JPH0141356B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a dehumidifying type clothes dryer equipped with a heat exchange type fan.

(b) Prior Art A dehumidifying clothes dryer using a heat exchange type fan is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 117897/1989, but in this conventional example, the circulation air path and the cooling air path are separated. Since the gap between the partition plate and the heat exchange type fan is sealed with a sealing member such as felt, the rotational resistance of the heat exchange type fan is large, and the drive motor must be enlarged, and the seal member may rub. There is a risk of it peeling off. Therefore, a clothes dryer was proposed that had a non-contact seal structure with a minute gap between the partition plate and the heat exchange type fan (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-51890), but this conventional example Due to the structure in which the peripheral edge of the mold fan faces the opening edge of the partition plate, the sealing function is lower than that of a sealing member, and the dehumidification performance is reduced to about 70%.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention seals the space between the heat exchange type fan and the partition plate using a non-contact seal structure that greatly improves the sealing function, and also solves the problem that noise is generated by this seal structure. This is to prevent water from leaking outside the machine.

(d) Means for Solving Problems The clothes dryer of the present invention includes a rotating drum for stirring clothes, a circulation fan surface for blowing heated circulating air to the drum, and a cooling fan for blowing cooling air. A heat exchange type fan having integral surfaces on the front and back sides, and a partition plate that partitions the circulation air path side and the cooling air path side together with this fan, and a circumferential groove is provided on the circumferential surface of the opening edge of the partition plate, and the outer circumference of the fan It is characterized in that the part is loosely fitted into the circumferential groove, and the circumferential groove is provided with a drain hole communicating with the circulation air path.

(E) Function The outer periphery of the heat exchange fan and the circumferential groove of the partition plate form a non-contact seal structure, and moisture formed by condensation in this seal structure is drained into the circulation air path through the drain hole. It is guided and does not accumulate in the circumferential groove.

(F) Embodiment 1 is a machine frame for a clothes dryer, in which a rear plate 2 is fixed to the rear opening edge to form a cabinet 3.
Reference numeral 4 denotes a clothing entrance/exit formed on the front side of the machine frame 1, 5 a door for opening and closing this entrance/exit, 6 a metal annular drum support plate positioned and fixed to the front part of the machine frame 1, and 7 a door for opening/closing this entrance/exit; This is a metal rear support plate placed at the rear inside the machine frame 1. The rear support plate 7 is the machine frame 1.
It is installed and fixed on both sides of the air vent, and has a plurality of ventilation holes 8 radially extending from the center.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a support shaft that is inserted through and fixed to the center of the rear support plate 7, and its rear end is fixed to the rear plate 2 with bolts. In addition, a plurality of air intake ports 10 are bored in the rear plate 2 radially from the fixed portion.

11 is a rotating drum that agitates and dries the clothes;
The inner peripheral edge of the front opening is rotatably fitted to the outer peripheral edge of the drum support plate 6. A bearing 12 is fixed to the center of the rear surface of the drum 11, and this is attached to a support shaft 9.
It is rotatably attached to the front end of the body and secured with a bolt. Furthermore, this drum 11 is provided with a circulating air outlet 13 on the rear surface.
3 is a filter net 14 and a filter cover 15
It is covered with a filter device 16 consisting of. 1
Reference numeral 7 denotes a felt seal fixed to the rear surface of the drum 11, and is in sliding contact with the front surface of the rear support plate 7.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a circulating air passage that allows a circulating air inlet 19 formed at the lower part of the drum support plate 6 to pass through the ventilation hole 8 of the rear support plate 7, and is provided with a positive temperature coefficient thermistor heater 20 facing the circulating air inlet 19. It consists of an L-shaped duct 21 fixed to the drum support plate 6 and a cylindrical circulation casing 22 hermetically covered and fixed to the rear surface of the rear support plate 7. The circulation casing 22 is connected to and communicates with the duct 21 at the inner bottom of the machine frame 1, and the duct 21 has a vertically provided drain hole 23 whose bottom protrudes outside the machine. 24 is a cooling casing of substantially the same shape that is integrally molded with a partition plate 25 so as to be continuous with the rear side of the circulation casing 22, and the rear part of this cooling casing 24 is covered by the rear plate 2, The cooling air passage 2 also communicates with the exhaust port 26 provided below the rear plate 2.
7 is formed.

A synthetic resin member 28 is disposed astride between the circulation casing 22 and the cooling casing 24 by being rotatably supported behind the support shaft 9 so as to be located within the opening 29 of the partition plate 25. This is a manufactured heat exchange type fan, in which a blade groove is formed radially from a rotary boss 30, and a circulation fan surface 31 and a cooling fan surface 32 are integrally provided on the front and back, and furthermore, a circulation fan side circumferential surface 33a of a peripheral edge portion 33 and a On the cooling fan side circumferential surface 33b, two circulation side circumferential ribs 34, 34 and a cooling side circumferential rib 35 are provided concentrically around the rotation boss 30 and toward the circulation casing 22 side or the cooling casing 24 side. , 35 are erected.

Reference numeral 36 denotes a covering portion formed by folding back the inner peripheral edge of the opening 29 of the partition plate 25 toward the circulation casing 22 side so as to face the peripheral edge portion 33 of the heat exchange type fan 28 in parallel from the circulation casing 22 side. Two circulation-side circumferential grooves 37, 37, into which the two circulation-side circumferential ribs 34, 34 are loosely fitted with a slight gap, are formed on the circumferential surface of the peripheral edge portion 33 side of the covering portion 36, on the partition plate side. It is formed by circumferential ribs 38...

Reference numeral 39 denotes an annular sealing material that covers the cooling fan side peripheral surface 33b of the peripheral edge portion 33 of the heat exchange type fan 28, and this sealing material 39 is arranged symmetrically on the cover portion 36 of the partition plate 25 with the peripheral edge portion 33 as the center. two cooling side circumferential grooves 40 which are attached to the periphery of the opening 29 of the partition plate 25, and into which the two cooling side circumferential ribs 35, 35 are loosely fitted with a slight gap;
It has 40. Therefore, the heat exchange type fan 2
The circulation side circumferential ribs 34 , 34 of No. 8 are connected to the circulation side circumferential grooves 37 , 37 of the covering portion 36 of the partition plate 25 , and the cooling side circumferential ribs 3 .
5 and 35 are cooling side circumferential grooves 40 of the annular sealing material 39;
40, respectively, in a comb-teeth shape with a small space between them to seal the circulation air passage 18 side and the cooling air passage 27 side.

Reference numerals 41 denote drain holes formed in a folded portion of the inner peripheral edge of the opening 29 constituting the circumferential groove 37 of the partition plate 25, and a plurality of drain holes are provided at equal angles in the folded portion.

42 is a motor installed at the inner bottom of the machine frame 1;
The first belt 43 rotates the drum 11 at a low speed, and the second belt 44 rotates the heat exchange fan 28 at a high speed.

During drying work, power is supplied to the motor 42 and heater 20 to rotate the heat exchange fan 28 and drum 11. After the circulating air is heated by the heater 20, the circulating air inlet 19 - the drum 11 - the filter device 16 - the circulating air outlet 13 - the vent 8 - the circulating fan surface 31 of the heat exchange fan 28 - the circulating casing 22. - circulates in the order of duct 21 - heater 20,
The clothes in the drum 11 are dried. On the other hand, the outside air is from the intake port 10 to the cooling fan surface 3 of the heat exchange type fan 28.
2-cooling casing 24-exhaust port 26.

Then, the circulation fan surface 3 of the heat exchange type fan 28
1 and the cooling fan surface 32, the circulating air discharges the moisture from the clothes through the circulation casing 22 and the duct 21, and discharges it as discharged water from the drain hole 23, and the air itself reduces the moisture. It continues to circulate.

During this drying work, the heat exchange fan 28
and the partition plate 25 are the four circumferential ribs 34, 3.
4, 35, 35 and four circumferential grooves 37, 37, 40,
40 with a loose fitting relationship that leaves a small gap, and the ventilation resistance is increased, so the partitioning effect between the circulation air passage 18 and the cooling air passage 27 is increased, and the circulation air is directed to the cooling air passage side. It stops flowing. In addition, the circulation fan surface 31 of the heat exchange type fan 28
Even if the peripheral edge portion 33 of the fan 28 is bent toward the cooling casing 24 due to the temperature difference between the cooling fan surface 32 and the cooling fan surface 32, the peripheral ribs 34, 34, 35, 35 are aligned with the peripheral grooves 37, 37, 40, 40. It will not slip out and the sealing function will not deteriorate. Further, a part of the circulating air flows through the circumferential ribs 34, 34, 35, 35 and the circumferential groove 37,
37, 40, 40, moisture condensed due to contact with the cooling air is led into the circulation casing 22 through the water drain hole 41, so the moisture accumulates in the gaps and the ribs around the peripheral edge 33 34,3
4, 35, and 35 will not generate abnormal noise or leak to the cooling casing 24 side and drain from the exhaust port 26.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, since the heat exchange type fan and the partition plate are reliably sealed with a non-contact seal structure, circulating air and cooling air can be completely separated.
Therefore, high dehumidification performance and good drying efficiency can be obtained. Furthermore, moisture that forms due to condensation in this non-contact seal structure does not accumulate in the circumferential groove, so the outer circumference of the heat exchange fan does not come into contact with this moisture and generate noise, allowing quiet drying. Operation is possible, and this moisture does not leak out of the machine from the cooling air path side and stain the floor surface.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings all relate to embodiments of the clothes dryer of the present invention; FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view, and FIG. 3 is a front view of an annular sealing material. 11... Rotating drum, 28... Heat exchange type fan, 25... Partition plate, 34, 34... Circulation side circumferential rib, 35, 35... Cooling side circumferential rib, 37, 37...
... Circulation side circumferential groove, 40, 40 ... Cooling side circumferential groove, 41
...Water drain hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A rotating drum that stirs the clothes, a heat exchange fan that has a circulation fan surface for blowing heated circulating air to the drum, and a cooling fan surface for blowing cooling air on the front and back sides, and a circulating drum with this fan. A partition plate is provided for partitioning an air passage side and a cooling air passage side, a circumferential groove is provided on the circumferential surface of the opening edge of the partition plate, and an outer circumferential portion of the fan is loosely fitted into the circumferential groove, and the circulation groove is provided in the circumferential groove. A clothes dryer characterized by having a drainage hole that communicates with an air passage.