JPH06327890A - Dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a dryer which can determine whether laundry is washed with solvent or water so as to carry out drying appropriately without using an expensive gas sensor which is less reliable. CONSTITUTION:Upon initiation of drying operation, a heater and a blower are driven and controlled in a predetermined pattern (steps S2 to S6), and thereafter, a temperature detected by an exhaust temperature sensor is compared with a predetermined temperature. If the detected temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature, it is determined that laundry is washed with a solvent, and then drying operation appropriate for the solvent washing is carried out (step S8). Meanwhile, if the detected temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature, it is determined that laundry is washed with water, and accordingly, drying operation appropriate for the water washing is carried out (step S9).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dryer capable of drying laundry washed with either solvent or water.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional dryer, a drying temperature must be set differently when a laundry washed with a petroleum solvent is dried and when a laundry washed with water is dried. Therefore, when drying a laundry washed with a petroleum solvent, if a high drying temperature is set by mistake for a laundry washed with water, there is a risk of causing a fire explosion during the drying operation.

In order to avoid such a danger, if the temperature can be set only in a low temperature range, it takes a long time to dry the laundry which is originally water-washable and can be dried at a high temperature. .

Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-2294, a gas sensor is used to determine whether the laundry is washed with a solvent or water, and this gas sensor is used. It is conceivable that the drying is performed at a high temperature / a low temperature suitable for a solvent washing / water washing laundry based on the discrimination. A semiconductor type, a contact combustion type, or the like is used as the gas sensor.

However, the above gas sensor has two detectors.
It is necessary to heat to 00 to 500 ° C., which may cause a flammable explosion when drying the solvent-washed laundry.
The storage chamber of the gas sensor may have an explosion-proof structure, but this complicates the structure and increases the cost. Further, if the gas sensor is exposed to a solvent gas for a long period of time, it corrodes and causes a problem in durability, which lowers detection accuracy and lacks reliability.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a drier capable of drying laundry washed with either solvent or water, avoiding the danger of ignition and explosion without using a gas sensor, and is inexpensive and highly reliable. An object of the present invention is to provide a dryer capable of discriminating between a solvent-cleaned product and a water-cleaned product by using a sensor and performing drying suitable for each.

[0007]

The dryer of the present invention is a drying chamber into which laundry washed with a solvent or water is put, a heater, and air is blown to the heater to dry the laundry. A blower for generating hot air to do so, an introduction path for guiding the hot air into the drying chamber, an exhaust path for discharging the hot air taken into the drying chamber and deprived of heat by the laundry from the drying chamber, An exhaust temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of hot air after heat is removed by the laundry, a predetermined control means for driving and controlling the heater and the blower in a predetermined mode at the beginning of the drying operation, and the exhaust temperature after the predetermined control. When the comparison result of comparing the detected temperature of the sensor with the predetermined temperature and the comparison result of the detected temperature being higher than or equal to the predetermined temperature by the comparison means, it is determined that the laundry is washed with the solvent. Dry according to solvent cleaning A first executing means for executing the operation,
When the comparison means obtains a comparison result that the detected temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, it is determined that the laundry is washed with water, and a second operation of executing a drying operation according to water washing is performed. And means.

[0008]

The temperature detected by the exhaust gas temperature sensor is compared with the predetermined temperature after the predetermined control at the beginning of the drying operation. In solvent-washed laundry, the solvent draws only a small amount of heat,
The detected temperature becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, it is determined that the laundry has been solvent-cleaned, and the drying operation (for example, the hot air temperature is 70 ° C. or lower) is executed according to the judgment.

On the other hand, in the laundry washed with water, water absorbs a large amount of heat as compared with the solvent, so that the detection temperature becomes lower than the predetermined temperature, and it is judged that the laundry has been washed with water. According to the drying operation (for example, hot air temperature is 90 ℃)
To execute.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows the front structure of a commercial dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a dryer main body, 2 is a drying chamber formed in the dryer main body 1, 3 is a rotating drum rotatably arranged in the drying chamber 2, and the rotating drum 3 is washed with a solvent or water. The laundry is put in. The rotary drum 3 has a cylindrical shape and has a large number of ventilation holes on the peripheral wall.

Reference numeral 4 denotes an outside air intake section provided at the upper part of the dryer main body 1, and 5 denotes a heater connected to the lower side of the intake section 4. This heater 5 has steam valves 6, 7
And a steam pipe 8 connected to a steam generation source (not shown). Reference numeral 9 is an introduction path connecting the heater 5 and the drying chamber 2, and 10 is a discharge path connected to a lower portion of the drying chamber 2,
Reference numeral 11 is a blower connected to the discharge passage 10, and reference numeral 12 is an external connection passage for connecting the blower 11 to the outside.

When the steam valves 6 and 7 are opened to allow the steam to flow through the steam pipe 8 to operate the heater 5 and the blower 11 is driven, outside air is taken in and hits the heater 5. As hot air, the hot air is guided by the introduction path 9 and enters the drying chamber 2 to dry the laundry in the rotary drum 3. This drying removes heat from the hot air. After that, the hot air deprived of this heat is discharged to the outside through the discharge path 10, the blower 11 and the external communication path 12.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a hot air temperature sensor which is arranged on the downstream side of the heater 5 and in the introduction passage 9 and which detects the temperature of the hot air introduced into the drying chamber 2. Reference numeral 14 denotes an exhaust gas temperature sensor which is disposed in the discharge passage 10 and detects the temperature of the hot air which has been deprived of heat by drying.

FIG. 2 shows a block circuit of the dryer.
Reference numeral 15 is a control unit composed of a microcomputer for controlling the dryer. Around the control unit 15, in addition to the steam valves 6 and 7, the blower 11, the hot air temperature sensor 13 and the exhaust temperature sensor 14, operating information is provided. Key operation part 1 for setting etc.
6. Drum motor 17 for rotating the rotary drum 3
Etc. are arranged. The controller 15 controls the valves 6 and 7, the blower 11 and the drum motor 1 based on the information from the temperature sensors 13 and 14 and the key operation unit 16.
7 is controlled.

FIG. 3 shows the flow of the control program incorporated in the control unit 15. The operation of the dryer will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. When the operation information is set by the key operation unit 16 and the drying operation start operation is performed, the control unit 15 first drives the drum motor 17 to start the rotation of the rotary drum 3 (S1 step). Further, the drive of the blower 11 is started (step S2).

Subsequently, when the temperature detected by the hot air temperature sensor 13 is lower than 65 ° C. (step S3), the controller 15 opens the valves 6 and 7 to drive the heater 5 (step S4). ). At this time, hot air is introduced into the drying chamber 2 together with the driving of the blower 11 in step S2. On the other hand, when the detected temperature becomes 65 ° C. or higher (step S3), the valves 6 and 7 are closed to stop the driving of the heater 5 (step S5). At this time, the introduction of hot air into the drying chamber 2 is stopped. Therefore, at the beginning of drying, the temperature of the hot air introduced into the drying chamber 2 is maintained at 65 ° C., and in this state, the drying of the laundry in the rotary drum 3 is started. Then, the control unit 15 continues this state of maintaining 65 ° C. for a predetermined time (5 minutes) (S6 step).

Here, in order to carry out a predetermined mode of maintaining the hot air temperature at 65 ° C. for a predetermined time at the beginning of drying, the steps S2 to S6 for controlling the drive of the blower 11 and the heater 5 are performed. Corresponds to the predetermined control means of the present invention.

When the execution of the predetermined mode is completed after the elapse of the predetermined time, the controller 15 compares the temperature detected by the exhaust temperature sensor 14 with the predetermined temperature (45 ° C.) (S7).
Step: Corresponding to the comparison means of the present invention).

In this case, if the laundry to be dried is solvent washed, the solvent absorbs only a small amount of heat, so that the temperature detected by the exhaust temperature sensor 14 becomes a predetermined temperature or higher, and the laundry is washed with the solvent. The control unit 15 determines that it has been washed, and executes the drying operation (the temperature of the hot air introduced into the drying chamber is maintained at a low temperature of, for example, 70 ° C. or lower) corresponding thereto (S8 step: the first of the present invention). Equivalent to execution means).

On the other hand, if the laundry to be dried is washed with water, water absorbs a large amount of heat as compared with the solvent, so that the temperature detected by the exhaust temperature sensor 14 becomes lower than a predetermined temperature, and the laundry is The control unit 15 determines that it has been washed with water, and executes the drying operation (maintain the hot air temperature introduced into the drying chamber at a high temperature of 90 ° C., for example) according to this (S9 step: second embodiment of the present invention) Equivalent to execution means).

FIG. 4 shows a flow of a control program which is incorporated in the control unit 15 and which shows the step S8 in detail. A description will be given below with reference to FIG. The controller 15 executes the B1 step of driving the drum motor 17 to start the rotation of the rotary drum 3 and the B2 step of starting the driving of the blower 11, and then the drying detected by the hot air temperature sensor 13. Temperature T of hot air introduced into chamber 2
1 is input (B3 step), and the temperature T2 of the hot air deprived of heat by drying, which is detected by the exhaust temperature sensor 14, is input (B4 step).

Then, the controller 15 controls the hot air temperature sensor 1
When the temperature difference obtained by subtracting the exhaust temperature T2 from the exhaust temperature sensor 14 from the hot air temperature T1 from No. 3 is less than 15 ° C. (step B5), the valves 6 and 7 are opened and the heater 5 is driven (B6). Step), drying room 2
Introduce hot air inside. On the other hand, when the temperature difference becomes 15 ° C. or more (B5 step), the valves 6 and 7 are closed and the driving of the heater 5 is stopped (B7 step) to stop the introduction of hot air into the drying chamber 2. To do.

As a result, the temperature difference is maintained at 15 ° C. This means that the amount of heat taken away by the drying is small, which means that the amount of solvent gas generated in the drying chamber 2 is small, the concentration of the solvent gas is maintained below the lower explosion limit value, and a flammable explosion occurs. The danger of is avoided. At this time,
The temperature of the hot air introduced into the drying chamber is substantially maintained at a low temperature of 70 ° C. or lower. If the temperature difference exceeds 15 ° C., a large amount of heat is taken away by the drying, the amount of solvent gas generated increases, and there is a risk that the solvent gas concentration will fall within the explosion range and an explosion will occur.

The above temperature difference of 15 ° C. is maintained until the operation time set as the operation information elapses (B
(7 steps), when this operation time elapses, the control unit 15 stops the driving of the blower 11, the heater 5, and the drum motor 17 and ends the drying operation (B8, B9, B10).
Step).

[0025]

According to the present invention, in a dryer capable of drying laundry washed with either solvent or water, it is determined whether the laundry is washed with solvent or water, and the Appropriate drying operation can be performed and the risk of flammable explosion can be avoided.

More specifically, after the heater and the blower are driven and controlled in a predetermined form at the beginning of the drying operation, the temperature detected by the exhaust gas temperature sensor is compared with a predetermined temperature, and the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature. When the comparison result is obtained, it is determined that the laundry is washed with the solvent, the drying operation is performed according to the solvent washing, and the comparison result that the detected temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature is obtained. In this case, a gas sensor that requires an explosion-proof structure, increases costs, and is unreliable is configured by determining that the laundry has been washed with water and performing the drying operation according to the water washing. It is possible to determine whether the laundry is washed with solvent or water without using it.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a commercial dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram of the dryer.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control program incorporated in a control unit of the dryer.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control program relating to a drying operation of solvent-washed laundry, which is incorporated in a control unit of the dryer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Drying room 3 Rotating drum 5 Heater 9 Introducing path 10 Discharging path 11 Blower 14 Exhaust temperature sensor 15 Control section

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Yoshiaki Miyaji, 2-18 Keiyo Hon-dori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Yoshitaka Kakumoto 2--18, Keihan Hon-dori, Moriguchi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A drying chamber into which laundry washed with a solvent or water is put, a heater, and a blower for applying hot air to the heater to generate hot air for drying the laundry.
An introduction path for guiding the hot air into the drying chamber, an exhaust path for discharging the hot air introduced into the drying chamber and deprived of heat by the laundry, and an exhaust path after the heat is deprived of the laundry. An exhaust temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of hot air, a predetermined control means for driving and controlling the heater and the blower in a predetermined mode at the beginning of the drying operation, and after this predetermined control, the detected temperature of the exhaust temperature sensor is compared with a predetermined temperature. When the comparison means and the comparison result that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature are obtained by the comparison means, it is determined that the laundry is washed with the solvent, and the drying operation is performed according to the solvent washing. When the comparison result that the detected temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature is obtained by the first execution means and the comparison means, it is determined that the laundry is washed with water, and drying is performed according to water washing. Carry out driving Dryer characterized in that a second execution unit.