JPH03123591A - Controller for clothes dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively complete an operation by shifting to a next process such as an air blast process or topping the operation when the time of a temperature rise detecting process reaches a maximum time determined by a maximum time determining means, even if the rate of rise in exhaust gas temperature after the detection of an electrode does not reach a prescribed value. CONSTITUTION:Since the maximum time of a temperature rise detecting process is determined by a maximum time determining means 4 by comparing the maxi mum time of the time rise detecting process according to a previously set elec trode detecting time T with an electrode detecting the T actually counted by a timer means 2, rise value DELTAr per a unit time DELTAt of exhaust gas temperature satisfies DELTAalpha<DELTAbeta. Therefore, even when the rate of rise of the exhaust gas temperature does not reach a prescribed rate of rise, a controller 8 shifts a process to a next air blast process when the time of the temperature rise detecting process reaches a maximum time TA to TE determined by a maximum time determining means 4 and then, complets an operation. Thus, even when the exhaust gas temperature after the detection of an electrode does not reach the prescribed rate of rise, the temperature rise detecting process is shifted to the next process to complete the operation effectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for a clothes dryer that detects the level of dryness based on the electrical resistance of the material to be dried and detects the dryness based on the exhaust temperature.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to detect the completion of drying of an object to be dried, a method has been used in which the electrical resistance of the object to be dried is detected by an electrode, or a method is detected by detecting the rate of increase in temperature of exhaust gas from a drum. However, when detecting the electrical resistance of the dried material, the change in electrical resistance becomes smaller as the drying progresses, making it difficult to finish the operation at the optimal drying rate. When the amount of material is small, the temperature rise rate is large even in the undried state, and there is a problem that the temperature rise rate reaches a predetermined value in the undried state and the operation ends without drying. .

Therefore, a control device for a clothes dryer has been introduced which detects dryness up to a predetermined dryness level by detecting the electrical resistance and then detects dryness by detecting the exhaust temperature to improve drying accuracy at the end of the drying operation.

A control device for this type of clothes dryer had a configuration as shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 denotes an electrode detection means that comes into contact with the object to be dried, such as clothes, which is stirred in the drum, and detects a predetermined dryness level of the object to be dried based on its electrical resistance. Reference numeral 3 denotes a temperature detecting means for applying hot air heated by the heater 4 to the object to be dried in the drum, exchanging heat with the object to be dried, and then measuring the exhaust temperature of the hot air exhausted from the drum.

Reference numeral 5 denotes heater strength switching means for switching the output of heaters provided to generate hot air blown into the drum. Reference numeral 7 denotes a heater drive means for controlling the supply of electricity to the heater 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes a control device which receives signals from the electrode detection means 1, temperature detection means 3, and heater strength switching means 5 and controls the heater drive means 6. This control device 8
The heater driving means 7 is controlled so that the output of the heater 6 is controlled so that the drying operation is controlled by the heater output according to the setting of the heater strength switching means 6.

Next, the operating procedure of the control device 8 will be explained with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, after the start of the drying operation (step 1), the electrode detection means 1 detects that the material to be dried reaches a predetermined drying level 1 to 1.
(Step 2) If the electrode detection determines that the dryness level is a predetermined level, the temperature detection means 3 determines whether the rate of increase in exhaust gas temperature after electrode detection has reached a predetermined value (step 3). When the rate of increase in exhaust gas temperature reaches a predetermined value i-, in the next blowing step, the heater 60 is de-energized and the blowing operation is performed (step 4).
The operation was terminated (step 5).

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the operation procedure of such a conventional control device, when low is selected by the heater strength switching means 6 or when the outside temperature of the clothes dryer is low, the electrode detection of the object to be dried is There may be cases where the rate of increase in exhaust gas temperature by the subsequent temperature detection means 3 is so small that a predetermined rate of increase cannot be obtained. In this case, the control device 8
had the problem that it was not possible to proceed from the temperature rise detection step (step 3) to the next step, and the operation could not be ended.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to move from the temperature rise detection step to the next step and reliably end the operation even if the exhaust gas temperature after electrode detection does not reach a predetermined rate of increase. do.

Means for Solving the Problems: An electrode detection means that comes into contact with an object to be dried and detects the dryness level of the object based on its electrical resistance, and measures the time from the start of operation until the electrode detection means reaches a predetermined level. a timer means for detecting the exhaust gas, a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the exhaust gas exhausted from the drum, a heating means for supplying heat to the hot air supplied to the drum, and inputting signals from the electrode detection means, the timer means and the temperature detection means. , comprising a control device for controlling the heating means, the control device including a maximum time determining means for determining a maximum time for a subsequent temperature rise detection step based on the time measured by the timer means, In the process, the process is configured to move to the next process or stop the operation at the earlier of the time when the rate of increase in exhaust gas temperature from the temperature detection means reaches a predetermined value or the time when the maximum time determined by the maximum time determination means is reached. It is something.

Effect With this configuration, even if the rate of increase in exhaust gas temperature after electrode detection does not reach the predetermined value, when the maximum time determined by the maximum time determination means is reached, even if the rate of increase in exhaust gas temperature has not reached the predetermined value, One rotation can be reliably completed without moving to the next process such as a blowing process or stopping the operation.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 3.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an electrode detection means that comes into contact with the object to be dried and detects the dryness level of the object by its electrical resistance;
2 is a timer means for measuring the time of the electrode detection process from the start of operation until the electrode detection means 1 reaches a predetermined drying level;
3 is a temperature detection means for detecting the exhaust temperature of the hot air exhausted from the drum; 4 is a maximum time determining means for determining the maximum time of the temperature rise detection process based on the time measured by the timer means 2; and 6 is for heating the air. A heater 60 strength switching means, which is a type of heating means, 7 is a heater drive means for controlling the heater 6, and 8 is a heater drive means for controlling the temperature of the dried material after the temperature detection means 3 detects the electrode, and the rate of increase in the exhaust temperature reaches a predetermined value. At this time, the heater drive means 7 turns off the heater 6, performs the air blowing operation, and then terminates the operation.

The operation of the clothes dryer control device having the above structure will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

After starting the drying operation (step 1), the timer means 2 is started (step 2). The control device 8 uses the electrode detection means 1 to determine whether the object to be dried has reached a predetermined drying level, and if the drying level has been reached, performs electrode detection (step 3). The timer means 2 is stopped by the electrode detection that detects that a predetermined drying level has been reached, and the time used for the electrode detection process from the start of the drying operation to the electrode detection, that is, the electrode detection time T (Figure 3) is determined. (Step 4
). Next, the control device 8 determines that the electrode detection time T is T<10
minutes (step 6), the maximum time determining means 4 determines
The maximum time of the temperature increase step after the electrode detection step is set to T (step 6).

1Q minutes≦T (If 30 minutes (step a), the maximum time of the temperature increase step is set to TB (step 8).3
If 0 minutes≦T (eo minutes) (step 9), the maximum time of the temperature increase step is set to T (step 10).6
If o minutes≦T<90 minutes (step 11), the maximum time of the temperature rise step is set to D (step 12), and if the electrode detection time T is 7290 minutes, the maximum time of the temperature rise step is T! (step 13).

As described above, the maximum time Tm~T of the temperature raising process is determined according to the electrode detection time T.

Next, in the temperature raising step, the temperature detection means 3 detects
It is determined whether the rate of increase in exhaust gas temperature has reached a predetermined value (step 14). In FIG. 3, the control device 8 uses the temperature detection means 3 to determine the increase value Δα of the exhaust gas temperature per unit time Δt when the clothes are properly dried.
It is successively compared with a preset reference temperature rise value Δβ, and when Δα≧Δβ is satisfied (FIG. 4A), the temperature rise detection process is shifted to the next ventilation process (step 16). The operation was terminated (step 17)
.

However, in the temperature rise detection step, the temperature detection means 3
The increase value Δα of exhaust gas temperature per unit time is Δα
<If Δβ remains, even after long drying operation,
It may happen that the process does not proceed from the temperature rise detection process to the next process.

For example, there may be cases where there is a large amount of material to be dried and the outside air temperature of the clothes dryer is low, or where the heater strength switching means 5 has selected the heater's weak setting.

Therefore, by comparing the maximum time of the temperature rise detection process according to the preset electrode detection time T and the electrode detection time T actually measured by the timer means 2, the maximum time determination means 4 Since the maximum time of the temperature rise detection step is determined, even if the increase value Δγ of the exhaust gas temperature per unit time Δt is Δα<Δβ and has not reached the predetermined rate of increase, the control device 8 detects the temperature rise. The process takes a maximum time determined by the maximum time determining means 4 (T~T
, ) (step 15), the process moves to the next blowing process (step 16), and then the operation is ended (step 17).

In this embodiment, the predetermined temperature increase rate in the temperature increase detection step is detected by using a temperature increase value per unit time, but it may also be a temperature increase value relative to the temperature at the time of electrode detection.

Further, although a heater is used as the heating means, for example, a gas combustion device may also be used, and it goes without saying that any heating means that heats air may be used.

In addition, in the control of the above embodiment, the air blowing process is performed after the temperature rise detection process, but this air blowing process may be omitted and the operation may be stopped.Furthermore, the control device and the timer means may be integrated into one microcontroller. It can also be configured by a computer.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above embodiments, according to the present invention, when the amount of material to be dried is large, the outside temperature is low, or the output of the heating means is selected to be low, Even if the rate of increase in exhaust gas temperature does not reach a predetermined value in the temperature rise detection process after electrode detection, the temperature rise detection process will proceed to the next blowing process after a preset maximum time according to the electrode detection time. The operation can be reliably terminated after or immediately after the operation.

Therefore, the driving time does not become abnormally long, and
Since the maximum time of the temperature rise detection step is changed depending on the electrode detection time, an appropriate dry state is obtained without drying or overdrying after the end of operation, improving safety.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a control device for a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure of the control device, and Fig. 3 shows the relationship between drying time and hot air exhaust temperature. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a conventional clothes dryer control device, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure of the same control device. 1...Electrode detection means, 2...Timer means, 3...Temperature detection means, 4...Maximum time determining means, 6...Heater ,7...
Heater driving means, 8...Control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] an electrode detection means that comes into contact with the object to be dried and detects the dryness level of the object based on its electrical resistance; a timer means that measures the time from the start of operation until the electrode detection means reaches a predetermined level; A temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the exhausted exhaust gas, a heating means for supplying heat to the hot air supplied to the drum, inputting signals from the electrode detection means, the timer means, and the temperature detection means to control the heating means. The control device includes a maximum time determining means for determining a maximum time for a subsequent temperature rise detection step based on the time measured by the timer means, and in the temperature rise detection step, the temperature detection means A control device for a clothes dryer configured to move to the next step or stop operation at the earlier of the time when the rate of increase in temperature of exhaust gas from the machine reaches a predetermined value or the time when the maximum time determined by the maximum time determining means is reached.