JPH0351081A - Vacuum drying method for washing machine and washing machine with vacuum drier - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform drying at a low temperature and same energy by decompressing an inner tank storing the laundry with a vacuum pump for vacuum drying, and slightly heating it as required to prevent the abnormally low temperature due to the reduction of the boiling point. CONSTITUTION:When the completion of washing is confirmed, a solenoid valve 14 is opened for drainage, and a dehydrating motor 15 is excited for centrifugal dehydration. When centrifugal dehydration is completed, the solenoid valve 14 is opened, and a vacuum pump 16 is excited to start the vacuum drying process. The vacuum drying process is performed preset times, the solenoid valve 14 is opened every time, and air is fed for a fixed time. When the temperature becomes abnormally low in the vacuum drying process, an inner tank 1 is heated by an auxiliary heating device 9. Drying can be performed at a low temperature, and energy can be saved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for drying a washing machine, and particularly to a method and apparatus for drying a washing machine, in which drying is performed by lowering the pressure and lowering the boiling point. This invention relates to a washing machine with a vacuum dryer.

[Conventional technology]

Traditional washing machines and dryers are equipped with heaters.
Laundry that has been washed and dehydrated in a washing machine is placed in this dryer, where it is rotated and dried with hot air from a heater.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Conventional washing machines use heaters to dry clothes, so they require a fairly large amount of electricity to generate high-temperature hot air, which raises the ambient temperature of the machine and may limit the number of places it can be installed. was there. In addition, although there has been a strong demand for labor saving in recent years, it is not possible to fully automate the washing machine, where once the laundry is placed in the inner tub, it is washed, dehydrated, and dried, and the dirty items come out clean. Ta.

The present invention has been made by focusing on the problems of the prior art, and provides a vacuum drying method that applies the principle of vacuum drying without using a heater and performs drying at a low temperature, and a washing machine equipped with a vacuum dryer. It is intended to.

[Means to solve the problem]

In this method, laundry is dehydrated using centrifugal force, vacuum drying is performed by reducing the pressure of the inner tub containing the laundry using a vacuum pump, and heating is performed to prevent abnormally low temperatures due to a drop in the boiling point.

In addition, in the vacuum drying method, when washing is performed many times, the steps of closing the solenoid valve and driving the vacuum pump, and opening the solenoid valve to supply and drain air are repeated. This method performs auxiliary heating to prevent abnormally low temperatures during vacuum drying.

There is also a removable lid that can airtightly seal the top of the inner tub of the washing machine, a solenoid valve that closes the drainage hole provided at the bottom of the inner tub during vacuum drying, and a solenoid valve that can prevent abnormalities caused by vacuum drying. It is equipped with heating means to prevent low temperatures.

[Effect]

When washing is finished, the dehydration tank containing the laundry is rotated at high speed to drain water from the drain hole in the inner tank, dewatering the laundry, and then closes the solenoid valve to close the drain hole and create a vacuum. Activate the pump. When the vacuum pump has elapsed for a predetermined period of time, the solenoid valve is closed by a command, and air supply and drainage are performed.Evacuation, air supply, and drainage are alternately repeated, resulting in so-called vacuum drying. Since the pressure in the inner tank is reduced and the boiling point is lowered, drying can be easily carried out even at relatively low temperatures. However, since the temperature may reach an abnormally low temperature, this should be prevented by using a small-capacity heating means.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the vacuum drying method and apparatus for a washing machine according to the present invention, and numeral 1 indicates an inner tank made of a pressure-resistant container. A dehydration tank 2 is disposed inside the inner tank 1, and when washing is finished, the dehydration tank 2 rotates at high speed, and water centrifuged from the laundry is scattered through small holes 4 and collected in the inner tank 1.
captured within. A removable lid 5 is provided above the inner tank 1. This lid body 5 is attracted to the upper end of the inner tank 1 during evacuation, and the inside of the inner tank 1 is maintained at a high vacuum. Reference numeral 3 indicates a drain hole, and when the electromagnetic valve 6 is opened during the draining process of washing, water is drained to the outside of the washing machine through the drain hole 3. Normally, drainage is carried out during the rinsing and final spin-drying steps, but the washing machine according to the present invention differs from conventional devices in that the solenoid valve 6 is closed again after the final spin-drying step. That is, water supply, washing, drainage, dehydration, water supply,
In addition to automatic washing machines that operate in the order of rinsing, draining, and spin-drying, the present invention adds a drying step after the final spin-drying step. In order to make the inner tank 1 airtight before starting the drying process,
A passage leading to the outside, such as the drain hole 3, is shut off by a solenoid valve. Reference numeral 7 indicates a vacuum pump, which performs vacuum through a suction hole 8 provided separately from the drain hole 3. In addition, a three-way valve is used without providing the suction hole 8. Of course, it is also possible. Furthermore, it is possible to shorten the drying time by disposing an auxiliary heating device 9 around the inner tank 1 and heating it to some extent during vacuum drying, thereby preventing the temperature from becoming low due to evaporation of moisture during vacuum drying. It is something. Auxiliary heating device 9
Usually, a small-capacity heater can be used, but it is better to use a microwave, infrared, or far-infrared generator.

After waiting for evacuation for a predetermined time, the solenoid valve 6 is opened and air is supplied. By repeating this evacuation and air supply, drying can be carried out efficiently.

FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing an example of a control circuit for a washing machine according to the present invention.

In the figure, 10 indicates the CPU, and this CPU
O enables all controls.

CPUl0 has R○Ml in which the control program is stored.
1 and a timer 12 are connected to the output circuit, and an interface port 13 is also connected to the output circuit. The interface port 13 further includes an auxiliary heating device 9. Solenoid valve 1
4. A dewatering motor 15 and a vacuum pump 16 are connected.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing the operation flow of the washing machine according to the present invention. In FIG. 3, when it is confirmed in step 5100 that washing has been completed, the solenoid valve 14 is opened in step 5LOL to drain water. Then step 5
At 102, the dewatering motor 15 is energized to perform centrifugal dewatering. When the centrifugal dehydration is completed, the solenoid valve 14 is closed in step 5103, and the vacuum pump 16 is energized in step 5104 to begin the vacuum drying process.

In step 5105, it is determined whether the vacuum drying process has been performed a predetermined number of times. If the predetermined number of times has not been reached, the solenoid valve 14 is opened in step 5106 to supply air. Furthermore, in step 108, the inner tank 1 is heated by the auxiliary heating device 9 when the temperature becomes abnormally low during the vacuum drying process. When it is confirmed in step 5107 that air has been supplied for a predetermined period of time, the control moves to step 5103, the solenoid valve 14 is closed, and the vacuum drying process is performed again. When it is confirmed in step 8105 that the vacuum drying and air supply steps have been performed a predetermined number of times, all steps are completed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention provides a vacuum drying method and apparatus for a washing machine that can be integrated with the washing machine and can be dried at low temperatures. The heating means for preventing abnormally low temperatures caused by vacuum drying does not perform heating drying, so it requires very little power and has the effect of saving energy.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a vacuum drying device for a washing machine according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a control circuit, and FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing an operation flow. 1... Inner tank, 2... Dehydration tank, 3... Drain hole, 4...
... Small hole, 5 ... Lid, 6 ... Solenoid valve, 7 ... Vacuum pump, 8 ... Suction hole, 9 ... Auxiliary heating device, 1
0... CPU, 11... ROM, 12... Timer 13... Interface.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The laundry is dehydrated by centrifugal force, the inner tank containing the laundry is depressurized by a vacuum pump to perform vacuum drying, and heating is performed to prevent abnormally low temperatures due to a drop in the boiling point. Vacuum drying method for washing machines. 2. After the centrifugal dewatering step, the step of closing the solenoid valve to drive the vacuum pump and the step of opening the solenoid valve to supply and drain air are repeatedly performed. Vacuum drying method for washing machines listed. 3. A removable lid that can airtightly seal the top of the inner tank of the washing machine, a solenoid valve that closes the drainage hole provided at the bottom of the inner tank during vacuum drying, and a vacuum that reduces the pressure inside the inner tank. A washing machine with a vacuum drying device characterized by being equipped with a vacuum pump and a heating means for preventing abnormally low temperatures caused by vacuum drying.