JP2020069054A - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine capable of determining a dry state of a laundry without being affected by the water temperature of cooling water or room temperature, and capable of suppressing poor drying such as the laundry not drying. SOLUTION: A housing, an outer tub supported in the housing to store washing water inside, a washing tub rotatably supported in the outer tub about a vertical axis and accommodating laundry, and a bottom of the washing tub. A rotary wing installed in, a drive unit that rotates the washing tub and the rotary wing, a heating unit that heats the air supplied to the washing tub, and a water-cooled dehumidifying unit that cools warm air by supplying cooling water. It has a humidity detection unit that detects relative humidity during the drying process and a control unit that controls the drive unit, heating unit, and water-cooled dehumidification unit, and the control unit detects humidity before starting dehumidification by the water-cooled dehumidification unit. The maximum value is calculated from the relative humidity detected by the unit, the amount of change is calculated from the calculated maximum value and the current detected value of relative humidity, and the calculated amount of change is equal to or greater than an arbitrary determination value set in advance. In that case, the heating of the air by the heating unit is stopped. [Selection diagram] Fig. 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine for washing clothes and the like.

  Conventionally, in a washer / dryer, a sensor that detects the temperature of the hot air in the circulation path of the warm air and the temperature of the cooling water after heat exchange by cooling the warm air containing moisture in the circulation path with the cooling water Is installed, and it is determined that the laundry is dried by using the temperature difference detected by the plurality of sensors.

  Patent Document 1 describes a washing and drying machine that terminates the drying operation by a sensor that detects such a temperature.

  In the washer-dryer adopting the above-mentioned laundry drying method, the temperature of the hot air supplied into the washing / dehydrating tank and the temperature of the drainage water after the heat exchange with the cooling water-supplied heat exchanger are measured. However, it is determined that the laundry has dried when the difference between the temperature changes becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

Japanese Patent No. 5097157

  However, in the dehumidification method using cooling water in Patent Document 1, the temperature of water used as cooling water affects the temperature change, and it is possible to determine that the laundry is dry even when it is not dry, and Even if it was completely dry, there was a possibility that it could be judged as not dry yet. Further, in the air-cooling dehumidification method in which indoor air is used instead of cooling water to dehumidify, the room temperature affects the temperature change, and there is a possibility that the dry state of the laundry may be erroneously determined.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine that can determine the dry state of laundry without being affected by the cooling water temperature or room temperature, and can prevent defective drying such as laundry not drying. is there.

  In order to achieve the above object, a washing machine of the present invention includes a housing, an outer tub supported in the housing and storing washing water therein, and a laundry rotatably supported in the outer tub about a vertical axis. By containing the washing tub to be housed, the rotary wing installed at the bottom of the washing tub, the drive unit that rotates the washing tub and the rotary wing, the heating unit that heats the air supplied into the washing tub, and the cooling water. It has a water-cooled dehumidifying unit that cools warm air, a humidity detection unit that detects relative humidity during the drying process, a drive unit, a heating unit, and a control unit that controls the water-cooled dehumidification unit. The maximum value is calculated from the relative humidity detected by the humidity detection unit before the dehumidification by the unit starts, and the change amount is calculated from the calculated maximum value and the detected value of the current relative humidity, and the calculated change amount is If the value exceeds a predetermined judgment value, the heating unit will heat the air. A configuration in which stop.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to determine the dry state of the laundry without being affected by the temperature of the cooling water or the room temperature. Therefore, it is possible to prevent poor drying such as the laundry not drying.

It is a figure showing the longitudinal section concerning the washing dryer of the present invention. It is a figure showing functional composition concerning a washing dryer of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the temperature and relative humidity change during the drying process which concerns on the washing-drying machine of this invention. It is a figure which shows the warm air temperature change in the drying process which concerns on the washing-drying machine of this invention. It is a figure which shows the temperature and relative humidity change in the drying process at the time of an abnormal state which concerns on the washing-drying machine of this invention.

  Hereinafter, a washer / dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are examples of embodying the present invention and are not of the nature to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

  FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a structure of a washer / dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the washer / dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In an outer frame 1 which is a casing of a washer / dryer, an outer tub 2 for storing washing water is vibration-supported by four hanging members (not shown) suspended from the upper four corners of the outer frame 1, It is vertically arranged at the center of the outer frame 1. The washing tub 3 arranged in the outer tub 2 is formed of a stainless steel plate and has a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is long in the axial direction. Through holes 7 are formed in the peripheral wall of the washing tub 3 for passing water and ventilation.

  At the center of the inner bottom surface of the washing tub 3, a rotary blade 6 that stirs the laundry to perform a washing operation, a rinsing operation, and a drying operation is rotatably provided. The rotating blade 6 is rotationally driven by the drive device 8 and repeats forward rotation / reverse rotation to perform washing operation, rinsing operation, drying operation, and the like. During the dehydration operation, the washing tub 3 and the rotary blades 6 rotate integrally at a high speed to dehydrate the water contained in the laundry.

  The drive unit 8 which is a drive unit has a built-in drive motor, an electromagnetic operation clutch mechanism, and a planetary gear speed reduction mechanism that use a reversible rotation type capacitor splitting / single-phase induction motor, an inverter drive motor, and the like. By controlling the mechanism, the stirring drive mode in which the rotary wing 6 is repeatedly rotated forward and backward (reciprocating) while the washing tub 3 is stationary, and the dehydration in which the washing tub 3 and the rotary wing 6 are integrally rotated in the same direction. It has a drive function for selectively executing the drive mode.

  A circulation duct 18, which is a circulation connection portion connected to the outer tank 2 by an exhaust connection portion 24, is installed at a rear side portion of the outer frame 1, and an air passage of the circulation duct 18 is provided in a drying process. A water-cooling dehumidifying plate 20 for cooling and dehumidifying hot air containing water evaporated from laundry by cooling water is installed, and a drying filter (not shown) for removing lint and the like contained in the circulating hot air. Is a blower supply unit that is detachably installed and that forms a flow of warm air from below the circulation duct 18 toward the upper direction from the outer tank 2 through the exhaust connection unit 24, as shown by the white arrow. An air blower 19 and a heater 17, which is a heating unit for heating the circulating hot air that has been cooled and dehumidified, are provided. The air heated by the heater 17 passes through the air duct 26 to supply warm air into the washing tub 3. A temperature / humidity sensor 28, which is a humidity detection unit that detects the humidity of the circulating air, is installed in the air passage between the circulation duct 18 and the blower 19.

  A warm air temperature sensor 21, which is a warm air temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the heated warm air, is installed in the air duct 26 and is used to control the heating of the heater 17.

  The circulation duct 18 is provided with a circulation temperature sensor 22 which is a circulation temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the hot air discharged from the washing tub 3 and circulated in the circulation duct 18, and the exhaust connection 24 has a position where the cooling water flows. A water temperature sensor 23, which is a water temperature detection unit, is installed in and detects the temperature of the cooling water including the condensed water that is condensed and collected by cooling.

The temperature / humidity sensor 28 includes a portion that detects the humidity of the circulating air and a portion that detects the temperature, and calculates the relative humidity from the detected value. The temperature detecting portion of the temperature / humidity sensor 28 detects the temperature of the hot air circulating in the circulation duct 18, and thus can be used as a substitute for the circulation temperature sensor 22.
It is also possible to use the water temperature sensor 23 to detect the water temperature of the wash water or the rinsing water during the washing operation, and change the control contents of the washing process and the rinsing process according to the detected water temperature.

  The control unit 9 mainly includes the microcomputer 37.

  The microcomputer 37 has a function of controlling the display panel 16, the water supply unit 11, and the drain valve 14. Further, the motor 32 of the drive device 8 is driven and controlled via the motor drive circuit 31, the clutch mechanism 34 is switched via the clutch drive circuit 33, and the heater switch 35 is controlled to be turned on / off, thereby energizing the heater 17. It has a function of controlling, controlling strong / weak / off, and controlling the blower 19 via the fan drive circuit 36.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram simply explaining changes in relative humidity and temperature detected by the temperature / humidity sensor 28 during the drying process. The section from the starting point A to the point B of the drying operation is section 1, the section from point B to point C is section 2, and the section after point C is section 3. The control unit 9 starts energizing the heater 17 at the point A and also activates the blower 19 to start supplying hot air into the washing tub 3. When the warm air is supplied, the laundry tub 3 and the laundry containing moisture contained in the laundry tub 3 are warmed, and the temperature of the warm air circulating in the circulation duct 18 and the relative humidity rise. The control unit 9 calculates the maximum value Ha of the relative humidity during the section 1. Originally, the relative humidity should be 100%, but the relative humidity may not be 100% due to the detection accuracy of the temperature / humidity sensor 28 and the accuracy of the electronic components that make up the control unit 9. The value Ha is calculated.

  In the section 2, the control unit 9 controls the water supply unit 11 at the point B to start supplying the cooling water (tap water) to the water cooling / dehumidifying plate 20 which is the water cooling / dehumidifying unit. The water-cooling dehumidification plate 20 is a meandering rib (shown in the figure) for increasing the contact area of the cooling water supplied from 0.2 to 0.5 L of the warm air circulating upward from below the circulation duct 18. It has a structure that can efficiently cool hot air and improve dehumidification performance. The hot air containing moisture is cooled to the dew point by the water-cooling dehumidification plate 20 and condensed, and starts to fall below the maximum value Ha of the relative humidity, and then changes gradually. When the water content contained in the laundry decreases, the relative humidity of the hot air circulating in the circulation duct 18 also starts to decrease, and the point C at which the relative humidity Hb has decreased from the maximum value Ha of the relative humidity to the determination value Rh0. Upon detection, the control unit 9 determines that the laundry has dried, stops the heating by the heater 17, and performs a blowing operation for cooling the laundry and the inside of the washing tub 3 (section 3).

  That is, the control unit 9 calculates the maximum value Ha from the relative humidity detected by the temperature / humidity sensor 28 until the dehumidification by the water cooling / dehumidifying plate 20 is started, and changes from the maximum value Ha and the current detected value of the relative humidity. When the amount of change is calculated and the calculated amount of change becomes equal to or larger than an arbitrary predetermined determination value, the heating of the air by the heater 17, which is the heating unit, is stopped. By performing such control, it is possible to determine the dry state of the laundry without being affected by the temperature of the cooling water or the room temperature, and it is possible to prevent poor drying such as the laundry not drying.

  For example, when the maximum value Ha of the relative humidity is 100% and the determination value Rh0 is 60, the relative humidity Hb is 40%, and when the temperature / humidity sensor 28 detects the relative humidity 40%, it is determined that the laundry is dry. .. Although the present embodiment has been described as one determination value Rh0, it is possible to adjust the dryness of the laundry by selecting and setting an arbitrary determination value from a plurality of determination values.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram simply explaining the temperature change of the warm air detected by the warm air temperature sensor 21 and the timing of starting the water cooling dehumidification during the drying process, and FIG. 4A shows the water cooling dehumidification depending on the elapsed time. 4B shows the case where the water-cooled dehumidification is started by the temperature of the circulating hot air according to the present invention. The dotted line 1 indicates the water temperature of the tap water is 35 ° C., the solid line 1 indicates the water temperature of 20 ° C., the broken line 1 indicates the water temperature of 10 ° C., the room temperature is 20 ° C., the laundry amount is 4 kg, and the room temperature and the laundry amount are the same. It is a condition.

  The control unit 9 controls the water supply unit 11 to start the water cooling / dehumidification when the time t has elapsed, but the hot air temperature becomes the point 1 on the dotted line 1, the point 2 on the solid line 1 and the point 3 on the broken line 1 depending on the water temperature. , There is a difference in the temperature of warm air. In the broken line 1, since water cooling dehumidification starts from a point 3 lower than the point 2, the washing tub 3 and the laundry are not sufficiently warmed, so that the laundry takes a long time to dry and the amount of power consumption and tap water are reduced. Usage will increase.

  In the dotted line 1, since the water-cooling dehumidification is not started up to the point 3 which is higher than the point 2, the washing tub 3 and the laundry are heated too much and the temperature of the heater 17 becomes too high, and the heater control for temperature protection is performed. ..

  When the water cooling / dehumidifying is started by the temperature of the circulating warm air according to the present invention, the control unit 9 starts the water cooling / dehumidifying when the circulating warm air reaches the temperature T. Therefore, the dotted line 1 indicates the water cooling from the point 1 when the time t1 has elapsed. Dehumidification is started, and solid line 1 starts water-cooling dehumidification from point 2 when time t2 has elapsed, and broken line 1 starts from point 3 when time t3 has elapsed. That is, the control unit 9 controls the water cooling / dehumidifying sensor 20 to supply cooling water when the warm air temperature detected by the warm air temperature sensor 21 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature T, which is the water cooling dehumidification. To start. With this control, the warming condition of the laundry tub 3 and the laundry can be adjusted by the water temperature, so that there is no great difference in the subsequent drying operation, and the variation in the drying condition of the laundry can be suppressed.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram simply explaining changes in relative humidity and temperature detected by the temperature / humidity sensor 28 during the drying process in an abnormal state, and FIG. 5 (a) shows a state in which no laundry is put in. FIG. 5B shows a state in which the drying filter is blocked by lint and hot air cannot circulate.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the moisture adhering to the washing tub 3 and the circulation duct 18 and the like evaporates from the point A at the start of drying, and the relative humidity gradually begins to decrease. The control unit 9 calculates the relative humidity change amount Rh1 at the point N at the time t2 when a unit time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed from the point M at which the time t1 has elapsed. If the amount of change Rh1 is equal to or greater than an arbitrary determination value (for example, 10), it is determined that an abnormal state has occurred, and the subsequent drying operation is performed as an abnormal process corresponding to an extremely small load. Even if the laundry is dried in the normal drying operation, it is judged that the laundry has dried, but the operation time in that case is, for example, 60 minutes, and if abnormal processing is executed, it can be completed in 35 minutes. It is possible to reduce power consumption and tap water usage.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, since the amount of warm air that circulates from the point A at the start of drying is small, the temperature rises slowly and the relative humidity begins to fall.

  Before the water-cooling dehumidification is started, the control unit 9 calculates the relative humidity change amount Rh1 from the point M when the time t1 has elapsed to the point N at the time t2 when a unit time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed. If the amount of change Rh1 is equal to or greater than an arbitrary determination value (for example, 10), it is determined that an abnormal state has occurred, and abnormal processing corresponding to clogging of the drying filter is executed. That is, the temperature / humidity sensor 28 detects the relative humidity from the start of the drying process, the control unit 9 calculates the variation Rh1 per unit time of the detected relative humidity, and the variation Rh1 is determined arbitrarily. When the value is equal to or more than the value, it is judged as an abnormal state, and the normal drying control is switched to the operation control at the time of abnormality (abnormality processing corresponding to the clogging of the drying filter). In this state, there is a possibility that the laundry will end without drying. Therefore, it is possible to notify the abnormal state at an early stage and prompt the cleaning of the drying filter. 5 (a) and 5 (b) show whether the relative humidity drops sharply after the water cooling dehumidification is started or the relative humidity drops sharply before the water cooling dehumidification is started. The difference is that the abnormal processing can be selected and executed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to determine the dry state of the laundry without being affected by the temperature of the cooling water, the room temperature, and the accuracy of the temperature / humidity sensor 28, and prevent the drying failure such as the laundry not drying. It is possible to judge an abnormal state such as forgetting to put laundry or forgetting to clean the drying filter.

1 Outer Frame 2 Outer Tank 3 Washing Tank 6 Rotating Blade 8 Drive 9 Controller 17 Heater 18 Circulation Duct 19 Blower 20 Water Cooling / Dehumidifying Plate 21 Hot Air Temperature Sensor 22 Circulation Temperature Sensor 23 Water Temperature Sensor 24 Exhaust Connection 25 Drain Hose 28 Temperature Humidity sensor

Claims (3)

Housing and
An outer tub that is supported in the housing and stores washing water inside,
A washing tub which is rotatably supported in the outer tub about a vertical axis and accommodates laundry;
A rotary wing installed at the bottom of the washing tub,
A drive unit for rotating the washing tub and the rotary blade,
A heating unit for heating the air supplied into the washing tub,
A water-cooled dehumidifying unit that cools warm air by supplying cooling water,
A humidity detector for detecting the relative humidity during the drying step,
A control unit that controls the drive unit, the heating unit, and the water cooling / dehumidifying unit,
The control unit calculates a maximum value from the relative humidity detected by the humidity detection unit until the dehumidification by the water cooling dehumidification unit is started, and a change amount from the calculated maximum value and the detected value of the current relative humidity. Is calculated, and when the calculated change amount is equal to or more than a predetermined determination value, the heating of the air by the heating unit is stopped. It has a warm air temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the air supplied into the washing tub,
When the warm air temperature detected by the warm air temperature detection unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit controls the water cooling / dehumidifying unit to supply cooling water to start water cooling / dehumidification. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing machine is a washing machine. The control unit calculates the amount of change per unit time of the relative humidity detected by the humidity detection unit from the start of the drying process, and determines that it is in an abnormal state when the amount of change exceeds an arbitrary determination value. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the normal drying control is switched to the abnormal operation control.

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