JPH0780196A - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a cloths dryer capable of surely detecting and reporting the state that no cooling water is fed (or the state that its feed quantity is lacking) with a simple structure at a low cost. CONSTITUTION:Part of a water feed path 27 feeding the cooling water to a water-cooled heat exchange section 25 is arranged in a ventilation path of the drying air, and a temperature detecting means 50 is provided at the portion of the water feed path 27 arranged in the ventilation path. When the temperature rise value detected by the temperature detecting means 50 reaches a preset value or above after the drying operation is started, it is judged and reported that no cooling water is being fed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clothes dryer having a water-cooled heat exchange section for cooling and dehumidifying hot and humid drying air discharged from a drying chamber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A drying chamber for drying an object to be dried, a blower fan for sending air to the drying chamber, a heat source for heating drying air sent to the drying chamber, and a discharge chamber for discharging the air. In a so-called dehumidification type clothes dryer including a heat exchange part for cooling and dehumidifying high-temperature and high-humidity drying air, the heat exchange part is a water-cooled type, the detection means when the cooling water is not supplied, and the cooling water are There is no particular one that is provided with a notification means for detecting that it is not supplied.

[0003]

In a so-called dehumidification type clothes dryer having a water-cooled heat exchange section, a water tap is forgotten or insufficiently opened, a cooling water feed passage is blocked, that is, a water supply valve is broken, and a hose is disconnected. , If the cooling water is no longer supplied (or if the supply is insufficient) for some reason, such as a drop in tap water pressure or freezing, the circulating air for high-temperature and high-humidity drying will not be cooled (or insufficient cooling) If the temperature of the air becomes abnormally high, the main body may malfunction, the clothing may be damaged, or the dehumidification performance may deteriorate. An object of the present invention is to detect and notify that cooling water is not supplied by a simple, inexpensive, and malfunction-free means.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a nozzle for jetting cooling water for cooling the circulating air for drying and a ventilation air passage for the drying air. Temperature detecting means is provided, at least a part of the cooling water ejected from this nozzle is sprayed on the temperature detecting means, and after the drying operation is started, the temperature rise value detected by the temperature detecting means is set in advance. When the value exceeds the value, the cooling water is no longer supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient), and this is notified.

[0005]

The temperature detecting means provided in the air passage for the dryer air is heated by the dry air, but is cooled by the cooling water when the cooling water is flowing normally. , The temperature rise is slight.

However, if the cooling water is no longer supplied (or if the supply amount is insufficient) for some reason, the temperature rise value increases. Therefore, it is possible to detect whether the cooling water is normally supplied or not (or the supply amount is insufficient) based on the magnitude of the temperature rise value in this portion. That is, when the temperature rise value detected by the temperature detecting means provided in this water supply path becomes larger than the preset value, the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient. Exist)
Can be detected.

When it is detected that the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is small), by notifying it, the user of clothes drying can know this and the user can By performing processing such as opening the water tap or requesting repair, it is possible to prevent the cooling water from being used without being supplied (or when the supply amount is insufficient).

By the way, when it is informed that the cooling water is not supplied (or that the supply amount is insufficient), when the door is opened or temporarily stopped, the notification is terminated, If the user removes the factor that the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient) by opening the door, stopping the operation, opening the tap that was forgotten to open, etc., it will continue in a normal state. When the remaining dry operation can be performed and the condition that the cooling water is not supplied again (and the supply amount is insufficient) again during this restart, this can be correctly notified.

If the notification is continuously performed, it is impossible to distinguish the condition when the cooling water is not supplied again at the time of restarting after removing this factor.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an outer frame, 2 is rotatably supported in the outer frame 1, a rotating drum for constituting a clothes drying chamber, 3 is a heat source for obtaining warm air for drying, and 4 is a rotation. A drum drive belt for transmitting the rotational force of the electric motor 5 to the drum 2.

A drum air outlet 6 for discharging the drying air shown by a solid arrow in FIG. 1 is provided at the rear portion of the rotary drum 2, and an inlet 7 is provided behind the drum air outlet 6 so as to oppose the drum air outlet 6. And a role of a blower for generating drying air and cooling air (shown by a broken line in FIG. 1) for cooling the drying air flow, and a heat exchange section for cooling the drying air. A fan casing 9 accommodating a double-sided fan 8 that also serves as a fan is disposed. And
The fan casing 9 includes a partition plate 10 provided all around the inner circumference of the fan casing 1 and a felt 1 provided on the outer circumference of the double-blade fan 8.
It is divided by 1 into a drying air side and a cooling air side. 1
Reference numeral 2 is an airtight felt for keeping the fan casing 9 and the rotary drum 2 airtight. The drying air outlet of the fan casing 9 is connected to the heat source 3 by the duct 13 and the duct 14 provided with the drainage port 21 in the middle thereof.

Reference numeral 16 is a belt for the double-blade fan 8, 17 is a pulley for the double-blade fan 8, 18 is a drum supporting member, and 19 is an opening / closing opening provided in front of the outer frame 1 for putting in / out a material to be dried (clothes). The door 22 is a filter, 22 is a filter, and 20 is a drum fixing wall for rotatably supporting the rotary drum 2 on the outer periphery thereof.

The double-blade fan 8 is located on the inner peripheral side (upwind side of the drying air) and, as shown in FIG. 2, is constituted by a blade having a corrugated cross section, and the blade wall surface is interposed therebetween. An air-cooling type heat exchanger portion 23 for exchanging heat of the drying air with the cooling air, and a blade located on the outer peripheral side (downward side of the drying air) and having a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. And has a water-cooling type heat exchanger unit 25 for exchanging heat between the drying air and the cooling water by spraying the cooling water with the nozzle 24 and diffusing the cooling water on the surface.

Reference numeral 26 is a water supply valve for controlling the supply of cooling water and stop of the water supply, and 50 is a temperature detecting means provided in a ventilation air passage 56 for the drying air.
It is provided at a position where a part of the cooling water 55 ejected from the nozzle 4 is sprayed. The temperature detecting means 50 may be provided with a cover or the like for protection.

Reference numeral 27 is a water supply passage connecting the water supply valve 26 and the nozzle 24, and 28 is a hose for connecting the water supply valve 26 and the tap of the water supply.

Next, the operation control method will be described.

FIG. 4 shows a control circuit of the clothes dryer according to the present invention. 29 is a power plug connected to a commercial power supply of 100 V or 200 V, 30 is a power switch, 31 is a power supply for supplying a DC voltage to a microcomputer 32 having a clothes dryer operation control program and a control electronic circuit. Circuit, 33 is commercial power 100V or 200V
Transformer for stepping down the voltage of the device to the voltage for electronic circuits, 3
Reference numeral 4 is a reset circuit for resetting the microcomputer 32 when the power is turned on, 35 is a clock circuit for generating a system clock required for the microcomputer 32, 36 is a setting of a dry course in the microcomputer 32, strength of a heat source (heat generation amount). ) Setting, operation start, and other switch inputs selected by the user.
2 is a switch input section for transmitting to 2, and 37 is a lamp display section for notifying the user of the operating state of the clothes dryer, the drying course, the strength (heat generation amount) of the heat source 3 by lighting or blinking the lamp. Reference numeral 38 denotes a buzzer notification unit for notifying the user by sounding a buzzer when the operation of the input switch is accepted by the microcomputer 32 or when the operation is completed.
Reference numeral 39 denotes a dryness detecting means for detecting the degree of drying of clothes by detecting changes in humidity and temperature of the drying air, 40 denotes a dryness detecting circuit for transmitting the information of the dryness detecting means 39 to the microcomputer 32, 41 Is a door switch that is turned on / off when the door 19 is opened / closed, 42 is a door switch input capturing circuit for transmitting the on / off state of the door switch to the microcomputer 32, and 43 is an on / off state of the power switch 30. Microcomputer 32
Power switch input capture circuit for transmitting to
Is a power supply switch for automatically energizing the power supply switch disconnecting solenoid 45 in order to automatically turn off the power supply switch 30 when the operation is completed or when the power supply switch is left on for a certain period of time without operation. Cutting circuit,
Reference numeral 46 is a frequency signal capturing circuit for capturing the frequency of the power supply used for time counting in the microcomputer 32, 47 is an electric motor drive circuit for driving the electric motor 5 with a signal from the microcomputer 32, and 48 is also from the microcomputer 32. Is a heat source drive circuit for driving the heat source 3 and 49 is a water supply valve drive circuit for opening and closing the water supply valve 26.

Reference numeral 51 is a temperature detecting circuit for transmitting the information of the temperature detecting means 50 to the microcomputer 32.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the switch input section 36 and the lamp display section 37. Reference numeral 52 denotes a start / pause switch for starting or temporarily stopping the operation. 53 is the strength of the heat source 3 (calorific value)
Is a heater changeover switch for changing over, and 54 is a dry course changeover switch for changing over the dry course.

The strength (heat generation amount) of the heat source 3 is switched by configuring the heat source 3 with two sets of A and B, and when strengthening the heat source 3, both A and B are driven and the heat source 3 is weakened. At this time, either A or B is driven.

Next, the operation of the clothes dryer will be described.
When the power plug 29 is inserted into the outlet, a DC voltage is generated by the power circuit 31 and the system clock is transmitted to the microcomputer 32 by the clock generation circuit 35. At the same time, the reset circuit 34 resets the microcomputer 32 to the operating state, and the clothes dryer waits for the user to operate.
When the user turns on the power switch 30, this information is transmitted to the microcomputer via the power switch input capturing circuit 43, and a preset initial display is performed on the lamp display section 37 and the switch input of the switch input section 36. Is ready to be accepted.

Next, the door 19 is opened by the user, clothes such as an article to be dried are put in the rotary drum 2, and the door 1 is opened.
When 9 is closed, the door switch 41 is turned on,
The information that the door 19 is closed is input to the microcomputer 32 through the door switch input fetch circuit 42, and the operation start waiting state is entered. Next, the user selects the drying course provided by some of the drying course changeover switches 54 of the switch input section 36 and the strength of the heat source 3 by the heater changeover switch 53, and the start / temporary stop switch 52 is selected.
When is operated, the clothes dryer starts the drying operation.

When the drying operation is started, electric power is supplied to the heat source 3 and the electric motor 5 according to an instruction from the microcomputer 32, and the rotary drum 2 and the double-blade fan 8 rotate. As a result, the drying air heated by the heat source 3 is discharged from the rotary drum 2 and sucked by the double-blade fan 8. Then, the drying air is cooled by the heat exchange action of the double-blade fan 8 when passing through the double-blade fan, and the moisture taken from the material to be dried is condensed into water droplets and discharged from the drain port 21 to the outside of the machine. Double-winged fan 8
The drying air that has passed through reaches the heat source 3 again through the ducts 13 and 14, is heated there and flows into the rotary drum 2, and this is continuously repeated to carry out the drying. When the clothes are dried, this is detected by the dryness detecting means 39, and this is transmitted to the microcomputer 32 through the dryness detecting circuit 40. When it is transmitted that the clothes are dry, the microcomputer 32 causes the heat source drive circuit 4 to follow the predetermined program.
8 is commanded to stop the energization of the heat source 3 and perform the air blowing operation for cooling the clothes. When the air blowing operation is performed for a predetermined time, a command is issued to the electric motor drive circuit 47 to end the operation. Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed after the end of the operation, an instruction is given to the power switch disconnection circuit 44 to automatically disconnect the power switch 30.

During this drying operation, a ventilation air passage 56 for the drying air is provided.
The temperature detecting means 50 provided inside is heated by the drying air. However, when the cooling water is normally supplied, the temperature detecting means 50 is cooled by the cooling water, so that the temperature rise is slight. .

However, for some reason such as forgetting to open or insufficient opening of the tap, clogging of the cooling water supply passage 27 or nozzle 24, failure of the water supply valve 26, disconnection of the hose 28, decrease in tap water pressure, freezing, etc. When the water is no longer supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient), the temperature detecting means 50 rises in temperature due to the heating action of the drying air. Temperature detecting means 5
0 detects this temperature rise. And the temperature detecting means 50
The temperature rise value detected at is transmitted to the microcomputer 32 via the temperature detection circuit 51. Then, the microcomputer is programmed to determine that the cooling water is no longer supplied (or is insufficient) when the temperature rise value becomes equal to or higher than a preset set value.

The set value of the temperature rise for determining that the cooling water is no longer supplied (or is insufficient) is such that the temperature of the drying air rises abnormally due to the lack of the cooling water, resulting in a failure of the main body or damage to clothes. It is set to a value that does not cause problems such as generation or deterioration of dehumidification performance. Next, a notification method when the fact that the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient) is detected by the above method will be described.

In this case, the buzzer is intermittently sounded for a predetermined time (for example, 0.3 second on-0.3 second off for 1 minute), and the "strong" and "weak" lamp blinking display of the heater switching 53 is displayed. Is programmed to continuously notify.

As a result, the user of the clothes dryer notices that the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient), and takes measures such as opening the water tap and requesting repair. Can be done.

It should be noted that when the user opens the door 19 or operates the start / pause switch 52 to make a temporary stop, this notification is programmed to end. As a result, if the user opens the door, temporarily stops the operation, opens the tap that he forgot to open, etc., and removes the factor that the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient). , The remaining dry operation can be continued in a normal state, and when the condition that the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient) again during this restart, this can be correctly notified ( If it is continuously performed without ending the notification, it is not possible to distinguish it when the condition such that the cooling water is not supplied again at the time of restarting after removing the above-mentioned factors). Further, the lamp display is programmed so that the power switch 30 is not automatically turned off after the end of the operation but continues for a long time (for example, 24 hours). Thereby, even if the user is absent during the operation of the clothes dryer, it can be noticed later that the cooling water was not supplied (or the supply amount was insufficient).

As described above, according to the present invention, the temperature detecting means 50 is provided only at a position where the cooling air 55 sprayed from the nozzle 24 is sprayed into the ventilation passage 56 for the drying air. Since it can be detected that the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient), the structure can be simple and inexpensive.

Further, since the presence / absence of cooling water is directly detected, there is no malfunction or omission of detection, and it is possible to reliably detect.

[0032]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a clothes dryer capable of reliably detecting and notifying a state in which cooling water is not supplied (or a state in which the supply amount is insufficient) with a simple structure and at a low cost. Can be done.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line YY of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control circuit.

FIG. 5 is a front view of an embodiment of a switch input section and a lamp display section.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Outer frame, 2 ... Rotating drum, 3 ... Heat source, 5 ... Electric motor, 8
... Double-blade fan, 23 ... Air-cooled heat exchanger section, 24 ... Nozzle, 25 ... Water-cooled heat exchanger section, 27 ... Water supply channel, 50 ... Temperature detecting means, 53 ... Heater changeover switch, 56 ... Ventilation of drying air Road.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A drying chamber for drying an object to be dried, a blower fan for sending air to the drying chamber, a heat source for heating drying air sent to the drying chamber, and discharge from the drying chamber. Having a water-cooling type heat exchange section for cooling and dehumidifying the dried hot and humid air, the nozzle for jetting cooling water and the temperature detecting means for looking into the ventilation passage of the drying air are provided. At least a part of the cooling water jetted from the temperature detection means is sprayed onto the temperature detection means, and after the drying operation is started, the cooling water is supplied when the temperature rise value detected by the temperature detection means becomes a preset value or more. A clothes dryer, characterized by being provided with a notifying means for notifying the user that the product is no longer being used. 2. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein when the door is opened while notifying that cooling water is not being supplied, the notification is ended. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising stop means for temporarily stopping the operation during the dry operation, and when the operation is informed that cooling water is not supplied, when the operation is temporarily stopped, A clothes dryer that ends the notification.