JPH11169580A - Drum type washing/drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the accumulation of lint that has clung to the insides of an exhaust hose and a heat exchanger during a drying process, so as to smoothen the circulation of hot air in a circulation path for enhanced reliability, even when clothing to which large amounts of lint such as animal hair or cotton cling is washed and dried using a drum type washing/drying machine in which processes such as rinsing, spin-drying, and drying are controlled inside a spinning drum as necessary. SOLUTION: A spinning drum placed to freely spin roughly horizontally is enclosed in a water tank, and air is circulated by a fan 7 to the water tank via a circulation path having a exhaust hose from the water tank and having a heat exchanger. A drying heater 8 is disposed within the circulation path, and water is fed into the water tank by a first water feed valve 12. A control means 29 controls washing, rinsing, spin-drying, and drying processes, and feeds water until the rise of the level of water to an opening in the exhaust hose is detected, at least once in the rinsing process, by a water level detection means 34 which detects the level of the water fed into the water tank.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drum type washing / drying machine for sequentially controlling processes such as washing, rinsing, spin-drying and drying in a rotating drum arranged rotatably in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of drum type washing and drying machine has been configured as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the configuration will be described.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 7, a rotary drum 1 is provided with a large number of water passage holes 2 on the entire outer peripheral portion and is rotatably disposed in a water tank 3. The heat exchanger 4 communicates with the inside of the water tank 3 via an exhaust hose 5, and is configured to circulate air to the water tank 3 by a blower fan 7 through a circulation path 6. The drying heater 8 is provided in the circulation path 6 so as to heat the circulating air circulated by the blower fan 7.

[0004] A rib 9 for scattering cooling water is provided in the heat exchanger 4, and a cooling water temperature detecting means 10 for detecting the temperature of the cooling water used for heat exchange in the heat exchanger 4 is provided. The temperature fuse 11 prevents an excessive rise in temperature due to the drying heater 8. The first water supply valve 12 supplies water into the water tank 3, and the second water supply valve 13 supplies cooling water to the heat exchanger 4 during drying.

The operation of the drying process in the above configuration will be described. When the laundry is put into the rotating drum 1 and the drying process is started, the blower fan 7 and the drying heater 8 are driven.
Circulation path 6 from water tank 3 through exhaust hose 5 and heat exchanger 4
The hot air circulates to the water tank 3 via the. Further, the water supply valve 13 is operated to supply cooling water into the heat exchanger 4 and contact with the wet hot air to lower the temperature and perform dehumidification.

[0006]

In such a conventional configuration, lint generated from clothes during the drying process is washed away in the heat exchanger 4 by the cooling water supplied from the water supply valve 13. In the case of garments to which hair, cotton, or the like is remarkably adhered, the clothes accumulate in the exhaust hose 5, the ribs 9 for scattering cooling water, and the heat exchanger 4, and obstruct the flow of hot air circulating in the circulation path 6. This caused an overheating. As a result, the thermal fuse 11 was blown, causing a product failure.

[0007] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and even when washing and drying clothes that have extremely attached lint such as animal hair or cotton, lint attached to an exhaust hose or a heat exchanger during the drying process is eliminated. It is an object of the present invention to prevent accumulation and smooth circulation of hot air in a circulation path, to eliminate the operation of an overheat prevention device such as a temperature fuse, and to improve reliability.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a circulation drum having a rotating drum disposed rotatably in a substantially horizontal direction in a water tank and having an exhaust hose and a heat exchanger from the water tank. The air is circulated to the water tank by a blowing means through the heater, a heating means is provided in the circulation path, and water is supplied into the water tank by a water supply means. The control means controls the washing, rinsing, spin-drying and drying steps, and controls at least one step during the rinsing step.
The water is supplied until the rise in the water level is detected at the opening of the exhaust hose by the water level detecting means for detecting the water level in the water tank.

Thus, even when clothes and lint such as animal hair and cotton are significantly washed and dried, it is possible to prevent the lint from being deposited in the exhaust hose and the heat exchanger during the drying process. Thus, the circulation of the hot air in the circulation path can be made smooth, and the operation of the overheat prevention device such as the thermal fuse can be eliminated, so that the reliability can be improved.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is directed to a rotary drum rotatably disposed in a substantially horizontal direction, a water tank containing the rotary drum, and a heat exchange between the water tank and an exhaust hose. Blower means for circulating air to the water tank through a circulation path having a vessel, heating means provided in the circulation path, water supply means for supplying water to the water tank, and a water level for detecting a water supply level in the water tank. Detection means, washing, rinsing,
Control means for controlling dehydration and drying steps, wherein the control means supplies water at least once in a rinsing step until the water level detection means detects that the water level has risen to the opening of the exhaust hose. In the rinsing process, water was supplied to the opening of the exhaust hose,
When the rotating drum is rotated left and right, the water level in the exhaust hose rises and falls repeatedly, so the lint attached to the exhaust hose and heat exchanger during the drying process is stripped off and drawn into the water tank as the water level falls. Even when washing and drying clothes that have been stuck with lint such as animal hair or cotton, lint can be prevented from accumulating in the exhaust hose and heat exchanger, and Smooth circulation to eliminate the operation of overheating prevention devices such as thermal fuses,
Reliability can be improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotary drum disposed rotatably in a substantially horizontal direction, a water tank containing the rotary drum, and a circulation path having an exhaust hose and a heat exchanger from the water tank. Blower means for circulating air to the water tank, heating means provided in the circulation path, water supply means for supplying water to the water tank, water level detection means for detecting a water supply water level in the water tank, washing, rinsing Control means for controlling the dehydration and drying steps, wherein the control means drives the blowing means in the rinsing step, and the water supplied to the inside of the exhaust hose in the rinsing step is provided by the blowing means. It can be scattered violently by the circulating wind generated by the drive, adhere to the exhaust hose or heat exchanger, wash out the fixed lint, and discharge it to prevent lint from accumulating in the exhaust hose or heat exchanger. Can, to facilitate the circulation of hot air circulation path eliminates the operation of the overheat protection device, such as a temperature fuse, thereby improving the reliability.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotating drum rotatably disposed in a substantially horizontal direction, a water tank containing the rotating drum, and a circulation path having an exhaust hose and a heat exchanger from the water tank. Blower means for circulating air to the water tank, heating means provided in the circulation path, first water supply means for supplying water into the water tank, and second water supply means for supplying water into the heat exchanger. A first water supply hose for communicating the first water supply means with the inside of the water tank, a second water supply hose for communicating the second water supply means with the inside of the heat exchanger, the first water supply hose and the second water supply hose. And a bypass hose for connecting the water supply hose to the first water supply means. When the first water supply means is driven, water is supplied to the heat exchanger through the bypass hose. When driving the means, Through the heat exchanger, the lint attached to the exhaust hose and the heat exchanger can be washed away, preventing the lint from accumulating and circulating hot air in the circulation path. And the operation of an over-temperature prevention device such as a thermal fuse can be eliminated, and the reliability can be improved.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, when the first water supply means is driven, the blower is driven, and heat exchange is performed through a bypass hose. At the same time as supplying water to the inside of the vessel, the supply water can be scattered by driving the blowing means, and the lint attached to the exhaust hose and the heat exchanger can be washed away.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same components as those in the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

(Embodiment 1) As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first motor 14 rotates the rotary drum 1 at a first rotation speed N1 (for example, 53 rpm) to perform washing or rinsing. The second motor 15 drives the rotating drum 1 at a second rotation speed N2 (for example, 1000 rpm).
m) to rotate and dehydrate. The first motor 14 and the second motor 15 are constituted by induction motors, and are connected to driven pulleys 18 via belts 16 and 17, respectively.

The driven pulley 18 has two kinds of reduction ratios. The first motor 14 is connected via a belt 16 to a driven pulley 18a having a large reduction ratio.
5 through the belt 17 to the driven pulley 1 having a small reduction ratio
8b, and is fixed to the other end of a horizontal shaft 19 having one end fixed to the rotation center of the rotary drum 1.

The water tank 3 is provided with a spring body 21 from the washing machine main body 20.
The weight 23 is provided to limit the vibration of the water tank 3 at the time of dehydration resonance by the vibration damper 22 and to reduce the vibration at the time of dehydration. The heater 24 heats the washing water in the water tub 3. Cover 2 on the opening of the rotating drum 1
5 is provided so as to be freely opened and closed. The drain pump 26 is connected to the water tank 3 by a hose 27 and drains water in the water tank 3.

The control device 28 is constructed as shown in FIG. 1. The control means 29 is composed of a microcomputer, and is provided with a blower fan (blower) through a power switching means 30 composed of a bidirectional thyristor or the like. Means) 7, drying heater (heating means) 8, first water supply valve (water supply means) 1
2. Control the operations of the second water supply valve 13, the first motor 14, the second motor 15, the heater 24, and the like, and sequentially control a series of steps such as washing, rinsing, dehydrating, and drying.

The input setting means 32 is for inputting a necessary washing course, operation start and the like to the user, and is input to the control means 29. The display means 33 displays the contents set by the input setting means 31, the operation state, and the like. The water level detecting means 34 detects the water supply water level in the water tank 3 and
9 has been entered. The water temperature detecting means 35 detects the temperature of the water in the water tank 3 and inputs it to the control means 29. Note that 36
Is a commercial power supply, and 37 is a power switch.

The control means 29 supplies water at least once in the rinsing stroke until the water level detecting means 34 detects that the opening of the exhaust hose 5 has risen in water level.

The operation of the above configuration will be described.
5 is opened, the laundry is put into the rotating drum 1, the power switch 37 is turned on, and the start switch (not shown) of the input setting means 32 is operated to start the operation.
When the water supply valve 12 operates to supply water and reaches a predetermined water level,
The first motor 14 is driven. In the washing process, the rotating drum 1 is moved to the first position while replenishing water because the laundry contains water.
The laundry in the rotating drum 1 is lifted and dropped on the water surface by the motor 14 being rotated at the first rotation speed.

At this time, the heater 24 is energized to heat the washing water in the water tub 3 and the temperature of the washing water is controlled to a predetermined value. When the washing process is completed, the drain pump 26 operates to drain the washing water in the water tub 3. Thereafter, in the dewatering process via the rinsing process, the rotating drum 1 is driven by the second motor 15.
Is rotated to a second rotation speed (for example, 1000 rpm), and the laundry is centrifugally dehydrated.

Next, in the drying process, the control means 29
While driving the first motor 14 to drive the rotary drum 1 at the first rotation speed, the blower fan 7 and the drying heater 8 are driven to circulate hot air through the circulation path 6, and the heat exchanger 4 removes high-humidity air. Dry while exchanging heat with cooling water.

Here, in the rinsing step, as shown in FIG. 4, water is supplied at least once to the opening of the exhaust hose 5 by the water level detecting means 34 until it detects that the water level has risen. When the rotating drum 1 rotates left and right, the water level in the exhaust hose 5 rises and falls repeatedly. As a result, the lint 38 attached to the inside of the exhaust hose 5 during the drying process is peeled off, and the water tank 3
It is possible to prevent lint from accumulating in the exhaust hose 5 and being drawn into the exhaust hose 5, and to prevent the operation of the thermal fuse 11 by smoothing the circulation of the hot air in the circulation path 6, thereby improving the reliability. Can be.

(Embodiment 2) In FIG. 1, the control means 29 drives the blower fan 7 in the rinsing stroke. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The water supplied into the exhaust hose 5 during the rinsing stroke is violently scattered by the circulating wind driven by the blower fan 7, and the exhaust hose 5 and the heat exchanger 4 inside,
The stuck lint 38 is washed out and discharged, thereby preventing the lint 38 from being deposited in the exhaust hose 5. Therefore, the circulation of the hot air in the circulation path 6 can be made smooth, the operation of the thermal fuse 11 and the like can be eliminated, and the reliability can be improved.

(Embodiment 3) As shown in FIG. 6, the first water supply valve 12 supplies water into the water tank 3 through a first water supply hose 39, and the second water supply valve 13 passes through a second water supply hose 40. Water is supplied into the heat exchanger 4. The first water supply hose 39 and the second water supply hose 40 are connected by a bypass hose 41, and water is supplied to the heat exchanger 4 through the bypass hose 41 when the first water supply valve 12 is driven. . Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

When the first water supply valve 12 for supplying a large amount of water is driven, water is also supplied to the heat exchanger 4 through the bypass hose 41 to thereby operate the first water supply valve 12. It is possible to wash out the lint 38 adhered to the surface, prevent the lint 38 from being deposited, smooth the circulation of the hot air in the circulation path 6, eliminate the operation of the thermal fuse 11, and improve the reliability. Can be.

At this time, when the blower fan 7 is driven, the water supplied to the heat exchanger 4 through the bypass hose 41 is scattered by wind pressure from below, and the water is supplied to the exhaust hose 5 and the heat exchanger 4. The attached lint 38 can be washed away.

[0030]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the rotary drum is provided so as to be rotatable in a substantially horizontal direction, the water tank including the rotary drum, and the exhaust from the water tank. Blowing means for circulating air to the water tank through a circulation path having a hose and a heat exchanger, heating means provided in the circulation path, and water supply means for supplying water into the water tank,
A water level detection means for detecting a water supply water level in the water tank; and a control means for controlling a washing, rinsing, dehydrating, and drying process, wherein the control device performs the exhaust by the water level detecting device at least once in a rinsing process. Since water was supplied to the opening of the hose until it detected that the water level had risen,
When the rotating drum is rotated left and right while water is supplied to the opening of the exhaust hose during the rinsing process, the water level in the exhaust hose repeatedly rises and falls, so lint attached to the exhaust hose during the drying process is removed Even when washing and drying clothes that have been drawn into the water tank as the water level drops, and have lint, such as animal hair or cotton, attached to them, even if they are washed and dried, they still remain in the exhaust hose, ribs for scattering cooling water, and heat exchangers. Lint can be prevented from being deposited, the circulation of hot air in the circulation path can be made smooth, and the operation of an overheat prevention device such as a thermal fuse can be eliminated, thereby improving reliability.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotary drum disposed rotatably in a substantially horizontal direction, a water tank containing the rotary drum, an exhaust hose and a heat exchanger from the water tank. Blowing means for circulating air to the water tank through a circulation path, heating means provided in the circulation path, water supply means for supplying water to the water tank, and a water level detection means for detecting a water supply water level in the water tank. Control means for controlling the washing, rinsing, dehydrating, and drying steps, and the control means drives the blowing means in the rinsing step, so that water supplied to the inside of the exhaust hose in the rinsing step is blown. It is scattered violently by the circulating wind driven by the means, adheres to the exhaust hose and heat exchanger, and cleans and removes the stuck lint, preventing lint from accumulating in the exhaust hose and heat exchanger. Bets can be, to facilitate the circulation of hot air circulation path eliminates the operation of the overheat protection device, such as a temperature fuse, thereby improving the reliability.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotary drum disposed rotatably in a substantially horizontal direction, a water tank containing the rotary drum, an exhaust hose and a heat exchanger from the water tank. Air blowing means for circulating air to the water tank through a circulation path, heating means provided in the circulation path, first water supply means for supplying water to the water tank, and second water supply to the heat exchanger. A first water supply hose for communicating the first water supply means with the inside of the water tank;
A second water supply hose for communicating the water supply means with the inside of the heat exchanger; and a bypass hose connecting the first water supply hose and the second water supply hose. When the first water supply means for supplying a large amount of water is driven, water is also supplied to the heat exchanger through the bypass hose so that the exhaust hose and the heat exchanger are supplied. Lint adhering to the heat exchanger can be washed out, lint can be prevented from accumulating, and the circulation of hot air in the circulation path can be made smooth to eliminate the operation of overheating prevention devices such as thermal fuses. , Reliability can be improved.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the first water supply means is driven, the air blowing means is driven, so that water is supplied to the heat exchanger through the bypass hose and at the same time. By driving the blowing means, the water supply can be scattered, and the lint attached to the exhaust hose and the heat exchanger can be washed away.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of a drum type washing and drying machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the drum type washing and drying machine.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the drum type washing and drying machine.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the drum type washer / dryer.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part of a drum type washing and drying machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a main part of a drum type washing and drying machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a conventional drum type washer / dryer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 rotating drum 3 water tank 4 heat exchanger 5 exhaust hose 6 circulation path 7 blower fan (blower means) 8 drying heater (heating means) 12 first water supply valve (water supply means) 29 control means 34 water level detecting means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A rotary drum disposed rotatably in a substantially horizontal direction, a water tank containing the rotary drum, and air circulated from the water tank to the water tank via a circulation path having an exhaust hose and a heat exchanger. Blower means, a heating means provided in the circulation path, a water supply means for supplying water into the water tank,
A water level detection means for detecting a water supply water level in the water tank; and a control means for controlling a washing, rinsing, dehydrating, and drying process, wherein the control device performs the exhaust by the water level detecting device at least once in a rinsing process. A drum-type washer / dryer that supplies water until it detects that the water level has risen at the opening of the hose. 2. A rotating drum disposed rotatably in a substantially horizontal direction, a water tank containing the rotating drum, and air circulating from the water tank to the water tank via a circulation path having an exhaust hose and a heat exchanger. Blower means, a heating means provided in the circulation path, a water supply means for supplying water into the water tank,
Water level detection means for detecting the water supply water level in the water tank, washing, rinsing, dehydration, comprising a control means for controlling the drying process, the control means is a drum type that drives the blowing means in the rinsing stroke Washing and drying machine. 3. A rotating drum disposed rotatably in a substantially horizontal direction, a water tank containing the rotating drum, and air circulating from the water tank to the water tank via a circulation path having an exhaust hose and a heat exchanger. Blowing means, a heating means provided in the circulation path, a first water supply means for supplying water into the water tank, a second water supply means for supplying water into the heat exchanger, and the first water supply means A first water supply hose communicating with the inside of the water tank, a second water supply hose communicating with the second water supply means and the inside of the heat exchanger, and a bypass hose connecting the first water supply hose and the second water supply hose. A drum-type washer-dryer that supplies water to the heat exchanger through a bypass hose when the first water supply means is driven. 4. The drum-type washing / drying machine according to claim 3, wherein the blowing means is driven when the first water supply means is driven.