WO2015124032A1

WO2015124032A1 - Dryer

Info

Publication number: WO2015124032A1
Application number: PCT/CN2014/095761
Authority: WO
Inventors: 樋口秀一; 星野广行
Original assignee: 海尔亚洲国际株式会社; 青岛海尔洗衣机有限公司
Priority date: 2014-02-21
Filing date: 2014-12-31
Publication date: 2015-08-27
Also published as: JP2015171521A

Abstract

Provided is a dryer capable of shortening drying operation time and saving energy, the dryer (1) comprising: a receiving groove (2)for receiving washing (S), a first circulation path (19) and a second circulation path (20) for removing the air containing the water vapor released from the washing (S) in the receiving groove (2) and returning the air to the receiving groove (2); a heater (5) for heating the air circulating between the receiving groove (2) and each of the first circulation path (19) and the second circulation path (20); and a control part (30). The first circulation path (19) dehumidifies air and returns the air to the receiving groove (2); the second circulation path (20) returns the air to the receiving groove (2) without dehumidification; and the control part (30) switches the destination of the air in the receiving groove (2) to the first circulation path (19) or the second circulation path (20).

Description

Dryer

Technical field

The invention relates to a dryer.

Background technique

In the drum-type washer-dryer disclosed in the following Patent Document 1, a dehumidification line is formed adjacent to a water tank provided with a rotary drum for accommodating laundry, and a dehumidification line is disposed in the dehumidification line by being injected from a water injection nozzle. The water is cooled by a heat exchanger. The air containing the moisture of the laundry is dehumidified by being cooled by passing through the heat exchanger into the dehumidification line, and then the air is again blown into the rotary drum by the warm air dried by heating with the heater to bake the laundry. dry.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-124763

Summary of the invention

The drying operation of the laundry is shorter than the washing operation after the washing and rinsing of the laundry, and since the time and energy are required, it is always desired to shorten the drying operation and save energy.

The present invention has been made in view of the background, and an object thereof is to provide a dryer capable of shortening the time of drying operation and saving energy.

The present invention relates to a dryer comprising: a storage tank for storing laundry; and a first circulation path connected to the storage tank for releasing laundry containing the laundry from the storage tank The air of the steam is taken out from the storage tank and dehumidified and returned to the storage tank; the second circulation path is connected to the storage tank for discharging water containing the laundry from the storage tank. The air of the steam is taken out from the accommodating tank and returned to the accommodating tank without dehumidification; the dehumidifying unit dehumidifies the air in the first circulation path; the heating unit is in the first circulation path and the Each of the two circulation paths is heated by air circulating between the storage tanks; and a switching unit switches the destination of the air in the storage tanks to the first circulation path or the second circulation path.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the first circulation path and the second circulation path are the same.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the second circulation path is made of metal or a heat resistant resin.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that it includes a detecting unit that detects an amount of laundry in the storage tub, and the switching unit switches the storage tank according to the amount of laundry detected by the detecting unit The destination of the air is switched to the first or second circulation path.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that it includes a determining unit that determines a kind of laundry in the storage tub, and the switching unit sets the storage tank according to the kind of laundry determined by the determining unit The destination of the air is switched to the first or second circulation path.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in a state where air circulates between the accommodation groove and the second circulation path, if a predetermined time elapses from the start of drying of the laundry, the inside of the accommodation groove If the amount of rise in temperature does not satisfy the first predetermined value, the switching unit switches the destination of the air in the storage tank from the second circulation path to the first circulation path.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the heating unit heats the air flowing in the second circulation path to 100 ° C or higher.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that it includes a control unit that causes the operation of the heating unit in a case where the temperature rise amount in the predetermined period in the storage tank after the start of drying exceeds a second predetermined value stop.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, when the operation of the heating unit is stopped, the switching unit sets a destination of air in the storage tank as the first circulation path, and the air is performed by the dehumidifying unit Dehumidification.

According to the invention, in the dryer, the first circulation path and the second circulation path are connected to the storage tank for storing the laundry.

Both the first circulation path and the second circulation path are circulated so that the air containing the water vapor released from the laundry in the storage tank is taken out from the storage tank and returned to the storage tank. Since the circulated air is heated by the heating unit, the laundry can be dried by removing the moisture in the laundry into water vapor with heated air to remove the laundry.

Here, the first circulation path returns the air to the storage tank by dehumidifying the air, and the second circulation path returns the air to the storage tank without dehumidification.

Since the destination of the air in the storage tank is switched to the first circulation path or the second circulation path depending on the situation, if the destination is switched to the second circulation path, the air can be dehumidified for the drying of the laundry. And continuously use. Thereby, since the time required for the dehumidified air, the power and the consumption of water are saved, the time for the drying operation can be shortened and the energy can be saved.

Further, according to the present invention, since the first circulation path and the second circulation path are the same, the cost reduction of the dryer can be achieved by the reduction in the number of components.

Further, according to the present invention, since the second circulation path is made of metal or a heat resistant resin, it is possible to prevent the second circulation path from being damaged by air which is not dehumidified and which is high in temperature.

Further, according to the present invention, even if the laundry is dried by using the first circulation path and the laundry is dried by using the second circulation path, it can be passed depending on the amount of the laundry. The destination of the air in the storage tank is switched to the first circulation path or the second circulation path in accordance with the amount of the laundry, thereby performing an appropriate drying operation corresponding to the amount of the laundry.

Further, according to the present invention, the case where the laundry is dried by using the first circulation path and the case where the laundry is dried by using the second circulation path can be passed depending on the type of the laundry. The destination of the air in the storage tank is switched to the first circulation path or the second circulation path depending on the type of the laundry, and an appropriate drying operation corresponding to the type of the laundry is performed.

Further, according to the present invention, when the laundry is dried using the second circulation path, if the amount of rise in the temperature in the storage tank after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the start of drying of the laundry, the first predetermined value is not satisfied. It is then inappropriate for the second circulation path to dry the laundry. In this case, it is possible to switch from the second circulation path to the first circulation path, and the laundry is dried using the first circulation path.

Further, according to the present invention, since the heating unit heats the air flowing in the second circulation path to 100 ° C or more, the laundry can be made in a short time by the air containing the superheated steam which is not dehumidified and heated to 100 ° C or more. drying.

Further, according to the present invention, when the temperature increase amount in the predetermined period in the storage tank after the start of drying exceeds the second predetermined value, the drying of the laundry in the storage tank is completed, so that the heating unit can be The work is stopped and the storage tank and the laundry are cooled.

Further, according to the present invention, since the destination of the air in the accommodation tank is set as the first circulation path when the operation of the heating unit is stopped, the air is cooled by the dehumidification unit being dehumidified, so that it can be used by the air to be cooled The washing tank and the laundry are efficiently cooled to terminate the drying operation in advance.

DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of a dryer 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic front view of the dryer 1 of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the dryer 1.

Fig. 4 is a graph comparing the relationship between temperature and drying speed with dry air and water vapor.

Fig. 5 is a graph showing changes with time in the drum temperature during the drying operation of the dryer 1.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a control operation performed in the dryer 1.

detailed description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The first embodiment and the second embodiment can be exemplified as the embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the outline of the first embodiment and the second embodiment will be described.

In the following, as shown in FIG. 1, the direction of the dryer 1 is determined based on the observation of the dryer 1 from the front side, and the configuration of the dryer 1 will be described based on the vertical direction X and the left-right direction Y in FIG. . The upper side in the vertical direction X is referred to as an upper X1, and the lower side is referred to as a lower X2. The left side in the left-right direction Y is referred to as the left side Y1, and the right side is referred to as the right side Y2. The dryer 1 also includes a washing and drying machine having the functions of washing, rinsing, and dehydrating of the laundry S to perform a washing operation.

The dryer 1 includes a storage tank 2 for accommodating the laundry S, a circulation path 3, a blower 4 as a blowing unit, a heater 5 as a heating unit, a water supply path 6, a cooling path 7 as a dehumidifying unit, and a drainage path 8. And the overflow road 9.

The storage tub 2 includes a water tank 10 as a hollow body and a hollow cylindrical drum 11 housed in the water tank 10 . A plurality of through holes (not shown) are formed in the drum 11, and the inside of the drum 11 and the internal space of the water tank 10 are in a communicating state via these through holes. The drum 11 is horizontally disposed such that its central axis 11A is perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1, and is rotatable about the central axis 11A. The dryer 1 further includes a motor 12 (not shown in Fig. 1) having an output shaft coupled to the central axis 11A of the drum 11. Further, in the storage tub 2, a door (not shown) for taking out the entrance and exit of the laundry S and opening and closing the entrance and exit is provided.

The circulation path 3 is a pipe having the one end portion 3A and the other end portion 3B on the opposite side of the one end portion 3A. The one end portion 3A connects the water tank 10 to the left side Y1, for example, and the other end portion 3B connects the water tank 10 from the upper side X1 and the right side Y2, for example. The portion of the water tank 10 that communicates with the one end portion 3A is the outlet 10A, and the portion of the water tank 10 that communicates with the other end portion 3B is the inlet 10B. The outlet 10A and the inlet 10B are arranged such that the central axis 11A of the drum 11 is located on an imaginary line segment connecting them.

The circulation path 3 extends from the one end portion 3A to the upper portion X1, and after the bending extends to the right side Y2, it is again bent and extended to the lower portion X2 to the other end portion 3B. In the circulation path 3, from the one end portion 3A to the other end portion The direction of 3B is referred to as the downstream side Z1, and the direction from the other end 3B to the other end 3A is referred to as the upstream side Z2.

The circulation path 3 is formed to temporarily branch into the first branch path 13 and the second branch path 14 at a position adjacent to the end portion 3A from the downstream side Z1. Therefore, the circulation path 3 includes: a branching position 15 branched into the first branching road 13 and the second branching road 14, and a joining position where the ends of the downstream side Z1 of the first branching road 13 and the second branching road 14 merge with each other 16.

A switching valve 17 is provided at the branching position 15. The switching valve 17 is a three-way valve that is connected to an end portion of the upstream side Z2 of each of the first branch passage 13 and the second branch passage 14 and a portion of the circulation passage 3 that is closer to the upstream side Z2 than the end portion. By controlling the opening and closing of the switching valve 17, the circulation path 3 can be switched to the first circulation path 19 from the one end portion 3A through the first branch passage 13 toward the other end portion 3B, and from the one end portion 3A toward the second branch passage 14 The second circulation path 20 of the other end portion 3B. In other words, the loop path 3 includes the first loop path 19 and the second loop path 20.

The blower 4 is provided between the joining position 16 and the other end 3B in the circulation path 3. The blower 4 includes a fan, and by rotating the fan, as shown by the hollow arrow, the air in the accommodating groove 2 flows out from the outlet 10A and flows to the downstream side Z1 in the circulation path 3 and returns to the accommodating groove 2 from the inlet 10B. The process of this air inside. In a state where the circulation path 3 is switched to the first circulation path 19, air flows in the first circulation path 19 as indicated by a thick solid arrow, thereby circulating between the accommodation groove 2 and the circulation path 3. In a state where the circulation path 3 is switched to the second circulation path 20, air flows in the second circulation path 20 as indicated by a thick broken line arrow, thereby circulating between the accommodation groove 2 and the circulation path 3.

The heater 5 is provided between the blower 4 and the other end portion 3B in the circulation path 3. The air of the circulation path 3 is heated by the operation of the heater 5. Since the circulation path 3 is switched to the first circulation path 19 or the second circulation path 20, the heater 5 performs air circulation between each of the first circulation path 19 and the second circulation path 20 and the inside of the accommodation groove 2. heating.

Further, a discharge valve 21 is provided between the heater 5 and the other end portion 3B in the circulation path 3. When the pressure in the circulation path 3 becomes higher than the prescribed value, the discharge valve 21 is opened, and the air in the circulation path 3 escapes from the discharge valve 21 to the outside of the machine.

The water supply path 6 includes an end portion 6A that is connected to the faucet 23 of the tap water via the water supply valve 22 as a dehumidifying unit, and the other end portion 6B that is connected to the water tank 10 from the upper side X1 on the opposite side of the one end portion 6A. The cooling passage 7 includes an end portion 7A connected to the faucet 23 of the tap water via the water supply valve 22, and The opposite side of the end portion 7A is the other end portion 7B connected to the one end portion 3A of the circulation path 3 from the upper side X1. The water supply valve 22 is a three-way valve. By controlling the opening and closing of the water supply valve 22, the destination of the water from the faucet 23 can be switched to the water supply path 6 or the cooling path 7.

The water flowing from the faucet 23 to the water supply path 6 is stored in the water tank 10, and is also stored in the drum 11 through the through holes (not shown) of the drum 11. Therefore, the water level in the water tank 10 and the water level in the drum 11 are identical. In the case where the dryer 1 is a washing and drying machine, the drum 11 is rotated in a state where water is stored in the drum 11 as a washing operation, and washing and rinsing of the laundry S based on the water in the drum 11 are performed.

The water flowing from the faucet 23 to the cooling path 7 flows into the one end portion 3A of the circulation path 3, and at this time, heat exchange is performed with the air in the one end portion 3A to cool and dehumidify the air. The water flowing in the one end portion 3A of the circulation path 3 from the cooling passage 7 and the moisture liquefied from the air by the dehumidification flow together into the water tank 10 from the outlet 10A of the water tank 10. The air that has passed through the one end portion 3A is cooled by heat exchange in dehumidification.

When the drying of the laundry S is performed in the dryer 1, the air heated by the heater 5 is caused to flow by the air blower 4 to become hot air, and the hot air is circulated between the circulation path 3 and the storage tub 2. Therefore, the wetted laundry S in the accommodating tank 2 is heated by hot air to release water vapor from the laundry S. In other words, the moisture in the laundry S is removed by changing the water in the laundry S into the air which is circulated by the heating of the heater 5, and the laundry S can be dried.

When the hot air is circulated between the first circulation path 19 and the accommodating tank 2, the opening and closing of the water supply valve 22 is controlled such that the water of the faucet 23 flows in the cooling passage 7. Thereby, the first circulation path 19 takes out the air containing the water vapor released from the laundry S from the storage tank 2, and dehumidifies the water in the cooling path 7 in the one end portion 3A, and returns to the other end portion 3B. It is inside the storage tank 2.

On the other hand, if the hot air is circulated between the second circulation path 20 and the accommodating tank 2, the opening and closing of the water supply valve 22 is controlled such that the water of the faucet 23 does not flow into the water supply path 6 and the cooling path 7. . Thereby, the second circulation path 20 takes out the air containing the water vapor released from the laundry S, and takes it out from the storage tub 2, and does not dehumidify at one end portion 3A, and returns to the storage tank 2 at the other end portion 3B.

The drain passage 8 is connected to X2 from below with respect to the water tank 10, and the water in the water tank 10 is discharged outside the machine. The portion of the water tank 10 that is connected to the drain passage 8 is the drain port 10C, which is at the lowest position in the water tank 10. In the middle of the drain passage 8, a drain valve 25 that opens and closes to start or stop the drain is provided. In the case where the dryer 1 is a washing and drying machine, after the washing of the laundry S is performed in the washing operation, the inside of the water tank 10 After the water is discharged, the drum 11 is rotated at a high speed to perform dehydration of the laundry S.

The overflow passage 9 is connected to the water tank 10 from the right side Y2 at a position between the inlet 10B of the vertical direction X and the drain port 10C. The portion of the water tank 10 that is connected to the overflow passage 9 is a water overflow port 10D. The overflow path 9 merges with the drainage path 8 on the opposite side of the overflow port 10D. When the water level in the water tank 10 rises to the overflow port 10D, the water in the water tank 10 overflows from the overflow port 10D to the overflow path 9, and is discharged from the drain path 8 to the outside of the machine.

Next, the dryer 1 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 . In the second embodiment, the same members as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, since the circulation path 3 is configured as one line having no branch path in all the areas from the one end portion 3A to the other end portion 3B, the first branch path 13 in the first embodiment is adopted. The second branch path 14 and the switching valve 17 are omitted. Other configurations in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, the first circulation path 19 and the second circulation path 20 in the first embodiment are the circulation paths 3 themselves constituted as one line. In the second embodiment, the circulation path 3 when the water of the faucet 23 flows to the cooling path 7 is the first circulation path 19, and the circulation path 3 of the water of the faucet 23 when it does not flow to the water supply path 6 and the cooling path 7 is the second Loop path 20. In the second embodiment, since the first circulation path 19 and the second circulation path 20 are the same, the cost of the dryer 1 can be reduced by reducing the number of components.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the dryer 1.

Referring to Fig. 3, the dryer 1 includes a dehumidifying unit, a switching unit, a determining unit, and a control unit 30 as a control unit. The control unit 30 includes, for example, a memory 31 such as a CPU 31, a ROM, and a RAM, and a timer 38 for counting. The control unit 30 is electrically connected to the blower 4, the heater 5, the motor 12, the water supply valve 22, the drain valve 25, the discharge valve 21, and the switching valve 17, respectively. The control unit 30 controls the operations of the blower 4, the heater 5, and the motor 12, or controls the opening and closing of the water supply valve 22, the drain valve 25, the discharge valve 21, and the switching valve 17, respectively. Further, although the switching valve 17 is present in the first embodiment, it is omitted in the second embodiment.

The dryer 1 further includes an operation unit 33, a temperature sensor 34, a load amount sensor 35 as a detection unit, a water level sensor 36, and a door lock mechanism 37.

The operation unit 33 starts or stops the operation of the dryer 1 and is set to set the operating conditions of the dryer 1 The user operates. The content of the operation based on the user's operation unit 33 is input to the control unit 30.

The temperature sensor 34 is a sensor that detects the temperature around the outlet 10A of the water tank 10 in the storage tub 2, and the detection result of the temperature sensor 34 is input to the control unit 30 in real time. Hereinafter, the temperature around the outlet 10A is referred to as "roller temperature". The drum temperature substantially coincides with the actual temperature of the laundry S in the storage tub 2. The control unit 30 constantly monitors the temperature of the drum, that is, the temperature of the laundry S, by the temperature sensor 34.

The load amount sensor 35 is a sensor that detects the amount of the laundry S in the storage tub 2 as a load amount, and the detection result of the load amount sensor 35 is input to the control unit 30. The water level sensor 36 is a sensor that detects the water level of the water tank 10 and the drum 11, and the detection result of the water level sensor 36 is input to the control unit 30.

The door lock mechanism 37 locks or unlocks the door (not shown) that opens and closes the entrance and exit of the storage tub 2 in a state where the door (not shown) is closed. The locking and unlocking of the door based on the door lock mechanism 37 is controlled by the control unit 30.

Next, the drying operation by the dryer 1 will be described. In the drying process in which the laundry S is actually dried during the drying operation, there is a dehumidification while circulating the dehumidified air in the first circulation path 19 and the storage tank 2 to dry the laundry S in the storage tank 2. The drying mode and the non-dehumidifying drying mode in which the uncooled air is circulated in the second circulation path 20 and the accommodating tank 2 to dry the laundry S in the accommodating tank 2.

Figure 4 is a graph comparing the relationship between temperature and drying speed with dry air and water vapor. In the graph of Fig. 4, the horizontal axis represents the temperature [°C] of the medium of air and water vapor, and the vertical axis represents the drying speed of the laundry S in the case of using the medium. The more the drying speed is increased, the more the laundry S can be dried earlier.

In the case of the dehumidifying and drying mode, since the air is circulated while dehumidifying the air, the drying of the laundry S is performed by the dry air. In this case, as shown by the thick broken line in Fig. 4, as the temperature of the dry air rises, the drying speed rises.

In the case of the non-dehumidifying drying mode, the drying of the laundry S is performed by hot air containing water vapor. Since the temperature of the hot air is 100 ° C or more in the non-dehumidifying drying mode, the water vapor contained in the hot air is superheated steam. In the non-dehumidifying drying mode, as shown by the thick solid line in FIG. 4, if the temperature of the hot air is in the range of 100 ° C to 150 ° C, although the drying speed is slower than that of the dry air, since dehumidification is not performed, Therefore, energy saving can be achieved, and the laundry S can be effectively dried. When the temperature of the hot air is higher than the temperature at the reversal point of 150° C. to 170° C., the temperature of the superheated steam contained in the hot air is increased, whereby the effect of the superheated steam to promote evaporation of water from the laundry S is improved. Therefore, the drying speed can exceed the dry air.

Thus, in the case where the temperature of the medium is higher than the temperature of the reversal point, the drying speed in the non-dehumidifying drying mode The degree is faster, and the drying speed is faster in the dehumidifying drying mode when the temperature of the medium is lower than the temperature of the reversal point.

In the non-dehumidifying drying mode, since the dehumidification is not performed, the circulation path 3 is exposed to a high temperature environment more than the dehumidification drying mode. Therefore, at least the inner circumferential surface of the second circulation path 20 through which the hot air flows in the non-dehumidifying drying mode is made of a heat resistant material of metal or heat resistant resin. In the case of the first embodiment, the portions other than the first branch path 13 and the second branch path 14 in the second branch path 14 and the circulation path 3 are made of a heat resistant material, and in the case of the second embodiment, Since one circulation path 19 and the second circulation path are the same, the circulation path 3 as a whole is composed of a heat resistant material. Since the second circulation path 20 is made of a heat-resistant material, it is possible to prevent the second circulation path 20 from being damaged by the air that has become high temperature without being dehumidified.

Fig. 5 is a graph showing changes with time in the drum temperature during the drying operation of the dryer 1. In the graph of Fig. 5, the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time, and the vertical axis represents the drum temperature [°C].

Referring to FIG. 5, in the drying operation of the dryer 1, in the drying process, in either the dehumidifying drying mode and the non-dehumidifying drying mode, the blower 4 and the heater 5 are provided. To turn on, thereby circulating hot air. Thereby, since the laundry S in the accommodation tank 2 is heated, the temperature of the drum rises.

When the drying of the laundry S progresses, the amount of rise in the temperature of the drum gradually becomes smaller, and the temperature of the drum is stabilized at T ₁ . When the drying of the laundry S is finished, the temperature of the drum rises sharply. Therefore, when the drum temperature rises sharply from T ₁ to T ₂ , the heater 5 is set to stop. In the drying operation, from the beginning to the time when the drum temperature reaches T ₂ is taken as the drying process, and after the drying process, it is called cooling.

Next, the flow of the drying operation in the dryer 1 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 6 .

When the user operates the operation unit 33 to instruct the start of the drying operation or when the dryer 1 is the laundry dryer, the control unit 30 starts the drying operation. The control unit 30 locks the door of the storage tank 2 by the door lock mechanism 37 as a start of the drying operation, switches the destination of the air in the storage tank 2 to the second circulation path 20, and connects the heater 5 and the blower 4 Pass (step S1). Thereby, the drying process in the start of the drying operation.

In order to switch the destination of the air in the storage tub 2 to the second circulation path 20, in the first embodiment, the control unit 30 controls the opening and closing of the switching valve 17 to cause air to flow to the second branch path 14, and closes the water supply valve 22 The water of the faucet 23 does not flow into either of the water supply path 6 and the cooling path 7. In the second embodiment, the control unit 30 simply closes the water supply valve 22 so that the water of the faucet 23 does not flow into the water supply path 6 and Any one of the cooling paths 7. Further, before the start of the drying operation, if the destination of the air in the storage tub 2 has been switched to the second circulation path 20, the destination of the air in the storage tub 2 is omitted in step S1. Processing of the second loop path 20.

When the heater 5 and the blower 4 are turned on in a state where the destination of the air in the storage tub 2 is switched to the second circulation path 20, the hot air based on the heated air is not dehumidified in the storage tub 2 and The second loop path 20 circulates. Thereby, the drying of the laundry S based on the non-dehumidifying drying mode is started. In the non-dehumidifying drying mode, the control section 30 controls the heater 5 to heat the air flowing in the second circulation path 20 to 100 ° C or more. Thereby, the laundry S can be dried in a short time by the air which is heated to 100 ° C or more without dehumidification and contains superheated steam. Further, if the drying time of the laundry S is preferentially shortened, it is preferable to make the temperature of the hot air higher than the temperature of the reverse point.

After step S1, the control unit 30 detects the amount of load of the laundry S in the storage tub 2 by the load amount sensor 35 (step S2). For example, the amount of load can be detected by the deviation of the rotational speed of the drum 11 when the drum 11 is constantly rotated.

The control unit 30 determines whether or not the load amount M _o detected in step S2 is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value M _c1 stored in the memory 32 (step S3). In the case of the non-dehumidifying drying mode, the amount of load that can be effectively dried has an upper limit value in consideration of the amount of saturated steam, and the upper limit value can be obtained in advance as a predetermined value M _c1 in the experiment. In the case where the load amount M _o exceeds the predetermined value M _c1 and the amount of the laundry S is larger, the dehumidifying drying mode can more effectively dry the laundry S than the non-dehumidifying drying mode.

When the load amount M _o exceeds the predetermined value M _c1 (NO in step S3), the control unit 30 switches the destination of the air in the storage tank 2 from the second circulation path 20 to the first circulation path 19, and starts the first Dehumidification of hot air in a circulation path 19 (step S4).

Specifically, in the first embodiment, the control unit 30 controls the opening and closing of the switching valve 17 to allow air to flow to the first branch path 13, and controls the opening and closing of the water supply valve 22 so that the water of the faucet 23 is cooled from the cooling path. 7 flows to the one end portion 3A of the circulation path 3. In the second embodiment, the control unit 30 simply controls the opening and closing of the water supply valve 22 so that the water of the faucet 23 flows from the cooling path 7 to the one end portion 3A of the circulation path 3. The drying of the laundry S based on the dehumidifying drying mode is started by starting the dehumidification of the hot air.

If the load amount M _o is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value M _c1 (YES in step S3), the control unit 30 maintains the destination of the air in the storage tank 2 as it is in the second circulation path 20, and continues to be based on non-dehumidification. Drying of the washing mode S in the drying mode.

Thus, in the flow of steps S3 to S4, the control unit 30 is based on the load amount sensor in step S2. The amount of the laundry S detected by 35 switches the destination of the air in the storage tank 2 to the first circulation path 19 or the second circulation path 20. Thereby, an appropriate drying operation corresponding to the amount of the laundry S can be performed.

When the drying based on the non-dehumidifying drying mode is continued, the control unit 30 detects the drum temperature Td _n at a predetermined timing (step S5). Then, the control unit 30 detects the drum temperature Td _n+1 at a time point when the predetermined time elapses from the timing of starting the drying of the laundry S based on the hot air (step S6).

The control unit 30 determines whether or not the value obtained by subtracting the drum temperature Td _n from the drum temperature Td _n+1 is smaller than a predetermined first predetermined value T _C1 stored in the memory 32 (step S7). In the non-dehumidifying drying mode, it is suitable and unsuitable depending on the type of the laundry S texture. In the case of the laundry S of a type which is difficult to dry such as cotton, in the non-dehumidifying drying mode, since the temperature of the drum hardly rises, the temperature in the drum 11 from the drum temperature Td _n to the drum temperature Td _n+1 The amount of rise does not satisfy the first predetermined value T _C1 .

In the state in which the drying in the non-dehumidifying drying mode is continued, if the amount of rise in the temperature in the drum 11 has elapsed from the start of drying of the laundry S for a predetermined period of time, the first predetermined value T _C1 is not satisfied (in step S7). In the case of YES, the control unit 30 switches the destination of the air in the storage tub 2 from the second circulation path 20 to the first circulation path 19, and starts dehumidification of the hot air (step S4). Thereby, the control unit 30 dries the laundry S in the dehumidifying drying mode. Therefore, it is possible to dry the laundry S which is not suitable for drying in the non-dehumidifying drying mode in the dehumidifying drying mode.

If the amount of increase in the temperature in the drum 11 from the drum temperature Td _n to the drum temperature Td _n+1 is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value T _C1 (NO in step S7), the type of the laundry S due to drying It is preferable to dry in the non-dehumidifying drying mode, so the control section 30 continues the drying of the laundry S based on the non-dehumidifying drying mode.

In this way, the control unit 30 determines the type of the laundry S in the storage tub 2 in step S7, and switches the destination of the air in the storage tub 2 to the first circulation path 19 or the second according to the determined type of the laundry S. Loop path 20. Thereby, an appropriate drying operation corresponding to the type of the laundry S can be performed.

After the processing of the initial stage of the steps S1 to S7 in the drying process as described above is completed, the control unit 30 detects the drum temperature when the predetermined time that becomes the target of the end of the drying process is from the start of drying (step S1). Td _t (step S8). The control unit 30 detects the drum temperature Td _{t and} then detects the drum temperature Td _t+1 at a time point when another predetermined period has elapsed (step S9). During the drying process, when the laundry S is completely dried immediately, the drum temperatures Td _t and Td _{t+1 are} temporarily stabilized at the T ₁ (refer to FIG. 5 ) and become substantially constant.

Then, the control unit 30 determines whether or not the value obtained by subtracting the drum temperature Td _t from the drum temperature Td _t+1 exceeds a predetermined second predetermined value T _C2 stored in the memory 32 (step S10). In other words, the control unit 30 determines whether or not the amount of increase in temperature in the predetermined period in the storage tub 2 after the start of drying exceeds the second predetermined value T _C2 . The predetermined period of time is predetermined as a period from the timing of detecting the drum temperature Td _{t to} the timing of detecting the drum temperature Td _t+1 . When the circulation of the hot air based on the drying process is continued while the laundry S is completely dried, since the temperature of the drum is sharply increased due to the absence of moisture in the laundry S, the amount of the lift exceeds the second predetermined value. T _C2 .

When the amount of rise from the drum temperature Td _t to the drum temperature Td _t+1 exceeds the second predetermined value T _C2 (YES in step S10), the drum temperature Td _t+1 reaches the T ₂ (refer to the figure). 5) Since the drying of the laundry S in the storage tub 2 is completed, the control unit 30 stops the heater 5 and ends the drying process (step S11). Thereby, the operation of the heater 5 can be stopped, and the washing tank 2 and the laundry S can be cooled.

Then, when the operation of the heater 5 is stopped as described above, the control unit 30 sets the destination of the air in the storage tub 2 as the first circulation path 19, and continues to operate the blower 4. At this time, although the drying of the air in the storage tank 2 is switched from the second circulation path 20 to the first circulation path 19 if the drying is performed in the non-dehumidifying drying mode so far, if it is now dehumidified and baked When the drying mode is performed, the destination of the air in the storage tub 2 is maintained as the first circulation path 19 as it is. In either case, after the operation of the heater 5 is stopped, the water is dehumidified by the water supply path 22 while circulating between the storage tank 2 and the first circulation path 19, and the cooling is started (step S12). ). The drying operation can be terminated early by cooling the washing tank 2 and the laundry S efficiently with the cooled air during cooling.

If the drum temperature Td _c falls below the drum temperature Td _e after the start of cooling (YES in step S13), the storage tank 2 and the periphery thereof are cooled to a state in which the laundry S in the storage tank 2 can be opened. . Therefore, the control unit 30 controls the door lock mechanism 37 to release the lock of the door (step S14). Thereby, the drying operation is completed, and the user can open the door to take out the dried laundry S in the storage tub 2.

As described above, in the dryer 1, the destination of the air in the storage tub 2 is switched to the first circulation path 19 or the second circulation path 20 by the control unit 30 depending on the situation (steps S3 and S7). Therefore, if the destination is switched to the second circulation path 20, it can be continuously used for the drying of the laundry S without dehumidifying the air. Thereby, since the time required for dehumidifying air, electric power, and water consumption can be saved, the time for the drying operation can be shortened and energy can be saved.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be carried out within the scope of the claims. Various changes.

For example, in the case of the laundry S of a hard-to-dry type such as a cotton cloth, the drying is performed in the dehumidifying drying mode without using the non-dehumidifying drying mode (steps S7 and S4). Further, in the case where the laundry S is made of a material that does not withstand a high temperature of 100° C. or more in the drying in the non-dehumidifying drying mode, the type of the laundry by the user through the operation unit 33 may be selected, and the like. Drying is performed in a dehumidifying drying mode in a non-dehumidifying drying mode.

Further, although the first circulation path 19 and the second circulation path 20 are the same in the first embodiment except for the first branch path 13 and the second branch path 14, they are identical in the second embodiment, but It can also be constructed completely separately. In other words, there may be two other circulation paths 3, one of which is the first circulation path 19, and the other of the two is the second circulation path 20.

Description of the reference numerals

1: dryer; 2: storage tank; 5: heater; 7: cooling circuit; 19: first circulation path; 20: second circulation path; 22: water supply valve; 30: control unit; 35: load sensor ;S: washing; T _C1 : first specified value; T _C2 : second specified value.

Claims

A dryer characterized by comprising:

The storage tank accommodates the laundry;

a first circulation path connected to the storage tank for taking out air containing water vapor released from the laundry in the storage tank from the storage tank and dehumidifying, and returning to the storage tank;

a second circulation path connected to the storage tank for taking out air containing water vapor released from the laundry in the storage tank from the storage tank and returning to the storage tank without dehumidification;

Dehumidifying unit, dehumidifying air in the first circulation path;

a heating unit that heats air circulating between each of the first circulation path and the second circulation path and the storage tank; and

The switching unit switches the destination of the air in the storage tank to the first circulation path or the second circulation path.
The dryer according to claim 1, wherein

The first circulation path and the second circulation path are the same.
A dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

The second circulation path is made of metal or a heat resistant resin.
A dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that

Including a detecting unit that detects the amount of laundry in the storage tank,

The switching unit switches the destination of the air in the storage tank to the first circulation path or the second circulation path according to the amount of laundry detected by the detection unit.
A dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that

A determination unit is included, the determination unit determining a type of laundry in the storage slot,

The switching unit switches the destination of the air in the storage slot to the first circulation path or the second circulation path according to the type of the laundry determined by the determination unit.
A dryer according to claim 5, wherein

In a state where air circulates between the storage tank and the second circulation path, if the predetermined time elapses from the start of drying of the laundry, the amount of temperature rise in the storage tank does not satisfy the first A predetermined value, the switching unit switches a destination of air in the storage slot from the second circulation path to the first circulation path.
A dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein

The heating unit heats air flowing in the second circulation path to above 100 °C.
A dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein

The control unit includes a control unit that stops the operation of the heating unit when the temperature increase amount in the predetermined period in the storage tank after the start of drying exceeds a second predetermined value.
The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein

When the operation of the heating unit is stopped, the switching unit sets the destination of the air in the storage tank as the first circulation path, and the air is dehumidified by the dehumidifying unit.