Dryer, control device, and control method

Abstract

The present invention provides a dryer, a control device, and a control method. A dishwashing and drying machine (1) includes: a housing; a tank provided inside the housing for accommodating an object to be dried; a humidity sensor (30) provided at a position where it can contact the air inside the tank and the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank; a humidity acquisition unit that acquires the humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor (30); and a drying control unit (60) that controls the drying of the object to be dried accommodated in the tank based on the humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank acquired by the humidity acquisition unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dryer for drying objects to be dried such as tableware, a control device for controlling the dryer, and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a dishwasher (for example, refer to Patent Document 1) has been provided that is assembled in a cabinet of an integrated kitchen (system kitchen) or the like. A general dishwashing machine sprays washing water onto objects to be washed such as tableware stored inside to perform washing. After washing, the objects to be washed are dried by ventilating the moist air inside the machine using a fan or the like.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-112231 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] In a conventional general dishwashing machine, a fan or the like is driven to dry the objects to be washed until a preset drying time has elapsed. Therefore, drying ends even though it is not yet sufficient, or it continues to operate until the set time even though it is already possible to dry sufficiently.

[0008] The present invention is for solving the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to improve the drying efficiency of the dryer.

[0009] Solutions for Solving the Problems

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, a dryer according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a housing; a tank provided inside the housing for storing an object to be dried; a humidity sensor provided at a position where it can come into contact with the air inside the tank, the air outside the housing, or the air introduced into the tank; a humidity acquisition unit that acquires the humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor; and a drying control unit that controls the drying of the object to be dried stored in the tank based on the humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank acquired by the humidity acquisition unit.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is a control device. The device includes: a detection data acquisition unit that acquires data representing the detected humidity from a humidity sensor disposed at a position where it can come into contact with the air inside the tank of the dryer, the air outside the housing, or the air introduced into the tank, wherein the tank is provided inside the housing of the dryer and is used for storing the object to be dried; a humidity acquisition unit that acquires the humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor; and a drying control unit that controls the drying of the object to be dried stored in the tank based on the humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank acquired by the humidity acquisition unit.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is a control method. The method includes the following steps: acquiring data representing the detected humidity from a humidity sensor disposed at a position where it can come into contact with the air inside the tank of the dryer, the air outside the housing, or the air introduced into the tank, wherein the tank is provided inside the housing of the dryer and is used for storing the object to be dried; acquiring the humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor; and controlling the drying of the object to be dried stored in the tank based on the acquired humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank.

[0013] In addition, any combination of the above components and the aspects obtained by transforming the expressions of the present invention among methods, devices, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc. are also effective as aspects of the present invention.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the drying efficiency of the dryer can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1(a), FIG. 1(b), and FIG. 1(c) are diagrams showing the structure of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 1.

[0017] FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b) are partial perspective views with the vicinity of the exhaust port enlarged.

[0018] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the change in humidity when drying the object to be cleaned.

[0019] Figure 4 is a diagram schematically showing the functional structure of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 1.

[0020] Figure 5 It is a flowchart showing the process of the control method of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 1.

[0021] FIG. 6(a), FIG. 6(b), and FIG. 6(c) are partial perspective views showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the exhaust port of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 2.

[0022] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing an example of the change in humidity when drying the object to be cleaned.

[0023] Figure 8 It is a flowchart showing the process of the control method of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 2.

[0024] Figure 9 It is a partial perspective view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the exhaust port of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 3.

[0025] Figure 10 It is a partial perspective view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the exhaust port of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 4.

[0026] Figure 11 It is a diagram showing a cross-section of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 5.

[0027] Figure 12 It is a perspective view of a cross-section of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 6.

[0028] Figure 13 It is a diagram showing a cross-section of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 7.

[0029] Explanation of Reference Signs

[0030] 1: Tableware washing and drying machine; 2: Housing; 3: Washing tank; 4: Front cover; 10: Fan; 11: Suction port; 12: Suction air passage; 13: Introduction port; 14: Heater; 20: Outlet; 21: Exhaust flow path; 22: Exhaust port; 23: Baffle; 24: Fan; 25: Dehumidifying section; 30: Humidity sensor; 31: Operation section; 40: Container; 41: Opening; 42: Lid; 50: Control device; 51: Process control section; 52: Washing control section; 53: Control section; 60: Drying control section; 61: Detection data acquisition section; 62: Outside humidity acquisition section; 63: Inside-tank humidity acquisition section; 64: Fan control section; 65: Heater control section; 66: Baffle control section; 67: Drying end determination section. Detailed implementation mode

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Further, the technical features described in each of the multiple embodiments can be combined within the possible range.

[0032] [Embodiment 1]

[0033] Figs. 1(a), 1(b), and 1(c) show the structure of the tableware washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 1(a) shows the front of the tableware washing and drying machine 1, Fig. 1(b) shows the front of the tableware washing and drying machine 1 with the front cover 4 removed, and Fig. 1(c) is a perspective view of the A-A cross section of Fig. 1(b).

[0034] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 includes a housing 2 and a washing tank 3 provided inside the housing 2. The washing tank 3 is supported by a unit such as a pull-out track (not shown) so as to be pulled out in the front-rear direction from the front opening of the housing 2. The washing tank 3 has an opening at the upper part, and the objects to be washed such as tableware can be taken out and put in through the opening.

[0035] An air suction part, an air exhaust part, a control device 50, etc. are provided on the side surface near the front of the washing tank 3. The air suction part is used to suck the air outside the housing 2 into the inside of the washing tank 3 when drying the objects to be washed. The air exhaust part is used to discharge the air inside the washing tank 3 to the outside of the housing 2. The control device 50 is used to control the washing, drying, and other operations in the tableware washing and drying machine 1.

[0036] The air suction part includes a fan 10, an air suction port 11, an air suction duct 12, an introduction port 13, and a heater 14. The fan 10 is driven to suck the air outside the housing 2 from the air suction port 11 and introduce it into the inside of the washing tank 3. The air outside the housing 2 sucked from the air suction port 11 is heated by the heater 14 in the air suction duct 12 and then introduced into the inside of the washing tank 3 through the introduction port 13. Since the air outside the housing 2 with a lower humidity than the air inside the washing tank 3 is introduced into the washing tank 3, the drying of the objects to be washed can be promoted. In addition, since the air outside the housing 2 is heated and then introduced into the washing tank 3, the drying of the objects to be washed can be further promoted.

[0037] The exhaust section includes an outlet 20, an exhaust passage 21, and an exhaust port 22. The outlet 20 is provided below the cleaning tank 3. The exhaust port 22 is provided above the cleaning tank 3. The exhaust passage 21 is provided along a substantially vertical direction. The temperature of the air inside the cleaning tank 3 led out to the exhaust passage 21 from the outlet 20 is higher than the temperature of the surrounding air. Therefore, the air inside the cleaning tank 3 rises in the exhaust passage 21 due to the chimney effect and is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 from the exhaust port 22. Thereby, suction into the cleaning tank 3 can be promoted. In addition, since the air inside the cleaning tank 3 containing a large amount of water vapor is discharged to the outside of the housing 2, drying of the object to be cleaned can be promoted. Further, it may be that the outlet 20 is provided above the cleaning tank 3 and the exhaust port 22 is provided below the cleaning tank 3.

[0038] A humidity sensor 30 is provided in the exhaust passage 21 near the exhaust port 22. As will be described later, the control device 50 of the present embodiment obtains both the humidity of the air outside the housing 2 (humidity outside the machine) and the humidity of the air inside the cleaning tank 3 (humidity inside the tank) based on the humidity detected by one humidity sensor 30. Thereby, the manufacturing cost of the dishwashing and drying machine 1 can be suppressed and the drying efficiency can be improved.

[0039] In the cleaning process, the user pulls the cleaning tank 3 forward from the housing 2 and places the object to be cleaned in the cleaning tank 3. The user puts a detergent into the cleaning tank 3, and after housing the cleaning tank 3 in the housing 2, starts cleaning. The control device 5 supplies water or hot water to the cleaning tank 3 from the outside via a water supply valve, and cleans the object to be cleaned while circulating the cleaning water by a cleaning pump. When the set cleaning time has elapsed, the control device 50 ends the cleaning process and transfers to the rinsing process.

[0040] In the rinsing process, the control device 50 supplies water or hot water to the cleaning tank 3 from the outside via a water supply valve to rinse the object to be cleaned. When the set rinsing time has elapsed, the control device 50 ends the rinsing process and transfers to the drying process. In order to improve the hydrophilicity of the surface of the object to be cleaned and promote the evaporation of the attached water droplets, the control device 50 may inject a rinsing agent (drying aid) into the rinsing water.

[0041] In the drying process, the control device 50 drives the fan 10 to introduce the air outside the housing 2 into the cleaning tank 3. The air containing the water vapor evaporated in the cleaning tank 3 is discharged from the exhaust port 22. In the drying process, the control device 50 calculates the external humidity and the humidity inside the tank based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30, and controls the drying based on the calculated external humidity and the humidity inside the tank. The control device 50 controls the output of the heater 14, the rotation speed of the fan 10, etc. based on the external humidity and the humidity inside the tank. In addition, the control device 50 determines the end of the drying process based on the external humidity and the humidity inside the tank.

[0042] Figs. 2(a) and 2(b) are partial perspective views showing the vicinity of the exhaust port 22 enlarged. In the tableware washing and drying machine 1 of the present embodiment, a baffle 23 is provided in the exhaust flow path 21 near the exhaust port 22, and a humidity sensor 30 is provided between the baffle 23 and the exhaust port 22. The baffle 23 functions as an opening / closing part, which is an example of a switching part for switching the air flowing into the vicinity of the humidity sensor 30.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 2(a), when the baffle 23 is closed, the air inside the cleaning tank 3 does not flow into the vicinity of the humidity sensor 30, so the humidity sensor 30 comes into contact with the air outside the housing 2. Thus, the humidity detected at this time can be set as the external humidity. In order for the humidity sensor 30 to detect the external humidity more accurately, the humidity sensor 30 is preferably provided near the exhaust port 22.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 2(b), when the baffle 23 is opened, the air inside the cleaning tank 3 flows into the vicinity of the humidity sensor 30, and the air outside the housing 2 hardly flows into the exhaust flow path 21. Thus, the humidity detected at this time can be set as the humidity inside the tank. In the present embodiment, since the air outside the housing 2 is introduced into the inside of the cleaning tank 3 in the drying process, the humidity inside the tank is the humidity of the air containing the air introduced from the outside of the housing 2 into the cleaning tank 3 and the water vapor evaporated in the cleaning tank 3. In the case where the air outside the housing 2 is not introduced into the inside of the cleaning tank 3 in the drying process and the air circulates inside the housing 2, the humidity inside the tank is the humidity of the air containing the water vapor evaporated in the cleaning tank 3.

[0045] In the drying process, the control device 50 opens the baffle 23, discharges the air inside the cleaning tank 3 from the exhaust port 22 while obtaining the humidity inside the tank from the humidity sensor 30. When obtaining the external humidity, the control device 50 closes the baffle 23 to block it, so as to prevent the air inside the cleaning tank 3 from flowing into the vicinity of the humidity sensor 30, and sets the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 after a predetermined time as the external humidity.

[0046] In the tableware washing and drying machine 1 of the present embodiment, since the baffle 23 is provided between the humidity sensor 30 and the washing tank 3, it is possible to suppress the generation of dew condensation on the humidity sensor 30 due to the evaporation of the water remaining in the washing tank 3 and the exhaust flow path 21 in the operation stop state. In addition, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of washing water, detergent foam, etc. to the humidity sensor 30 during the washing process. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the humidity sensor 30 can be maintained for a long time.

[0047] Figure 3 An example of the change in humidity when drying the object to be washed is shown. Before the start of the washing process or before the start of the drying process, the control device 50 obtains the outside humidity from the humidity sensor 30 with the baffle 23 closed. Since it is considered that the outside humidity does not change significantly in a short period, the outside humidity obtained before the start of the operation can be used until the end of the operation. The control device 50 obtains the humidity inside the tank from the humidity sensor 30 at a predetermined timing during the drying process. When the object to be washed is completely dried and there are no remaining water droplets in the washing tank 3, the humidity inside the tank detected by the humidity sensor 30 is the same as the outside humidity. When the difference between the humidity inside the tank and the outside humidity is less than a predetermined value, the control device 50 determines that the drying process is completed. In Figure 3 In the example shown, during the drying process, the humidity inside the tank gradually decreases, and at time t1, the difference between the humidity inside the tank and the outside humidity is less than the predetermined value. The control device 50 determines that the drying process is completed after time t1 and stops the fan 10 and the heater 14.

[0048] Figure 4 The functional structure of the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 1 is schematically shown. The tableware washing and drying machine 1 includes a humidity sensor 30, an operation unit 31, and a control device 50. The control device 50 is implemented by hardware such as a microcomputer, a microcontroller, and an integrated circuit.

[0049] The control device 50 includes a process control unit 51, a washing control unit 52, a rinsing control unit 53, and a drying control unit 60. These structures are implemented by the CPU, memory, other LSIs, etc. of an arbitrary computer in terms of hardware, and are implemented by programs downloaded to the memory, etc. in terms of software. However, the functional blocks implemented by their cooperation are described here. Therefore, those skilled in the art should be able to understand that these functional blocks can be implemented in various forms such as only by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software.

[0050] The process control unit 51 controls processes such as cleaning, rinsing, and drying performed by the tableware washing and drying machine 1. The process control unit 51 receives instructions issued by the user from the operation unit 31 composed of buttons, switches, etc. provided on the housing 2 of the tableware washing and drying machine 1, and controls the processes according to the instructions. The process control unit 51 can either continuously execute the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the drying process, or only execute any one of the processes, or execute a combination of any two or more processes in any order.

[0051] The cleaning control unit 52 controls the cleaning process. The cleaning control unit 52 controls elements such as the water supply valve and the cleaning pump during the cleaning process.

[0052] The rinsing control unit 53 controls the rinsing process. The rinsing control unit 53 controls elements such as the water supply valve and the cleaning pump during the rinsing process.

[0053] The drying control unit 60 controls the drying process. The drying control unit 60 includes a detection data acquisition unit 61, an outside humidity acquisition unit 62, an inside tank humidity acquisition unit 63, a fan control unit 64, a heater control unit 65, a baffle control unit 66, and a drying end determination unit 67.

[0054] The detection data acquisition unit 61 acquires data representing humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30 from the humidity sensor 30.

[0055] The outside humidity acquisition unit 62 acquires the outside humidity based on the data representing humidity acquired by the detection data acquisition unit 61. The outside humidity acquisition unit 62, for example, sets the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30 before operating the tableware washing and drying machine 1 or when the baffle 23 is closed as the outside humidity.

[0056] The inside tank humidity acquisition unit 63 acquires the inside tank humidity based on the data representing humidity acquired by the detection data acquisition unit 61. The inside tank humidity acquisition unit 63, for example, sets the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30 when the baffle 23 is open as the inside tank humidity.

[0057] The fan control unit 64 controls the fan 10. The fan control unit 64 drives the fan 10 during the drying process to send the air outside the housing 2 into the cleaning tank 3. The fan control unit 64 can also control the rotation speed of the fan 10 according to the difference between the outside humidity and the inside tank humidity. For example, when the difference between the outside humidity and the inside tank humidity is equal to or greater than a specified value, the rotation speed of the fan 10 can be made faster than when the difference between the outside humidity and the inside tank humidity is less than the specified value. Thereby, the drying efficiency can be improved.

[0058] The heater control unit 65 controls the heater 14. The heater control unit 65 drives the heater 14 during the drying process to heat the air introduced into the cleaning tank 3. The heater control unit 65 can also control the output of the heater 14 according to the difference between the outside humidity and the inside humidity of the tank. For example, when the difference between the outside humidity and the inside humidity of the tank is equal to or greater than a specified value, the output of the heater 14 can be made higher than the output when the difference between the outside humidity and the inside humidity of the tank is less than the specified value. Thereby, the drying efficiency can be improved.

[0059] The baffle control unit 66 controls the opening and closing of the baffle 23 in order to switch the air in contact with the humidity sensor 30. The baffle control unit 66 can open and close the baffle 23 by turning the fan 10 on and off. As described above, in the case where the outside humidity obtained before the start of the cleaning process or the drying process is continuously used until the end of the operation, when the baffle control unit 66 obtains the outside humidity from the humidity sensor 30 before the start of the cleaning process or the drying process, it stops the fan 10 to close the baffle 23, and drives the fan 10 to open the baffle 23 during the drying process. In the case where the outside humidity is also obtained during the drying process, the baffle control unit 66 stops the fan 10 at a specified timing to close the baffle 23. In this case, the baffle 23 is configured not to open under the pressure of the exhaust gas rising in the exhaust passage 21 due to the chimney effect when the fan 10 stops, and to be opened by the pressure of the exhaust gas when the fan 10 is driven. The baffle 23 can also be opened and closed by a driving unit such as a motor. In this case, the baffle control unit 66 opens and closes the baffle 23 by controlling the driving unit. In this case, the fan 10 may not be provided.

[0060] The drying end determination unit 67 determines the end of the drying process based on the outside humidity obtained by the outside humidity acquisition unit 62 and the inside humidity of the tank obtained by the inside humidity acquisition unit 63. In the present embodiment, as described with reference to Figure 3 when the difference between the inside humidity of the tank and the outside humidity is less than a specified value, it is determined that the drying process has ended. The specified value can be set by the user. The specified value can also be determined according to the type, quantity, use, meteorological conditions such as outside air temperature, seasonal, date, time and other periodic conditions of the object to be cleaned.

[0061] Figure 5FIG. is a flowchart showing the process of the control method of the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 1. The outside humidity acquisition unit 62 acquires, as the outside humidity, the humidity acquired by the detection data acquisition unit 61 from the humidity sensor 30 in a state where the baffle 23 is closed by the baffle control unit 66 before the start of the drying process (S10). The drying control unit 60 drives the fan control unit 64 and the heater control unit 65 to drive the fan 10 and the heater 14 to introduce the air outside the housing 2 into the washing tank 3 to dry the object to be washed (S12). The drying control unit 60 continues drying (S12) until the set minimum drying time has elapsed (No in S14). When the minimum drying time has elapsed (Yes in S14), the inside tank humidity acquisition unit 63 acquires, as the inside tank humidity, the humidity acquired by the detection data acquisition unit 61 from the humidity sensor 30 in a state where the baffle 23 is opened by the baffle control unit 66 (S16). The drying end determination unit 67 calculates the difference between the inside tank humidity acquired by the inside tank humidity acquisition unit 63 and the outside humidity acquired by the outside humidity acquisition unit 62. If the difference is equal to or greater than a specified value (Yes in S18), the drying time is extended by a specified time (S20), and the process returns to S16. If the difference is less than the specified value (No in S18), the drying end determination unit 67 determines that the drying process is ended (S22).

[0062] In this embodiment, an example in which the baffle 23 is provided in the exhaust flow path 21 has been described. However, instead of or in addition to the baffle 23, an inflow suppression unit for suppressing the flow rate of the air in the washing tank 3 flowing into the vicinity of the humidity sensor 30 may be provided between the inside of the washing tank 3 and the humidity sensor 30 in the exhaust flow path 21. The inflow suppression unit may be a partition plate or the like provided in the exhaust flow path 21, or a rib (Japanese: リブ) or the like provided on the inner surface of the exhaust flow path 21. In addition, the inner surface of the exhaust flow path 21 near the humidity sensor 30 may be formed of a material or shape having a high pipe resistance. In this case, it is also possible to set the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30 when the flow rate of the air in the washing tank 3 flowing into the vicinity of the humidity sensor 30 is suppressed by the inflow suppression unit as the outside humidity, and to set the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30 when the fan 10 is driven to allow more air in the washing tank 3 to flow into the vicinity of the humidity sensor 30 as the inside tank humidity.

[0063] [Embodiment 2]

[0064] In Embodiment 2, the air that is the object of humidity detection by the humidity sensor 30 is switched by switching the on / off or the rotation direction of the fan 10 for sucking air into the washing tank 3.

[0065] FIG. 6(a), FIG. 6(b), and FIG. 6(c) are partial perspective views showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the exhaust port 22 of the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 2. In the tableware washing and drying machine 1 of the present embodiment, a baffle 23 is also provided at a position near the exhaust port 22 of the exhaust flow path 21, and a humidity sensor 30 is provided between the baffle 23 and the exhaust port 22.

[0066] When the fan 10 rotates in the direction of introducing the air outside the housing 2, the air introduced from the outside of the housing 2 is discharged from the exhaust flow path 21 together with the moisture evaporated inside the washing tank 3. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the baffle 23 is opened by the exhaust. The humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30 at this time is the humidity of the air containing the air introduced from the outside of the housing 2 and the water vapor evaporated in the washing tank 3.

[0067] When the fan 10 stops, the air inside the washing tank 3 is discharged from the exhaust flow path 21 due to the chimney effect. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the baffle 23 is opened or closed according to the relationship between the wind pressure generated by the exhaust and its own weight. The air discharged from the inside of the washing tank 3 to the outside of the housing 2 flows into the inside of the washing tank 3 from the suction port 11 or the like, but the amount is less than when the fan 10 rotates forward. Therefore, the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30 at this time can be regarded as the humidity inside the tank that does not include the humidity outside the machine.

[0068] When the fan 10 rotates in the reverse direction, the air outside the housing 2 flows into the exhaust flow path 21 from the exhaust port 22. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the baffle 23 is closed. The humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30 at this time is the humidity of the air outside the housing 2, that is, the humidity outside the machine.

[0069] By switching the fan 10 between any two or more of the above three states of the fan 10, both the humidity outside the machine and the humidity inside the tank can be obtained by one humidity sensor 30.

[0070] Figure 7An example of the change in humidity when drying the object to be cleaned is shown. The control device 50 temporarily stops the fan 10 at a prescribed timing during the drying process and confirms the change in humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30. As described above, during the period when the fan 10 is driven, the humidity sensor 30 detects the value between the humidity outside the machine and the humidity inside the tank. However, when the fan 10 stops, the humidity sensor 30 detects the humidity inside the tank. In a state where a large amount of moisture remains in the cleaning tank 3, the humidity inside the tank is higher than the humidity outside the machine. Therefore, when the fan 10 stops, the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 30 increases. When the difference between the humidity when the fan 10 stops and the humidity after a prescribed time has elapsed since the fan 10 stopped, that is, the increase in humidity before and after the fan 10 stops, is less than the prescribed value, the control device 50 determines that the drying process is completed. In Figure 7 In the example shown, the increase in humidity when the fan 10 stops gradually decreases, and at time t2, the increase is less than the prescribed value. The control device 50 determines that the drying process is completed after time t2 and stops the fan 10 and the heater 14.

[0071] Figure 8 It is a flowchart showing the process of the control method of the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 2. The drying control unit 60 drives the fan control unit 64 and the heater control unit 65 to drive the fan 10 and the heater 14 to introduce the air outside the housing 2 into the cleaning tank 3 to dry the object to be cleaned (S32). The drying control unit 60 continues drying (S32) until the set minimum drying time has elapsed (No in S34). When the minimum drying time has elapsed (Yes in S34), the outside humidity acquisition unit 62 acquires the humidity obtained by the detection data acquisition unit 61 from the humidity sensor 30 in the state where the fan 10 is driven as the humidity Hi when the fan stops (S36). The humidity Hi when the fan stops is the humidity of the air containing the air sucked from the outside of the housing 2 by the fan 10 and the air in the cleaning tank 3. The fan control unit 64 stops the fan 10 for a prescribed time (S38). The inside-tank humidity acquisition unit 63 acquires the humidity obtained by the detection data acquisition unit 61 from the humidity sensor 30 in the state where the fan 10 stops as the humidity He after the fan stops (S40). The humidity He after the fan stops is the humidity of the air in the cleaning tank 3 that does not contain the air outside the housing 2. The drying end determination unit 67 calculates the difference between the humidity He after the fan stops and the humidity Hi when the fan stops. If the difference is equal to or greater than the prescribed value (Yes in S42), the drying time is extended by a prescribed time (S44), and the process returns to S36. If the difference is less than the prescribed value (No in S42), the drying end determination unit 67 determines that the drying process is completed (S46).

[0072] In addition, in the tableware washing and drying machine 1 of the present embodiment, the baffle 23 is not provided as a switching unit for switching the air flowing into the vicinity of the humidity sensor 30, but is provided to suppress condensation or attachment of washing water, etc. on the humidity sensor 30, or to prevent foreign matters from falling into the exhaust passage 21 from the exhaust port 22. In the tableware washing and drying machine 1 of the present embodiment, the baffle 23 may not be provided.

[0073] [Embodiment 3]

[0074] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 3 includes an exhaust unit having a fan for sucking the air in the washing tank 3 to the outside of the housing 2.

[0075] Figure 9 FIG. is a partial perspective view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the exhaust port 22 of the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 3. In the tableware washing and drying machine 1 of the present embodiment, a fan 24 is provided at a position near the exhaust port 22 of the exhaust passage 21, and a humidity sensor 30 is provided inside the fan 24. The baffle 23 may or may not be provided. The humidity sensor 30 may be provided around the fan 24 or on the housing 2 outside the exhaust port 22.

[0076] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 3 may control the drying process by the control method according to Embodiment 1 or may control the drying process by the control method according to Embodiment 2. That is, it may be that the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 before the drying process is used as the off-machine humidity, and in the drying process, when the difference between the in-tank humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 and the off-machine humidity is less than a specified value, the drying process is ended. Or it may be that the fan 10 is stopped at a specified timing in the drying process, and when the difference between the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 before the stop and the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 after the stop is less than a specified value, the drying process is ended.

[0077] [Embodiment 4]

[0078] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 4 includes a dehumidifying unit communicating with the inside of the washing tank 3 for dehumidifying the air in the washing tank 3.

[0079] Figure 10 FIG. is a partial perspective view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the exhaust port 22 of the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 4. In the tableware washing and drying machine 1 of the present embodiment, a dehumidifying unit 25 is provided at a position near the exhaust port 22 of the exhaust passage 21, and a humidity sensor 30 is provided inside the dehumidifying unit 25.

[0080] The dehumidifying unit 25 dehumidifies the air inside the cleaning tank 3. The dehumidifying unit 25 can either cool the air inside the cleaning tank 3 by air cooling or water cooling etc. to produce condensation, or dehumidify by using porous materials such as zeolite, or deliquescent materials such as calcium chloride.

[0081] The humidity sensor 30 can be arranged either around the dehumidifying unit 25 or on the housing 2 etc. outside the exhaust port 22. A fan 24 can be provided between the dehumidifying unit 25 and the exhaust port 22 for sucking the air that has passed through the dehumidifying unit 25 to the outside of the housing 2. A fan 10 can be provided in the suction part for sucking the air outside the housing 2 into the cleaning tank 3. The baffle 23 can either be provided or not provided.

[0082] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 4 can control the drying process either by the control method according to Embodiment 1 or by the control method according to Embodiment 2. That is, it can either be that the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 before the drying process is used as the off-machine humidity, and in the drying process, when the difference between the in-tank humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 and the off-machine humidity is less than a specified value, the drying process ends. Or it can be that in the drying process, the fan 10 is stopped at a specified timing, and when the difference between the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 before the stop and the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 after the stop is less than a specified value, the drying process ends. When a fan is provided in the suction part or the exhaust part, the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 4 can also control the drying process by the control method according to Embodiment 2. That is, it can also be that in the drying process, the fan is stopped at a specified timing, and when the difference between the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 before the stop and the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 after the stop is less than a specified value, the drying process ends.

[0083] [Embodiment 5]

[0084] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 5 includes a container that communicates with the inside of the cleaning tank 3 and has an opening that can be opened and closed.

[0085] Figure 11 A cross-section of the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 5 is shown. In the tableware washing and drying machine 1, a container 40 is provided, which communicates with the inside of the cleaning tank 3 and is used for accumulating moisture etc. inside the cleaning tank 3. The container 40 has an opening 41 that can be opened and closed by a lid 42. The humidity sensor 30 is arranged above the opening 41 at a position that communicates with the outside of the housing 2. The opening and closing of the lid 42 is controlled by a control part (not shown).

[0086] The lid 42 functions as a switching unit for switching the air flowing near the humidity sensor 30. When the lid 42 is closed, the humidity sensor 30 detects the humidity outside the machine. When the lid 42 is open, the humidity sensor 30 detects the humidity inside the tank. The fan 10, the fan 24, and the baffle 23 may or may not be provided.

[0087] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 5 can also control the drying process by the control method according to Embodiment 1. That is, it may also be that the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 when the lid 42 is closed is used as the humidity outside the machine, and in the drying process, when the difference between the humidity inside the tank obtained from the humidity sensor 30 when the lid 42 is open and the humidity outside the machine is less than a specified value, the drying process is ended. When a fan is provided in the suction part or the exhaust part, the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 5 can also control the drying process by the control method according to Embodiment 2. That is, it may also be that the fan is stopped at a specified timing in the drying process, and when the difference between the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 before the stop and the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 after the stop is less than a specified value in the state where the lid 42 is open, the drying process is ended.

[0088] [Embodiment 6]

[0089] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 6 does not have an exhaust part. After the cleaning process and the rinsing process are completed, the opening of the cleaning tank 3 is opened, and the water vapor is discharged from the opening of the cleaning tank 3 to the outside of the housing 2 to dry the object to be cleaned.

[0090] Figure 12 It is a perspective view of a cross-section of the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 6. The humidity sensor 30 is provided at the upper opening of the cleaning tank 3. The humidity sensor 30 may also be provided at any position such as the gap between the cleaning tank 3 and the housing 2 where the air inside the cleaning tank 3 flows out to the outside of the housing 2.

[0091] When the opening of the cleaning tank 3 is closed, the humidity sensor 30 detects the humidity outside the machine. When the opening of the cleaning tank 3 is open, the humidity sensor 30 detects the humidity inside the tank. The fan 10, the fan 24, and the baffle 23 may or may not be provided.

[0092] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 6 can also control the drying process by the control method according to Embodiment 1. That is, it can also be that the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 when the opening of the washing tank 3 is closed is used as the off-machine humidity, and in the drying process, when the difference between the humidity in the tank obtained from the humidity sensor 30 when the opening of the washing tank 3 is open and the off-machine humidity is less than a specified value, the drying process is ended. When a fan 10 is provided in the suction part, the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 6 can also control the drying process by the control method according to Embodiment 2. That is, it can also be that the fan 10 is stopped at a specified timing in the drying process, and when the difference between the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 before the stop and the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30 after the stop is less than a specified value, the drying process is ended.

[0093] [Embodiment 7]

[0094] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 7 is provided with two or more humidity sensors 30.

[0095] Figure 13 The cross-section of the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 7 is shown. The humidity sensor 30a is provided near or outside the exhaust port 22. The humidity sensor 30b is provided near or outside the suction port 11. The humidity in the tank is detected by the humidity sensor 30a, and the off-machine humidity is detected by the humidity sensor 30b. Three or more humidity sensors can also be provided. The fan 10, the fan 24, and the baffle 23 can be provided or not provided.

[0096] The tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 7 can also control the drying process by the control method according to Embodiment 1. That is, it can also be that in the drying process, when the difference between the humidity in the tank obtained from the humidity sensor 30a and the off-machine humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30b is less than a specified value, the drying process is ended. When a fan is provided in the suction part or the exhaust part, the tableware washing and drying machine 1 according to Embodiment 7 can also control the drying process by the control method according to Embodiment 2. That is, it can also be that the fan is stopped at a specified timing in the drying process, and when the difference between the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30a before the stop and the humidity obtained from the humidity sensor 30a after the stop is less than a specified value, the drying process is ended.

[0097] As described above, the present invention has been described based on the embodiments. Those skilled in the art should be able to understand that these embodiments are illustrative, and there can be various variations in the combination of these respective constituent elements and respective processing procedures, and these variations are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0098] In an embodiment, an example is shown in which a cleaning tank 3 having an opening at the upper side is provided so as to be taken out and put into a housing 2 having a front opening portion in the front-rear direction. However, in other examples, an opening / closing door of the cleaning tank 3 may be provided above the cleaning tank 3. In this case, the cleaning tank 3 may be provided so as to be taken out and put into the housing 2 in the front-rear direction, or may be fixedly housed inside the housing 2.

[0099] In an embodiment, an example is shown in which a tableware washing and drying machine is housed inside a kitchen. However, in other examples, the tableware washing and drying machine may be configured as an independent device.

[0100] In an embodiment, an example of a tableware washing and drying machine that washes and dries tableware is shown. However, the present invention can also be applied to a dryer for drying other objects to be dried such as clothes.

[0101] Industrial Applicability

[0102] The present invention can be utilized in a dryer for drying objects to be dried such as tableware.

Claims

1. A dryer, comprising: A housing; A trough, which is arranged inside the housing and used for accommodating the object to be dried; A humidity sensor, which is arranged at a position where it can contact the air inside the trough, the air outside the housing, or the air introduced into the trough; A humidity acquisition unit, which acquires the humidity of the air inside the trough and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the trough based on the humidity detected by one humidity sensor; And A drying control unit, which controls the drying of the object to be dried accommodated in the trough based on the humidity of the air inside the trough and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the trough acquired by the humidity acquisition unit, It further comprises a switching unit, which is used to switch the air flowing into the vicinity of the humidity sensor, The switching unit is a blowing unit for sucking air into the trough or sucking the air inside the trough out to the outside of the housing, The humidity acquisition unit acquires the humidity of the air including the air inside the trough and the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the trough based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when the air flows from the inside of the trough to the humidity sensor through the blowing unit, acquires the humidity of the air inside the trough based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when the blowing unit stops, or acquires the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the trough based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when the air flows from the humidity sensor to the inside of the trough through the blowing unit.

2. The dryer according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The humidity sensor is arranged in the flow path between the inside of the trough and the outside of the housing, The dryer further comprises a flow-in inhibition unit, which is arranged at a position between the inside of the trough and the humidity sensor in the flow path and is used to inhibit the flow rate of the air inside the trough flowing into the vicinity of the humidity sensor.

3. The dryer according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The blowing unit is arranged to suck air into the trough, The humidity sensor is arranged around the exhaust port for discharging air to the outside of the housing.

4. The dryer according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The blowing unit is arranged to suck the air inside the trough out to the outside of the housing, The humidity sensor is arranged inside or around the blowing unit.

5. The dryer according to claim 1, Characterized in that, It further comprises a dehumidifying unit, which is communicated with the inside of the trough and is used to dehumidify the air inside the trough, The humidity sensor is arranged inside or around the dehumidifying unit.

6. The dryer according to claim 1, Characterized in that, It further comprises a container, which is communicated with the inside of the trough and has an opening that can be opened and closed, The humidity sensor is arranged at a position communicated with the outside of the housing near the opening.

7. The dryer according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The humidity sensor is disposed at a position between the housing and the tank, or at a periphery of an opening of the tank.

8. A control device comprising: a detection data acquisition unit configured to acquire data representing a detected humidity from a humidity sensor disposed at a position where it can come into contact with air inside a tank of a dryer, air outside the housing, or air introduced into the tank; wherein the tank is disposed inside the housing of the dryer and is configured to store an object to be dried; a humidity acquisition unit configured to acquire both the humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank based on the humidity detected by one humidity sensor; and a drying control unit configured to control drying of the object to be dried stored in the tank based on the humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank acquired by the humidity acquisition unit; The control device further includes a switching unit configured to switch the air flowing into the vicinity of the humidity sensor; the switching unit is a blower unit configured to suck air into the tank or suck air out of the tank to the outside of the housing; the humidity acquisition unit acquires the humidity of the air including the air inside the tank and the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when the air flows from the inside of the tank toward the humidity sensor by the blower unit, acquires the humidity of the air inside the tank based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when the blower unit stops, or acquires the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when the air flows from the humidity sensor toward the inside of the tank by the blower unit.

9. A control method including the following steps: acquiring data representing a detected humidity from a humidity sensor disposed at a position where it can come into contact with air inside a tank of a dryer, air outside the housing, or air introduced into the tank, wherein the tank is disposed inside the housing of the dryer and is configured to store an object to be dried; acquiring both the humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank based on the humidity detected by one humidity sensor; and controlling drying of the object to be dried stored in the tank based on the acquired humidity of the air inside the tank and the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank, wherein the dryer further includes a switching unit configured to switch the air flowing into the vicinity of the humidity sensor; the switching unit is a blower unit configured to suck air into the tank or suck air out of the tank to the outside of the housing. Based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when air flows from inside the tank towards the humidity sensor through the air supply unit, obtain the humidity of the air including the air inside the tank and the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank. Based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when the air supply unit stops, obtain the humidity of the air inside the tank, or based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when air flows from the humidity sensor towards the inside of the tank through the air supply unit, obtain the humidity of the air outside the housing or the air introduced into the tank.

Images