WO2016174810A1

WO2016174810A1 - Clothes dryer

Info

Publication number: WO2016174810A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/001501
Authority: WO
Inventors: 橋本　和彦; 内山　亘; 尾関　祐仁
Original assignee: パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社
Priority date: 2015-04-28
Filing date: 2016-03-16
Publication date: 2016-11-03
Also published as: JP2016202781A; CN106715782A

Abstract

This clothes dryer includes, inside a housing (2): an outer tank (1) which has an air inlet (20) and an air outlet (15) for air for drying; an air circulation path (14) which communicably connects the air inlet (20) and the air outlet (15); and a blower (19) which sends air for drying into the outer tank (1) through the air circulation path (14). The clothes dryer further includes: a heat pump device (23) which has an evaporator (17) and a condenser (18) disposed inside the air circulation path (14); a collection and drainage channel (26) in which water condensate generated in the heat pump device (23) is collected and drained; a water condensate detection unit (29) which has a water condensate sensor (28) that contactlessly detects that water has passed through the collection and drainage channel (26); and a control unit (27) which controls drying operations. The water condensate detection unit is configured to output an output signal for a predetermined time based on the result of comparison between an input signal from the water condensate sensor (28) and a first threshold value.

Description

Clothes dryer

The present invention relates to a clothes dryer for drying textiles such as clothes.

In recent years, for example, in a domestic drier, a drier that performs a drying operation using a heat pump device has been provided in place of a conventional drier operation using a heater for heating. The heat pump device is configured by connecting a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube, and an evaporator in a closed loop by a refrigerant pipe. The dryer includes an air circulation path for circulating the air in the drying chamber in which clothes are stored through the evaporator and the condenser in order to return the air to the drying chamber. An air blower is provided in the circulation ventilation path, and the air for drying circulates by driving the air blower. The drying air is heated by the condenser and supplied into the drying chamber. After the moisture of the laundry such as clothes is taken away, the air is cooled by the evaporator, dehumidified, and heated again by the condenser. In this way, the drying air is circulated. The drying method using the heat pump device is superior in energy efficiency to the drying method using a heater, and has advantages such as a low heating temperature and less wrinkles and shrinkage.

A conventional dryer includes a temperature detection unit in an air circulation path, and performs a drying completion determination based on a temperature difference of the temperature detection unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This type of dryer will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 7, 8, and 9. FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional dryer. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a conventional air circulation mechanism and a heat pump device. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a change in temperature at the entrance and exit of the drying chamber during a drying operation in a conventional dryer.

7 and 8, the dryer 102 includes a drying chamber 101 in which clothes are accommodated and a blower 119. The drying chamber 101 has an outer tub 103 and a rotating drum 104. The blower 119 circulates the air in the drying chamber 101 so as to return to the drying chamber 101 (the outer tub 103 and the rotating drum 104) through the circulation ventilation path 114 when the drying step is executed. Further, the dryer 102 detects the heat pump device 123 in which the evaporator 117 and the condenser 118 are arranged in the circulation ventilation path 114, and the inlet air temperature supplied to the drying chamber 101 and the outlet air temperature discharged. An inlet temperature sensor 125 and an outlet temperature sensor 124 are provided. Furthermore, a control unit 127 that controls the overall operation of the dryer 102 and determines the completion of drying based on the temperature difference between the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature is provided. The evaporator 117 and the condenser 118 constitute a heat pump cycle in which the refrigerant circulates by the operation of the compressor 121 and the like. That is, the high-humidity air discharged from the drying chamber 101 is cooled by the evaporator 117 and dehumidified. Here, the drying air whose absolute humidity has decreased reaches the condenser 118 through the circulation ventilation path 114. The drying air that has passed through the condenser 118 is heated to become high-temperature and low-humidity air, and is blown into the drying chamber 101 from the air supply port 120 through the circulation ventilation path 114 to dry the clothes.

The operation of each mechanism of the dryer 102 described above is controlled by the control unit 127. The control unit 127 determines the end of the drying step as follows. That is, the inlet temperature sensor 125 that detects the temperature of the drying air at the inlet portion of the drying chamber 101 and the outlet that detects the temperature of the drying air at the outlet portion of the drying chamber 101 provided in the circulation ventilation path 114. A signal from the temperature sensor 124 is input to the control unit 127. After starting the drying step, the controller 127 constantly monitors the temperature difference between the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature detected by the temperature sensors.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the drying operation is started and the body of the dryer is warmed, and the clothing is fully dried, the temperature detected by the inlet temperature sensor 125 of the drying chamber 101 becomes constant. On the other hand, the wet clothing in the drying chamber 101 takes away the amount of heat of the heated drying air flowing from the drying chamber inlet. For this reason, the temperature detected by the outlet temperature sensor 124 is considerably lower than the temperature detected by the inlet temperature sensor 125. That is, the difference between the temperatures detected by the two temperature sensors is considerably different at the start of drying, but gradually decreases as the drying of the clothing proceeds. The control unit 127 determines that the drying is completed when the temperature difference falls below a predetermined value (for example, 10 ° C.).

However, in the conventional dryer, the difference between the temperature of the inlet air detected by the two temperature sensors and the temperature of the outlet air gradually decreases as the clothes are dried, but the degree of change in the temperature difference is considerably small. . Specifically, in the diagram shown in FIG. 9, from the timing when the operation time is about 60 minutes and the clothes are actually dried about 90% to the timing when the operation is actually finished after about 100 minutes. The degree of change in temperature difference is extremely small. In addition, this temperature difference is greatly affected by the ambient temperature of the place where the dryer is installed. For example, when the ambient temperature is low, the temperature difference value remains large for a long time because heat is also taken away from the outside air in addition to the wet clothing, and the variation factor of the temperature difference detection is large. Therefore, the detection accuracy of drying completion that determines that the clothes are dry is low, and the operation ends with the clothes remaining undried, or the operation time becomes longer and the clothes become over-dried, such as cloth damage and shrinkage. Have problems such as causing problems.

Therefore, there is a method of detecting the passage of dehumidified water with an optical sensor composed of a light emitting element and a light receiving element without using a temperature sensor. In this case, a circuit for converting a small output signal of the light receiving element into a predetermined pulse signal is provided as a dehumidified water detection unit, which outputs a detection unit signal at a predetermined voltage. The control unit detects the output signal at a predetermined interval and determines that the dehumidified water has passed.

However, the timing when one drop of dehumidified water is dropped depends on the detection range of the optical sensor and the dropping speed, but is about 50 msec. it is conceivable that. When such a momentary passage of dehumidified water is detected with an optical sensor, the output signal from the dehumidified water detection unit will also be short, and if an output signal is detected by a normal sampling control unit, it will be missed. There is a problem that sometimes. Also, the pipe where the optical sensor is installed is full of moisture, and depending on the ambient temperature of the place where the dryer is installed, the moisture may adhere to the side wall of the pipe, and the output signal of the optical sensor There is a problem that it leads to minute noise and a decrease in the baseline.

JP 2012-254207 A

The present invention solves the conventional problems as described above, and is dehumidified without being affected by the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the drying chamber and the ambient temperature of the place where the dryer is installed. Provided is a clothes dryer that can reliably detect an output signal of a water detector, accurately determine the timing of completion of drying, and suppress the occurrence of defects in clothes.

Specifically, a clothes dryer according to an example of an embodiment of the present invention communicates a drying chamber having an air supply port and an exhaust port for drying air, and an air supply port and an exhaust port inside the housing. It has an air passage to be connected, a blower for blowing drying air into the drying chamber through the air passage, and a heat pump device having an evaporator and a condenser disposed in the air passage. The clothes dryer further includes a dewatering path for collecting and draining dehumidified water generated by the heat pump device, and a dehumidified water detecting unit that non-contactly detects that the water has passed through the drainage path. And a control unit for controlling the drying operation. The dehumidified water detection unit is configured to output an output signal of a predetermined time or more according to a result of comparing an input signal from the dehumidified water sensor with a predetermined threshold.

According to the above configuration, the dehumidified water generated in the evaporator of the heat pump device in the drying operation flows through the drainage path, and the dehumidified water detection unit reliably detects the dehumidified water in a non-contact manner for a predetermined time or more. Output the output signal. In addition, the control unit will not miss this output signal, and will be able to accurately and accurately determine the timing of completion of drying without being affected by the temperature of the air path and surroundings, thereby suppressing the occurrence of defects in clothing. it can.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the internal structure of a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an optical sensor, which is a dehumidifying water sensor of the clothes dryer in the embodiment of the present invention, and how the dehumidifying water passes. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a dehumidified water detection unit of the clothes dryer in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing transition of the output signal of the dehumidified water detection unit during the drying operation of the clothes dryer in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the drying operation of the clothes dryer in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a transition of the count number of the output signal of the dehumidified water detection unit during the drying operation of the clothes dryer in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic view for explaining the internal structure of a conventional dryer. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air circulation mechanism and a heat pump device in a conventional dryer. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a change in temperature at the entrance and exit of the drying chamber during a drying operation in a conventional dryer.

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an internal structure of a clothes dryer 50 according to an example of an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an outer tub 1 constitutes a drying chamber. The outer tub 1 is elastically supported by a plurality of vibration isolation mechanisms 3 inside the housing 2 of the clothes dryer 50. The drum 4 is provided in the outer tub 1 and accommodates laundry clothes 5. The drum 4 has an insertion port 6 through which a garment 5 is taken in and out on the front side, is configured in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and is rotatably supported by a rotary shaft 11. The drum 4 has a plurality of inflow holes 8a through which drying air flows into the bottom wall 7a, and a plurality of discharge holes 8b through which the drying air is discharged into the peripheral wall 7b. A stirring baffle 9 for efficiently lifting the garment 5 is provided on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 7b. The outer tub 1, the drum 4 and the rotating shaft 11 are disposed so as to be inclined forwardly by an angle θ (for example, 10 ° to 20 °) with respect to the horizontal. In addition, the outer tub 1, the drum 4, and the rotating shaft 11 are not limited to the aspect arrange | positioned inclined, You may arrange | position horizontally.

A driving device 10 such as a motor is provided outside the outer tub 1 and rotates the drum 4 in the forward direction or the reverse direction via the rotating shaft 11. On the front surface of the housing 2, there are provided a substantially circular slot 6 through which clothes 5 are put in and out and a door 12 for opening and closing the slot. The opening of the outer tub 1 facing the charging port 6 is connected to the housing 2 by a packing 13 while ensuring airtightness. The driving method of the driving device 10 is not limited to the direct driving method that is provided outside the back surface of the outer tub 1 and directly drives the drum 4, and may be a belt driving method, a gear driving method, or the like.

An air circulation path 14 is formed above the outer tank 1 as an air path including the outer tank 1 and the drum 4. In the present embodiment, air circulating in the air circulation path 14 is referred to as drying air. The air circulation path 14 passes through the lint filter 16, the evaporator 17, the condenser 18, and the blower 19 in this order, and the drying air that has exited from the exhaust port 15 that is the outlet of the outer tank 1 passes through the air circulation path 14. It is configured to circulate again into the outer tub 1 and the drum 4 through a certain air supply port 20.

The lint filter 16 captures lint such as hair and cotton waste generated from the clothing 5 and contained in the drying air. Thereby, clogging due to lint accumulation in the evaporator 17, the condenser 18, and the blower 19 is prevented, and problems such as a decrease in the air volume are suppressed. The lint filter 16 is detachable from the clothes dryer main body, and the lint captured by the user can be discarded. The blower 19 includes a fan motor 19 a that drives a fan, and blows and circulates drying air through the air circulation path 14 to the outer tub 1.

The evaporator 17 and the condenser 18 are heat exchangers configured by piping through which the refrigerant flows and fins that promote heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air. The heat pump device 23 includes a compressor 21 that compresses and discharges the sucked refrigerant, a condenser 18 that exchanges heat between the compressed high-pressure and high-temperature refrigerant and air, a throttle unit 22 that depressurizes the high-pressure refrigerant, and a reduced pressure. It has an evaporator 17 for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the air that has become low in temperature, and these are connected so that the refrigerant can circulate through a pipe. The heat pump device 23 is provided above the outer tub 1 or inside the housing 2 in accordance with the arrangement of the air circulation path 14.

The drainage / drainage path 26 is a drainage flow path disposed below the evaporator 17, collects dehumidified water generated by condensation of moisture in the drying air by the evaporator 17, and discharges it to the outside of the housing 2. . Moreover, the dehumidified water detection part 29 has the dehumidification water sensor 28 which detects water. The dehumidified water sensor 28 is attached to a position not far from the evaporator 17 in the middle of the collection / drainage path 26 and detects that the dehumidification water has passed through the collection / drainage path 26. The form and method of the dehumidified water sensor 28 are not particularly limited as long as the dehumidified water can detect that the dehumidified water has passed through the collection / drainage path 26, but in the present embodiment, the light-emitting element 28a and the light-receiving element are not limited. A method using an optical sensor composed of the element 28b will be specifically described.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an optical sensor that is a dehumidifying water sensor of the clothes dryer 50 according to an example of the embodiment of the present invention and a state in which the dehumidifying water passes. The dehumidified water sensor 28 is provided in close contact with the outside of the side surface of the drainage path 26 so that the pair of light emitting elements 28a and light receiving elements 28b face each other. The dehumidified water sensor 28 is incorporated in a circuit of the dehumidified water detection unit 29 described later, and the light receiving element 28b receives light from the light emitting element 28a and measures the light intensity. Thereby, the passage of the dehumidified water generated in the evaporator 17 of the heat pump device 23 can be detected. Specifically, when there is no dehumidified water, light enters the light receiving element 28b as it is from the light emitting element 28a. However, when the dehumidified water flows, the light from the light emitting element 28a is blocked by the dehumidified water and is received by the light receiving element 28b. As the incident light decreases, the output of the light receiving element 28b changes, and the presence or absence of dehumidified water can be detected.

In addition, the non-contact type dehumidified water sensor 28 does not have protrusions in the collection / drainage path 26 as compared with the contact type sensor. For this reason, there is an advantage that lint such as cotton lint and hair mixed in the dehumidified water is not caught by the sensor unit.

Further, the control unit 27 is provided in the upper part of the front surface in the housing 2. The control unit 27 controls the driving device 10 and the blower 19 while monitoring the input from various detection units based on the operation setting performed by the user from the operation display unit 27a, and executes the operation of the clothes dryer 50. To do.

About the clothes dryer 50 comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

When the control unit 27 starts the drying operation, the drum 4 rotates with the wet clothing 5 accommodated therein. The drying air circulates through the air circulation path 14 by the blower 19. First, the drying air heated by the condenser 18 flows into the drum 4 from the air supply port 20 through the outer tub 1. The drying air that has flowed into the drum 4 comes into contact with the wet clothing 5. The clothes 5 are heated by the drying air, and the moisture evaporates to dry. On the other hand, the drying air is deprived of heat by the clothing and decreases in temperature, resulting in a high humidity state containing a large amount of moisture. The high-humidity drying air in the drum 4 flows out from the exhaust port 15 through the outer tub 1. The drying air that has flowed out of the outer tub 1 absorbs heat, that is, is cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 17. Thereafter, the drying air reaches the condenser 18 and is heated again to become high-temperature and low-humidity air. Thus, the drying air circulates in the air circulation path 14 to dry the clothes 5 in the drum 4.

At this time, the thermal energy released from the condenser 18 to the drying air is approximately equal to the sum of the amount of heat corresponding to the power consumption of the compressor 21 and the amount of heat absorbed by the evaporator 17. For this reason, the output more than the electric power input into the compressor 21 is obtained from the condenser 18, and the garment 5 can be dried with less power consumption compared with an electric heater.

During the drying operation using the heat pump device 23, the temperature of the evaporator 17 is always in a cold state of 5 ° C to 15 ° C. The high-humidity drying air that has flowed out of the drum 4 is rapidly cooled by the evaporator 17. Thereby, water is condensed on the surface of the evaporator 17 to generate water droplets. When the water droplets generated here are combined to form a water droplet of a certain size, the water droplet is dropped below the evaporator 17 as dehumidified water. The dehumidified water dripped is collected in the collection / drainage path 26 and flows in the collection / drainage path 26 intermittently, not a continuous flow like a river flow. At this time, the dehumidified water sensor 28 detects that the dehumidified water has passed through the drainage path 26 in a non-contact manner, and outputs a signal. The output of this signal is high when dehumidified water is present (for example, 4.5 V), and is low when dehumidified water is not present (for example, less than 4 V). In this embodiment, the dehumidified water sensor 28 always detects the presence or absence of dehumidified water.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the dehumidified water detection unit 29 of the clothes dryer 50 in the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, the light receiving element 28b of the dehumidified water sensor 28 incorporated in the dehumidified water detection unit 29 is composed of an infrared light receiving photodiode. The dehumidified water detection unit 29 includes a comparator circuit 29a that compares the magnitudes of the signals, and a light intensity signal received by the light receiving element 28b is input to the comparator circuit 29a. The comparator circuit 29a compares this input signal with a predetermined threshold value and generates an output signal according to the result. In the present embodiment, this threshold is set as a first threshold, for example, at a voltage that can distinguish between the passage of dehumidified water and noise due to fogging of the dehumidified water sensor 28. The comparator circuit 29a is set to output a predetermined signal when the magnitude of the input signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold value. In the present embodiment, the comparator circuit 29a is an inverting comparator, which generates an output signal of 5V when the input signal is less than the first threshold, and when there is an input signal greater than or equal to the first threshold, It is set to generate an output signal.

The dehumidified water detection unit 29 has an output signal fixing circuit 29b. The output signal fixing circuit 29b outputs the output signal so that it becomes an output signal for a predetermined time.

Specifically, if the first threshold value of the input signal in the comparator circuit 29a is set to 4 V, for example, when there is usually nothing, the comparator circuit 29a has an input signal of less than 4 V, and the comparator circuit 29a Generates a 5V output signal. Then, when the dehumidified water passes through and the light reaching the light receiving element 28b is reduced, and the input signal of 4V or more which is the first threshold value is input to the comparator circuit 29a, the comparator circuit 29a generates an output signal of 0V. . Furthermore, when this 0V output signal is generated, if it is left as it is, for example, 50 msec. In some cases, the output signal fixing circuit 29b causes a predetermined time, for example, 100 msec. During this period, the output signal is maintained. As a result, the control unit 27 can accurately detect minute dehumidified water without losing the output signal of the dehumidified water detection unit 29.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the transition of the output signal of the dehumidified water detection unit 29 during the drying operation of the clothes dryer 50 in the present embodiment. It is plotted so that “with water passage” or “without water passage” can be determined based on the output signal of the dehumidification water detection unit 29 that detects the timing when the dehumidification water passes through the collection and drainage path 26. Note that the clothes dryer 50 in the present embodiment has a temperature detection unit (a thermistor at the drum outlet) at each of the entrances and exits of the drum 4 that is a drying chamber, in the same manner as the completion detection by the conventional dryer. 24, and a thermistor 25) at the drum inlet, and these temperature transitions are also shown.

From FIG. 4, it can be seen that dehumidified water is generated as the drying operation is started and the garment 5 is dried, and continuously passes through the drainage channel 26 when about 25 minutes have passed. Then, when about 60 minutes have elapsed from the start of operation, the output signal from the dehumidified water detection unit 29 gradually decreases. This indicates that the drying has progressed sufficiently. In the example of this operation, the clothing 5 is already dried at the timing when the output signal from the dehumidified water detection unit 29 is lost, and if the drying operation is further continued, the clothes 5 are overdried. Therefore, it is necessary to determine that drying is completed before that and set an appropriate drying extension time.

The control unit 27 counts how many times the output signal from the dehumidified water detection unit 29 is obtained per unit time, for example, per minute. For example, 100 msec. Every other minute, the second threshold is set to 2 V, for example, and the presence or absence of an output signal is detected, and output signals equal to or lower than the second threshold are counted. Then, the control unit 27 determines that the drying is completed when the predetermined number of conditions is satisfied, for example, when the count number is equal to or less than a predetermined value. For example, the control unit 27 outputs an output signal from the dehumidified water detection unit 29 to 100 msec. When counting every other minute, it will be detected 600 times in total, but if the number of times that the dehumidified water gradually decreases and the output signal is detected becomes 20 counts or less per minute, for example, it is determined that the drying is completed. can do.

Next, the processing procedure of the drying operation in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the drying operation of the clothes dryer 50 in the present embodiment.

First, clothes 5 to be dried are put into the drum 4 of the clothes dryer 50 by the user (step S0). The user performs operation settings such as the degree of drying of the clothes 5 by using the operation display unit 27a, and presses the operation button. The control unit 27 rotates the drum 4 by the driving device 10 to detect the capacity of the clothing 5, activates the heat pump device 23, and starts a drying operation (step S1). When the drying operation starts, the drying air warmed by the heat pump device 23 is supplied into the rotating drum 4, and the drying air heats the clothes 5 and is then discharged from the drum 4.

The control unit 27 waits for the clothing 5 to be warmed by the drying air when the operation of the heat pump device 23 is started, and detects the drum inlet temperature (thermistor 25), for example, after 10 minutes (step S2). When the drum inlet temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, for example, 50 ° C. or higher, the output signal of the dehumidified water detection unit 29 is detected to determine whether or not the drying is completed (step S3).

In the dehumidified water detection unit 29, when the dehumidified water sensor 28 detects dehumidified water, a signal is output according to the change in the amount of received light. The output signal is input to the comparator circuit 29a and output as a pulse signal. Further, in the output signal fixing circuit 29b, a predetermined time, for example, 100 msec. An output signal is output as a pulse signal. The controller 27 adjusts to the time length of the output signal, for example, 100 msec. In the case of a pulse signal of 100 msec. Each time, this output signal is detected (step S4). The output signal is 100 msec. In the case of the pulse signal, the control unit 27 is at least 100 msec. If the detection is performed at the following timing, the output signal is not missed, and if the time length is matched, the number of output signals can be detected accurately.

The control unit 27 determines whether or not the detected output signal is equal to or lower than the second threshold (2V) (step S5), and is equal to or lower than the second threshold (Yes in step S5) for a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute). The number of times is counted (step S6). Note that the output signal is basically 5 V or 0 V, but a second threshold is provided in consideration of the influence of noise and the like. The number of counts for a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) is held in a plurality of histories (step S7), and it is determined whether or not the number of counts is equal to or less than a third threshold (for example, a total of 150 counts in the last 2 minutes). However (step S8), if not less than the third threshold (No in step S8), the process returns to step S4 and repeats a predetermined count. Moreover, if it becomes below a 3rd threshold value (Yes of step S8), the remaining time display currently displayed on the operation display part 27a will be changed (step S9). The remaining time displayed here is a time that needs a little more drying, for example, 30 minutes.

Furthermore, detection and counting of the output signal of the dehumidified water detection unit 29 are continued, and a fourth threshold value (for example, 20 counts per minute or less continues for 3 minutes), which is a condition where the count number is smaller than the third threshold value. If satisfied (Yes in step S10), the control unit 27 determines that the drying is completed (step S11). When determining that the drying is completed, the control unit 27 changes the remaining time display. The remaining time displayed here is the drying extension time for finishing, for example, 10 minutes is displayed (step S12). The control unit 27 ends the drying operation after continuing the drying operation for the extended drying time (step S13).

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the transition of the count number of the output signal of the dehumidified water detector in the drying operation of the clothes dryer 50 of the present embodiment. It can be seen that as the drying state progresses, the count number of the output signal of the dehumidified water detection unit 29 decreases, and the number of times the dehumidified water is dropped is decreased. Therefore, the control unit 27 determines that the drying is completed when the count number satisfies the fourth threshold, and thereafter, after the drying operation is continued for a predetermined drying extension time, the drying operation is terminated. Accordingly, the garment 5 can be dried to an appropriate state without causing problems such as undried garment 5 and fabric damage or shrinkage due to overdrying.

It should be noted that the third threshold value, the fourth threshold value, and the drying extension time until the completion of drying can be changed according to the clothing capacity detected at the start of the drying operation. For example, in the third threshold value, the total count for the last two minutes may be decreased as the clothing capacity is decreased. Further, in the fourth threshold value that is the determination of the completion of drying, the count number per unit time and the duration time may be changed. Further, the drying extension time is conventionally set to 20 minutes, for example, regardless of the capacity of the clothing 5, but if automatic setting is possible depending on the clothing capacity, the drying extension time is set to 20 when the clothing capacity is a specified amount. It is possible to change such as 10 minutes when the minute and half of the specified amount, and 5 minutes when the amount is small. By using the optimum drying extension time in this way, energy consumption can be reduced and the drying operation can be terminated in an appropriate drying state according to the clothing capacity.

Further, the control unit 27 may be configured to calculate a drying rate of the clothing 5 by obtaining a drying speed from a change in the number of counts per unit time. With such a configuration, the control unit 27 can determine the drying speed during the drying operation and calculate the drying rate, thereby predicting the timing of completion of drying and accurately determining the timing.

Further, the dehumidified water sensor 28 may be composed of an electrostatic sensor whose capacitance changes as the water passes through the collection / drainage path 26. With such a configuration, the control unit 27 detects the dehumidified water passing through the collection and drainage path 26 in a non-contact manner by the electrostatic sensor, measures the period time based on the change in capacitance, and detects the amount of the dehumidified water. be able to.

As described above, with the structure of the clothes dryer 50 according to an example of the embodiment of the present invention, the drying air heated by the condenser of the heat pump device heats the clothes in the drum to evaporate moisture, and then dries. The working air is dehumidified by an evaporator to generate dehumidified water, and the dehumidified water flows through the collection and drainage path. The dehumidified water detection unit is configured to output an output signal for a predetermined time based on a result of comparing an input signal from the dehumidified water sensor that has detected the passage of the dehumidified water with a predetermined threshold (first threshold). With such a configuration, the control unit can accurately and accurately determine the timing at which the clothes in the drum are dried indirectly without missing the output signal, and can suppress the occurrence of defects in the clothes. Furthermore, the timing of the completion of drying can be accurately detected without being affected by the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the drum and without being affected by the ambient temperature of the environment where the clothes dryer is installed.

Further, the control unit detects the output signal of the dehumidified water detection unit at intervals of a predetermined time or less, counts the number of times the output signal is detected, and completes the drying when a predetermined condition (fourth threshold value) is satisfied. It is configured to determine. With such a configuration, the control unit can accurately determine the completion of drying.

In addition, the control unit includes an operation display unit that displays time, and is configured to display the remaining time of the drying operation on the operation display unit when the count number becomes a predetermined number (third threshold value) or less. Yes. With such a configuration, the control unit can inform the user of the remaining time of the drying operation.

In addition, when it is determined that the drying is completed, the control unit extends the drying operation by a predetermined operation time, and displays the remaining time based on the extended predetermined operation time (dry extension time) on the operation display unit. It is configured. With such a configuration, the clothes can be dried with good finish, and the user can be informed of the exact remaining time of the drying operation.

The control unit includes a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the drying air, and is configured to determine the completion of drying after the drying air exceeds a predetermined temperature. With such a configuration, when the ambient temperature of the environment in which the clothes dryer is installed is low, the drying operation is performed even when the temperature rise of the drying air by the condenser is slow and the temperature of the clothes in the drying chamber is slow. It can be completed with good timing.

In addition, since moisture does not evaporate from the clothing for a while after starting the drying operation, dehumidified water is not detected. For this reason, a predetermined time after the start of the drying operation is set so that the drying completion is not detected even if the dehumidified water cannot be detected. With such a configuration, it is possible to avoid an erroneous determination of the completion of drying at a timing shortly after the start of the drying operation.

As described above, a clothes dryer according to an example of the embodiment of the present invention communicates a drying chamber having an air supply port and an exhaust port for drying air, and an air supply port and an exhaust port inside the housing. An air path to be connected and a blower that blows drying air into the drying chamber through the air path. A clothes dryer according to an example of the embodiment of the present invention further includes a heat pump device having an evaporator and a condenser disposed in an air passage, and a dewatering water collected and drained by the heat pump device. A drainage path, a dehumidified water detection unit having a dehumidification water sensor that detects non-contact that water has passed through the drainage path, and a control unit that controls the drying operation are provided. The dehumidified water detection unit is configured to output an output signal for a predetermined time based on a result of comparing an input signal from the dehumidified water sensor with a predetermined threshold.

With such a configuration, the dehumidified water generated in the evaporator of the heat pump device in the drying operation flows through the drainage path. The dehumidified water detection unit reliably detects the dehumidified water in a non-contact manner and outputs an output signal for a predetermined time. The controller does not miss this output signal and accurately determines the timing of completion of drying without being affected by the air path and the surrounding temperature. Thereby, it can suppress that a malfunction generate | occur | produces in clothing.

In the clothes dryer according to an example of the embodiment of the present invention, the control unit detects the output signal at intervals of a predetermined time or less and counts the number of times the output signal is detected. For example, it may be configured to determine that the drying is completed when the fourth threshold value is satisfied. With such a configuration, the control unit can accurately determine the completion of drying.

Further, in the clothes dryer according to an example of the embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may be configured to calculate a drying rate by obtaining a drying speed from a change in the number of counts per unit time. With such a configuration, the control unit can determine the drying speed during the drying operation and calculate the drying rate, thereby predicting the timing of completion of drying and determining with high accuracy.

Further, in the clothes dryer according to the example of the embodiment of the present invention, the control unit includes a display unit for displaying time, and when the count number becomes a predetermined number or less, the display unit displays the remaining time of the drying operation. It may be configured to. With such a configuration, the control unit can inform the user of the remaining time of the drying operation.

In the clothes dryer according to the example of the embodiment of the present invention, when the control unit determines that the drying is completed, the control unit extends the drying operation by a predetermined operation time, and extends the predetermined operation time (drying) to the display unit. The remaining time based on the extended time) may be displayed. With such a configuration, the clothes can be appropriately dried, and the user can be informed of the exact remaining time of the drying operation.

In the clothes dryer according to the example of the embodiment of the present invention, the control unit includes a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the drying air, and determines that the drying is completed after the drying air exceeds a predetermined temperature. It may be configured. With such a configuration, when the ambient temperature of the environment in which the clothes dryer is installed is low, the drying operation is performed even when the temperature rise of the drying air by the condenser is slow and the temperature of the clothes in the drying chamber is slow. It can be completed with good timing.

Further, in the clothes dryer according to an example of the embodiment of the present invention, the dehumidified water sensor may be configured by an optical sensor that changes the amount of light when water passes through the drainage path. With such a configuration, the control unit can detect the dehumidified water passing through the collection and drainage path in a non-contact manner with the optical sensor, measure the period time based on the change in the amount of light, and detect the amount of the dehumidified water.

Further, in the clothes dryer according to an example of the embodiment of the present invention, the dehumidified water sensor may be configured by an electrostatic sensor whose capacitance changes as water passes through the collection and drainage path. With such a configuration, the control unit can detect dehumidified water passing through the drainage path in a non-contact manner with an electrostatic sensor, measure a period time based on a change in capacitance, and detect the amount of dehumidified water. it can.

As described above, the present invention provides a clothes dryer that can accurately detect completion of drying of clothes by detecting dehumidified water generated from clothes in a non-contact manner in a drying operation using a heat pump device. Therefore, the present invention can be widely used not only for clothes dryers but also for washing dryers having a drying function.

1 Outer tank (drying room)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Case 3 Anti-vibration mechanism 4 Drum 5 Clothing 6 Input port

7a Bottom wall

7b Perimeter wall

8a Inflow hole

8b Outlet hole 9 Stirring baffle 10 Drive apparatus 11 Rotating shaft 12 Door 13 Packing 14 Air circulation path (air path)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Exhaust port 16 Lint filter 17 Evaporator 18 Condenser 19 Blower 19a Fan motor 20 Air supply port 21 Compressor 22 Restriction part 23 Heat pump apparatus 24 Thermistor (temperature detection part)
25 Thermistor (temperature detector)
26 Collection / drainage path 27 Control unit 27a Operation display unit 28 Dehumidified water sensor 29 Dehumidified water detection unit

Claims

Inside the housing,
A drying chamber having an inlet and an outlet for drying air;
An air passage connecting the air supply port and the exhaust port in communication with each other;
A blower for blowing drying air into the drying chamber through the air passage;
A heat pump device having an evaporator and a condenser disposed in the air passage;
A drainage path through which dehumidified water generated in the heat pump device is collected and drained;
A dehumidified water detector having a dehumidified water sensor that detects non-contact that water has passed through the drainage path;
A control unit for controlling the drying operation,
The said dehumidified water detection part is a clothes dryer comprised so that the output signal of predetermined time might be output by the result of having compared the input signal from the said dehumidified water sensor with a predetermined threshold value.
The control unit detects the presence / absence of the output signal at intervals of the predetermined time or less, counts the number of times the output signal is detected, and determines that the drying is completed when the number of times satisfies a predetermined condition. The clothes dryer of Claim 1 comprised.
The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a drying rate by calculating a drying rate from a change in the number of times the output signal is detected per unit time.
The control unit includes a display unit that displays a time, and displays the remaining time of the drying operation on the display unit when the number of times the output signal is detected per unit time becomes a predetermined number or less. The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the clothes dryer is configured as follows.
The control unit is configured to extend the drying operation by a predetermined operation time when it is determined that the drying is completed, and to display a remaining time based on the predetermined operation time on the display unit according to claim 4. The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
6. The control unit according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the drying air, and configured to determine completion of drying after the drying air exceeds a predetermined temperature. The clothes dryer according to item 1.
The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the dehumidified water detection unit includes an optical sensor that changes a light amount when water passes through the collection and drainage path.
The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the dehumidified water detection unit includes an electrostatic sensor whose capacitance changes as water passes through the drainage path.