Clothes dryer

Abstract

The present invention provides a clothes dryer having, within a main body housing (11): a rotating drum (3) for holding clothes; a combustion chamber (5) for holding a burner (9); and a fan housing (4) for holding an exhaust fan (21), the exhaust fan (21) drawing air into the combustion chamber (5), supplying warm air heated by the burner (9) into the rotating drum (3), and exhausting the warm air from the rotating drum (3) to the outside, the combustion chamber (5) being disposed in a space (S) formed between the fan housing (4) and the peripheral wall (110) at the rear of the main body housing (11).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a clothes dryer. Prior Technology

[0002] Conventional clothes dryers include those with an exhaust fan located behind the rotating drum, a combustion chamber housing a burner located below the side of the rotating drum, and the combustion chamber connected to a warm air outlet located at the front of the rotating drum via an air supply pipe (e.g., Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 5-277292). Alternatively, an exhaust fan may be located above the rotating drum, a combustion chamber at the rear of the rotating drum, a warm air outlet on the rear wall of the rotating drum, and a warm air exhaust outlet on the inner surface of the opening / closing door at the front of the rotating drum, with an exhaust pipe formed inside the opening / closing door (e.g., Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-192660). These clothes drying mechanisms involve driving the exhaust fan to rotate, drawing air from the main housing into the combustion chamber, supplying heated air from the warm air outlet into the rotating drum as warm air, and then exhausting the warm air from the rotating drum to the outside.

[0003] However, the overall size of the clothes dryer's outline is determined for each product. Therefore, as in Patent Document 1, if a combustion chamber is provided below the side of the rotating drum, laterally accommodating the burner with the flame holes facing outwards in the left and right directions, the diameter of the rotating drum needs to be reduced by the amount of width of the combustion chamber. Furthermore, as in Patent Document 1, when the air introduced into the combustion chamber by the exhaust fan is heated and warm air is supplied to the rotating drum from the front warm air outlet, the flow direction of the warm air in the combustion chamber needs to be shifted from the left and right directions to the front and back directions. Therefore, the width of the combustion chamber further increases, thus requiring a further reduction in the diameter of the rotating drum.

[0004] On the other hand, as in Patent Document 2, if the exhaust fan is positioned above the rotating drum, the diameter of the rotating drum needs to be reduced by the amount of thickness of the exhaust fan or the motor that drives the exhaust fan. Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, since the combustion chamber is located further rearward than the fan housing, sufficient space must be ensured behind the main body housing to accommodate the protrusion of the combustion chamber. Therefore, the length of the rotating drum in the longitudinal direction within the main body housing is reduced, and correspondingly, the length of the rotating drum in the longitudinal direction is also reduced.

[0005] Therefore, regardless of the type of clothes dryer, there is a limitation on the capacity of the rotating drum. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention is a technical means to solve the above-mentioned problems. The purpose of this invention is to maximize the capacity of the rotating drum housed in the main body without increasing the size of the clothes dryer.

[0007] According to the present invention, A clothes dryer comprises: a generally rectangular box-shaped main body shell with a clothes outlet at the front; and an opening and closing door for opening and closing the clothes outlet. Within the main body shell, there are: A rotating drum that holds clothing; Combustion chamber, which houses the burner; and A fan housing houses an exhaust fan that draws air into the combustion chamber, supplies heated air from the burner as warm air to the rotating drum, and exhausts the warm air from the rotating drum to the outside. The fan housing is located behind the rotating drum. The combustion chamber is located in the space between the fan housing and the rear, top, bottom, left, and right peripheral walls of the main housing.

[0008] According to the aforementioned clothes dryer, the fan housing is located behind the rotating drum, and the combustion chamber is located in the space formed between the fan housing and the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls behind the main body housing. Therefore, there is no combustion chamber located below the side of the rotating drum, and no exhaust or ventilation fan or motor is located above the rotating drum. Thus, the capacity of the rotating drum housed within the main body housing can be increased without increasing the overall size of the clothes dryer. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic rear view of a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the main parts of a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the main parts near the combustion chamber of a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a burner and burner housing according to an embodiment of the present invention. Implementation

[0010] The following describes a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the clothes dryer according to this embodiment, Figure 2 is a schematic rear view omitting the rear wall of the main body shell, and Figure 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the main components arranged in front of and behind the rotating drum. As shown in Figure 1, the clothes dryer 1 according to this embodiment consists of a generally rectangular box-shaped main body shell 11 and an opening and closing door 12 that covers the front of the main body shell 11 from its front side. In this specification, the side of the opening and closing door 12 of the clothes dryer 1 is referred to as the front side, the depth direction when viewing the clothes dryer 1 from the front side is referred to as the front-rear direction, the lateral direction is referred to as the left-right direction, and the height direction is referred to as the up-down direction.

[0012] The main body shell 11 has a peripheral wall 110, which is composed of a front wall 11a that opens to the clothing outlet 100, a rear wall 11b that faces the front wall 11a in the front-back direction, an upper wall 11c, a lower wall 11d, a left wall 11e, and a right wall 11f that connect the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the front wall 11a and the rear wall 11b.

[0013] Within the main housing 11, a cylindrical rotating roller 3 with a circular opening 130 on its front side is housed in a transverse orientation. A forward-protruding annular front ring 31 is formed on the outer periphery in front of the opening 130 of the rotating roller 3. Additionally, an annular front roller support member 14 is formed on the outer periphery of the rotating roller 3 side of the garment outlet 100. Furthermore, an annular front support portion 140 protrudes rearward from the outer periphery of the front roller support member 14. An annular front sealing member 201 is circumferentially provided around the outer periphery of the front support portion 140 of the front roller support member 14.

[0014] The inner circumferential surface of the front ring 31, which is located at the opening 130 of the rotating drum 3, faces the outer circumferential surface of the front support portion 140 of the front drum support 14 and abuts against the outer circumference of the front sealing member 201. This prevents the warm air in front of the rotating drum 3 from leaking out of the opening 130 into the interior of the main body housing 11.

[0015] A semi-circular opening (hereinafter referred to as "warm air outlet 121") is provided in a certain area below the cylindrical clothing outlet 100. A removable mesh air filter 19 is installed in the warm air outlet 121. When warm air in the rotating drum 3 is sent into the exhaust pipe 20 through the warm air outlet 121 and the connecting pipe 120 described later, the air filter 19 removes debris or lint floating in the rotating drum 3.

[0016] A rear wall 133 is connected to the rear end of the body 131 of the rotating drum 3. A circular recess that bulges rearward is formed on the outer periphery of the rear wall 133. A cylindrical support shaft 15 is inserted through the center of the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3.

[0017] The support shaft 15 is inserted behind the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3 into a rear drum support 111, which is erected within the main housing 11. The rear drum support 111 is formed by molding a metal sheet into a predetermined shape, resulting in a roughly U-shape having a flat portion and bent portions that bend backward at both ends of the flat portion. A circular protrusion bulging forward is formed on the outer periphery of the flat portion of the rear drum support 111. The protrusion has an opening 112 of a certain width in an annular region facing the pipe connection port 171 formed on the front surface of the air supply pipe 17 (described later). Furthermore, the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3 is connected to the outer periphery of the middle portion of the support shaft 15 via a bearing. A forward-protruding annular rear support portion 113 is formed on the outer periphery of the protrusion of the rear drum support 111.

[0018] The rear wall 133 forming the inner recess of the rotating roller 3 bulges rearward. The outer circumferential surface of the bulge is annular and faces the inner circumferential surface of the rear support portion 113 of the rear roller support 111 via the annular rear sealing member 202.

[0019] A drive belt 160 is mounted between the outer periphery of the rotating drum 3 and the drum drive pulley of the output shaft of the motor 16 (not shown). Although not shown, tension is applied to the drive belt 160 by a belt tensioning mechanism.

[0020] Additionally, a fan pulley 151 is mounted at the rear end of the support shaft 15. A fan belt 155 is mounted between the fan pulley 151 and the fan drive pulley 154 mounted on the output shaft at the other end of the motor 16. Therefore, the rotating drum 3 and the supply and exhaust fan 21 are driven to rotate by the belt drive of the shared motor 16.

[0021] On the left side of the rear surface of the rear drum support 111, a flat, generally semi-circular arc-shaped air supply pipe 17 is provided for delivering warm air heated by the burner 9 into the rotating drum 3. The air supply pipe 17 is formed by joining two metal plates formed into a predetermined shape. On the upper part of the rear surface of the air supply pipe 17, an inlet 170 (upstream opening) is provided, which opens to the rear and communicates with the combustion chamber 5 described later. In addition, on almost the entire front surface of the air supply pipe 17, a pipe connection port 171 is provided, which opens to the front and blows warm air forward. Therefore, the gap between the air supply pipe 17, the rear drum support 111, and the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3 constitutes part of the air supply passage.

[0022] An exhaust section 200 of an exhaust pipe 20 is disposed at the center of the rear surface side of the rear roller support 111. The exhaust section 200 is embedded in the inner circumference of the air supply pipe 17, which is approximately semi-circular in shape, and has a flat cylindrical shape that is open at both ends. The rear opening of the exhaust section 200 (hereinafter referred to as "exhaust outlet 210") faces the air intake 40 of the fan housing 4. In addition, the front opening of the exhaust section 200 is sealed by abutting against the rear surface of the rear roller support 111. Furthermore, the exhaust pipe 20 extends diagonally downward to the right from the exhaust section 200 and expands to the left and right at its lower end. In addition, an opening that opens forward is provided at the lower end of the exhaust pipe 20. Furthermore, the exhaust pipe 20, via the opening at the lower end of the rear roller support 111, is connected to the warm air exhaust port 121 in the area below the clothing outlet 100 through a connecting pipe 120 extending to the rear of the rotating roller 3 via a gap (hereinafter referred to as "lower gap G") formed between the rotating roller 3 and the lower wall 11d of the main body housing 11. Therefore, warm air discharged from the warm air exhaust port 121 is sent into the fan housing 4 through the connecting pipe 120 and the exhaust pipe 20.

[0023] Behind the air supply pipe 17 and the exhaust pipe 20, a fan housing 4 is provided to accommodate the air supply and exhaust fan 21. The fan housing 4 is formed into a flat, generally cylindrical box shape by joining a front wall 43, which is formed into a shallow, rearward-opening dish shape, and a rear wall 44, which is formed into a flat plate shape. The fan housing 4 has: an air intake 40, which opens in the front wall 43 and communicates with the exhaust outlet 210 of the exhaust pipe 20; and an exhaust outlet 41, which protrudes upward in the tangential direction from the circumferential surface of the fan housing 4 and communicates with the exhaust outlet 10 formed in the upper wall 11c of the main body housing 11. Therefore, in this embodiment, by driving the air supply and exhaust fan 21 to rotate, external air enters the main body housing 11 through the inlet of the main body housing 11 (not shown). Furthermore, the warm air heated by the burner 9 in the combustion chamber 5 (described later) is guided into the rotating drum 3 through the aforementioned air supply pipe 17. In addition, the warm air inside the rotating drum 3 is discharged to the aforementioned warm air outlet 121. The discharged warm air is guided into the fan housing 4 through the connecting pipe 120 and the exhaust pipe 20, and discharged to the outside from the exhaust port 10 of the main housing 11.

[0024] In the recess of the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3, a plurality of small round holes (hereinafter referred to as "warm air outlets 135") are radially provided from the support shaft 15. The warm air supplied to the air supply pipe 17 is guided through these warm air outlets 135 to the gap between the rear wall 133 and the cover plate 153 described later.

[0025] At the front end of the support shaft 15, a fixed flange 152, which is approximately circular in shape and extends outward in the circumferential direction, is fixedly provided. Furthermore, a cover plate 153, which is approximately circular in shape and covers the front surface of the rear wall 133 from the inside of the rotating roller 3, is fixedly provided on the front surface of the fixed flange 152 in a non-rotating state. Although not shown, a plurality of small circular holes are provided through a ring-shaped region of a predetermined width on the outer periphery of the cover plate 153.

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the main parts near the combustion chamber 5. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, a roughly L-shaped combustion chamber 5 is disposed in the space S between the corners of the upper wall 11c and the right wall 11f of the peripheral wall 110 of the main body housing 11. The combustion chamber 5 is formed by joining multiple metal plates formed in a predetermined shape. The combustion chamber 5 has a front constituent wall 51, a rear constituent wall 52, a right constituent wall 53, a left constituent wall 54, an upper constituent wall 55, and a lower constituent wall 56.

[0027] The lower structural wall 56 of the combustion chamber 5 has an upwardly projecting, approximately semi-circular arc shape that roughly matches the outer periphery of the fan housing 4. Therefore, the fan housing 4 and the combustion chamber 5 face each other through a narrow gap. This suppresses the vertical height of the combustion chamber 5.

[0028] The length of the combustion chamber 5 in the longitudinal direction is greater than that of the fan housing 4 in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the rear surface of the approximately L-shaped rear structural wall 52 approximately abuts against the flange portion protruding outward from the outer periphery of the front wall 43 of the fan housing 4. Therefore, the combustion chamber 5 does not protrude further rearward than the fan housing 4 in the longitudinal direction (see Figure 1). In this embodiment, apart from the bearing of the support shaft 15 provided on the rear wall 44 of the fan housing 4, no structural members protrude further rearward than the fan housing 4, and the fan housing 4 is disposed close to the rear wall 11b of the main housing 11.

[0029] Furthermore, as described above, a roughly semi-circular arc-shaped air supply pipe 17 is provided between the rear drum support 111 and the fan housing 4. Therefore, a gap equal to the longitudinal length of the air supply pipe 17 is formed in front of the right region of the front wall 43 of the fan housing 4, where the combustion chamber 5 is located. Thus, the combustion chamber 5 is positioned such that the front constituent wall 51 is located further forward than the front wall 43 of the fan housing 4. As a result, a combustion chamber 5 of a certain length can be provided in the longitudinal direction without making the combustion chamber 5 protrude further rearward than the fan housing 4.

[0030] The front constituent wall 51 has a deformed pentagonal shape. Furthermore, the length of the front constituent wall 51 in the left-right direction is shorter than the length of the rear constituent wall 52 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the outlet 57 (downstream opening) opens forward to the left of the front constituent wall 51 of the combustion chamber 5. The outlet 57 of the combustion chamber 5 is connected in the front-rear direction to the inlet 170 (upstream opening) provided on the upper part of the rear surface of the air supply duct 17. Additionally, the front constituent wall 51 of the combustion chamber 5 is located further forward than the front wall 43 of the fan housing 4. Therefore, the combustion chamber 5 and the air supply duct 17 are arranged to partially overlap in the front-rear direction. Thus, as shown in FIG1, the outlet 57 of the combustion chamber 5 and the inlet 170 of the air supply duct 17 are connected in the front-rear direction with partial overlap. This suppresses the front-rear length of the combustion chamber 5 and the air supply duct 17 combined, and allows warm air to be supplied linearly from the combustion chamber 5 to the air supply duct 17. Furthermore, the combustion chamber 5 and the air supply duct 17 can also be formed integrally, either partially or entirely.

[0031] The upper constituent wall 55 of the combustion chamber 5 has a generally rectangular shape that is longer in the left-right direction, extending approximately horizontally from near the right wall 11f of the main housing 11 to a position further to the left than the center of the main housing 11 in the left-right direction. Therefore, in this combustion chamber 5, the left-right direction is the direction of the longer side. The right constituent wall 53 of the combustion chamber 5 has a generally rectangular shape, extending approximately vertically downward from near the upper wall 11c of the main housing 11 to approximately the height of the upper half of the fan housing 4. The left constituent wall 54 of the combustion chamber 5 extends approximately vertically downward from near the upper wall 11c of the main housing 11 to the top of the fan housing 4.

[0032] Near the right end of the combustion chamber 5, a burner housing 7 houses the burners 9 shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, two burners 9 are arranged longitudinally within the burner housing 7. Each burner 9 has multiple (ten in this case) flame holes 90 arranged side-by-side at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction, along with multiple (two rows in this case) flame hole rows 91. Therefore, in the burner housing 7, multiple (four rows in this case) flame hole rows 91 are arranged side-by-side in the front-back direction. Each flame hole 90 has a slit shape that is longer in the vertical direction and has a baffle for flame retention in the center. In addition, all flame holes 90 open approximately horizontally to the same left direction. Therefore, the combustion exhaust generated by the burners 9 flows from right to left along the long side of the combustion chamber 5. Although not shown, the gas inlets of each burner 9 open downwards in the same direction, and the gas nozzles face the gas inlets. Furthermore, the number of burners 9, the shape, quantity, and arrangement of the flame holes 90 are appropriately set.

[0033] The burner box 7 is formed into a box shape by joining multiple metal plates formed into a predetermined shape. When the burner box 7 is placed inside the combustion chamber 5, the burner box 7 has an end plate 70 on its left side, which has a flame hole opening 71 for inserting two rows of flame holes 91 of each burner 9 so that the flame holes 90 of the burner 9 protrude into the combustion chamber 5. Considering the ease of installation, the flame hole opening 71 has a front-to-back and vertical dimension slightly larger than the size of the two rows of flame holes 91 of the burner 9 that are inserted. In addition, at the upper and lower ends of the end plate 70, which separates from the upper and lower ends of the flame hole opening 71 outward in the vertical direction, there are openings (hereinafter referred to as "outer openings 72") for air to flow into the combustion chamber 5. When the flame holes 91 of the burner 9 are inserted into the flame hole opening 71, the outer opening 72 preferably has an opening area larger than the gap between the burner 9 and the flame hole opening 71. In addition, the outer opening 72 may also be formed at the front and rear ends of the end plate 70 that moves outward in the rear direction from the front and rear ends of the flame hole opening 71.

[0034] On the opening edge of the outer opening 72 on the side of the flame hole opening 71, a vertical wall 73 is formed by cutting and erecting the upper and lower ends of the end plate 70. The vertical wall 73 protrudes higher than the protrusion height of the flame hole 90 in the left direction, which is the opening direction of the flame hole 90. Therefore, the air entering the combustion chamber 5 from the right side of the combustion chamber 5 is dispersed in the gap between the burner 9 and the flame hole opening 71 and the outer opening 72. In addition, if the outer opening 72 is formed to be larger than the gap between the burner 9 and the flame hole opening 71, air can more easily flow into the combustion chamber 5 from the outer opening 72. In addition, the air flowing into the combustion chamber 5 from the outer opening 72 is less likely to flow towards the flame hole 90 through the vertical wall 73.

[0035] On the front constituent wall 51, rear constituent wall 52, upper constituent wall 55, and lower constituent wall 56 of the combustion chamber 5, a plurality of first air inlet openings 58 are formed at predetermined intervals, extending from near the flame hole 90 of the burner 9 to the center portion in the left-right direction along the long side of the combustion chamber 5 (the first air inlet openings 58 on the upper constituent wall 51 are not shown). The first air inlet openings 58 formed on the front constituent wall 51 and the rear constituent wall 52 have a slit shape that is longer in the vertical direction. In addition, the first air inlet openings 58 formed on the upper constituent wall 55 and the lower constituent wall 56 have a slit shape that is longer in the front-back direction. Furthermore, on the rear constituent wall 52, further to the left than the center portion in the left-right direction, a plurality of second air inlet openings 60 are formed at predetermined intervals. The second air inlet openings 60 have a slit shape that is longer in the left-right direction and face the outlet 57 (downstream side opening) of the combustion chamber 5. By rotating the air supply and exhaust fan 21, air inside the main housing 11 is introduced into the combustion chamber 5 through the first air inlet 58 and the second air inlet 60.

[0036] On the first opening edge 58a downstream of the combustion exhaust of the first air inlet opening 58, which is longer in the front-to-back and vertical directions, a louver-shaped first protrusion 59 is formed, protruding towards the upstream side (i.e., the burner side) of the combustion exhaust flow path and towards the outside of the combustion chamber 5. Therefore, the air introduced into the combustion chamber 5 from these first air inlet openings 58 is difficult to flow towards the burner 9 side.

[0037] Furthermore, a louver-shaped second protrusion 61 is formed on the lower edge 60a of the second air inlet 60, which is longer in the left-right direction, and protrudes upward and outward toward the combustion chamber 5. Therefore, air introduced into the combustion chamber 5 through these second air inlet 60s flows downward easily. Additionally, the second air inlet 60s face the outlet 57 connected to the inlet 170 of the air supply duct 17. Thus, combustion exhaust or air flowing from the upstream side of the combustion chamber 5 is smoothly guided to the air supply duct 17 via the outlet 57 and the inlet 170.

[0038] A generally rectangular heat insulation plate 62 is provided between the upper constituent wall 55 of the combustion chamber 5 and the upper wall 11c of the main body shell 11, covering the entire upper constituent wall 55. As a result, even when the upper constituent wall 55 of the combustion chamber 5 is heated by the combustion flame, the temperature of the upper wall 11c of the main body shell 11 can be prevented from rising.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, a roughly rectangular fixing plate 63 is connected to the heat insulation plate 62, extending downwards from the rear edge of the heat insulation plate 62, roughly parallel to the rear structural wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5, at a certain distance. A detection unit 301 of an overheat prevention device 300, consisting of a temperature fuse, an OHS (Overheat Switch), etc., is fixed to the rear surface of the fixing plate 63. When the detection unit 301 detects that the overheat prevention temperature exceeds the specified temperature, the overheat prevention device 300 prevents combustion of the burner 9.

[0040] According to this embodiment, the combustion chamber 5 is disposed in the space S formed between the corners of the upper wall 11c and the right wall 11f of the peripheral wall 110 behind the main body housing 11. Therefore, the combustion chamber 5 is not disposed below the side of the rotating drum 3, and the exhaust fan 21 and the motor 16 are not disposed above the rotating drum 3. Thus, the capacity of the rotating drum 3 housed in the main body housing 11 can be increased without increasing the size of the clothes dryer 1. Furthermore, according to the structure of the clothes dryer 1, the combustion chamber 5 can be disposed in any position as long as it is a space formed between the fan housing 4 and at least one of the peripheral walls 110 on the upper, lower, left, or right sides behind the main body housing 11. For example, the combustion chamber 5 can also be disposed in the space formed between the fan housing 4 and the corners of the upper wall 11c and the left wall 11e. Alternatively, the combustion chamber 5 can also be disposed in the space formed between the fan housing 4 and the corners of the lower wall 11d and the left wall 11e or the right wall 11f.

[0041] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, an air supply pipe 17 is provided between the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3 and the fan housing 4, connecting the combustion chamber 5 and the warm air outlet 135. Therefore, the diameter of the rotating drum 3 can be further increased. Additionally, according to this embodiment, a warm air outlet 135 is provided on the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3, and a warm air exhaust outlet 121 is provided at the clothing outlet 100 at the front of the rotating drum 3. Therefore, an air filter 19 can be installed at the front of the main housing 11. Therefore, ease of use is excellent.

[0042] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the warm air outlet 121 is located at the front of the main body housing 11, and the exhaust fan 21 is located at the rear of the rotating drum 3. Therefore, an exhaust passage is required to allow warm air to be discharged from the front to the rear within the main body housing 11. Therefore, a connecting pipe 120 is formed in the lower gap G between the outer circumferential surface of the rotating drum 3, which has a certain diameter, and the lower wall 11d of the main body housing 11. Therefore, an exhaust passage with a certain cross-sectional area can be formed without increasing the height of the connecting pipe 120. Thus, even if an exhaust passage is provided in the lower gap G between the rotating drum 3 and the lower wall 11d, the large-diameter rotating drum 3 can be accommodated within the main body housing 11. In addition, since an exhaust pipe is not required within the opening / closing door 12, airtightness can be improved, and cost reduction can be achieved. Furthermore, the connecting pipe 120 can also be provided in the gap formed between the rotating drum 3 and the upper wall 11c or the left wall 11e and right wall 11f of the main body housing 11. For example, if a connecting pipe 120 is provided in the gap formed on the side between the rotating drum 3 and the left wall 11e, an exhaust passage with a certain cross-sectional area can be formed without increasing the width of the connecting pipe 120 in the left and right directions, so that the large-diameter rotating drum 3 can be accommodated in the main body housing 11.

[0043] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the combustion chamber 5 and the air supply pipe 17 are connected in such a way that the outlet 57 (downstream opening) of the combustion chamber 5 and the inlet 170 (upstream opening) of the air supply pipe 17 partially overlap in the longitudinal direction, thus suppressing protrusion towards the rear of the combustion chamber 5. Therefore, it is possible to increase the longitudinal length of the rotating drum 3 while suppressing the longitudinal length of the main housing 11. In addition, according to this embodiment, air introduced into the combustion exhaust or combustion chamber 5 can flow linearly from the combustion chamber 5 into the air supply pipe 17.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flame hole array 91 of the burner 9 is inserted through the flame hole opening 71 formed in the end plate 70 of the burner housing 7. Therefore, in terms of installation, the size of the flame hole opening 71 needs to be larger than the size of the inserted flame hole array 91. As a result, air may flow into the vicinity of the flame hole 90 through the gap between the burner 9 and the flame hole opening 71, resulting in poor combustion such as flame extinguishing or the root of the flame being cooled and the flame rising. However, according to this embodiment, an outer opening 72 is formed on the end plate 70 at a position further outward than the flame hole opening 71. Therefore, the air flowing into the combustion chamber 5 is dispersed between the gap between the burner 9 and the flame hole opening 71 and the outer opening 72. As a result, it is possible to reduce the amount of air flowing into the vicinity of the flame hole 90 of the burner 9 through the gap between the burner 9 and the flame hole opening 71. As a result, a stable combustion flame can be formed in the burner 9. In particular, by forming an outer opening 72 that is larger than the gap between the burner 9 and the flame hole opening 71, a more stable combustion flame can be formed on the burner 9. Furthermore, on the opening edge of the outer opening 72 on the side of the flame hole opening 71, a vertical wall 73, higher than the protrusion height of the flame hole 90, is provided in the opening direction towards the flame hole 90. Therefore, it is difficult for air to flow from the outer opening 72 towards the flame hole 90. As a result, a more stable combustion flame can be formed on the burner 9.

[0045] However, in the aforementioned clothes dryer 1, when fan malfunctions occur, such as the fan belt 155 disengaging from the fan pulley 151 or the fan drive pulley 154, negative pressure is not generated based on the rotational drive of the supply and exhaust fan 21. Therefore, the combustion exhaust does not flow from the combustion chamber 5 towards the air supply pipe 17, and the combustion exhaust remains inside the combustion chamber 5. Furthermore, if the abnormal state continues, the combustion flame or combustion exhaust leaks from the combustion chamber 5. In addition, since air is not introduced into the main body housing 11 from the outside, there is insufficient cooling air to cool the combustion chamber 5. As a result, the combustion chamber 5 becomes abnormally overheated, and the temperatures of the front constituent wall 51, rear constituent wall 52, right constituent wall 53, left constituent wall 54, upper constituent wall 55, and lower constituent wall 56 of the combustion chamber 5 rise. In particular, the upper constituent wall 55 is located near the upper wall 11c of the main body housing 11, where air flow is difficult, and therefore the temperature rises prematurely. Therefore, it is preferable to install an overheat prevention device 300 for detecting fan malfunctions near the upper constituent wall 55. On the other hand, in the aforementioned clothes dryer 1, even if the cooling air is reduced due to factors such as filter blockage (other than fan malfunction) or the opening of the door 12 during drying operation, the temperature of the upper structural wall 55 will still rise. Therefore, if the overheat prevention device 300 is directly installed on the upper structural wall 55, the overheat prevention device 300 may falsely detect the temperature rise of the upper structural wall 55 caused by factors such as filter blockage.

[0046] However, according to this embodiment, the fixing plate 63 of the overheat prevention device 300 is connected to the heat insulation plate 62, which is separately disposed above the upper constituent wall 55. Furthermore, the fixing plate 63 is disposed approximately parallel to and spaced a certain distance from the rear constituent wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5, which has a first air inlet opening 58. Moreover, the detection unit 301 of the overheat prevention device 300 is disposed on the opposite side of the fixing plate 63 to the side facing the rear constituent wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5. Therefore, even if the cooling air is reduced due to filter blockage, a certain amount of cooling air will pass between the first air inlet opening 58 and the fixing plate 63. Therefore, the detection unit 301 of the overheat prevention device 300 is less likely to be directly affected by the temperature of the upper constituent wall 55 and the rear constituent wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5. Furthermore, even in the event of filter blockage, the exhaust fan 21 will continue to rotate normally unless there is a fan malfunction. Therefore, air introduced from the outside into the main housing 11 flows toward the first air inlet opening 58 formed in the rear structural wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5. Thus, the air flowing toward the first air inlet opening 58 can be used to cool the overheat prevention device 300 fixed to the mounting plate 63 facing the rear structural wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5 where the first air inlet opening 58 is located. In particular, if the mounting plate 63 is arranged such that the first air inlet opening 58 or the second air inlet opening 60 is located downstream of the combustion exhaust flow path than the mounting plate 63, air is introduced into the combustion chamber 5 near the mounting plate 63, thus efficiently cooling the overheat prevention device 300. Furthermore, in the event of a fan malfunction, the temperature of the entire structural wall of the combustion chamber 5 rises, and the overheat prevention device 300 can detect the temperature rise via the heat insulation plate 62 or the rear structural wall 52. This prevents false detection of overheating abnormalities in the combustion chamber 5. Furthermore, as long as it is possible to distinguish between the overheating abnormality of the combustion chamber 5 caused by fan failure and the temperature rise caused by the increase of the combustion flame due to filter blockage, the fixing plate 63 of the fixed overheat prevention device 300 may not be connected to the heat insulation plate 62, but may be connected to any part, such as the main body housing 11.

[0047] As described above, according to this embodiment, the capacity of the rotating drum 3 housed within the main housing 11 can be increased without increasing the size of the clothes dryer 1. Therefore, a compact clothes dryer 1 with a large drying capacity can be provided.

[0048] The present invention has been described in detail above, but if the present invention is to be summarized, it is as follows.

[0049] According to one aspect of the invention, A clothes dryer includes: a generally rectangular box-shaped main body housing with a clothes outlet at the front; and an opening and closing door for opening and closing the clothes outlet. Within the main body shell, there are: A rotating drum that holds clothing; Combustion chamber, which houses the burner; and A fan housing houses an exhaust fan that draws air into the combustion chamber, supplies heated air from the burner as warm air to the rotating drum, and exhausts the warm air from the rotating drum to the outside. The fan housing is located behind the rotating drum. The combustion chamber is located in the space between the fan housing and the rear, top, bottom, left, and right peripheral walls of the main housing.

[0050] According to the aforementioned clothes dryer, the fan housing is located behind the rotating drum, and the combustion chamber is located in the space formed between the fan housing and the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls behind the main body housing. Therefore, there is no combustion chamber located below the side of the rotating drum, and no exhaust or ventilation fan or motor is located above the rotating drum. Thus, the capacity of the rotating drum housed within the main body housing can be increased without increasing the overall size of the clothes dryer.

[0051] Preferably, in the above-mentioned clothes dryer, The rear wall of the rotating drum is provided with a warm air outlet that guides the warm air into the rotating drum. An air supply pipe is provided between the rear wall of the rotating drum and the fan housing, connecting the combustion chamber to the warm air outlet. The garment outlet at the front of the rotating drum is equipped with a warm air outlet for discharging warm air from inside the rotating drum. A connecting pipe is provided, which communicates with the warm air outlet. It extends from the clothing outlet through the gaps formed between the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls of the rotating drum and the main body housing to the rear of the rotating drum. An exhaust pipe is provided between the rear wall of the rotating drum and the fan housing, which connects the warm air outlet to the fan housing via the connecting pipe.

[0052] According to the aforementioned clothes dryer, an air supply pipe is provided between the rear wall of the rotating drum and the fan housing, connecting the combustion chamber and the warm air outlet. Therefore, the diameter of the rotating drum can be further increased. Furthermore, according to the aforementioned clothes dryer, a warm air outlet is provided on the rear wall of the rotating drum, and a warm air exhaust outlet is provided at the clothes removal outlet at the front of the rotating drum. Therefore, an air filter can be installed at the front of the main housing. Therefore, it offers excellent ease of use.

[0053] Furthermore, in the aforementioned clothes dryer, the warm air outlet is located at the clothes outlet in front of the rotating drum, and an exhaust fan is located behind the rotating drum. Therefore, an exhaust passage is needed to allow warm air to be discharged from the front to the rear within the main housing. Consequently, a connecting pipe is installed in the gap between the rotating drum, which has a certain diameter, and the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls of the main housing. Therefore, an exhaust passage with a certain cross-sectional area can be formed without increasing the height or width of the connecting pipe. Thus, even with an exhaust passage installed in the gap between the rotating drum and the peripheral walls of the main housing, a large-diameter rotating drum can be accommodated within the main housing. Additionally, according to the aforementioned clothes dryer, since an exhaust pipe is not required inside the door, airtightness can be improved, and cost reduction can be achieved.

[0054] Preferably, in the above-mentioned clothes dryer, The combustion chamber is connected to the gas supply pipe in such a way that the connection between the combustion chamber and the gas supply pipe, i.e., the downstream opening of the combustion chamber, overlaps with the upstream opening of the gas supply pipe in the front-to-back direction.

[0055] According to the above-described clothes dryer, the rearward protrusion of the combustion chamber is suppressed. Therefore, the longitudinal length of the main body housing can be reduced, and the longitudinal length of the rotating drum housed within the main body housing can be increased. Furthermore, according to the above-described clothes dryer, a portion of the air introduced into the combustion exhaust or combustion chamber can flow linearly from the combustion chamber into the air supply pipe.

[0056] Preferably, in the above-mentioned clothes dryer, The burner has a flame hole array with multiple flame holes arranged side by side at specified intervals. The burner is housed within a burner housing with an end plate. The end plate has an opening for the flame holes, allowing the flame hole array to pass through, with the flame holes protruding from the combustion chamber. The end plate has an outer opening on the outside of the flame hole opening, allowing air to flow into the combustion chamber.

[0057] When the burner's flame orifice array is inserted into the flame orifice opening, the size of the flame orifice opening needs to be larger than the size of the inserted flame orifice array. Therefore, air may flow into the vicinity of the flame orifice through the gap between the burner and the flame orifice opening, resulting in poor combustion, such as flame extinguishing or the flame root being cooled and the flame rising. However, according to the aforementioned clothes dryer, an outer opening for air to flow into the combustion chamber is formed on the end plate at a position further outward than the flame orifice opening. Therefore, air flowing into the combustion chamber can be dispersed towards the gap between the burner and the flame orifice opening and the outer opening. As a result, the amount of air flowing into the vicinity of the burner's flame orifice through the gap between the burner and the flame orifice opening can be reduced. This allows for a stable combustion flame to form in the burner.

[0058] Preferably, in the above-mentioned clothes dryer, The end plate has an upright wall that is erected from the flame hole of the outer opening towards the opening direction of the flame hole via the opening edge of the opening portion. The protruding height of the erected wall is greater than the protruding height of the flame hole.

[0059] According to the above-mentioned clothes dryer, since the air flowing into the combustion chamber from the outer opening is difficult to flow toward the flame hole due to the vertical wall, a combustion flame can be formed more stably in the burner.

[0060] Preferably, the above-mentioned clothes dryer has the following features: An overheating prevention device that prevents abnormal overheating of the combustion chamber; and A fixing plate, which secures the overheat prevention device near the structural wall of the combustion chamber. An air inlet is provided on the structural wall of the combustion chamber for introducing air from the main housing into the combustion chamber. The fixing plate is disposed at a certain distance from the constituent wall of the combustion chamber, which has the opening for introducing air.

[0061] If a fan malfunction occurs, such as a fan belt detachment, the combustion exhaust will remain trapped in the combustion chamber because the negative pressure generated by the rotation of the supply and exhaust fans will not be generated. Furthermore, if this abnormal condition continues, the combustion flame or combustion exhaust will leak from the combustion chamber to the outside. Additionally, since air will not enter the main housing from the outside, there will be insufficient cooling air to cool the combustion chamber. As a result, the combustion chamber will overheat abnormally, and the temperature of the combustion chamber's structural walls will rise. Therefore, it is preferable to install an overheat prevention device near the combustion chamber's structural walls to detect fan malfunctions. On the other hand, even if the cooling air is reduced due to factors other than fan malfunctions, such as filter blockage or the opening of the drying valve during operation, the temperature of the combustion chamber's structural walls will still rise. Therefore, if the overheat prevention device is directly installed on the combustion chamber's structural walls, it may falsely detect temperature increases in the combustion chamber's structural walls caused by factors such as filter blockage.

[0062] However, in the aforementioned clothes dryer, the mounting plate for the overheat prevention device is positioned a certain distance away from the combustion chamber wall, which has an air inlet opening. Therefore, even if the cooling air is reduced due to filter blockage, the cooling air will still pass between the air inlet opening and the mounting plate. Thus, the detection unit of the overheat prevention device is less susceptible to direct temperature fluctuations from the combustion chamber wall. Furthermore, even in the event of filter blockage, the exhaust and supply fans will continue to rotate normally unless there is a fan malfunction. Therefore, air introduced from the outside into the main housing flows towards the air inlet opening formed in the combustion chamber wall. Thus, the air flowing towards the air inlet opening can be used to cool the overheat prevention device fixed to the mounting plate facing the combustion chamber wall with the air inlet opening. This prevents false detections of overheating abnormalities in the combustion chamber.

[0063] Preferably, in the above-mentioned clothes dryer, The detection unit of the overheat prevention device is disposed on the opposite side of the fixed plate to the side of the combustion chamber that faces the constituent wall of the combustion chamber.

[0064] According to the aforementioned clothes dryer, the detection unit of the overheat prevention device is located on the opposite side of the fixed plate from the surface facing the constituent wall of the combustion chamber. Therefore, the detection unit of the overheat prevention device is less susceptible to the temperature of the constituent wall of the combustion chamber.

[0065] 1: Clothes dryer 3: Rotating drum 4: Fan housing 5: Combustion Chamber 7: Burner box 9: Burner 10: Exhaust port 11: Main body shell 11a: Anterior wall 11b: Posterior wall 11c: Upper wall 11d: Lower wall 11e: Left wall 11f:Right wall 12: Opening and closing doors 14: Front roller support component 15: Support shaft 16: Motor 17: Gas supply pipeline 19: Air Filter 20: Exhaust pipe 21: Air supply and exhaust fan 31: Front ring 40: Intake port 41: Spray outlet 43: Anterior wall 44: Posterior wall 51: Pre-construction wall 52: Later formed wall 53: Right side forms a wall 54: Left side forms a wall 55: The upper part forms a wall 56: The lower part forms a wall 57: Outlet 58: First air inlet opening 58a: First opening edge 59: First prominent piece 60: Second air inlet opening 60a: Second opening edge 61: Second protruding piece 62: Insulation board 63: Fixing plate 70: End plate 71: Flame hole opening 72: Outer opening 73: Erecting a wall 90: Flame Hole 91: Flame Hole Array 100: Clothing Retrieval Exit 110: Zhou Bi 111: Rear roller support 112: Opening 113: Rear support section 120: Connecting pipes 121: Warm air exhaust outlet 130: Opening 131: Torso 133: Posterior wall 135: Warm air blows out of the outlet 140: Front support section 151: Fan pulley 152: Fixed flange 153: Cover plate 154: Fan drive pulley 155: Fan belt 160: Drive belt 170: Inlet 171: Pipe connection port 200: Exhaust section 201: Front sealing component 202: Rear sealing component 210: Exhaust outlet 300: Overheat protection device 301: Testing Department G: Lower gap S: Space

Claims

1. A clothes dryer comprising: a generally rectangular box-shaped main body housing having a clothes outlet at the front; and an opening / closing door for opening and closing the clothes outlet, wherein the main body housing comprises: a rotating drum for receiving clothes; a combustion chamber for receiving a burner; and a fan housing for receiving an exhaust fan that draws air into the combustion chamber, supplies air heated by the burner as warm air into the rotating drum, and exhausts the warm air from the rotating drum to the outside, the fan housing being disposed behind the rotating drum, the combustion chamber being disposed in a space formed between the corners of the fan housing and the rear periphery of the main body housing, and the burner being disposed in the combustion chamber near the end of one corner of the rear periphery of the main body housing.

2. The clothes dryer as described in claim 1, wherein, A warm air outlet is provided on the rear wall of the rotating drum to guide the warm air into the rotating drum. A gas supply pipe is provided between the rear wall of the rotating drum and the fan housing to connect the combustion chamber and the warm air outlet. A warm air exhaust outlet is provided at the clothing removal outlet at the front of the rotating drum to discharge the warm air from the rotating drum. A connecting pipe is provided to the warm air exhaust outlet and extends from the clothing removal outlet through the gap formed between the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls of the rotating drum and the main body housing to the rear of the rotating drum. An exhaust pipe is provided between the rear wall of the rotating drum and the fan housing, which connects the warm air exhaust outlet to the fan housing via the connecting pipe.

3. The clothes dryer as described in claim 2, wherein, The combustion chamber is connected to the gas supply pipe in such a way that the downstream opening of the combustion chamber, which is the connection part of the gas supply pipe, overlaps with the upstream opening of the gas supply pipe in the front-rear direction.

4. The clothes dryer as described in claim 1, wherein, The burner has a row of flame holes arranged side by side at a predetermined interval. The burner is disposed in a burner housing with an end plate. The end plate has an opening for the flame holes to be inserted through the flame hole row in such a way that the flame holes are exposed in the combustion chamber. The end plate has an outer opening on the outside of the flame hole opening to allow air to flow into the combustion chamber.

5. The clothes dryer as described in claim 4, wherein, The end plate has a vertical wall that is erected from the flame hole of the outer opening towards the opening direction of the flame hole via the opening edge of the opening portion. The protruding height of the vertical wall is greater than the protruding height of the flame hole.

6. The clothes dryer as described in claim 1, wherein, It includes: an overheating prevention device that prevents abnormal overheating of the combustion chamber; and a fixing plate that fixes the overheating prevention device near the constituent wall of the combustion chamber. An air inlet is provided on the constituent wall of the combustion chamber for introducing air from the main housing into the combustion chamber. The fixing plate is disposed at a certain distance from the constituent wall of the combustion chamber where the air inlet is provided.

7. The clothes dryer as described in claim 6, wherein, The detection unit of the overheat prevention device is disposed on the opposite side of the fixed plate to the side of the combustion chamber that faces the constituent wall of the combustion chamber.

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