CN101858024A - Washing and Drying Machines and Dryers - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a washing and drying machine and a drying machine capable of improving the drying and drying quality performance of laundry and reducing power consumption. The washing and drying machine (1) has: an outer tank (4) having an opening (4a) on one side, and the outer tank (4) is elastically supported; an inner tank (5) driven to rotate by a motor (8) , which can be rotatably supported inside the outer tank (4), and has an opening (5a) at one end; a cover (7), which opens and closes the opening (4a) of the outer tank (4); blowing outlets ( 37A, 37B ), which blows warm air (50) into the interior of the inner tank (5) during the drying process, and changes at least one of the blowing area and the blowing direction; the air duct pipes (15, 13, 24, 25, 23), it is located at the exhaust port (12) of the outer tank (4) as the upstream, and the above-mentioned blowing outlet is downstream, and the air duct pipe forms the air outlet (12) and the above-mentioned blowing outlet. An air flow channel; a blower fan (18), which delivers the air in the air duct pipe; and a heating unit (21), which heats the air to become warm air (50).

Description

Washing and Drying Machines and Dryers

technical field

The present invention relates to a washing and drying machine and a drying machine for drying laundry such as clothes.

Background technique

The drum type washing and drying machine arranges the drum in the outer tank in a manner that can rotate around a horizontal or substantially horizontal rotating shaft, and drives the drum to rotate around the rotating shaft to wash, rinse, dehydrate and dry the laundry, wherein the outer tank is horizontal Alternatively, it may be arranged inclined substantially horizontally.

Here, in order to dry the laundry containing moisture, the air inside the drum containing moisture is discharged out of the outer tank, dehumidified by the dehumidification unit, heated by the heating unit to dry it, and pressurized and accelerated by the fan. The dried air is blown into the drum to evaporate moisture from the laundry, and the wet laundry is dried by performing such a drying cycle.

In the past, the washing and drying machine described in Patent Document 1 discloses such a structure: there is a detour passage, a part of the air sent by the blower flows through the detour passage without passing through the heating unit, and the passage cross-sectional area of the detour passage can be reduced. It can change according to the size of the washing capacity, the fabric, and the temperature inside the outer box.

However, there is no description at all about the structure for improving the quality of drying and improving the efficiency of drying.

Patent Document 1: JP-A-2007-330354

In addition, in order to promote the evaporation of water from laundry and other laundry to shorten the drying time, sometimes there is such a situation: to expand the area of the outlet to reduce the air passage resistance at the outlet, although the wind speed has decreased, but increasing the air volume is more effective. preferred.

In addition, if the rotation speed of the fan is increased, the amount of warm air will increase, but on the other hand, the noise of the fan will increase, and the power consumption of the fan motor will also increase.

In addition, if the nozzle is restricted to increase the wind speed, it is effective to reduce the wrinkles of laundry such as clothes, but the pressure loss at the nozzle part will increase, so the fan needs to be rotated at a high speed, the power consumption will increase, and the fan noise will also increase. Large, therefore, the above becomes a technical issue.

Contents of the invention

In view of the above actual situation, the present invention provides a washing and drying machine that speeds up drying of laundry, improves drying quality performance, and reduces power consumption by changing the area of the warm air outlet or changing the blowing direction of the warm air. and dryer.

In order to achieve the above object, the washing and drying machine according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided with: an outer tank having an opening on one surface, and the outer tank is elastically supported; an inner tank, which is rotatably pivotally supported inside the outer tank, And there is an opening opposite to the opening of the outer tank at one end; a cover body, which opens and closes the opening of the outer tank; a motor, which drives the inner tank to rotate; an outlet, which blows warm air into the inner tank during the drying process. Inside, and at least one of the blowing area and the blowing direction is changed; the air duct pipe is upstream of the air outlet located in the outer tank and downstream of the air outlet, and the air duct pipe forms the air outlet The air channel connected with the air outlet; the air supply fan, which delivers the air in the air duct pipe; and the heating unit, which heats the air to become warm air.

The drying machine according to the second aspect of the present invention includes: an outer tank having an opening on one surface and elastically supporting the outer tank; an inner tank which is rotatably supported inside the outer tank and has a The opening opposite to the opening of the tank; the cover, which opens and closes the opening of the outer tank; the motor, which drives the inner tank to rotate; the blower port, which blows warm air into the inner tank during the drying process, and changes the blowing temperature. At least one of the inlet area and the blowing direction; the air duct pipe, which takes the exhaust port located on the outer tank as the upstream, and takes the blowing outlet as the downstream, and the air duct pipe forms a link connecting the exhaust port and the blowing outlet. an air flow channel; a blower fan, which delivers air in the air duct tube; and a heating unit, which heats the air to become warm air.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a washing and drying machine and a drying machine capable of accelerating drying of laundry, improving dry quality performance, and reducing power consumption.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the overall and internal structure of a drum-type washing and drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway rear view showing the internal structure of the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a partially cutaway right side view showing the internal structure of the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a partially cutaway plan view showing the internal structure of the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

5 is a perspective view of a first embodiment in which the blowing direction of warm air is changed by the structure of the blast pipe of the drum type washing and drying machine and the switching operation of the switching valve body for the warm air.

6 is a perspective view of a first embodiment in which the blowing direction of warm air is changed by the structure of the blast pipe of the drum type washing and drying machine and the switching operation of the switching valve body for the warm air.

7 is a perspective view of a first embodiment in which the blowing direction of warm air is changed by the structure of the blast pipe of the drum type washing and drying machine and the switching operation of the switching valve body for the warm air.

8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment in which the blowing direction of warm air is changed by the structure of the blast pipe of the drum-type washing and drying machine and the switching operation of the switching valve body for the warm air.

9 is a perspective view of a second embodiment in which the blowing direction of warm air is changed by the structure of the blast pipe of the drum type washing and drying machine and the switching operation of the switching valve body for the warm air.

10 is a perspective view of a second embodiment in which the blowing direction of warm air is changed by the structure of the blast pipe of the drum-type washing and drying machine and the switching operation of the switching valve body for the warm air.

11 is a perspective view of the blower duct shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 as viewed from the rear side of the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the embodiment, and is a perspective view showing an example of a driving structure of a switching valve body.

12 is a perspective view of the blower duct shown in FIGS. 7 and 10 as viewed from the rear side of the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the embodiment, and is a perspective view showing an example of a driving structure of a switching valve body.

Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the drum-type washer-dryer in the control mode.

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a schematic flowchart of a course of the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view including a sectional view of main parts, as viewed from the front side, in the vicinity of the blast pipe in a modified form of the second embodiment.

Label description

1 drum type washing and drying machine (washing and drying machine)

4 outer slots

4a Opening (opening of outer tank)

5 rollers (inner tank)

5a Opening (opening of inner tank)

6 Opening (opening of outer tank)

7 cover (cover body)

8 drive motor (electric motor)

11 drying unit (air duct, filter, air supply fan, heating unit)

12 exhaust port

13 Dehumidification pipe (air duct pipe)

14 washings

15 corrugated tube (air duct tube)

16 filters

18 fans (air supply fan)

20 fan drive motor (fan rotation speed control unit)

21 heater (heating unit)

23 blast pipe (air duct pipe)

24 connecting air duct (air duct pipe)

25 blowing corrugated tube (air duct tube)

35 rotating fulcrum (fulcrum)

36 switching valve body (switching parts)

37 outlets (first outlet, second outlet)

37A first outlet

37B Second outlet

38 partition board (partition wall)

39 blast channel (air duct pipe)

39A The first blast channel (air duct pipe)

39B Second blast channel (air duct pipe)

41 Warm air inlet (air duct pipe)

48 The first detection unit (switching valve position selection unit)

49 Second detection unit (switching valve position selection unit)

50 warm air

50A warm air

50B warm air

50E warm air

50F warm air

51s operation button switch (drying mode selection unit)

90 temperature sensor (switching valve position selection unit)

92 temperature sensor (switching valve position selection unit)

94-key input unit (drying mode selection unit)

98 air supply control circuit (fan rotation speed control unit)

100 microcomputers (fan rotation speed control unit, switching valve position selection unit, drying mode selection unit)

C control circuit part (fan rotation speed control unit, switching valve position selection unit, drying mode selection unit)

P1 first position

P2 second position

P3 third position

Detailed ways

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing the overall and internal structure of a drum-type washing and drying machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, including a partially cutaway perspective view, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the drum-type washing and drying machine 1 shown in FIG. Including a partial cutaway rear view, Fig. 3 is a right view including a partial cutaway showing the internal structure of the drum type washing and drying machine 1 shown in Fig. A top view of the internal structure including a partial cutaway.

【Overview of drum type washing and drying machine 1】

The drum type washing and drying machine 1 ( FIGS. 1 to 4 ) of the embodiment performs water supply and drainage while the drum 5 rotates, thereby washing, rinsing and washing the laundry 14 (see FIG. 3 ) put into the drum 5 . Dehydration, and then drying by blowing warm air (50 (50A, 50B)) (see FIG. 3 ) to the laundry 14 while the drum 5 is rotating, thereby automatically and continuously washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying the laundry 14.

5 to 7 show the switching action of the warm air 50A, 50B blowing to the laundry 14 through the structure of the blast pipe 23 of the drum type washing and drying machine 1 and the switching valve body 36 (see arrows in FIGS. 5 and 7 ). 40A, 40B), to change the blowing direction of the warm air 50A, 50B perspective view of the first embodiment.

In the blast pipe 23 of the drum type washing and drying machine 1 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , a switching valve body 36 is provided, and the switching valve body 36 is rotatably supported on the hot air inlet portion 41 (see FIGS. 5 to 7 ). The switching valve body 36 is formed in a shape extending from the rotation shaft 35 toward the upstream side (upper side in the drawing) where the warm air 50A, 50B flows or toward the heater 21 side.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , in the air passage from the switching valve body 36 in the blowing pipe 23 to the opening 4 a of the outer tank 4 , a first blowing passage divided into two by a partition plate 38 is formed. 39A and the second blowing passage 39B, the first blowing passage 39A and the second blowing passage 39B are respectively connected to the first blowing port 37A and the second blowing port 37B opened toward the inside of the drum 5 .

During the drying operation, warm air 50 ( 50A, 50B) is blown to laundry 14 from first and second outlets 37A, 37B of air blowing duct 23 to dry laundry 14 .

During dry operation, the switching valve body 36 in the blast pipe 23 is rotated (refer to arrows 40A and 40B in FIGS. In this way, the wind direction, wind speed, and air volume of the warm air 50A, 50B can be appropriately changed.

Thereby, the wind direction or area of the warm air outlets (first and second outlets 37A, 37B) for drying the laundry 14 by blowing the dry warm air 50 (50A, 50B) inside the drum 5 can be changed. .

The structure of the drum type washing and drying machine 1 will be described in detail below.

[Exterior of drum type washing and drying machine 1]

In the drum type washing and drying machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 , an outer frame (not shown) as a supporting member composed of a combination of steel plates and resin moldings is mounted on the upper portion of a base 3 as a basic supporting member by screwing or the like.

On the outer frame, a front cover c1 and an openable and closable cover 7 for taking in and out of the laundry 14 are provided on the front surface of the outer frame, and the rear surface of the outer frame is provided with a front cover c1 that constitutes a rear casing. Back cover c2. The casing of the washing and drying machine 1 is constituted by these front cover c1, rear cover c2, base 3, and the like.

An operation panel 51 for a user to operate the drum-type washing and drying machine 1 is provided on the upper portion of the front cover c1.

The operation panel 51 is equipped with: a power switch responsible for on/off of the power supply of the drum type washing and drying machine 1; various modes such as standard course, washing, and drying for selecting washing and drying (washing and drying continuous operation). A plurality of operation button switches 51s; and a start switch (not shown) pressed when each mode is started. Moreover, the display 51h of a light emitting diode which has several displays for notifying a user of the operating state of the drum type washing and drying machine 1 is arrange|positioned on the operation panel 51. As shown in FIG.

【outer tank 4】

The drum type washing and drying machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a cylindrical outer tank 4 that is opened on the front side by a suspension device (suspension) 2 on a base 3 in a housing such as a front cover c1. , and the outer tank 4 is supported such that its axis is inclined from the horizontal to the front surface side slightly upward as shown in FIG. 3 .

The outer tank 4 plays a role of storing washing water during the washing and rinsing steps, and receiving and discharging water removed from the laundry 14 during the spin-drying and drying steps.

In addition, an unillustrated tension coil spring is engaged with the outer tank 4 to prevent the outer tank 4 from falling down.

The portion of the outer tank 4 facing the cover 7 on the front side is opened through the opening 4a (see FIG. 1 ), and the outer tank 4 is formed to have a cylindrical peripheral side panel 4c (see FIG. 2 ) and a flat plate. The inside of the inner plate 4d is a hollow short cylindrical shape with a large diameter.

When observing the drum type washing and drying machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 from the front surface side (direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 ), a detergent dispenser for putting detergent into the outer tank 4 is disposed on the upper left corner of the outer tank 4 . Enrollment 10. In addition, the detailed description of the structure of the detergent insertion part 10 is abbreviate|omitted.

【Suspension device 2】

The suspension device 2 supporting the outer tank 4 and the like is composed of a compression coil spring with elastic force and an oil damper that, for example, seals oil to generate a damping force through the viscous resistance of the oil, so that when the drum type washing and drying machine 1 is running, Reduce the vibration of the outer tank 4.

【Roller 5】

Inside the outer tank 4 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , a drum 5 , which is opened on the front side through an opening 5 a , is disposed concentrically with the outer tank 4 so as to be rotatable.

The drum 5 is formed into, for example, a short cylindrical shape with a large diameter using a very thin stainless steel plate: the near side is opened through the opening 5a (refer to FIGS. 1 and 3 ), and has a Cylindrical peripheral panel 5c and flat back panel 5d.

The drum 5 is directly driven to rotate by the drive motor 8 provided on the inner plate 4d on the back side of the outer tank 4 . In addition, the drum 5 can of course also be driven by the drive motor 8 via a reduction mechanism such as a transmission belt.

Here, a large number of small holes (not shown) are penetrated on the cylindrical peripheral plate 5c and the flat back plate 5d of the drum 5 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. The moisture removed from the laundry 14 during spin-drying and the air flow during the drying process pass through.

In addition, a plurality of lifters (not shown) are provided inside the drum 5, and when the drum 5 is driven by the drive motor 8 to rotate, the plurality of lifters raise the laundry 14 to change the load of the laundry 14. position, so that effective washing such as patting washing, drying, etc. can be performed.

【Cover 7】

As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 6 is formed on the front surface side of the housing of the drum type washing and drying machine 1, and a cover 7 is provided to cover the opening 6, the opening 4a of the outer tank 4, and the opening 4a of the outer tank 4. The opening 5a and the like of the drum 5 are opened and closed.

The cover 7 is pivotally supported, for example, so as to be openable and closable in the direction of arrow α1 in FIG. 1 , and can be opened to an open position indicated by reference numeral 7 ′ (shown by a dotted line in FIG. 1 ) by pressing a door opening button (not shown).

The user opens the cover 7 to the mark 7' by pressing the door opening button (not shown), puts the laundry 14 into the drum 5 from the opening 6, and then closes the cover 7 to close the opening 6 and the outer shell. The opening 4a of the tank 4, the opening 5a of the drum 5, etc., perform washing, rinsing, and drying after dehydration. Afterwards, by pressing the door opening button again, the cover 7 is opened to the label 7', and the washing and drying are completed. Object 14 is taken out.

【Bellows 9】

Opening 6 on the front side of drum-type washing and drying machine 1 and opening 4a of outer tank 4 are connected by bellows 9 formed of a soft material such as rubber, for example.

In addition, when the lid 7 is closed, a part of the bellows 9 is in a positional relationship with the lid 7, so that even when the outer tank 4 vibrates during washing, rinsing, and dehydration processes, the elastic deformation of the bellows 9 , to prevent the gap between the bellows 9 and the cover 7, so that the water is sealed reliably.

On the other hand, regarding the vibration of the outer tank 4 during the dehydration process, etc., the internal friction of the bellows 9 absorbs the vibration transmitted to the housing such as the front cover c1.

【Drying unit 11】

In the drum type washing and drying machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 , viewed from the front side (arrow A direction in FIG. 1 ), from the rear of the outer tank 4 to the upper right corner, the laundry for making the water-containing laundry after washing is arranged. 14 drying unit 11 for drying.

The drying unit 11 includes: a dehumidification pipe 13 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 ) that absorbs the moisture of the laundry 14 to dehumidify the humid air with high humidity; 16 (referring to Fig. 1, Fig. 4); The fan 18 (referring to Fig. 1, Fig. 2) that circulates the air used for drying; The heater used as a heating unit that heats the air used for drying to form warm air 50 21 (referring to Fig. 1, Fig. 3);

In addition, the heater 21 is a so-called package heater (sheath Heater), and the filter 16 may not be required if it has a structure that does not worry about clogging with foreign matter such as fluff.

[Dehumidification pipe 13 of drying unit 11]

Close to the outer tank 4 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a dehumidification pipe 13 (refer to FIG. 2 ), and the dehumidification pipe 13 is connected to the inner plate 4d on the back of the outer tank 4 shown in FIG. The lower exhaust port 12 , that is, the exhaust port 12 provided at the lower part of the outer tank 4 is connected, and the dehumidification pipe 13 extends upward and is connected to the connecting air duct 24 (see FIG. 2 ) connected to the fan 18 . In this way, the outer tank 4 and the dehumidification pipe 13 are connected by a stretchable corrugated pipe 15 (refer to FIG. 3 ).

The dehumidification pipe 13 has a dehumidification unit such as a heat exchanger (not shown), and the humid air containing moisture absorbed from the wet laundry 14 inside the drum 5 shown in FIG. The exhaust port 12 provided at the lower back of the outer tank 4 discharges in the direction of the arrow 30 and is transported from below to above along the outside of the inner plate 4d (refer to FIG. 2 ) of the outer tank 4. The dehumidification unit, for example, flows through cooling Water dehumidifies by cooling the expelled humid air to condense the moisture contained therein.

[Connecting duct 24 of drying unit 11]

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the dehumidifying pipe 13 is connected to the connecting air duct 24 at the upper rear of the outer tank 4 , and the connecting air duct 24 extends from the rear to the front approximately along the rotation axis of the drum 5 (refer to FIG. 1 ). The air sent from the dehumidification pipe 13 dehumidified by the dehumidification unit is sent in the direction of the arrow 31 (see FIG. 1 ) in the connecting air duct 24 .

[Filter 16 of drying unit 11]

As shown in FIG. 1, the connection air duct 24 is connected to the filter 16, and the fluff which is the lint contained in the air which dries the laundry 14 is collected by this filter 16. As shown in FIG.

The filter 16 is arranged so that the user can insert and remove it from the front surface side (arrow A direction in FIG. 1 ) of the drum type washing and drying machine 1, and the user can pull out the filter 16 to clean the collected fluff. . In addition, description of the details of the structure of the filter 16 is omitted.

In addition, the heater 21 is a so-called package heater, and the filter 16 may not be required if it is configured so that there is no fear of clogging with foreign matter such as fluff.

[Fan 18 of drying unit 11]

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the air collected by the fluff in the filter 16 passes through the communication passage along the direction of the arrow 32 and is introduced into the rotation center of the rotating blade provided inside the fan 18. The communication passage It is arranged adjacent to the filter 16 and has a gap with the outer tank 4 , and is connected to the fan 18 .

The fan 18 is a so-called sirocco fan (siroccofan) with a plurality of centrifugal small forward-curved blades or a turbofan (turbofan) with backward-curved blades. The rotating blades are rotated by a fan drive motor 20 to accelerate the air by centrifugal force. .

The air accelerated by the fan 18 is heated when passing through the heater 21 (referring to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 ) to become dry warm air 50, and then flows from the front of the outward groove 4 through the air blowing corrugated pipe 25 (referring to Fig. 3 ). Blast pipe 23 with an open surface is blown into drum 5 in the direction indicated by arrow 34A or 34B (warm air 50 (50A, 50B)). In addition, means for changing the blowing direction of the warm air 50 will be described later.

The warm air 50 blown into the inside of the drum 5 heats the laundry 14 to evaporate moisture to become humid air, and then is sucked into the dehumidification pipe 13 outside the outer tank 4 through the exhaust port 12 shown in FIG. 2 . , and then pass through the dehumidification pipe 13 again to be dehumidified as previously described.

By continuously repeating the drying cycle as described above, laundry 14 such as wet laundry is dried.

【Blast pipe 23】

Next, the structure of the blast pipe 23 according to the present invention will be described using FIGS. 5 to 12 .

5 to 10 are perspective views showing the structure of the blast pipe 23 and the switching action of the switching valve body 36 to the warm air 50 described later. One embodiment.

In the structure shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 of the first embodiment, the direction in which the warm air 50A blown from the first outlet 37A shown in FIG. The center of the inner side of the drum 5 in the direction of arrow 34A or near the center. On the other hand, the direction in which the warm air 50B blown out from the second blower port 37B shown in FIG. 7 is blown to the inside of the drum 5 is such a direction: toward the lower surface or the lower surface of the drum 5 in the arrow 34B direction shown in FIG. 3 . Nearby, the first and second air outlets 37A, 37B are arranged such that the air blowing directions of the respective warm air 50A, 50B are different (see FIG. 6 ).

FIG. 8 to FIG. 10 show a second embodiment of the configuration for changing the air volume of the warm air 50 as another example of the blast pipe 23 .

In the structure shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 of the second embodiment, the area of the first outlet 37C and the area of the second outlet 37D are different from each other, for example, the area of the first outlet 37C is smaller, and the area of the second outlet 37C is smaller. The area of the two outlets 37D is larger, and the warm air 50A, 50B blown out from the first and second outlets 37C, 37D blows in the same direction toward the inside of the drum 5, which is toward the drum in the arrow 34A direction shown in Fig. 3 The center of the inner side of 5 or the direction near the center (refer to FIG. 9 ).

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the first embodiment and FIGS. 8 and 9 of the second embodiment, in the blast pipe 23, a switching valve body 36 is provided, and the switching valve body 36 is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable. The support shaft 35 rotates, and the rotation support shaft 35 is provided in the warm air inlet part 41 so that it may cross the air duct in the direction substantially orthogonal to the flow direction of the warm air 50 (50A, 50B).

That is, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the first embodiment and FIGS. 9 and 10 of the second embodiment, with respect to the warm air inlet portion 41, on the most downstream side (lower side in the drawing) where the warm air 50 flows The rotation shaft 35 is arranged, and on the other hand, the switching valve body 36 is arranged so as to extend from the rotation shaft 35 to the upstream side (upper side in the figure) where the hot air 50 flows relative to the hot air inlet portion 41 or the heater 21 side. shape.

In this way, by arranging the switching valve body 36 in a shape extending from the rotating shaft 35 to the upstream side (upper side in the drawing) of the warm air 50 flow or the heater 21 side, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 , in the first Position P1 (refer to FIG. 5 ), second position P2 (refer to FIG. 7 ), by the wind pressure of the warm air 50 (50A, 50B), the switching valve body 36 is pressed against the inner surface of the warm air inlet 41, thereby The switching operation of the switching valve body 36 can be reliably performed.

On the other hand, contrary to the structure of the present embodiment, when the switching valve body 36 is arranged in a shape extending from the rotation shaft 35 to the downstream side (lower side in the figure) where the warm air 50 flows or the opposite side to the heater 21 Next, by the wind pressure of the warm air 50, the switching valve body 36 opens the air flow path, that is, the switching valve body 36 is pressed to leave the inner surface of the warm air inlet portion 41, so that the switching action of the switching valve body 36 changes. Get unstable.

As shown in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment, from the downstream side of the switching valve body 36 to the first and second outlets 37A, 37B, the first blowing passage 39A and the The second blowing passages 39B are arranged in parallel.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 8 , the first blowing passage 39A is connected to the first outlet 37A, and the second blowing passage 39B is connected to the second outlet 37B.

The first outlet 37A and the second outlet 37B are respectively opened near the opening 5a of the cylinder 5 towards the inside of the cylinder 5 in the outer tank (4). During drying operation, the first outlet 37A and the second outlet 37B will Warm air 50 (50A, 50B) is blown onto laundry 14 in drum 5 to dry it.

One end of the partition plate 38 is disposed in contact with the rotating shaft 35 of the switching valve body 36, and a seal made of a soft member such as rubber is provided at the contacting portion so that the partition plate 38 and the switching valve body 36 are connected to each other. maintain an airtight structure.

In FIG. 5 of the first embodiment and FIG. 8 of the second embodiment, the first position P1 obtained by rotating the switching valve body 36 in the direction of arrow 40A is illustrated, and the surrounding area of the switching valve body 36 or the hot air inlet The portion of the inner peripheral surface of the portion 41 that is in contact with the switching valve body 36 is provided with a seal (not shown) made of a soft member such as rubber, so as to seal between the switching valve body 36 and the warm air inlet portion 41, Thus, an airtight structure is maintained between the inner peripheral surface of the warm air inlet portion 41 and the switching valve body 36 .

Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment and FIG. 8 of the second embodiment, the warm air 50A passing through the blower pipe 25 (see FIG. 3 ) is introduced into the hot air inlet portion 41 only to the switch valve body. 36 and the partition plate 38 to form the first blowing channel 39A, then blow out to the inside of the drum 5 from the first outlet 37A (37C). On the other hand, the second blowing passage 39B connected to the second blowing port 37B is sealed by a seal (not shown) through the switching valve body 36 and the partition plate 38 (see FIGS. 5 and 8 ). The wind 50A does not enter the second blowing duct 39B, and the warm air 50A does not blow out from the second outlet 37B.

In FIG. 7 of the first embodiment and FIG. 10 of the second embodiment, the second position P2 obtained by rotating the switching valve body 36 in the direction of the arrow 40B is shown, respectively. Between the switching valve body 36 and the inner peripheral surface of the warm air inlet portion 41 , an airtight structure is maintained between the inner peripheral surface of the warm air inlet portion 41 and the switching valve body 36 through a seal (not shown).

As a result, the warm air 50B that has passed through the blast pipe 25 (see FIG. 3 ) is introduced into the hot air inlet portion 41 only to the area separated by the switching valve body 36 and the partition plate 38 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10 . The second air blowing channel 39B is blown out to the inside of the drum 5 from the second outlet 37B (37D). On the other hand, the first blowing passage 39A connected to the first outlet 37A (37C) is sealed by the switching valve body 36 and the partition plate 38 via a seal (not shown), so that the warm air 50B is not introduced into the air. The first blowing duct 39A and the warm air 50B are not blown out from the first outlet 37A (37C).

FIG. 6 of the first embodiment shows the third position P3, which is located between the first position P1 of the switching valve body 36 shown in FIG. 5 and the second position P2 of the switching valve body 36 shown in FIG. 7 . middle position between. Similarly, FIG. 9 of the second embodiment shows the third position P3, which is located at the first position P1 of the switching valve body 36 shown in FIG. 8 and the second position of the switching valve body 36 shown in FIG. Intermediate position between positions P2.

The switching valve body 36 at the third position P3 shown in FIG. 6 of the first embodiment and FIG. 9 of the second embodiment is not in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the warm air inlet portion 41 .

In the state shown in FIG. 6 of the first embodiment and FIG. 9 of the second embodiment, when the warm air 50 is blown into the warm air inlet portion 41 from the blower pipe 25 , a part of the warm air 50A is blown. Introduce the first air blast channel 39A, then blow out to the inside of the drum 5 from the first air outlet 37A (37C), and another part 50B of the warm air 50 is introduced into the second air blast channel 39B, and then blow out from the second air outlet 37B (37D) Blow out to the inside of drum 5.

Here, in the structure of FIG. 8 to FIG. 10 of the second embodiment, the areas of the first outlet 37C and the second outlet 37D are made different from each other, for example, the area of the first outlet 37C is made smaller, and the area of the second outlet is made smaller. The area of the outlet 37D is relatively large.

As shown in Figure 8, when switching the first position P1 of the valve body 36, when the warm air 50A is blown out from the first air outlet 37C, the flow velocity is high but the air volume is small because the fluid resistance of the air outlet is large, as shown in Figure 10, In the second position P2 of the switching valve body 36, when the warm air 50B is blown out from the second outlet 37D, the fluid resistance of the outlet is small, so the flow velocity is small, but the air volume is large.

In addition, in the third position P3 shown in FIG. 9 of the second embodiment, since the warm air 50A, 50B is blown out from both the first outlet 37C and the second outlet 37D, the fluid resistance of the outlet is the smallest, so The warm air 50A and 50B have the largest air volume.

In this way, in the second embodiment, the air volume and wind speed of the warm air 50 can be changed by changing the area of the air outlet as shown in FIGS. 8 , 10 , and 9 .

Here, at the first position P1 shown in FIG. 8 of the second embodiment, the speed of the warm air 50A blown out from the small first air outlet 37C is, for example, 100 m (meter)/s (second) or more. And if the air volume is 1.4 m ³ (cubic meter)/minute or more, the wind pressure of the warm air 50A can spread the wrinkles of the laundry 14 such as clothes, and the quality can be improved.

In addition, once the laundry 14 such as clothing is dried with wrinkles, even if the warm air 50 is blown to the laundry 14 at a high speed thereafter, the wrinkles will not unfold. The high-speed warm air 50A is continuously blown until the laundry 14 such as clothes is still very wet until the drying is completed.

On the other hand, in the second position P2 shown in FIG. 10 , when the warm air 50 is blown out from the second air outlet 37D with a large area, or in the third position P3 shown in FIG. 9 from the first air outlet 37C and the second air outlet. When warm air 50 is blown out from both outlets 37D, the wind speed can be reduced to 20 m/s, but the air volume can be increased to 2 m ³ /min or more. Or, if the air volume of the warm air 50 is maintained at 1.4m ³ /min, then even if the rotational speed of the fan 18 is further reduced, the air volume of the warm air 50 can be obtained. ) power, can achieve low power consumption, and has the effect of saving energy.

[Drive mechanism for switching valve body 36]

Next, an example of the drive mechanism of the switching valve body 36 shown in FIGS. 5 to 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 12 .

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing switching of the blowing pipe 23 viewed from the opposite direction (direction B shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 ) to the blowing pipe 23 shown in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment and FIG. 8 of the second embodiment. A perspective view of an example of a drive mechanism of the valve body 36 . FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of a driving mechanism of the switching valve body 36 as viewed from a direction opposite to FIG. 7 and FIG. 10 (direction C shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 10 ).

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , a rotating arm 42 is fixed on the rotating shaft 35 on which the switching valve body 36 is fixed. When the rotating arm 42 is rotated, the switching valve body 36 rotates through the rotating shaft 35 .

With respect to the rotation fulcrum 35 on one end side of the rotating arm 42, a fulcrum 43 is provided on the other end side of the rotating arm 42, and an end of the connecting rod 44 is rotatably connected to the rotating arm 43. One end of the connecting rod 44 is rotatably linked.

And, the other end of connecting rod 44 is rotatably connected to fulcrum 46, and this fulcrum 46 is arranged on one end of the driving arm 47 driven by switching valve motor 45, and the other end of connecting rod 44 is rotatable through this fulcrum 46 and driving arm 47. ground connection.

The switching valve motor 45 has a reduction mechanism (not shown) with a predetermined reduction ratio, and decelerates the high-speed rotation of the motor shaft of the switching valve motor 45 to a speed suitable for the low-speed operation of the switching valve body 36 .

In the state shown in FIG. 11 , the switching valve body 36 is largely rotated in the direction of the arrow 40A to be at the first position P1 (top dead center) (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 8 ). The peripheral surface is in contact with the switching valve body 36, and an airtight structure is maintained via a seal (not shown).

In the state shown in FIG. 12 , the switching valve body 36 is largely rotated in the direction of the arrow 40B to be at the second position P2 (bottom dead center) (see FIG. 7 and FIG. 10 ). The surface is in contact with the switching valve body 36, and an airtight structure is maintained via a seal (not shown).

That is, by reciprocating the switching valve motor 45, the switching valve body 36 is moved between the top dead center (first position P1) (see FIG. 11 ) and the bottom dead center (second position P2) (see FIG. 12 ), Thereby, the 1st outlet 37A (37C) (refer FIG. 11) and the 2nd outlet 37B (37D) (refer FIG. 12) are switched.

In addition, there are also provided: a first detection unit 48 that detects that the switching valve body 36 shown in FIG. 11 is located at the top dead center position (first position P1) (see FIGS. The detection unit 49 detects that the switching valve body 36 shown in FIG. 12 is located at the bottom dead center position (second position P2) (see FIGS. 7 and 10 ).

These first detection unit 48 and second detection unit 49 can be, for example, a micro switch that detects the position of the driving arm 47, or can be a Hall IC that detects a magnet that is arranged on the driving arm 47, or can be a sensor that detects the position of the driving arm 47. A pair of elements consisting of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element of an optical coupler that detects that a part of the arm 47 is shielded from light.

In addition, the first and second detection units 48 and 49 may detect the movement of the switching valve body 36 driving mechanism or the switching valve body 36 other than the driving arm 47 .

In addition, a proximity switch that detects the movement of the driving mechanism including the driving arm 47 of the switching valve body 36 or the movement of the switching valve body 36 itself in a non-contact manner may be used as long as it can detect that the switching valve body 36 is positioned on the upper side. The structure of the first detection unit 48 and the second detection unit 49 can be appropriately selected if the dead center position (the first position P1) or the bottom dead center position (the second position P2).

【Control System】

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system for controlling the drum-type washing and drying machine 1 .

On the operation panel 51 shown in FIG. 1, as mentioned above, a display 51h including various displays and various switches 51s including a power supply are provided. The display unit and the key input unit of the circuit unit 94 are connected.

The switch 51s is used to select the execution of washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying processes, etc., and the display 51h including various displays is used to display the amount of detergent, the amount of water, or the time, progress status, and abnormality of various processes.

The control circuit unit S shown in FIG. 13 is composed mainly of a microcomputer 100 (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer) provided on the main control board 52 . The control circuit unit S functions as a control means for controlling the overall operation of the drum-type washing and drying machine 1 .

The operation signals of various switches 51s including the power switch of the operation panel 51 shown in FIG. The operation setting value, the amount of detergent needed, the amount of water or the time of various processes, the progress status, abnormality and other information are output to the display 51h including various displays, the buzzer (not shown), the control of the water supply and drainage valve 93, etc. The water supply and drainage control circuit 96 of the actuator and the like.

The power supply circuit 95 directly rectifies and smoothes the commercial power supply to supply required DC power to the microcomputer 100 or other circuits. Therefore, the DC power supply of the microcomputer 100 or other circuits overlaps with the commercial AC power supply.

Further, the microcomputer 100 controls each of the water supply and drainage valves 93 and the like based on input signals such as operation signals of various switches 51s, detection signals of the humidity sensor 90, and a control program described in C language or the like stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory). Electric valves, fan drive motors 20, and other motors.

Specifically, the microcomputer 100 energizes various water supply and drainage valves 93 with commercial power via the water supply and drainage control circuit 96 to control the opening and closing of the valves. In addition, the microcomputer 100 controls the rotation of the fan drive motor 20 via the air blowing control circuit 98 to vary the air volume from the blowing duct 23 (see FIG. 3 ).

In addition, the microcomputer 100 controls the rotation direction and the rotation speed of the drive motor 8 such as a brushless motor that drives the drum 5 (see FIG. 3 ) to rotate via the motor drive circuit 99 . If the rotational load torque of the drive motor 8 becomes large, the motor drive circuit 99 increases the current applied to the drive motor 8 to increase the drive torque. On the other hand, if the rotational load torque of the drive motor 8 becomes small, then The motor drive circuit 99 reduces the current applied to the drive motor 8 to reduce the drive torque, whereby the motor drive circuit 99 performs control to keep the rotation speed constant.

In the motor drive circuit 99 , by detecting the current applied to the drive motor 8 , the magnitude of the load torque acting on the drive motor 8 can be determined, thereby detecting the amount of cloth put into the drum 5 .

In this way, the amount of cloth of laundry 14 can be detected by detecting the rotational torque of drive motor 8 from the current and rotational speed of drive motor 8 . The structure which detects the cloth amount of the laundry 14 is called a cloth amount detection means.

The amount of detergent calculation unit 101 calculates the amount of detergent required for washing based on the detected cloth amount.

The temperature sensor 92 and the humidity sensor 90 detect the temperature and humidity of the warm air 50 ( 50A, 50B) for drying clothes, and send the detection signal to the main control board 52 .

The comparison unit 102 compares the measured values (detection signals) of the temperature sensor 92 and the humidity sensor 90 with a pre-stored reference value 103 , and outputs to the microcomputer 100 whether the values are larger or smaller than the reference value 103 . In addition, the microcomputer 100 controls the rotation direction, rotational speed, etc. of the switching valve motor 45 (see FIGS. 11 and 12 ) via the switching valve control circuit 97 to change the position of the switching valve body 36 .

The first detection unit 48 and the second detection unit 49 detect the top dead center position (first position P1) of the switching valve body 36 (see FIGS. 5, 8 and 11) or the bottom dead center position (second position P2) ( Referring to FIG. 7 , FIG. 10 , and FIG. 12 ), the detection is performed, and the detection signal is sent to the microcomputer 100.

[Operation of drum type washing and drying machine 1]

Next, the operation of the drum type washing and drying machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

First, the outline steps of washing and drying in the drum-type washing and drying machine 1 will be described.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a schematic flowchart of a standard process of the drum-type washing and drying machine 1 .

Initially, the user presses the power switch of the operation panel 51 shown in FIG. 1 to turn on the standard course switch 51s. At this time, the standard course operation is started, and the laundry 14 is washed in sequence, rinsed after twice intermediate dehydration. , final dehydration and drying.

Referring to FIG. 14 , first, the user presses the power switch on the operation panel 51 (see FIG. 1 ) to turn on the power and turn on the standard course switch 51s. And after that, the user puts in detergent (step 20).

After the necessary water supply from the mains (step 2), washing is performed (step 3), and the washing water is drained (step 4). Thereafter, to wring out the detergent contained in the laundry 14, the first intermediate spin is performed (step 5), and the water supply is started to continue the first rinse (step 6).

After the first rinsing (step 7) is completed, the rinsing water is drained (step 8). Thereafter, to wring out the detergent still contained in the laundry 14, a second intermediate spin is performed (step 9), and water supply is started for a second rinse (step 10).

After the second rinsing (step 11) is completed, the rinsing water is drained (step 12), and then final dehydration is performed (step 13).

Finally, drying is carried out (step 14), thus ending washing and drying.

[Operation control 1 of switching valve body 36]

Next, an example of operation control (see FIG. 5 , FIG. 6 , and FIG. 7 ) of the switching valve body 36 in the drying step (step 14 in FIG. 14 ) will be described.

As an example, an example in which wind direction control is performed based on the determination of the amount of cloth based on the cloth amount detection of laundry 14 will be described.

In the schematic flow chart shown in FIG. 14, after the cloth amount detection (step 1) is performed by the cloth amount detection unit of the laundry 14, when it is determined that the amount of the laundry 14 is less than 3 kg, Then the amount of cloth is considered to be a small amount. In step 14 of FIG. 14, as shown in FIG. The wind direction is toward the lower surface of the drum 5 or near the lower surface, thus, for a state where a small amount of laundry 14 is concentrated near the lower surface of the drum 5, the warm air 50B can be blown to the vicinity of the lower surface of the drum 5 efficiently. Small amount of washing 14.

On the other hand, after the amount of laundry 14 is detected (step 1 in FIG. 14 ), if it is judged that the amount of laundry 14 exceeds 3 kg, the amount of laundry 14 is large, and washing Object 14 fills the inside of drum 5.

Therefore, in step 14 of FIG. 14, as shown in FIG. 5, the moving switch valve body 36 blows out the warm air 50A from the first outlet 37A, as shown in the direction of the arrow 34A shown in FIG. The blowing direction, that is, the wind direction, is toward the center or near the center of drum 5 , whereby warm air 50A is blown to the center of laundry 14 .

In this way, by selecting an appropriate wind direction according to the amount of laundry 14, evaporation of moisture from laundry 14 can be effectively promoted, and drying efficiency can be improved.

[Operation control 2 of switching valve body 36]

As another example, an example in which the air volume or wind speed is changed in the first half and the second half of the drying process (step 14 in FIG. 14 ) will be described.

In the state where the final dehydration process (step 13) shown in FIG. In order to promote the evaporation of moisture from the evenly wet laundry 14, it is preferable to increase the air volume so that the warm air 50 is blown to the entire laundry 14 to promote the evaporation of moisture from the laundry 14.

However, the laundry 14 on the near side near the opening 5a of the drum 5 near the blower outlet 37 (37A, 37B, 37C, 37D) (see FIGS. 5 and 8 ) is directly dried by the warm air 50 (50A). , 50B) (referring to Fig. 5, Fig. 8) is blown, so it is easy to dry, on the contrary, the warm air 50 passing through the laundry 14 on the inner side of the drum 5 (the right side of the paper surface of Fig. 3 ) passes through the near side (Fig. 3 Between the wet laundry 14 on the left side of the page) the humidity becomes high, and the latent heat for evaporating the water is taken away, and the temperature becomes low, so the water does not easily evaporate.

Therefore, in the second half of the drying process, the laundry 14 is dried unevenly as follows: the laundry 14 on the front side of the drum 5 (the left side of the drum 5 shown in FIG. 3 ) has been dried, but The laundry 14 on the inner side of the drum 5 (the right side of the drum 5 shown in FIG. 3 ) is still wet.

In this way, in order to dry the laundry 14 in a state of uneven drying, it is necessary to blow in the warm air 50 so that the warm air 50 passes through the laundry 14 on the front side (the left side of the drum 5 shown in FIG. 3 ) and reaches the laundry 14. It is also the laundry 14 on the inside of the wet drum 5 (the right side of the drum 5 shown in FIG. 3 ).

For this reason, it is preferable to limit the area of the outlet (blowout port 37) from which the warm air 50 (50A, 50B) (refer to FIGS. 5 and 8 ) is blown out, and make the blowing speed high to increase the pressure so that the warm air 50 blows violently. Blow to the laundry 14.

That is, it is preferable to have such a structure: in the first half of the drying process, for example, as shown in FIG. 14) Overall drying, in the second half of the drying process, for example, as shown in FIG. 8 of the second embodiment, warm air 50A is violently blown in from the first air outlet 37C with a small area to make the laundry 14 on the back side dry.

Alternatively, in the first half of the drying process, as shown in FIG. 9 of the second embodiment, a large amount of warm air 50 (50A, 50B) may be blown out from both the first outlet 37C and the second outlet 37D.

As an example of switching between the first and second outlets 37C and 37D in the first half and the second half of the drying process, the first and second outlets are performed after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the drying process. 37C, 37D switching.

Regarding the predetermined time, according to the detection result of the amount of laundry 14 (step 1 in FIG. 14 ), when the amount of laundry 14 is large, the time for drying is long, so the predetermined time is also long. When the amount of laundry 14 is small, since the drying time is very short, the predetermined time is set shorter, so that the switching timing of the air volume of warm air 50 can be justified according to the amount of laundry 14 .

Alternatively, switching between the first and second outlets 37C and 37D may be performed based on the humidity measurement result measured by the humidity sensor 90 (see FIG. 13 ).

That is, it is preferable to have a structure in which a large amount of warm air 50B is blown from the second air outlet 37D having a large area as shown in FIG. In the second half of the drying process, when the laundry 14 is dried so that the humidity gradually decreases to below a predetermined value, for example, as shown in FIG. Wind 50A.

Alternatively, when the humidity is still above a predetermined value in the first half of the drying process, as shown in FIG. Warm air 50 (50A, 50B) is blown out.

[Motion control 3 of switching valve body 36]

In addition, as another example, an example will be described in which a mode giving priority to drying quality and a mode giving priority to drying efficiency can be selected, and appropriate warm air 50 can be blown according to the selected mode.

As previously explained, when the laundry 14 is still very wet until the drying is completed, the areas of the warm air outlets (first and second outlets 37C, 37D (see FIG. 8 )) are restricted and high-speed warm air is continuously blown. When the wind is 50, the pleats are opened by the wind pressure of the warm air of 50, and the quality is good.

On the other hand, when expanding the area of the warm air outlet (first and second outlet 37C, 37D (refer to FIG. 8 )) and continuously blowing a large amount of warm air 50, the evaporation of moisture is promoted, and the drying efficiency is improved. Therefore, drying time can be shortened and energy can be saved, and further energy saving can be achieved by further reducing the rotational speed of the fan 18 (see FIG. 1 ).

Here, the operation panel 51 is provided with a drying mode selection unit for selecting a high-quality mode with good quality as a priority and a high-efficiency mode with a priority to shorten drying time and energy saving, for example, a drying mode for selecting a high-quality mode and a high-efficiency mode is provided. The operation button switch 51s in any one of the modes is connected to the key input unit (see FIG. 13 ) of the operation circuit unit 94 . And, when the high-quality mode is selected, in the drying process, as shown in FIG. Sometimes, in the drying process, as shown in FIG. 10 of the second embodiment, if a large amount of hot air is blown out from the second blower port 37D with a large area, appropriate warm air 50 can be blown out according to the selected mode. preferred.

When the high-efficiency mode is selected, as shown in FIG. 9 of the second embodiment, a large amount of warm air 50A, 50B may be blown out from two outlets of the first outlet 37C and the second outlet 37D.

In addition, with regard to the first blowout ports 37A, 37C and the second blowout ports 37B, 37D shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 of the above-mentioned embodiment, in the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. The respective directions of the outlet 37A and the second outlet 37B are different to change the wind direction. In the second embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10 , the areas of the first outlet 37C and the second outlet 37D are Instead, the air volume is changed, but both the area and the direction of the first outlets 37A, 37C and the second outlets 37B, 37D may be changed to change both the air volume and the air direction.

[Modification of the second embodiment in which the air volume of the warm air 50 (50A, 50B) is changed]

Next, another modified form of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 in which the air volume of the warm air 50 is changed will be described with reference to FIG. 15 .

In addition, FIG. 15 is a perspective view including a sectional view of main parts, as viewed from the front side (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 ) near the blast pipe 23 in a modified form of the second embodiment.

The first air outlet 37E is an air outlet that is small in area and can blow out hot air at a high speed. When different from FIG. Reference numeral 36 ′ indicated by a dotted line), the switching valve body 36 is in a positional relationship not in contact with the inner peripheral wall of the warm air inlet portion 41 .

In FIG. 15 of the modified form, when the switching valve body 36 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 40B (refer to the reference numeral 36 indicated by the solid line in FIG. 15), the warm air 50 passes through the switching valve body 36 and the partition plate 38. It is introduced only into the first blowing port 37E, and is blown into the inside of the drum 5 at high speed.

On the other hand, when the switching valve body 36 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 40A and is at the position of the reference numeral 36' (indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 15), the warm air 50E, 50F is the same as that of FIG. The flow passing through both sides of the switching valve body 36 and both sides of the partition plate 38 is blown out from both the first outlet 37E and the second outlet 37F. In addition, in FIG. 15 of a modified form, the form in which the warm air 50 is blown only from the 2nd air outlet 37F is not realizable.

Here, if the hot air 50E blown out from the first outlet 37E is a small-area outlet suitable for blowing out the high-speed warm air 50 corresponding to the above-mentioned high-quality mode, when the switching valve body 36 is directed toward the arrow 40A When the direction is rotated to reach the position of the reference numeral 36' (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 15 ), warm air 50E, 50F is blown out from the blowout outlet that adds up the area of the first blowout outlet 37E and the second blowout outlet 37F. , so the air volume can be increased.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the switching valve motor 45 (see FIG. 13 ) was applied to the rotation of the switching valve body 36 was described, but a solenoid may be used instead of the motor.

【Effect】

According to the above-mentioned structure, when drying, the warm air 50 is blown in from the outlets 37 (37A, 37B, 37C, 37D) on the front surface side of the drum 5, so the warm air 50 is directly blown to the clothes etc. from the empty space on the front surface side. For the laundry 14, the warm air 50 passes through the inside of the laundry 14 and is exhausted from the exhaust port 12, so that the drying efficiency is improved.

In addition, in order to improve the drying quality of laundry 14 such as clothing, the area of outlet 50 for blowing warm air 50 is reduced to increase the wind speed above a predetermined speed, so that the wrinkles of laundry 14 such as clothing can be expanded, thereby Can improve the quality of drying.

Therefore, in this drum type washing and drying machine 1, the opening area of the blowing nozzles (first and second blowing outlets 37C, D, etc.) for blowing warm air 50 into the drum 5 is changed during the drying operation, and the quality can be adjusted. The drying mode with priority (refer to FIG. 8 ) and the drying mode with improved drying efficiency (refer to FIGS. 9 and 10 ) are switched. The quality-prioritized drying mode increases the warm air 50 by reducing the area of the blowing nozzle and restricting the air passage. The speed is suitable for stretching the folds of the laundry 14 such as clothes. The drying mode for improving drying efficiency increases the air volume of the warm air 50 by increasing the area of the blowing nozzle, thereby improving the drying efficiency.

In addition, regarding the direction in which the warm air 50 is blown into the inside of the drum 5, according to the amount of the laundry 14, for example, when the amount of the laundry 14 is large and the laundry 14 fills the inside of the drum 5, the warm air 50 is directed toward the center of the drum 5 ( center or near the center) (refer to Fig. 5, Fig. 3), on the other hand, when the amount of laundry 14 is small and only piled up near the lower surface of the drum 5, the warm air 50 is directed toward the lower surface or lower surface of the drum 5. Blow down near the surface (refer to FIG. 7 and FIG. 3 ), and by changing the blowing direction of the warm air 50 in this way, the drying efficiency can be further improved by directly blowing the warm air 50 to the laundry 14 such as clothes.

That is, by rotating the switching valve body 36, the direction of the outlet of the warm air 50 can be changed in the middle of the drying process, and the blowing direction of the warm air 50 can be changed when the warm air 50 is blown into the drum 5 (see FIGS. 5 and 7 ). An appropriate blowing direction is selected according to the type or amount of laundry 14 such as clothes, thereby improving drying efficiency.

In addition, in order to change the air volume of the warm air 50, it is effective to change the nozzle area of the air outlet (areas of the first and second air outlets 37C, 37D, etc. (see FIG. 8)).

Therefore, as described above, by rotating the switching valve body 36, the nozzle area of the air outlet can be changed, and the air volume of the warm air 50 can be increased or decreased, so that the drying efficiency can be improved and the drying time can be shortened.

In addition, when the area of the nozzle is enlarged, the pressure loss is reduced, and therefore the rotational speed of the fan 18 required to obtain a predetermined air volume can be reduced, thereby reducing power consumption and saving energy. In addition, there is an effect of being able to reduce fan noise.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, as the switching valve body 36, the structure of the rotary type was illustrated and described, but as long as the opening and closing of the first outlets 37A, 37C, 37E and the second outlets 37B, 37D, 37F can be controlled, , the switching valve body 36 can also be opened and closed by a sliding switching member, and the structure of switching members such as the switching valve body 36 is of course not limited to the illustrated rotary type.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the outlet of the warm air 50 is provided as two outlets, the first outlet 37A and the second outlet 37B, and the blowing direction of the warm air 50 is changed, may be There is one blowing outlet of the warm air 50, and the position of the one blowing outlet is changed mechanically to change the blowing direction.

In addition, the blowing outlets of the warm air 50 may be any number of three or more, at least one of the blowing area and direction can be changed, and the warm air 50 is appropriately selected according to the type, amount, and dry state of the laundry 14. At least one of the blowing area and direction should be changed appropriately.

In this way, the number of outlets for warm air 50 , the mechanism for opening and closing the outlets for warm air 50 , and the structure for changing the blowing area and direction of warm air 50 are not limited to those shown in the embodiment, and can be appropriately selected.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the front of the rotating shaft of the drum 5 is inclined slightly upward from the horizontal has been described as an example, but as long as the structure of the present invention can be applied and the effect of the present invention can be achieved, the drum 5 can The angle of the rotation axis of 5 is not limited.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the air outlet 37 is provided near the opening (opening 5a) of the drum 5 has been described as an example, but it is not limited to such a structure. On the back plate 4d side, the back plate 5d of the drum 5 is formed into a mesh shape that can pass warm air, and the warm air is blown into the drum 5 from the back plate 5d side, and the same effect can be obtained.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the various configurations have been described separately, but the above-mentioned respective configurations can be combined appropriately, whereby the effects obtained by combining the respective configurations can be obtained.

In addition, in the said embodiment, although the drum type washing and drying machine 1 was demonstrated as an example of a washing and drying machine, it is needless to say that it can apply similarly also to the drying machine which performs only a drying process.

Claims (24)

1. A washing and drying machine, characterized in that it has: an outer trough having an opening on one face and being resiliently supported; an inner tank rotatably pivotally supported inside the outer tank and having an opening at one end opposite to the opening of the outer tank; a cover body, which opens and closes the opening of the outer tank; an electric motor, which drives the above-mentioned inner tank to rotate; an air outlet for blowing warm air into the inner tank during the drying process, and changing at least one of the blowing area and the blowing direction; An air duct pipe with the air outlet provided in the outer tank as the upstream and the air outlet as the downstream, the air duct pipe forms an air flow channel connecting the air outlet and the air outlet; a blower fan which conveys the air within the said duct pipe; and A heating unit that heats the air to become the warm air. 2. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outlet is provided near the opening of the inner tank. 3. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The outlet has a first outlet and a second outlet, And the above-mentioned washing and drying machine also has: a partition wall that separates the above-mentioned first blowout port and the above-mentioned second blowout port from each other; and A switching member for switching the opening and closing of the first outlet and the second outlet. 4. The washing and drying machine according to claim 3, wherein: The switching member is a switching valve body that is rotatably supported by a fulcrum in contact with the partition wall, and that is provided to extend toward the heating unit side or the upstream side of the air passage. 5. The washing and drying machine according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The first blowing outlet and the second blowing outlet are arranged so that the directions in which the warm air is blown out are different from each other, the first blowing outlet is arranged to blow the warm air toward the center of the inner tank or near the center, and the second blowing outlet is arranged to blow the warm air. The outlet is disposed so as to blow the warm air toward the lower surface of the inner tank or the vicinity of the lower surface. 6. A washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, The area of the outlet from which the warm air is blown out of the first outlet and the second outlet is different from each other. 7. The washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The switching member is switched between a first position, a second position, and a third position. The first position is a position where warm air is blown only from the first outlet, and the second position is where warm air is blown only from the first outlet. The position where the second air outlet blows out, and the third position is a position where warm air is blown out from both the first air outlet and the second air outlet. 8. The washing and drying machine according to claim 7, wherein: The area of the first blowing port is smaller than the area of the second blowing port, Furthermore, the washing and drying machine further includes a fan rotation speed control unit configured to make the rotation speed of the blower fan lower at the second position or the third position than at the first position. 9. The washing and drying machine according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The above washing and drying machine has: a cloth amount detection unit for detecting the amount of laundry put into the inner tank; and A switching valve position selection unit that uses the switching member to switch the warm air first and second outlets to the first position, second position, and second position in the drying process based on the detection result of the cloth amount detection unit. one of the three positions. 10. The washing and drying machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The switching valve position selection means switches the first and second blowing outlets of the warm air from any one of the first position, the second position, and the third position using the switching member after a predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying process. converted to another location. 11. The washing and drying machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The washing and drying machine further includes a humidity measuring unit for measuring the humidity of the warm air, The switching valve position selection unit uses the switching member to switch the blowing outlet of the warm air from one of the first position, the second position, and the third position to a position after the humidity of the warm air is lower than a predetermined humidity. other locations. 12. The washing and drying machine according to claim 9, wherein: The above-mentioned washing and drying machine has a drying mode selection unit for selecting a first drying mode giving priority to the drying quality of the laundry and a second drying mode giving priority to the drying efficiency of the laundry, When the first drying mode is selected by the drying mode selection unit, the switching valve position selection unit makes the warm air outlet at the first position, and when the second drying mode is selected by the drying mode selection unit, the switching valve position selection unit In the case of the mode, the switching valve position selecting means selects the blowing outlet of the warm air to be in the second position or the third position. 13. A dryer, characterized in that it has: an outer trough having an opening on one face and being resiliently supported; an inner tank rotatably pivotally supported inside the outer tank and having an opening at one end opposite to the opening of the outer tank; a cover body, which opens and closes the opening of the outer tank; an electric motor, which drives the above-mentioned inner tank to rotate; an air outlet for blowing warm air into the inner tank during the drying process, and changing at least one of the blowing area and the blowing direction; An air duct pipe with the air outlet provided in the outer tank as the upstream and the air outlet as the downstream, the air duct pipe forms an air flow channel connecting the air outlet and the air outlet; a blower fan which conveys the air within the said duct pipe; and A heating unit that heats the air to become the warm air. 14. The dryer of claim 13, wherein: The outlet is provided near the opening of the inner tank. 15. A dryer according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The outlet has a first outlet and a second outlet, And the above dryer also has: a partition wall that separates the above-mentioned first blowout port and the above-mentioned second blowout port from each other; and A switching member for switching the opening and closing of the first outlet and the second outlet. 16. The dryer of claim 15, wherein: The switching member is a switching valve body that is rotatably supported by a fulcrum in contact with the partition wall, and that is provided to extend toward the heating unit side or the upstream side of the air passage. 17. A dryer according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The first blowing outlet and the second blowing outlet are arranged so that the directions in which the warm air is blown out are different from each other, the first blowing outlet is arranged to blow the warm air toward the center of the inner tank or near the center, and the second blowing outlet is arranged to blow the warm air. The outlet is disposed so as to blow the warm air toward the lower surface of the inner tank or the vicinity of the lower surface. 18. A dryer as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17 wherein, The area of the outlet from which the warm air is blown out of the first outlet and the second outlet is different from each other. 19. A dryer as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 18 wherein, The switching member is switched between a first position, a second position, and a third position. The first position is a position where warm air is blown only from the first outlet, and the second position is where warm air is blown only from the first outlet. The position where the second air outlet blows out, and the third position is a position where warm air is blown out from both the first air outlet and the second air outlet. 20. The dryer of claim 19, wherein: The area of the first blowing port is smaller than the area of the second blowing port, In addition, the drying machine further includes a fan rotation speed control means for making the rotation speed of the blower fan lower at the second position or the third position than at the first position. 21. A dryer according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that The above dryers have: a cloth amount detection unit for detecting the amount of laundry put into the inner tank; and A switching valve position selection unit that uses the switching member to switch the warm air first and second outlets to the first position, second position, and second position in the drying process based on the detection result of the cloth amount detection unit. one of the three positions. 22. The dryer of claim 21, wherein: The switching valve position selection means switches the first and second blowing outlets of the warm air from any one of the first position, the second position, and the third position using the switching member after a predetermined time elapses from the start of the drying process. converted to another location. 23. The dryer of claim 21, wherein: The drying machine further includes a humidity measurement unit for measuring the humidity of the warm air, The switching valve position selection unit uses the switching member to switch the blowing outlet of the warm air from one of the first position, the second position, and the third position to a position after the humidity of the warm air is lower than a predetermined humidity. other locations. 24. The dryer of claim 21, wherein: The drying machine has a drying mode selection unit for selecting a first drying mode that prioritizes the drying quality of the laundry and a second drying mode that prioritizes the drying efficiency of the laundry, When the first drying mode is selected by the drying mode selection unit, the switching valve position selection unit makes the warm air outlet at the first position, and when the second drying mode is selected by the drying mode selection unit, the switching valve position selection unit In the case of the mode, the switching valve position selecting means selects the blowing outlet of the warm air to be in the second position or the third position.

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