 451 of the water supply tank 450. An opening/closing valve 442 is provided in the supply port 441, and when the supply port 441 is connected to the inlet 451, the opening/closing valve 442 opens and water is supplied from the water supply tank 440 to the water supply tank 450, and the entire water supply tank 450 is filled with water.

The pump module 460 includes a pump 461, a connection hose 462, and a water supply hose 463. The suction port of the pump 461 is connected to the outlet 452 of the water supply tank 450 by the connection hose 462. The water supply hose 463 is connected to the discharge port of the pump 461. The pump 461 sucks in water from the water supply tank 450 through the connection hose 462 and sends it to the steam generator 470 through the water supply hose 463.

The steam generator 470 includes a main body 471 and a heater 472, and is attached to the inlet 412 of the second supply duct 410 via a heat insulating member (not shown). The main body 471 is formed of a metal material such as aluminum die casting, and has a steam generation chamber 473 inside. The main body 471 also has a water supply port 474 to which the water supply hose 463 is connected above the steam generation chamber 473, and a discharge port 475 connected to the inside of the second supply duct 410 to the right of the steam generation chamber 473. The heater 472 is embedded in the main body 471.

The main body 471 is heated to a high temperature by the heater 472. Water delivered by the pump 461 drips onto the bottom surface of the steam generation chamber 473 and evaporates, generating high-temperature steam. The generated steam is released into the second supply duct 410 through the release port 475.

The drainage device 430 includes a drainage tank 480 and a drainage hose 490. The drainage hose 490 has a connection port 491 at its upper end that is connected to the exhaust port 414 of the second supply duct 410. A resistance plate 492 is disposed at the connection port 491 so as to block the exhaust port 414. The resistance plate 492 is, for example, a fine mesh metal plate, and is intended to prevent ozone supplied into the storage chamber 200 during deodorization and sterilization operation from leaking into the inside of the housing 100 through the drainage hose 490.

The drain tank 480 is a container for collecting condensation water generated in the second supply duct 410. The drain tank 480 is detachably installed in a drain tank installation section (not shown) within the housing 100. When the drain tank 480 is installed in the drain tank installation section, its inlet 481 is positioned directly below the lower end of the drain hose 490.

On the front side of the housing 100, an entrance 102 for the water supply tank 440 and the drainage tank 480 installed in the housing 100 is provided in front of the tanks 440, 480. The entrance 102 is covered with an openable lid 103 (see FIG. 1). A user can insert or remove the water supply tank 440 and the drainage tank 480 into or from the housing 100 by opening the door 500 and the lid 103.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exhaust port 202 is formed on the top surface of the storage chamber 200 at a position on the left side and slightly forward of the center. An exhaust cover 270 is detachably attached to the exhaust port 202. The exhaust cover 270 is provided with a plurality of exhaust windows 271. A lint filter 272 that removes lint and the like contained in the air is also disposed inside the exhaust cover 270.

Between the top surface of the storage chamber 200 and the top surface of the housing 100, an exhaust unit 600 is provided at the position of the exhaust port 202 to exhaust the air inside the storage chamber 200 to the outside of the machine.

Figure 6(a) is a plan cross-sectional view of the clothing treatment device 1 cut at the position of the exhaust unit 600, and Figure 6(b) is a side cross-sectional view of the upper part of the clothing treatment device 1 cut at the position of the exhaust unit 600. Note that the dehumidification unit 800 is omitted from Figure 6(a). Also, in Figures 6(a) and (b), the flow of air exhausted outside the device is indicated by solid arrows.

The exhaust unit 600 includes an exhaust duct 610, an exhaust damper 620, and an ozone removal filter 630. The exhaust duct 610 extends rearward from the exhaust port 202. An exhaust port 104 consisting of multiple holes is formed on the rear surface of the housing 100, and the exhaust duct 610 is connected to this exhaust port 104. The left side of the top surface of the storage chamber 200 extends to the rear surface of the housing 100 and forms the underside of the exhaust duct 610. The exhaust duct 610 guides the air exhausted from the exhaust port 202 to the outside of the machine.

The exhaust damper 620 is provided in the exhaust duct 610 and opens and closes the exhaust duct 610. The exhaust damper 620 includes an opening/closing plate 621 and a damper motor 622 that rotates the opening/closing plate 621. In the middle of the exhaust duct 610, a communication port 611 that connects the front duct and the rear duct is formed by narrowing the vertical width of the duct. The opening/closing plate 621 can be switched between a closing position that closes the communication port 611 and an opening position that opens the communication port 611. The exhaust duct 610 is closed by closing the communication port 611 with the opening/closing plate 621, and the exhaust duct 610 is opened by opening the communication port 611. The exhaust damper 620 corresponds to the opening/closing unit of the present invention.

The ozone removal filter 630 is disposed in the exhaust duct 610 behind the exhaust damper 620, i.e., downstream of the air flow. The ozone removal filter 630 may be an activated carbon/catalyst filter that adsorbs and decomposes ozone. The ozone removal filter 630 removes ozone contained in the air flowing through the exhaust duct 610. The ozone removal filter 630 corresponds to the ozone removal section of the present invention.

7(a) is a front cross-sectional view of the main parts of the clothing processing device 1 cut at the front position of the air circulation unit 700, and FIG. 7(b) is a front view of the air circulation unit 700 with the cover 712b removed. FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the main parts of the clothing processing device 1. FIG. 9(a) is a rear view of the dehumidification unit 800 arranged at the rear of the storage chamber 200, and FIG. 9(b) is a plan cross-sectional view of the main parts of the clothing processing device 1 cut at the position of the line A-A' in FIG. 9(a). In FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 8, the flow of air blown out from the air circulation unit 700 is shown by solid arrows, dashed arrows, and dashed arrows. In FIG. 9(b), the flow of cooling air is shown by solid arrows. In addition, in FIG. 7(a), for convenience, the hanger stand 260, which is in front of the cut surface, is drawn by dashed lines.

An air circulation unit 700 is disposed inside the storage chamber 200, at the bottom near the rear of the storage chamber 200. The air circulation unit 700 draws in air from within the storage chamber 200 and blows it out into the storage chamber 200, directing the blown air toward the hanging clothes.

The air circulation unit 700 includes a circulation fan 710 and a louver mechanism 720. The air circulation unit 700 corresponds to the air circulation section of the present invention.

The circulation fan 710 is a cross-flow fan, and includes a fan 711, a casing 712, and a fan motor 713. The fan 711 has a cylindrically arranged runner 711a, and the axial dimension is significantly larger than the radial dimension. The fan 711 is provided with a fan shaft 714 at its center. Both ends of the fan shaft 714 protrude from both end faces of the fan 711.

The fan 711 is housed in a casing 712, and both ends of the fan shaft 714 are rotatably supported on both sides of the casing 712. The casing 712 is composed of a main body 712a with an open front and a cover 712b that covers the front of the main body 712a. The casing 712 has an intake port 715 that opens forward on the front side of the fan 711, i.e., on the front side of the cover 712b, and an exhaust port 716 that opens upward on the rear side of the fan 711. The intake port 715 opens in a direction along the bottom surface of the storage chamber 200, and its lower end is slightly higher than the bottom surface of the storage chamber 200. The intake port 715 has a plurality of bars 715a that run in a lattice pattern. The axial dimensions of the intake port 715 and the exhaust port 716 are approximately the same as the dimensions of the fan 711. In other words, the intake port 715 and the exhaust port 716 have a shape that is long in the axial direction.

A filter 717 is disposed inside the casing 712 between the suction port 715 and the fan 711. The filter 717 collects dust sucked in from the suction port 715 along with the air.

The right end of the fan shaft 714 penetrates the right side surface of the casing 712 and then penetrates the right side surface of the storage chamber 200. The right side surface of the storage chamber 200 is recessed inward in a portion corresponding to the air circulation unit 700, and the fan motor 713 is attached to the outside of that portion. The fan shaft 714 that penetrates the right side surface of the storage chamber 200 is connected to the rotor (not shown) of the fan motor 713.

The fan motor 713 drives the fan 711 to rotate via the fan shaft 714. When the fan 711 rotates, air is sucked in through the intake port 715, and the sucked air is sent by the fan 711 and blown out through the exhaust port 716.

The louver mechanism 720 includes a louver 721 and a louver motor 722. The louver 721 corresponds to the deflection member of the present invention, and the louver motor 722 corresponds to the drive unit of the present invention.

The louvers 721 have a rectangular shape that is long in the axial direction of the circulation fan 710, and are slightly larger than the discharge port 716 of the circulation fan 710. Eaves 723 are provided at both left and right ends of the louvers 721, and louver shafts 724 are provided at the lower ends of the eave parts 723. The circulation fan 710 is provided with support parts 718 at the rear upper ends of both sides of the casing 712. The louver shafts 724 on both sides of the louvers 721 are rotatably supported by the support parts 718 on both sides of the casing 712. As a result, the louvers 721 are positioned above the discharge port 716 and can swing up and down.

The right end of the louver shaft 724 passes through the right support portion 718 and then through the right side surface of the storage chamber 200. A louver motor 722 is attached above the fan motor 713 on the outside of the right side surface of the storage chamber 200. The louver shaft 724 that passes through the right side surface of the storage chamber 200 is connected to a rotor (not shown) of the louver motor 722.

The louver motor 722 rotates forward and backward by a predetermined rotation angle, causing the louver 721 to swing via the louver shaft 724. Air blown upward from the outlet 716 of the circulation fan 710 comes into contact with the louver 721 and is deflected. The deflection angle of the air changes according to the angle of the swinging louver 721, and the direction in which the air, i.e., the wind, flows changes.

The fan shaft 714 of the circulation fan 710 is the rotation shaft when the fan 711 rotates, and the louver shaft 724 of the louver mechanism 720 is the swing shaft when the louver 721 swings. As shown in FIG. 8, the circulation fan 710, i.e., the air circulation unit 700, is disposed at the bottom of the storage room 200 so that the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the fan 711 and the swing shaft of the louver 721 is parallel or nearly parallel to the left-right direction, i.e., the front-to-back direction of the clothes hung by the pole 261 of the hanger stand 260. In other words, the pole 261 of the hanger stand 260 holds the clothes at the top of the storage room 200 so that the front-to-back direction of the clothes hung on the pole 261 is parallel or nearly parallel to the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the fan 711 of the air circulation unit 700 and the swing shaft of the louver 721. At this time, in the circulation fan 710, the center of the rotation shaft of the fan 711 in the axial direction approximately coincides with the center of the pole 261.

A dehumidification unit 800 for dehumidifying the air in the storage chamber 200 is disposed between the rear surface of the storage chamber 200 and the rear surface of the housing 100.

The dehumidifying unit 800 includes a circulation air duct 810 that circulates air between the storage room 200, a heat exchanger 820 provided in the circulation air duct 810, a cooling fan 830 that sends cooling air to the heat exchanger 820, and a cooling duct 840 through which the cooling air sent to the heat exchanger 820 flows. The dehumidifying unit 800 corresponds to the dehumidifying section of the present invention.

The circulation air passage 810 is composed of an inlet duct 811, an outlet duct 812, and a heat exchanger 820 arranged between these ducts 811 and 812. That is, the heat exchanger 820 constitutes a part of the circulation air passage 810. An air inlet 203 to the circulation air passage 810 is formed at a position above the right end portion of the air circulation unit 700 on the rear surface of the storage room 200, and an air outlet 204 from the circulation air passage 810 is formed at a position above the inlet 203. The introduction duct 811 is connected to the introduction port 203, extends rearward from the introduction port 203, then bends and extends upward. The outlet duct 812 is connected to the outlet 204, extends rearward from the outlet 204, then bends and extends downward. A drain port 813 is formed on the lower surface of the introduction duct 811. A drain hose 850 is connected to the drain port 813. The drain hose 850 is connected to the water storage section 413 of the second supply duct 410.

The heat exchanger 820 includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes 821 arranged in the left-right direction at a predetermined interval. Each heat transfer tube 821 is flat in the left-right direction and extends in the up-down direction. In the heat exchanger 820, a lower connection plate 822 and an upper connection plate 823 are formed at the lower and upper ends of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 821, respectively. The lower connection plate 822 and the upper connection plate 823 are formed with connection ports 824 and 825 having openings 824a and 825a that connect to each heat transfer tube 821, respectively, and the inlet duct 811 and the outlet duct 812 are connected to these connection ports 824 and 825, respectively. In addition, in the heat exchanger 820, a left side plate 826 and a right side plate 827 that cover the left and right sides of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 821, respectively, are formed between the lower connection plate 822 and the upper connection plate 823. The lower connecting plate 822, the upper connecting plate 823, the left side plate 826, and the right side plate 827 surround the multiple heat transfer tubes 821, forming a cooling air passage 828 that houses the multiple heat transfer tubes 821.

The cooling fan 830 is a centrifugal fan, and includes a fan 832 and a motor 833 that rotates the fan 832 inside a casing 831. The casing 831 has an intake port 834 on the side and an exhaust port 835 on the periphery. A fan other than a centrifugal fan, for example an axial fan, may be used as the cooling fan 830.

One end of the cooling duct 840 has a shape corresponding to the outlet 835 of the cooling fan 830 and is connected to the outlet 835, and the other end has a shape corresponding to the inlet of the cooling air duct 828 of the heat exchanger 820 and is connected to the inlet of the cooling air duct 828.

The rear surface of the housing 100 is provided with an intake port 105 and an exhaust port 106, each of which is made up of a number of holes. The intake port 834 of the cooling fan 830 is connected to the intake port 105, and the outlet of the cooling air passage 828 of the heat exchanger 820 is connected to the exhaust port 106.

In the dehumidification unit 800, the inlet duct 811, outlet duct 812, and cooling duct 840 are made of a resin material, and the heat exchanger 820 is also made of a resin material. By making the heat exchanger 820 from a resin material in this way, the weight of the dehumidification unit 800 can be reduced.

A hood 280 is provided on the rear surface of the storage chamber 200 to cover the front of the inlet 203. The hood 280 has an intake port 281 that opens downward, i.e., toward the air circulation unit 700, and receives a portion of the air blown out by the air circulation unit 700 and guides it to the circulation air passage 810 through the inlet 203. The hood 280 corresponds to the air guide section of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the clothing processing device 1.

In addition to the above configuration, the clothing processing device 1 also includes an operation unit 901 and a control unit 902.

The operation unit 901 includes operation buttons such as a selection button for selecting an operation course and a start button for starting operation, and outputs an operation signal to the control unit 902 according to the operation button operated by the user.

The control unit 902 includes a microcomputer, various driver circuits, etc., and controls the ozone generator 320, heater 330, blower fan 340 and intake damper 360 of the first supply unit 300, the pump 461 and heater 472 of the second supply unit 400, the exhaust damper 620 of the exhaust unit 600, the fan motor 713 and louver motor 722 of the air circulation unit 700, the cooling fan 830 of the dehumidification unit 800, etc.

The clothing processing device 1 of this embodiment can perform a deodorizing and sterilizing operation to deodorize and sterilize clothing, a drying operation to dry clothing, and a wrinkle removal operation to remove wrinkles from clothing.

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the operation control of the clothing processing device 1.

When an operation to start an operation is performed, the control unit 902 determines which operation has been selected among the deodorizing/disinfecting operation, the drying operation, and the wrinkle removal operation (S1).

When the deodorizing/sterilizing operation is selected (S1: deodorizing/sterilizing), the deodorizing/sterilizing operation is started, and the control unit 902 executes the deodorizing/sterilizing process (S2). In the deodorizing/sterilizing process, the control unit 902 operates the blower fan 340 and the ozone generator 320 in the first supply unit 300. Before the operation starts, that is, when the clothing processing device 1 is in a stopped state, the opening/closing plate 361 of the intake damper 360 is in the first closed position, and the opening/closing plate 621 of the exhaust damper 620 is in the open position. The control unit 902 does not operate the intake damper 360 and the exhaust damper 620, and maintains the state in which the opening/closing plate 361 is in the first closed position and the opening/closing plate 621 is in the open position.

As shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 5, the operation of the blower fan 340 draws air from outside the aircraft into the intake duct 350 through the front intake port 101 and sends it into the first supply duct 310.

2, air flowing through the first supply duct 310 passes through the ozone generator 320, and ozone generated by the ozone generator 320 is mixed into the air. Thus, the air containing ozone passes through the first supply duct 310 to the first supply port 210, and is discharged from the first supply port 210 into the storage chamber 200. The discharged air containing ozone hits the cover 240 and spreads around, a portion of which is discharged from the multiple discharge holes 244, and the remainder is discharged from between the cover 240 and the bottom surface of the storage chamber 200. Thus, the air containing ozone is diffused by the cover 240 toward the clothes above, and is widely applied to the clothes. The deodorizing and disinfecting action of ozone deodorizes and disinfects the clothes.

As shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the air whose ozone concentration has been reduced by deodorizing and disinfecting the clothes is discharged into the exhaust duct 610 from the exhaust port 202 provided on the ceiling of the storage chamber 200, flows through the exhaust duct 610, and is discharged outside the machine from the exhaust port 104. The air flowing through the exhaust duct 610 passes through the ozone removal filter 630. This removes the ozone from the air, and the air with the ozone concentration reduced to the appropriate level is discharged outside the machine.

Furthermore, in the deodorization and sterilization process, the control unit 902 drives the fan motor 713 in the air circulation unit 700 to operate the circulation fan 710, and drives the louver motor 722 to swing the louver 721 up and down. At this time, the louver 721 may swing continuously, or may be stopped for a predetermined time after swinging back and forth once or several times.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), air containing ozone in the storage chamber 200 is taken into the casing 712 through the suction port 715 and blown out as ozone wind from the discharge port 716. The blown out ozone wind is deflected by the louvers 721 toward the clothes. At this time, the deflection angle of the ozone wind changes due to the swinging of the louvers 721, so that the ozone wind comes into contact with the clothes from various directions. This improves the contact efficiency of the ozone wind with the clothes, making it easier to deodorize and disinfect the clothes. In addition, the clothes are pushed by the ozone wind from various directions, causing the hanging clothes to swing. This allows ozone to reach parts that are difficult to reach when the clothes are stationary, such as between the sleeves and the torso of the clothes. In addition, dust attached to the clothes is easier to remove.

Furthermore, the clothes are hung from the pole 261 of the hanger stand 260 so that their front-to-back direction is parallel to the axial direction of the swinging shaft of the louver 721 of the air circulation unit 700. Therefore, even when multiple clothes are stored in the storage chamber 200 as shown in FIG. 7(a), the ozone wind discharged from the circulation fan 710 and deflected by the louver 721 is likely to pass between the clothes and reach the upper part of the storage chamber 200. This makes it easier for the ozone wind to hit multiple clothes evenly, effectively deodorizing and disinfecting the multiple clothes.

When the specified deodorization and sterilization time has elapsed, the control unit 902 stops the operation of the ozone generator 320, the blower fan 340, the circulation fan 710, and the louvers 721, and ends the deodorization and sterilization process. In this way, the deodorization and sterilization operation ends.

Next, in step S1, when the control unit 902 determines that the drying operation has been selected (S1: drying), it starts the drying operation. First, the control unit 902 executes the circulation drying process (S3). In the circulation drying process, the control unit 902 operates the intake damper 360 to switch the opening/closing plate 361 from the first closed position to the second closed position. The control unit 902 also operates the exhaust damper 620 to switch the opening/closing plate 621 from the open position to the closed position. Next, the control unit 902 operates the blower fan 340 and the heater 330 in the first supply unit 300.

As shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 5, the operation of the blower fan 340 draws air from the storage room 200 into the intake duct 350 through the bottom intake port 250 and sends it into the first supply duct 310.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air flowing through the first supply duct 310 is heated by the heater 330 and becomes hot air at a temperature suitable for drying (for example, about 60°C). The hot air then reaches the first supply port 210 and is discharged from the first supply port 210 into the storage chamber 200. The discharged hot air, like the air containing ozone, is diffused by the cover 240 and directed toward the clothes above, where it is widely applied to the clothes. This dries the clothes.

During the circulation drying process, the exhaust duct 610 is closed by the exhaust damper 620. Therefore, the air in the storage chamber 200 is not discharged from the exhaust port 202 and is not discharged outside the housing 100. The air circulates between the storage chamber 200 and the intake duct 350, the blower fan 340, and the first supply duct 310. As the temperature of the air taken into the first supply duct 310 gradually increases, the output of the heater 330 is reduced accordingly. This maintains the temperature of the air discharged into the storage chamber 200 at an appropriate temperature.

In the circulation drying process, the control unit 902 operates the circulation fan 710 in the air circulation unit 700 and swings the louvers 721 up and down. The control unit 902 also operates the cooling fan 830 in the dehumidification unit 800.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), air in the storage chamber 200 that has been warmed by the supply of hot air is taken into the casing 712 through the intake port 715 and blown out as hot air from the exhaust port 716. The blown out hot air is deflected by the oscillating louvers 721 so that it comes into contact with the clothes from various directions. This improves the efficiency with which the hot air comes into contact with the clothes, making it easier to dry the clothes. In addition, by shaking the clothes, the hot air can reach parts of the clothes that are difficult to reach when the clothes are stationary, and dust adhering to the clothes can be removed more easily.

Furthermore, as in the case of the deodorizing and disinfecting operation, even when multiple clothes are stored in the storage chamber 200 as shown in FIG. 7(a), the warm air discharged from the circulation fan 710 and deflected by the louvers 721 is likely to pass between the clothes and reach the upper part of the storage chamber 200. This makes it easier for the warm air to reach multiple clothes evenly, making it easier to dry the multiple clothes.

The air drawn in by the circulation fan 710 contains moisture removed from the clothes. As shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 7(a), the air blown out from the right end of the circulation fan 710, i.e., the air circulation unit 700, is received by the hood 280 and introduced into the circulation air duct 810 through the inlet 203. The introduced air flows through the circulation air duct 810 and is discharged into the storage room 200 from the outlet 204. Also, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the operation of the cooling fan 830 draws in outside air from the intake port 105 as cooling air, sends it to the heat exchanger 820, passes through the cooling air duct 828 of the heat exchanger 820, and is then discharged outside the machine from the exhaust port 106.

As the air flowing through the circulation air duct 810 passes through the multiple heat transfer tubes 821 of the heat exchanger 820, it exchanges heat with the cooling air flowing through the cooling air duct 828, and is cooled and dehumidified. Water discharged from the air is drained through the drain outlet 813 of the inlet duct 811, and is finally stored in the drain tank 480 of the second supply unit 400.

In this way, the dehumidifying unit 800 dehumidifies the air in the storage chamber 200. This prevents the warm air from increasing in moisture before it is blown onto the clothes, facilitating the drying of the clothes.

In the circulating drying process, dehumidification is performed by the dehumidifying unit 800 as described above, but compared to the so-called exhaust type drying in which air is exhausted from the storage chamber 200 and new air is drawn into the first supply duct 310 from outside the machine and turned into warm air and supplied to the storage chamber 200, the warm air contains more moisture and is less likely to remove moisture from the clothes. As a result, the clothes hung on the hanger stand 260 are dried slowly while being shaken by the warm air, which makes it easier for wrinkles in the clothes to be removed as they dry.

After a predetermined time has passed and the clothes in the storage chamber 200 have dried to a certain extent, the control unit 902 stops the heater 330, the blower fan 340, and the cooling fan 830, and ends the circulation drying process.

Next, the control unit 902 executes the exhaust drying process (S4). In the exhaust drying process, the control unit 902 operates the intake damper 360 to switch the opening/closing plate 361 from the second closed position to the first closed position. The control unit 902 also operates the exhaust damper 620 to switch the opening/closing plate 621 from the closed position to the open position. The control unit 902 then operates the blower fan 340 and the heater 330. Note that the air circulation unit 700, i.e., the circulation fan 710 and the louvers 721, continue to operate following the circulation drying process.

As shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 5, the operation of the blower fan 340 draws outside air into the intake duct 350 from the front intake port 101 and sends it into the first supply duct 310. Warm air is generated in the first supply duct 310 by heating the heater 330 and is discharged into the storage chamber 200 from the first supply port 210. The discharged warm air and the warm air circulating in the storage chamber 200 by the air circulation unit 700 are applied to the clothes, drying them. The warm air that has removed moisture from the clothes is discharged outside the machine through the exhaust port 202 and the exhaust duct 610.

When a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the exhaust drying process, the control unit 902 stops the operation of the heater 330, the blower fan 340, the circulation fan 710, and the louvers 721, and ends the circulation drying process. This ends the drying operation.

In this way, in the drying operation, the circulation drying process is performed before the exhaust drying process, and in this circulation drying process, the dehumidification unit 800 dehumidifies the air in the storage chamber 200. As a result, less moisture is discharged from the clothing processing device 1 to the outside during the drying operation, so the humidity around the clothing processing device 1 is less likely to become high.

In the exhaust drying process, the cooling fan 830 may be operated to dehumidify the air in the storage chamber 200 by the dehumidification unit 800. This can further reduce the amount of moisture discharged to the outside from the clothing processing device 1.

Next, in step S1, when the control unit 902 determines that the wrinkle removal operation has been selected (S1: wrinkle removal), it starts the wrinkle removal operation and executes the preparation process (S5). In the preparation process, the control unit 902 operates the heater 472 of the steam generator 470 in the second supply unit 400 while keeping the pump 461 stopped. This causes the temperature of the main body 471 of the steam generator 470 to rise.

Furthermore, in the preparation process, the control unit 902 operates the circulation fan 710 in the air circulation unit 700 and swings the louvers 721 up and down. As shown in FIG. 7(a), air in the storage chamber 200 is taken into the casing 712 through the suction port 715 and blows out as wind from the outlet port 716. The blown out wind is deflected by the swinging louvers 721 and comes into contact with the clothes from various directions, shaking the clothes. This makes it easier for dust to fall off the clothes.

When the main body 471 of the steam generator 470 becomes sufficiently hot, the control unit 902 ends the preparation process and executes the steam process (S6). In the steam process, the control unit 902 operates the exhaust damper 620 to switch the opening and closing plate 621 from the open position to the closed position. This closes the exhaust duct 610. Next, the control unit 902 operates the pump 461 while continuing to operate the heater 472. As shown in FIG. 3, high-temperature steam is generated in the steam generator 470 and is released into the second supply duct 410. The released steam rises in the second supply duct 410 to reach the second supply port 220 and is discharged from the second supply port 220 into the storage chamber 200. The discharged steam hits the cover 240 and spreads around, a part of it is discharged from the multiple discharge holes 244, and the rest is discharged from between the cover 240 and the bottom surface of the storage chamber 200. In this way, the steam is diffused by the cover 240 and directed toward the clothes above, where it is applied widely to the clothes. The moisture and heat contained in the steam removes wrinkles from the clothes.

When steam flows through the second supply duct 410, some of it may condense, producing condensed water. The condensed water flows downward and accumulates in the water storage section 413, and is discharged from the exhaust port 414. The discharged condensed water passes through the drain hose 490 and is collected in the drain tank 480. In this manner, in this embodiment, the water storage section 413 for storing condensed water is provided below the inlet 412 of the second supply duct 410, and therefore the condensed water is prevented from flowing from the inlet 412 into the inside of the steam generator 470.

Furthermore, in the steam process, the circulation fan 710 and louvers 721 continue to operate. The clothes are shaken by the wind blowing out from the outlet 716 and deflected by the louvers 721. When clothes are shaken while hanging, centrifugal force and other forces are easily applied to the clothes. This makes it easier for the surface of the clothes where the steam is applied to be stretched, making it easier to remove wrinkles from the clothes. Also, because the clothes are wetted with steam, dust adhering to the clothes can fall off by shaking them, although not as much as when they were dry in the preparation process.

Furthermore, as in the case of the deodorizing and disinfecting operation, even when multiple clothes are stored in the storage chamber 200 as shown in FIG. 7(a), the wind blown out from the circulation fan 710 and deflected by the louvers 721 is likely to pass between the clothes and reach the top of the storage chamber 200. This makes it easier for the wind to hit the multiple clothes evenly, which shakes the multiple clothes well and makes it easier to remove wrinkles.

During the steam process, the exhaust duct 610 is closed. This prevents the steam in the storage chamber 200 from being exhausted to the outside of the machine through the exhaust duct 610. In addition, the ozone removal filter 630 is located downstream of the exhaust damper 620 in the exhaust duct 610, which prevents the steam from coming into contact with the ozone removal filter 630 and causing the ozone removal filter 630 to become excessively wet.

When the specified steam supply time has elapsed, the control unit 902 stops the heater 472 and pump 461 to end the steam process.

Next, the control unit 902 sequentially executes the circulation drying process and the exhaust drying process (S7, S8). The circulation drying process and the exhaust drying process are the same as the circulation drying process and the exhaust drying process in the drying operation. The circulation drying process and the exhaust drying process dry the wet clothes with steam. Note that the time of the circulation drying process and the exhaust drying process in the wrinkle-smoothing operation is suitable for the wrinkle-smoothing operation and may be different from the time of the drying operation. Also, in the circulation drying process, since the exhaust damper 620 is already in the closed position, only the intake damper 360 operates, and the opening and closing plate 361 is switched from the first closed position to the second closed position.

When the exhaust drying process is completed, the control unit 902 executes the ventilation process (S9). That is, the control unit 902 keeps the circulation fan 710 and the louvers 721 operating following the exhaust drying process. Air in the storage chamber 200 is taken in through the intake port 715 and blown out from the exhaust port 716 into the storage chamber 200, so that air outside the machine is taken into the storage chamber 200 through the intake duct 350 and the first supply duct 310 of the first supply unit 300 and the first supply port 210, and the air in the storage chamber 200 is exhausted outside the machine through the exhaust port 202 and the exhaust duct 610. This ventilates the storage chamber 200, and the inner walls of the storage chamber 200 are dried even if they are wet due to steam.

When the specified ventilation time has elapsed, the control unit 902 stops the operation of the circulation fan 710 and the louvers 721, and ends the ventilation process. This ends the wrinkle-smoothing operation.

In this way, in the wrinkle-removing operation, during the steam step, the exhaust duct 610 is closed by the exhaust damper 620 to prevent steam from being exhausted from the storage chamber 200 to the outside of the machine. In addition, a circulation drying step is performed before the exhaust drying step, and during this circulation drying step, the air in the storage chamber 200 is dehumidified by the dehumidification unit 800. As a result, less moisture is exhausted from the clothing processing device 1 to the outside during the wrinkle-removing operation, so the humidity around the clothing processing device 1 is less likely to become high.

In addition to the deodorizing/sterilizing operation, drying operation, and wrinkle removal operation, the clothing processing device 1 may also perform a drying/deodorizing/sterilizing operation in which deodorizing/sterilizing is performed following drying.

In addition to the exhaust-type deodorizing/sterilizing operation described above, a circulation-type deodorizing/sterilizing operation may be performed in which the intake damper 360 is set to the second closed position and the exhaust damper 620 is set to the closed position, as in the circulation drying process, and the ozone generator 320 is operated while circulating air between the storage chamber 200 and the intake duct 350, the blower fan 340, and the first supply duct 310. In this circulation-type deodorizing/sterilizing operation, the ozone concentration in the air increases while the air is circulating, so that high-concentration ozone can be applied to the clothes, and a high deodorizing/sterilizing effect can be expected. In addition, in this deodorizing/sterilizing operation, not only is the exhaust duct 610 closed by the exhaust damper 620, but the front intake port 101 is also closed by the intake damper 360, so that high-concentration ozone can be prevented from leaking outside the machine.

Furthermore, the exhaust damper 620 may not only be switched to an open position where the opening/closing plate 621 is completely open, but may also be made to stop at a plurality of opening angle positions when the opening/closing plate 621 is open. By changing the opening angle of the opening/closing plate 621, the opening amount of the communication port 611 of the exhaust duct 610 changes, and the amount of air exhausted from the storage chamber 200 changes. In this case, in the exhaust drying process of the drying operation or the wrinkle-smoothing operation, the opening angle of the opening/closing plate 621 is gradually increased over time, and the amount of air exhausted from the storage chamber 200 is increased. In this way, the humidity in the storage chamber 200 is gradually reduced, and the wrinkle-smoothing effect can be achieved even in the exhaust drying process.

Furthermore, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor may be disposed in the storage chamber 200. In this case, the circulation drying process may be switched to the exhaust drying process, or the exhaust drying process may be terminated, based on the temperature and humidity in the storage chamber 200. Furthermore, during the exhaust drying process, the opening angle of the opening/closing plate 621 may be gradually increased according to the degree of change in the temperature and humidity in the storage chamber 200.

Furthermore, during the steam process, there is a risk of a small amount of steam leaking from the front air intake 101. Therefore, in order to prevent such steam leakage, during the steam process, the opening and closing plate 361 of the intake damper 360 may be switched to the second closed position to close the outlet 351a of the first duct 351, i.e., the front air intake 101.

<Effects of the embodiment>
As described above, according to this embodiment, when hot air is supplied from the first supply unit 300 to dry clothes, the air circulation unit 700 is operated to allow the hot air to come into contact with the clothes in the storage chamber 200 from various directions. This improves the contact efficiency of the hot air with the clothes, making it easier to dry the clothes. In addition, the clothes are shaken by the hot air from various directions, so that the hot air can reach parts of the clothes that are difficult to reach when the clothes are stationary, and also makes it easier to remove dust that has adhered to the clothes.

In addition, according to this embodiment, when steam is supplied from the second supply unit 400 and the clothes are steamed to remove wrinkles from the clothes, the air circulation unit 700 is operated to shake the clothes in the storage chamber 200. This makes it easier to remove wrinkles from the clothes and also helps dust on the clothes to fall off.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when drying clothes, the dehumidification unit 800 is operated to dehumidify the air in the storage chamber 200 that contains moisture removed from the clothes, so that less moisture is discharged from the clothes processing device 1 to the outside, and the humidity around the clothes processing device 1 is less likely to become high.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a hood 280 is provided in the storage room 200, and a portion of the air blown out by the air circulation unit 700 is received by the hood 280 and guided to the circulation air duct 810, so that the air circulates between the storage room 200 and the circulation air duct 810, and the air is dehumidified by heat exchange in a heat exchanger 820 provided in the circulation air duct 810. In this way, since the air circulation unit 700 can be used to circulate air between the storage room 200 and the circulation air duct 810, there is no need to provide a separate circulation fan or the like, which can reduce costs.

Furthermore, the clothing processing device 1 is easily installed so that the rear surface of the housing 100 is close to the wall of the room. According to this embodiment, the dehumidification unit 800 includes a cooling fan 830 that sends cooling air to the heat exchanger 820, and the rear surface of the housing 100 is provided with an intake port 105 for drawing in cooling air and an exhaust port 106 for exhausting the cooling air that has passed through the heat exchanger 820 to the outside of the device. Therefore, when the clothing processing device 1 is installed as described above, air flow is easily generated between the rear surface of the housing 100 and the wall of the room, and moisture is less likely to accumulate between them, making it less likely that condensation will occur on the wall.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, an exhaust port 202 is provided on the top surface of the storage chamber 200, so that during the exhaust drying process, the warm air that has removed moisture from the clothes, i.e., the warm air, is more easily exhausted from the storage chamber 200, making it easier for the clothes to dry.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the exhaust duct 610 is provided with an exhaust damper 620, so that the exhaust duct 610 can be closed or opened as necessary. In particular, when steam is supplied into the storage chamber 200 to remove wrinkles from clothes, the exhaust duct 610 can be closed by the exhaust damper 620, and the leakage of steam to the outside of the machine can be suppressed. This makes it easier for the storage chamber 200 to be filled with steam, improving the effect of removing wrinkles from clothes, and suppressing an increase in humidity around the clothing processing device 1.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when air containing ozone is supplied from the second supply unit 400 to deodorize and sterilize clothes with ozone, the air circulation unit 700 can be operated to bring the ozone wind into contact with the clothes in the storage chamber 200 from various directions. This improves the efficiency of the ozone wind coming into contact with the clothes, making it easier to deodorize and sterilize the clothes. In addition, because the clothes are shaken by the ozone wind from various directions, ozone can be distributed to parts of the clothes that are difficult to reach when the clothes are stationary, and dust attached to the clothes can be easily removed.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, an ozone removal filter 630 is provided in the exhaust duct 610, so that air from which ozone has been removed by the ozone removal filter 630 can be exhausted outside the machine. Moreover, since the ozone removal filter 630 is disposed downstream of the exhaust damper 620, the exhaust damper 620 is closed when steam is supplied into the storage chamber 200, so that the ozone removal filter 630 is prevented from becoming wet with steam, and a decrease in the ozone removal performance of the ozone removal filter 630 can be prevented.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications of the embodiment of the present invention are possible.

For example, in the above embodiment, both ozone and hot air are supplied from the first supply unit 300 into the storage chamber 200. However, the clothing processing device 1 may be provided with an ozone supply unit that supplies ozone and a hot air supply unit that supplies hot air separately.

In the above embodiment, the dehumidifying unit 800 has the heat exchanger 820 constituting part of the circulating air passage 810, and the air from the storage chamber 200 passes through the inside of the heat transfer tube 821 and exchanges heat with the cooling air passing through the outside of the heat transfer tube 821. However, the dehumidifying unit 800 may have a different configuration, for example, the heat exchanger 820 may be disposed inside the circulating air passage 810, and the air from the storage chamber 200 passes through the outside of the heat transfer tube 821 and exchanges heat with a liquid or gas refrigerant passing through the inside of the heat transfer tube 821.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the air circulation unit 700 is used to circulate air between the storage room 200 and the air circulation duct 810, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the air circulation unit 700 is not used and a circulation fan is placed in the air circulation duct 810, etc.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the exhaust outlet 202 is provided on the top surface of the storage chamber 200. However, the exhaust outlet 202 may be provided in another position, for example, on the upper part of the rear surface of the storage chamber 200.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the circulation drying process and the exhaust drying process are performed in the drying operation and the wrinkle-removing operation. However, the circulation drying process may not be performed, and only the exhaust drying process may be performed. In this case, the intake duct 350 is composed of only the first duct 351 and the third duct 353, and the intake damper 360 is not provided in the third duct 353. Also, the bottom intake port 250 is not provided on the bottom surface of the storage chamber 200. Furthermore, in this case, the exhaust damper 620 may be eliminated from the exhaust unit 600. In the exhaust drying process, the dehumidification unit 800 operates to dehumidify the air in the storage chamber 200, and air with a low moisture content is discharged outside the machine.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an activated carbon/catalyst filter is used for the ozone removal filter 630, but other filters with ozone removal capabilities, such as an activated carbon filter, may also be used.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the clothing treatment device 1 performs deodorizing and sterilizing operations. However, the clothing treatment device 1 may not perform deodorizing and sterilizing operations, and the ozone generator 320 may not be provided in the first supply unit 300. In this case, the ozone removal filter 630 is eliminated from the exhaust unit 600.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the steam generator 470 of the second supply unit 400 is configured to generate steam by dropping water sent by the pump 461 onto the bottom surface of the steam generation chamber 473, which is heated to a high temperature, and evaporating the water. However, the steam generator 470 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be configured to generate steam, for example, by heating a water tank in which water is stored and boiling the water.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the air circulation unit 700 is disposed at the bottom of the storage room 200, inside the storage room 200. However, the air circulation unit 700 may be disposed at the bottom of the storage room 200, outside the storage room 200. In this case, an air intake port for the circulation fan 710 and an air outlet port for blowing air into the storage room 200 are provided on the wall surface of the storage room 200. The air circulation unit 700 may also be disposed in a part other than the bottom of the storage room 200, either inside or outside the storage room 200.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a cross-flow fan was used as the circulation fan 710, but a fan other than a cross-flow fan, such as a sirocco fan, may also be used.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the hood 280 is provided in the storage chamber 200 as an air guide that receives a portion of the air blown out by the air circulation unit 700 and guides it to the circulation air passage 810. However, the air guide may have a different configuration. For example, instead of a hood 280 that surrounds the front, top, left and right sides of the inlet 203, a canopy that protrudes from the upper edge of the inlet 203 into the storage chamber 200 may be provided as the air guide.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the exhaust damper 620 is used as the opening/closing part for opening and closing the exhaust duct 610. However, an opening/closing part with a different structure may be used, for example, a shutter mechanism consisting of a shutter that moves up and down inside the exhaust duct 610 and a drive part that drives this shutter.

In addition, various modifications of the embodiment of the present invention are possible within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims.

1. Clothes treatment device
100 Case
105 Air intake
106 Exhaust port
200 Containment Room
202 Exhaust port
280 Hood (air guide)
300 First supply unit (hot air supply unit, ozone supply unit)
400 Second supply unit (steam supply section)
600 Exhaust unit
610 Exhaust duct
620 Exhaust damper (opening/closing part)
630 Ozone removal filter (ozone removal part)
700 Air circulation unit (air circulation section)
710 Circulation fan
715 Intake port
716 Outlet
721 Louver (deflection member)
722 Louver motor (drive unit)
800 Dehumidification unit (dehumidification section)
810 Circulation air duct
820 Heat Exchanger
830 Cooling fan

Claims (5)

A housing and
A storage chamber is disposed inside the housing and stores clothing in a suspended state;
A hot air supply unit that supplies hot air into the accommodation chamber;
A steam supply unit that supplies steam into the storage chamber;
an air circulation unit that draws in air within the storage chamber and blows it out into the storage chamber;
A dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying the air in the storage chamber,
The air circulation unit is disposed at a rear end of a bottom portion inside the storage chamber,
A circulation fan that draws in air from the intake port and blows it out from the exhaust port;
a deflection member that comes into contact with the air blown out from the outlet and deflects the air;
a drive unit that swings the deflection member up and down so that the deflection angle of the air changes and the direction in which the air moves changes in the vertical direction ,
the dehumidifying unit is disposed between a rear surface of the accommodation chamber and a rear surface of the housing,
A circulation air passage for circulating air between the storage chamber and the storage chamber;
A heat exchanger provided in the circulation air duct,
The rear surface of the storage chamber is
An air inlet for the air circulation path is formed at a position above the air circulation unit,
An outlet for air from the circulating air passage is formed above the inlet,
A hood is provided to cover the front of the inlet,
The hood has an intake opening that opens toward the air circulation unit, receives a portion of the air blown out by the air circulation unit, and guides the air to the circulation air duct through the intake opening.
A clothing treatment device. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1,
the dehumidification unit includes a cooling fan that sends cooling air to the heat exchanger,
The rear surface of the housing is provided with an intake port for taking in the cooling air from the outside, and an exhaust port for exhausting the cooling air that has passed through the heat exchanger to the outside.
A clothing treatment device. The laundry processing device according to claim 1 or 2,
Further, the device includes an exhaust port for exhausting air from within the storage chamber,
The exhaust port is provided on the top surface of the storage chamber.
A clothing treatment device. The laundry treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An exhaust port for exhausting air from within the storage chamber ;
an exhaust duct that guides the air exhausted from the exhaust port to the outside of the clothing treatment device;
An opening/closing unit that opens and closes the exhaust duct,
A clothing treatment device. The laundry treatment device according to claim 4 ,
an ozone supply unit for supplying air containing ozone into the storage chamber;
an ozone removal unit disposed downstream of the opening and closing unit in the exhaust duct, for removing ozone contained in the air flowing through the exhaust duct.
A clothing treatment device.

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