JPH0557088A - Drum type washing dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a drum type washing dryer capable of enhancing drying efficiency and reducing drying unevenness. CONSTITUTION:A drum 3 is disposed within a water tank 2 in such a manner as rotating about a horizontal axis. A number of small holes 5 for supplying and discharging washing liquids are provided through the peripheral wall of the drum 3. A number of air vent holes 12, 13 allowing hot drying air to pass therethrough are disposed in both side walls of the drum 3. A circular hot-air blowing hole 16 guides the drying air to the mounting part of a drying heater 6. High-temperature, highly humid air heated by the drying heater 6 and having made contact with washing is allowed out of a hot air discharge hole 17.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drum type washer / dryer which performs washing and drying with a single drum, and more particularly to improvement of a circulation path of hot air for drying.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A drum type washer / dryer has a structure in which the drum rotates about a horizontal axis. Since the same drum can be used for washing and drying, it has the functions of washing / dewatering and drying. It is a typical washing and drying machine. The structure and operation will be described below with reference to the schematic views of the conventional drum type washer / dryer shown in FIGS.

In this drum type washer / dryer, a water tub 2 is hung inside an outer box 1 by a spring 4, and a drum 3 is arranged inside the water tub 2 so as to rotate about a horizontal axis. It has a double structure. The water tank 2 is suspended by a spring 4 in order to absorb vibration during operation, which has a function of storing and discharging washing liquid or dehydration liquid. The drum 3 has a large number of small holes 5 on its entire peripheral wall for allowing water supply during washing, drainage during dehydration, and warm air during drying to pass through.

A heater 6 for drying is attached inside the upper part of the water tank 2. Further, a blower 7 and a circulation pipe 8 for circulating hot air during drying are provided. The washing process is performed by putting laundry in the drum 3, dropping washing water in which detergent is dissolved into the laundry to be included in the laundry, and rotating the drum 3 at a low speed. The laundry in the drum 3 is lifted to near the top of the drum 3 by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the drum 3 and a laundry lifting baffle (not shown), and then falls by its own weight (“tumbling”).
That). By repeating this tumbling, the laundry is washed by the impact force when it falls. Rinsing is performed in the same manner.

The dewatering operation is performed by rotating the drum 3 at a high speed and using the centrifugal force to press the laundry against the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the drum 3. At this time, water flows through the small holes 5 of the drum 3.
From the inside of the water tank 2, is guided to the lower portion of the water tank 2, and is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drain valve 9. When draining to a high position, the drainage pump 10 may be used. The drying operation is performed by rotating the drum 3 at a low speed while heating the air inside the water tank 2 by energizing the drying heater 6. The air in the water tub 2 heated by the drying heater 6 and having a high temperature is agitated by the rotation of the drum 3 to raise the temperature of the entire water tub 2 (including the laundry) to evaporate the moisture contained in the laundry. Let This hot and humid air is stored in the water tank 2
It is circulated by a route in which it is sucked by the blower 7 from the circulation pipe 8 connected to the bottom part of and is heated again by the drying heater 6. The high-temperature and high-humidity air sucked from the bottom of the water tank 2 comes into direct contact with the cooling water inside the circulation pipe 8 to condense the moisture, and the moisture is discharged to the outside of the machine. The laundry is dried by repeating the above cycle. In FIG. 12, reference numeral 11 is a motor for rotating the drum 3.

[0006]

When the laundry is dried by such a conventional drum type washer / dryer, the drying air heats the entire inside of the water tank 2 to evaporate the water content of the laundry. That is, it is not possible to take a route in which warm air passes through the laundry and is guided to the circulation pipe 8. Therefore, the proportion of warm air that directly contacts the laundry is small, and the drying efficiency is low. The warm air is also introduced into the drum 3 through the small holes 5 in the peripheral wall of the drum 3, but the laundry itself obstructs ventilation, and the evaporation of water in the center of the laundry is obstructed.

Therefore, the amount of laundry that can be dried is small,
Usually, half of the washing capacity is the limit. Further, when the laundry reaches the center of the laundry in a dry state, the temperature of the laundry near the peripheral wall of the drum 3 is extremely high, which may damage the laundry. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a drum type washer / dryer capable of improving drying efficiency and reducing drying unevenness.

[0008]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a water tank arranged in an outer box, and a drum rotatably supported in the water tank and having a large number of small holes for water and ventilation in a peripheral wall. In a drum type washer / dryer in which washing, dehydration and drying are performed in the same drum, one of two side walls of the water tank has a hot air blow-in port and the other side wall or a peripheral wall has a hot air discharge. The drum-type washer / dryer is characterized in that it is provided with a vent, and ventilation holes are provided on both side walls of the drum.

That is, the drum type washing machine dryer of the present invention has the following characteristic structure. A warm air blowing port is provided on one side wall of the water tank, and a warm air blowing port is provided on the opposite side wall or a peripheral wall near the side wall. At this time, it is efficient to dispose the position of the hot air outlet in the lower part of the water tank so as to face the hot air inlet.

The side wall of the drum is also provided with a plurality of ventilation holes on both sides. Preferably, further, for example, a ring-shaped inward baffle is provided on the inner surface of the side wall of the water tank on the side of the hot air blowing port, and the outer surface of the opposite side wall of the drum is also arranged so that a large amount of hot air for drying traverses the inside of the drum. A similar outward facing baffle is provided. These two baffles are coaxial with each other and are installed as close to each other as possible so as to prevent the hot air that has entered between the water tank and the drum from the hot air blowing port from flowing in the circumferential direction.

Further, it is preferable to provide a stirrer for stirring the laundry in order to improve the cleaning performance. This agitator also has a large number of ventilation holes so that the air entering from the warm air inlet passes through the agitator and is guided to the hot air outlet through the ventilation holes provided on the drum side wall behind it. To It is preferable that the drum type washer / dryer further includes a drying heater as described below. That is, the method of loading and unloading laundry from the front (front loading method)
And the method of loading and unloading laundry from the top surface (top loading method), both of which are concentric so as to surround the upper half of the drum pulley in order to effectively use the internal space. A substantially U-shaped sheathed heater having two curved arcs is attached to the side surface of the water tank in the following manner.

A fan-shaped space is formed by the recess formed on the side wall of the water tank by drawing and the heater cover.
Place the heater in the shape of a letter and attach and fix it by tightening the flange part with screws. Openings for hot air outlets are provided at both ends of the heater cover, and connection openings for taking in the dehumidified hot air sent from the air blower are provided in the recesses of the water tank.

The substantially U-shaped heater is a sheathed heater bent into a U-shape and further curved, a heater flange portion for fixing the sheathed heater, a fixing screw fixed to the heater flange portion by welding or the like, and a seal. It is composed of rubber packing for use. To facilitate the processing and installation of the heater itself,
One substantially U-shaped heater has an opening angle of about 90 degrees, and a plurality of heaters are used.

[0014]

[Function] A hot air blowing port and a hot air outlet are provided opposite to each other on the side wall of the water tank or on the side wall and the peripheral wall of the water tank, and ventilation holes are formed on both side walls of the drum, respectively, for drying. Warm air flows across the inside of the drum. Therefore, the contact state between the warm air and the laundry is improved. Therefore, the drying efficiency is improved and the temperature inside the water tank is lowered.

Further, when the two kinds of baffle plates are attached to face each other, it is possible to prevent the warm air blown from the side surface of the water tank from flowing into the circumferential gap between the drum and the water tank. Therefore, the ratio of the warm air that enters the drum and contributes to the drying is significantly improved. In addition, when a stirrer is used, by providing a large number of ventilation holes in the stirrer, the cleaning performance and the like can be improved without impairing the above effects.

When the drying heater as described above is provided, the shape of the heater is curved and is substantially U-shaped.
The fan-shaped heater mounting portion can be effectively used. Since the drying heater can be downsized, the attachment work of the heater can be simplified.

Moreover, since the mounting portion of the heater to the water tank can be above the water surface, a special seal for preventing water leakage is unnecessary. The drying heater can be provided on the side surface of the water tank, and the overhanging dimension of the heater mounting portion can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to support both top loading and front loading.
The internal space of the washer / dryer can be effectively used.

If a plurality of drying heaters are used, the heater surface area can be made large, and the heat exchange between the heater and the drying air can be efficiently performed in the ventilation path formed by the recess of the water tank and the heater cover. Therefore, a local temperature rise is prevented, and the temperature of the warm air blown into the drum is also lowered. Further, since the shape and structure of the attachment portion of the drying heater is not complicated, the ventilation resistance is small, a constant air volume can be secured even with a small air blower, and the noise during air blow can be reduced.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to this. The basic structure of the drum type washer / dryer according to this embodiment is substantially similar to that of the conventional drum type washer / dryer. Hereinafter, the main part and the part relating to the invention will be mainly described.

Example 1 In the partially cutaway configuration view seen from the front side shown in FIG. 1 and the configuration view seen from the side view shown in FIG. 2, a water tank 2 is suspended from an outer box 1 by a spring 4 for washing and It has a structure that can absorb vibration such as dehydration. A drum 3 is arranged inside the water tank 2 so as to rotate around a horizontal axis. The peripheral wall of the drum 3 is provided with a large number of small holes 5 for supplying or discharging the washing liquid. A large number of ventilation holes 1 for passing warm air for drying are provided on both side walls of the drum 3.
2 and 13 are arranged respectively.

Inside the drum 3, a stirrer 23 for stirring the laundry for improving the washing performance and the drying performance is coaxially and rotatably attached to the drum 3. The present invention exerts its effect regardless of the presence or absence of the stirring plate 23. The side wall of the water tank 2 is provided with a recess 14 for attaching the drying heater 6 by drawing. The recess 14 may be a separate component attached by welding or the like.
A warm air guide (heater cover) 15 is attached to the recess 14 in order to cover the recess 14 from the drum 3 side and to provide a place for housing the drying heater 6. This warm air guide 1
Reference numeral 5 forms a space that serves as a case and a warm air path for efficiently exchanging heat between the surface of the drying heater 6 and the drying air. As the drying heater 6, a sheathed heater having three concentric circular arc portions is used.

Reference numeral 16 is an arc-shaped warm air blowing port for guiding the drying air to the mounting portion of the drying heater 6. Reference numeral 17 denotes a hot air outlet, from which hot and humid air heated by the drying heater 6 and contacting the laundry is taken out. The warm air blowing port 16 is provided at a position substantially in the center of the recess 14. 25 is a hot air outlet 17 and a dehumidifying heat exchanger 18
It is a connecting duct that connects to and. Reference numeral 7 denotes a blower for circulating warm air, and a heat exchanger 18 is arranged at the suction port of the blower 7.

Reference numeral 26 is a drain pipe for discharging the water condensed by the heat exchanger and the cooling water, which is connected to the drain hose via the opening / closing valve 27. Reference numeral 19 is an input port for loading and unloading laundry, and 20 is an upper lid for closing the input port 19. Reference numeral 9 is a drain valve for discharging the washing liquid or the like from the water tank 2 to the outside of the machine. Reference numeral 21 is a pulley for driving the drum 3, and 22 is a belt for transmitting the rotation of the motor 11.

Reference numeral 28 denotes an inward baffle plate attached to the inner surface of the side wall of the water tank 2 in which the warm air blowing port 16 is provided.
The inward baffle plate 28 is a ring-shaped component having a size that allows the warm air guide 15 and the ventilation hole 13 provided in the side wall of the drum 3 to enter the center side. Reference numeral 29 denotes a ring-shaped outward baffle plate provided on the outer surface of the side wall of the drum 3 so as to face the baffle plate 28. This outward facing baffle plate 29 is concentric with the inward facing baffle plate 28, and is dimensioned so as to leave a gap such that they do not contact each other when the drum 3 rotates at high speed. The heights of the baffle plate 28 and the baffle plate 29 are set so as not to interfere in the axial direction.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the structure of the drum 3 according to this embodiment. A large number of small holes 5 for passing washing water and warm air are provided on the peripheral wall of the drum 3. Further, one side wall is provided with ventilation holes 13 for blowing warm air, and the other side wall is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes 12 for discharging warm air. Further, on the side wall of the drum 3 on the side of the ventilation hole 13,
An outward baffle plate 29 is attached so that most of the blown warm air enters the ventilation holes 13. FIG. 4 shows a stirring plate 23.
FIG. The agitator 23 has a large number of ventilation holes 24.
Is provided.

The operation will be described below centering on the drying operation. The operations of washing, rinsing, and dehydration are the same as those described in the conventional example. However, in this embodiment, the stirring plate 23 is provided inside the drum 3, and the stirring plate 23 is fixed relative to the drum 3 or the mode of synchronous rotation is controlled. This can improve the cleaning performance and the like. After the dehydration operation is completed and the waste liquid is discharged to the outside, the drying is performed by energizing the drying heater 6 and rotating the blower 7 to circulate warm air. At this time, the drum 3 is rotating at a low speed so that the laundry and the warm air are brought into sufficient contact with each other. The flow of the drying air will be described. The air sent from the blower 7 enters the attachment portion of the drying heater 6 from the warm air blowing port 16 through the circulation path.
This air is divided into left and right sides in a space formed by the recess 14 of the water tank 2 and the warm air guide 15 and having a substantially rectangular cross section and a fan-shaped front. Next, the temperature of the heater 6 is increased by coming into contact with the surface of the heater 6, and the warm air guide 15 is blown into the drum 3 through the ventilation holes 13 on the side wall of the drum 3.

The warm air comes into contact with the laundry in the drum 3 to remove moisture, and is discharged from the small holes 5 and the ventilation holes 12 of the drum 3. The hot and humid air gathers at the hot air outlet 17 of the water tank 2 and returns to the blower 7 via the connection duct 25 and the heat exchanger 18. At this time, the air cooled and dehumidified inside the heat exchanger 18 is again heated by the drying heater 6 and blown into the drum 3. Drying is performed by repeating the above cycle.

Drying air is blown into the drum 3 through the ventilation holes 13 through the ventilation path formed by the recess 14 of the water tank 2 and the warm air guide 15. This allows air to flow across the drum 3. At this time, since the warm air blown from the warm air blowing port 16 is guided by the baffles 28 and 29, most of it enters the drum 3 through the ventilation holes 13 and comes into contact with the entire laundry to efficiently evaporate the moisture. .. As a result, the local temperature rise and drying unevenness are reduced.

Therefore, according to the drum type washer / dryer of this embodiment, the temperature inside the water tank 2 does not rise up to about 100 ° C. unlike the conventional drum type washer / dryer, and a general clothes dryer is used. It can be dried at a temperature transition of about 60 ° C. Further, since the ventilation hole 12 is provided on the side wall of the drum 3 on the side opposite to the warm air blowing port 16, the warm air also passes through the central portion of the drum 3 to make the inside of the drum 3 uniform. Be able to heat.

Embodiment 2 In FIGS. 5 and 6, this drum type washer / dryer is provided with substantially U-shaped sheathed heaters 36 as a heater for drying. As shown in FIG. 7, each sheathed heater 36 has a sheathed heater body 36a having two concentric circular arc portions, a heater flange 36b for fixing the sheathed heater body 36a at both ends, and this heater flange 36b.
Fixing screw 36c attached to the rubber packing 3
And 6d. 36e is a terminal of the sheathed heater body 36a. The other parts of the structure of the washer / dryer are almost the same as those of the first embodiment.

Embodiment 3 Referring to FIG. 8, the heater for drying has a substantially U-shaped heater 36 and a heater 3 at a heater mounting portion formed in a fan shape.
6 is a combination of a substantially U-shaped heater 46 having the same shape as that of 6 and a long length.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the heater cover 15.
The central angle is 1 as in the heater mounting recess 14 of the water tank 2.
It has a fan shape at 80 ° C and is reinforced by bending and ribs to prevent warping. The openings 34 are provided at both ends to guide the warm air to the drum 3. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the mounting portion of the substantially U-shaped heater 36. The heater supporting angle 35 is fixed to the concave portion 14 formed by drawing the side wall of the water tank 2 by spot welding or the like, and the heater cover 15 is fixed to the heater supporting angle 35 with the screw 33. Also,
The heater 36 has its end fixed by sandwiching the heater flange 36b with the screw 36c in the recess 14.

In the second and third embodiments, since the heaters can be switched by using the plurality of drying heaters 36, 36 (36, 46), the heat generation amount can be controlled. In the third embodiment, since the heaters 36 and 46 have different heat capacities, multi-step control is also possible.

[0034]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION Since the present invention is configured as described above, the drying air flows across the drum, and the laundry and warm air can be brought into sufficient contact with each other, improving the drying efficiency,
It is possible to reduce drying unevenness. When a pair of baffles as described above is provided, the baffles greatly reduce the warm air flowing in the circumferential gap between the drum and the water tank, so that the warm air heated by the heater is It can be effectively used for drying. That is, it is possible to reduce the harmful warm air that does not contribute to the drying of the laundry only by overheating the inner wall of the water tank as much as possible, and as a result, the temperature rise inside the water tank can be suppressed low. Therefore, the heat resistance conditions required for the parts are alleviated, and the selection of bearings and the like becomes easy. Further, in the case where a stirring plate having ventilation holes is provided in order to improve washing performance and the like, an efficient flow of warm air can be obtained as in the above case.

As a drying heater, a concentric circular heater 2 is used.
In the drum type washer / dryer using the substantially U-shaped sheathed heater having two arc portions, the drying heater can be integrally attached to the side surface of the water tank, so that the space can be saved. In addition, wasteful heat dissipation from the heater is reduced, and the drying efficiency is improved. In addition, since a plurality of substantially U-shaped heaters as described above are used, the size of each heater is small relative to the surface area, the heater itself can be easily processed, and the mounting operation can be simplified. Moreover, since the heater terminal lead-out portion, which requires an opening in the water tank, can be arranged above the water surface, the seal for preventing water leakage can be easily performed. Further, the contact between the circulating air and the surface of the heater is good and the heating efficiency is improved, so that local overheating can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway configuration explanatory view of a drum type washer / dryer according to a first embodiment of the present invention as seen from the front side.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the configuration of the drum type washer / dryer as viewed from the side.

FIG. 3 is a structural explanatory view of a drum in the drum type washer / dryer.

FIG. 4 is a structural explanatory view of a stirring plate in the drum type washer / dryer.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway configuration explanatory view of a drum type washer / dryer according to a second embodiment of the present invention as seen from the front.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the configuration of the drum type washer / dryer as viewed from the side surface.

FIG. 7 is a structural explanatory view of a heater for drying of the drum type washer / dryer.

FIG. 8 is a structural explanatory view of a drying heater of a drum type washer / dryer according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a structural explanatory view of a heater cover of the drum type washer / dryer according to the second and third embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a structural explanatory view of a heater mounting portion of the drum type washer / dryer according to the second and third embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a structural explanatory view of a conventional drum type washer / dryer as seen from the front.

FIG. 12 is a structural explanatory view of the drum type washer / dryer as viewed from a side surface thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Water tank 3 Drum 5 Small hole 6 Drying heater (heater cover) 7 Blower 12/13 Ventilation hole 14 Water tank recess 15 Hot air guide 16 Hot air inlet 17 Hot air outlet 18 Heat exchanger 23 Stirrer 24 Stirrer Board ventilation hole 28 Inward baffle plate 29 Outward baffle plate 36 Drying heater (sheath heater) 46 Drying heater (sheath heater)

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A water tank disposed in an outer box, and a drum rotatably supported in the water tank and having a plurality of small holes for water passage and ventilation in a peripheral wall thereof. In a drum type washer / dryer in which the above processes are performed in the same drum, one side wall of the two side walls of the water tank is provided with a hot air blow-in port, and the other side wall or a peripheral wall is provided with a warm air blowout port. A drum type washer / dryer having ventilation holes on both side walls. 2. An inward ring-shaped baffle plate on the inner surface of the side wall of the water tank on the side of the hot air blowing port, and an outer ring-shaped baffle plate on the outer surface of the opposing drum side wall that is coaxial with the inward baffle plate and has a different diameter. The drum type washer / dryer according to claim 1, wherein the baffle plates are provided at intervals so as not to contact each other when the drums rotate at a high speed. 3. A laundry stirring agitator having a large number of ventilation holes near the side wall on the hot air outlet side inside the drum is rotated and fixed coaxially with the rotating shaft of the drum and independently of the drum. The drum type washer / dryer according to claim 2, wherein the drum type washer / dryer is provided so as to be capable of being operated. 4. The drum type washer / dryer according to claim 1, wherein a substantially U-shaped sheathed heater having two concentric circular arc portions is used as the drying heater. 5. The drum type washer / dryer according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of substantially U-shaped sheathed heaters are used. 6. The drum type washer / dryer according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of substantially U-shaped sheathed heaters are arranged with different heat capacities.