Clothes dryer

Abstract

A clothes dryer can not only dry clothes but also smooth out wrinkles. The clothes dryer (1) comprises: a storage chamber (2L) for storing clothes (L), an air supply unit (4) for supplying air into the storage chamber (2L), a heating unit (5) for heating the air supplied into the storage chamber (2L), a control unit (10) for controlling the air supply unit (4) and the heating unit (5), and a temperature detection unit (12) for detecting the temperature in the storage chamber (2L) and inputting the temperature into the control unit (10). When the temperature in the storage chamber (2L) is a first set temperature, the control unit (10) performs a wrinkle smoothing process by supplying air having a larger air volume than a prescribed air volume into the storage chamber (2L) through the air supply unit (4), and then performs a main drying process by making the temperature in the storage chamber (2L) become a second set temperature higher than the first set temperature through the heating unit (5).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a clothes dryer. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 below discloses a clothes dryer installed on the ceiling of a washing and changing room in a residence. The clothes dryer includes an air supply unit for supplying air to the washing and changing room and a weight detection unit for detecting the weight of clothes hung on hangers in the washing and changing room. When the clothes dryer starts drying operation, air is supplied toward the clothes in the washing and changing room through the air supply unit. During the drying operation, when the rate of change of the weight of the clothes detected by the weight detection unit before and after a prescribed time is lower than a prescribed value, the clothes are deemed to be dried and the drying operation is stopped.

[0003] Sometimes wrinkled clothes need to be dried, but under simple operating conditions such as the clothes dryer described in Patent Document 1, which blows air at a constant air volume to the clothes in the washing and dressing room, it is difficult to smooth out the wrinkles in addition to drying the clothes.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-167889 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] The present invention is accomplished under such background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a clothes dryer which can smooth out wrinkles in addition to drying clothes.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] The present invention is a clothes dryer, comprising: a storage chamber for storing clothes; an air supply unit for supplying air into the storage chamber; a heating unit for heating the air supplied into the storage chamber; a control unit for controlling the air supply unit and the heating unit; and a temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature in the storage chamber and inputting the temperature into the control unit. When the temperature in the storage chamber is a first set temperature, the control unit performs a wrinkle smoothing process by supplying air with a larger air volume than a specified air volume into the storage chamber through the air supply unit, and then performs a main drying process by making the temperature in the storage chamber become a second set temperature higher than the first set temperature through the heating unit.

[0011] In addition, the present invention is a clothes dryer, comprising: a storage chamber for storing clothes; an air supply unit for supplying air into the storage chamber; a heating unit for heating the air supplied into the storage chamber; a control unit for controlling the air supply unit and the heating unit; a temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature in the storage chamber and inputting the temperature into the control unit; and a humidity detection unit for detecting the humidity in the storage chamber and inputting the humidity into the control unit. When the humidity in the storage chamber is higher than a first set humidity, the control unit performs a wrinkle smoothing process by supplying air with a larger air volume than a prescribed air volume into the storage chamber through the air supply unit when the temperature in the storage chamber is the first set temperature. When the humidity in the storage chamber is below the first set humidity, the control unit terminates the wrinkle smoothing process and performs a main drying process by making the temperature in the storage chamber become a second set temperature higher than the first set temperature through the heating unit. When the humidity in the storage chamber becomes below the second set humidity lower than the first set humidity, the control unit terminates the main drying process.

[0012] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that when a first upper limit time has passed after the start of the wrinkle smoothing treatment, the control unit will terminate the wrinkle smoothing treatment and perform the main drying treatment even if the humidity in the storage chamber is not lower than the first set humidity, and when a second upper limit time has passed after the start of the main drying treatment, the control unit will terminate the main drying treatment even if the humidity in the storage chamber is not lower than the second set humidity.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, in a clothes dryer, in order to dry the clothes stored in the storage chamber, the air supply unit supplies air to the storage chamber, and the heating unit heats the air. In the drying operation of the clothes dryer, through the initial wrinkle smoothing treatment, when the temperature in the storage chamber is at a first set temperature, a large amount of air is blown onto the clothes that are in a relatively humid state and easy to smooth out wrinkles, so that the wrinkles of the clothes can be smoothed out by using the moisture contained in the clothes. Then, in the main drying process after the wrinkle smoothing treatment, since the temperature in the storage chamber becomes a second set temperature higher than the first set temperature, the clothes with wrinkles eliminated can be quickly dried. By combining such a wrinkle smoothing treatment and the main drying process, wrinkles can be smoothed in addition to drying the clothes.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the present invention, in the clothes dryer, in order to dry the clothes stored in the storage chamber, the air supply unit supplies air to the storage chamber, and the heating unit heats the air. During the drying operation of the clothes dryer, when the humidity in the storage chamber is higher than the first set humidity, that is, when the clothes in the storage chamber are in a relatively humid state, a large amount of air is blown onto the clothes in a relatively humid state and wrinkles are easily smoothed when the temperature in the storage chamber is the first set temperature through the wrinkle smoothing process. Thus, the wrinkles of the clothes can be smoothed by the moisture contained in the clothes. Then, when the humidity in the storage chamber is lower than the first set humidity, the wrinkle smoothing process ends and the main drying process begins. In the main drying process, since the temperature in the storage chamber becomes a second set temperature higher than the first set temperature, the clothes with wrinkles eliminated can be quickly dried. When the humidity in the storage chamber becomes lower than the second set humidity lower than the first set temperature as the clothes are dried, the main drying process ends. By combining such a wrinkle smoothing process and the main drying process, wrinkles can be smoothed in addition to drying the clothes.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the present invention, when the first upper limit time has passed after the wrinkle smoothing process is started, even if the humidity in the storage chamber is not lower than the first set humidity, the wrinkle smoothing process is terminated and the main drying process is performed. Then, when the second upper limit time has passed after the main drying process is started, even if the humidity in the storage chamber is not lower than the second set humidity, the main drying process is terminated. Therefore, when the drying operation is started in a state where, for example, the clothes are not fully dehydrated, the wrinkle smoothing process and the main drying process are properly terminated, thereby preventing the drying operation from being unnecessarily prolonged. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic perspective view of a clothes dryer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic longitudinal right side view of the dryer.

[0019] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of a clothes dryer.

[0020] Figure 4A This is a flow chart showing a drying operation performed in a clothes dryer.

[0021] Figure 4B This is a flow chart showing the drying operation.

[0022] Figure 5 It is a graph showing the temporal changes of various parameters of the clothes dryer during the drying operation.

[0023] Fig. 6A This is a flowchart showing the drying operation according to the modified example.

[0024] Figure 6B This is a flowchart showing the drying operation according to the modified example.

[0025] Description of Reference Numerals

[0026] 1: Dryer; 2L: Storage room; 4: Air supply unit; 5: Heating unit; 10: Control unit; 12: Temperature detection unit; 16: Humidity detection unit; L: Clothes; Max1: First upper limit time; Max2: Second upper limit time; T1: First set time; T2: Second set time; W1: First set humidity; W2: Second set humidity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a clothes dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The left and right direction in the figure is called the left and right direction X of the clothes dryer 1, which will be Figure 1 The direction substantially perpendicular to the paper surface is referred to as the front-rear direction Y of the clothes dryer 1. Figure 1 The up-down direction in the figure is called the up-down direction Z of the clothes dryer 1. Figure 1 The left side of the Figure 1 The right side in the image is called the right side X2. Figure 1 The front side of the paper is called the front side Y1. Figure 1 The back side of the paper surface is referred to as the rear side Y2. In the up-down direction Z, the upper side is referred to as the upper side Z1, and the lower side is referred to as the lower side Z2. Figure 2 It is a schematic longitudinal sectional right side view of the clothes dryer 1 .

[0028] The clothes dryer 1 of this embodiment is different from a washer-dryer and is a foldable dedicated machine that performs only a drying operation for clothes, and is arranged, for example, in a horizontal arrangement with a washing machine. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The clothes dryer 1 includes: a housing 2 constituting its outline, a support portion 3 supporting clothes L in the housing 2, an air supply portion 4 for generating air flow in the housing 2, and a heating portion 5 for heating the air in the housing 2. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the clothes L to be dried are assumed to be shirts, but clothes other than shirts may also be dried.

[0029] The box body 2 is formed into a box shape that is, for example, long in the longitudinal direction. The box body 2 has a front wall 2A, a left wall 2B and a right wall 2C that extend from both ends of the front wall 2A in the left-right direction X to the rear side Y2, and a rear wall 2D that is arranged between the rear ends of the left wall 2B and the right wall 2C. The box body 2 has a top wall 2E and a bottom wall 2F, the top wall 2E is connected to the upper ends of the front wall 2A, the left wall 2B, the right wall 2C and the rear wall 2D, respectively, and the bottom wall 2F is connected to the lower ends of the front wall 2A, the left wall 2B, the right wall 2C and the rear wall 2D, respectively. In the present embodiment, the front wall 2A extends obliquely in a manner that retreats as it approaches the upper side Z1, but it may also extend vertically. The left wall 2B, the right wall 2C and the rear wall 2D extend vertically, respectively. The top wall 2E and the bottom wall 2F extend horizontally.

[0030] The box body 2 further includes a horizontal plate 2G and a vertical plate 2H. The horizontal plate 2G is arranged in the box body 2 just above the bottom wall 2F and extends parallel to the bottom wall 2F. The vertical plate 2H is arranged in the box body 2 at the front side Y1 of the rear wall 2D and extends parallel to the rear wall 2D. The front end of the horizontal plate 2G is connected to the lower part of the front wall 2A. The lower end of the vertical plate 2H is connected to the rear end of the horizontal plate 2G, and the upper end of the vertical plate 2H is connected to the rear part of the top wall 2E.

[0031] The interior space of the box 2 is divided into a storage chamber 2L for storing clothes L and a circulation path 2M for circulating the air by taking out the air in the storage chamber 2L and returning it to the storage chamber 2L by the horizontal plate 2G and the vertical plate 2H. The storage chamber 2L is a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped space, which is blocked from the left and right directions X by the left wall 2B and the right wall 2C, blocked from the front and rear directions Y by the front wall 2A and the vertical plate 2H, and blocked from the top wall 2E and the horizontal plate 2G in the vertical direction Z. The front wall 2A has a vertically long rectangular inlet 2AA (see FIG. 2 ) occupying substantially the entire area thereof. Figure 1 ). A door 6 for opening and closing the entrance 2AA is connected to the front wall 2A via a hinge portion 7. At least a portion of the door 6 is transparent or translucent by being made of glass or the like, so that the user can see the inside of the storage room 2L through the closed door 6.

[0032] The circulation path 2M is an inverted L-shaped space when viewed from the right, and is blocked from the left-right direction X by the left wall 2B and the right wall 2C, blocked from the front-back direction Y by the vertical plate 2H and the rear wall 2D, and blocked from the top wall 2E, the bottom wall 2F, and the horizontal plate 2G in the up-down direction Z. The area of ​​the circulation path 2M that is sandwiched between the bottom wall 2F and the horizontal plate 2G and extends in the front-back direction Y is called the horizontal area 2MA. The area of ​​the circulation path 2M that is sandwiched between the vertical plate 2H and the rear wall 2D and extends in the up-down direction Z is called the vertical area 2MB.

[0033] The transverse area 2MA is located at the lower side Z2 of the storage chamber 2L, and the longitudinal area 2MB is located at the rear side Y2 of the storage chamber 2L. The rear end of the transverse area 2MA and the lower end of the longitudinal area 2MB are in a connected state. In the middle of the transverse plate 2G, for example, there is formed an inlet 2GA connecting the storage chamber 2L and the transverse area 2MA. In the upper end of the longitudinal plate 2H, there is formed a blow-out port 2HA connecting the storage chamber 2L and the longitudinal area 2MB. A plurality of blow-out ports 2HA may be provided. In the present embodiment, four blow-out ports 2HA are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction X (see Figure 1 ).

[0034] The support portion 3 includes a center portion 3A disposed on the upper portion of each of the left wall 2B and the right wall 2C, an arm portion 3B extending from each center portion 3A toward the upper side Z1, and a cylindrical hook portion 3C provided between the upper ends of each arm portion 3B and extending linearly along the left-right direction X. Each center portion 3A is supported by the left wall 2B or the right wall 2C so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis in the left-right direction X. Thus, the entire support portion 3 can rotate about the center portion 3A. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The position of the support part 3 when the arm part 3B extends vertically from the center part 3A to the upper side Z1 is called the storage position. The user can rotate the support part 3 from the storage position to the pull-out position (not shown) by grabbing the hook part 3C and pulling it out to the front side Y1 with the door 6 open.

[0035] When the support part 3 is in the pulled-out position, the hook part 3C is close to the user, so the user can easily hang the hook F of the hanger H with the clothes L on the hook part 3C, or remove the hook F from the hook part 3C. The user can hold the hook part 3C and press it toward the rear side Y2 to rotate the support part 3 to the storage position. When the support part 3 is in the storage position, the clothes L hung on the hook part 3C via the hanger H can be easily pulled out of the user's clothes. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the clothes are stored in the storage chamber 2L in a state of hanging from the hook portion 3C and facing one direction in the left-right direction X. The number of clothes that can be stored in the storage chamber 2L at one time can be set arbitrarily. In this embodiment, at most five clothes L can be stored in the storage chamber 2L in a state of being arranged in the left-right direction X. Thus, in the clothes dryer 1, multiple clothes L can be dried at one time.

[0036] As the air supply unit 4, a well-known electric blower with built-in rotating blades (not shown) can be used. The rotation speed of the rotating blades is referred to as the rotation speed of the air supply unit 4. The air supply unit 4 includes a first air supply unit 4A and a second air supply unit 4B. Since the first air supply unit 4A is heavier than the second air supply unit 4B, the first air supply unit 4A is arranged in the lateral area 2MA on the lower side Z2 of the circulation path 2M. Since the second air supply unit 4B is relatively light, the second air supply unit 4B is provided one by one at each blowing outlet 2HA at the upper end of the longitudinal area 2MB of the circulation path 2M. Therefore, in the present embodiment, there are four second air supply units 4B. When these air supply units 4 are working, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown by the thick dotted arrow, the air in the storage chamber 2L is taken into the lateral area 2MA from the suction port 2GA and flows to the rear side Y2, then rises in the longitudinal area 2MB and is blown out from each blow-out port 2HA to the front side Y1 and sent into the storage chamber 2L. The air in the housing 2 circulates by passing through the storage chamber 2L and the circulation path 2M in this way. In the flow direction of the circulating air, the lateral area 2MA is located on the upstream side of the longitudinal area 2MB.

[0037] As the heating unit 5, a known heater such as an electric heater can be used. Since the heating unit 5 is relatively heavy like the first air supply unit 4A, the heating unit 5 is arranged at any position of the lateral area 2MA of the lower side Z2 in the circulation path 2M, for example, the downstream side of the first air supply unit 4A in the flow direction of the air. When the heating unit 5 is working, the temperature rises, so the air flowing in the circulation path 2M and sent into the storage chamber 2L is heated and turned into hot air when passing around the heating unit 5. The hot air in the circulation path 2M is sent into the storage chamber 2L from the blowing outlet 2HA and blown onto the clothes in the storage chamber 2L, thereby drying the clothes in the storage chamber 2L.

[0038] Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the dryer 1. The dryer 1 also includes: a control unit 10 that controls the operation of the dryer 1, a display operation unit 11 that is operated by the user or notifies the user of information, and a temperature detection unit 12 that detects the temperature in the storage chamber 2L. The control unit 10 is configured as a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU 13, a memory 14 such as ROM or RAM, and a timer 15 for timing, and is built into the housing 2. The display operation unit 11 is composed of a switch, a liquid crystal panel, a buzzer, etc., and is provided on the front wall 2A of the housing 2 and the door 6. As the temperature detection unit 12, a well-known temperature sensor can be used. The temperature detection unit 12 is Figure 2 Although it is fixed to the top wall 2E in the housing 2, it may be arranged in a region near the blow-out port 2HA in the circulation path 2M.

[0039] The air supply unit 4, the heating unit 5, the display operation unit 11, and the temperature detection unit 12 are electrically connected to the control unit 10, respectively. The control unit 10 generates wind by operating the air supply unit 4, so that the air circulates between the storage chamber 2L and the circulation path 2M. The control unit 10 heats the air circulating between the storage chamber 2L and the circulation path 2M into hot air by operating the heating unit 5. When the user operates the display operation unit 11, the control unit 10 receives the operation. The control unit 10 controls the display and buzzer of the display operation unit 11. The temperature information in the storage chamber 2L detected by the temperature detection unit 12 is input to the control unit 10 in real time.

[0040] Figure 4A and Figure 4B 1 is a flowchart showing a drying operation performed in the clothes dryer 1 . Figure 5 It is a graph showing the temporal changes of various parameters of the clothes dryer 1 during the drying operation. Figure 5 In the curve graph, the horizontal axis represents the time elapsed from the start of the drying operation, the vertical axis on the left represents the temperature and humidity in the storage chamber 2L, and the vertical axis on the right represents the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4. The temperature in the storage chamber 2L is called the internal temperature, and the humidity in the storage chamber 2L is called the internal humidity. The unit of the elapsed time is minutes, the unit of the rotation speed of the air supply unit 4 is rpm, the unit of the internal temperature is ° C, and the unit of the internal humidity is %. It should be noted that the humidity in this embodiment is relative humidity. Figure 4A , Figure 4B as well as Figure 5 The drying operation is explained.

[0041] When the user instructs to perform the drying operation by operating the display operation unit 11, the control unit 10 starts the drying operation mainly by controlling the air supply unit 4 and the heating unit 5. The drying operation includes a wrinkle smoothing process for smoothing and eliminating wrinkles of the clothes L in the first half and a main drying process for drying the clothes L in the second half.

[0042] As the drying operation starts, the control unit 10 determines the first operation time t1 indicating the time from the start to the end of the wrinkle smoothing process, the first rotation speed R1 as the target value of the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4 in the wrinkle smoothing process, and the first set temperature T1 as the target value of the temperature in the storage chamber in the wrinkle smoothing process (step S1). The first operation time t1, the first rotation speed R1, and the first set temperature T1 are determined according to the type and quantity of the clothes L stored in the storage chamber 2L. The first operation time t1, the first rotation speed R1, and the first set temperature T1 can be calculated in advance and stored in the memory 14. In this case, in step S1, the control unit 10 does not determine these values ​​by calculation, but obtains these values ​​from the memory 14.

[0043] The first operation time t1 is, for example, 20 minutes. The first rotation speed R1 is, for example, a relatively high rotation speed of 7000 rpm. The first set temperature T1 has a range, and the upper limit of the first set temperature T1 is, for example, 45°C, and the lower limit of the first set temperature T1 is, for example, 40°C.

[0044] Next, the control unit 10 operates each air supply unit 4 so as to control the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4 to reach the first rotation speed R1 (step S2). Thus, the air in the housing 2 circulates between the storage chamber 2L and the circulation path 2M (see Figure 2 As described above, since the first rotation speed R1 is relatively high, the air volume is larger than the specified air volume, and the air with strong flow is blown from the circulation path 2M to the clothes L in the storage chamber 2L, thereby smoothing the wrinkles of the clothes L. In particular, the hot air blown out from the blow-out port 2HA located at a higher position than the clothes L blows from the upper side Z1 to the clothes L, and the hot air flows on the surface of the clothes L from the collar of the upper side Z1 toward the cuffs of the lower side Z2, so that the clothes L can be smoothed well (refer to Figure 2 ). At this time, the clothing L can be still or can float toward the front side Y1.

[0045] In the state where the air supply unit 4 is working in this way, the control unit 10 confirms whether the temperature in the warehouse is below the upper limit value of the first set temperature T1 (step S3). If the temperature in the warehouse is below the upper limit value of the first set temperature T1 ("yes" in step S3), the control unit 10 operates the heating unit 5 to heat the air in the box 2 (step S4). On the other hand, if the temperature in the warehouse is higher than the upper limit value of the first set temperature T1 during the operation of the heating unit 5 ("no" in step S3), the control unit 10 stops the heating unit 5 in order to lower the temperature in the warehouse (step S5), and confirms whether the temperature in the warehouse is below the lower limit value of the first set temperature T1 (step S6). If the temperature in the warehouse is below the lower limit value of the first set temperature T1 ("yes" in step S6), the temperature in the warehouse drops too low, and the control unit 10 operates the heating unit 5 to heat the air in the box 2 (step S4).

[0046] After the heating unit 5 starts working (step S4), the control unit 10 repeatedly performs the processing after step S3 until the first operating time t1 has passed ("No" in step S7). In addition, when the heating unit 5 is stopped but the temperature in the warehouse is between the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the first set temperature T1 ("No" in step S6), the control unit 10 also repeatedly performs the processing after step S3 until the first operating time t1 has passed ("No" in step S7). Therefore, in the wrinkle smoothing process, in a state where each air supply unit 4 is operating at a high speed of the first rotation speed R1, the temperature in the warehouse fluctuates between the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the first set temperature T1, and the humidity in the warehouse gradually decreases (refer to Figure 5 ).

[0047] When the first operation time t1 has elapsed ("Yes" in step S7), the control unit 10 ends the wrinkle smoothing process (step S8) and starts the main drying process. The control unit 10 may also temporarily stop the air supply unit 4 and the heating unit 5 when the wrinkle smoothing process ends.

[0048] As the main drying process starts, the control unit 10 determines the second operation time t2 indicating the time from the start to the end of the drying operation, the second rotation speed R2 as the target value of the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4 in the main drying process, and the second set temperature T2 as the target value of the temperature in the storage chamber in the main drying process (step S9). The second operation time t2, the second rotation speed R2, and the second set temperature T2 are determined according to the type and quantity of the clothes L stored in the storage chamber 2L. The second operation time t2, the second rotation speed R2, and the second set temperature T2 can be calculated in advance and stored in the memory 14. In this case, in step S9, the control unit 10 does not determine these values ​​by calculation, but obtains these values ​​from the memory 14.

[0049] The second operation time t2 is, for example, 40 minutes. The difference between the second operation time t2 and the first operation time t1 is the same as the time from the start to the end of the main drying process. The difference can be regarded as the second operation time t2. The second rotation speed R2 is lower than the first rotation speed R1, for example, 5000 rpm. The second set temperature T2 is higher than the first set temperature T1. The second set temperature T2 sets a range, the upper limit value of the second set temperature T2 is, for example, 65°C, and the lower limit value of the second set temperature T2 is, for example, 60°C.

[0050] Next, the control unit 10 operates each air supply unit 4 so as to control the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4 to reach the second rotation speed R2 (step S10). Thus, the air in the housing 2 circulates between the storage chamber 2L and the circulation path 2M. It should be noted that each air supply unit 4 may continue to operate after the wrinkle smoothing process. In this case, the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4 is reduced to the second rotation speed R2 in step S10, and then continues to operate. Since the second rotation speed R2 is relatively low, the power consumption used to operate each air supply unit 4 can be suppressed to a relatively low level. In addition, since the drying speed of the clothes L that have been dried to a certain extent is mainly affected by the temperature in the warehouse, it does not matter if the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4, that is, the air volume, is a little smaller.

[0051] In the state where the air supply unit 4 is working in this way, the control unit 10 confirms whether the temperature in the warehouse is below the upper limit of the second set temperature T2 (step S11). If the temperature in the warehouse is below the upper limit of the second set temperature T2 ("yes" in step S11), the control unit 10 operates the heating unit 5 to heat the air in the box 2 (step S12). On the other hand, if the temperature in the warehouse is higher than the upper limit of the second set temperature T2 during the operation of the heating unit 5 ("no" in step S11), the control unit 10 stops the heating unit 5 in order to lower the temperature in the warehouse (step S13), and confirms whether the temperature in the warehouse is below the lower limit of the second set temperature T2 (step S14). If the temperature in the warehouse is below the lower limit of the second set temperature T2 ("yes" in step S14), the temperature in the warehouse drops too low, and the control unit 10 operates the heating unit 5 to heat the air in the box 2 (step S12).

[0052] After the heating unit 5 starts operating (step S12) until the second operating time t2 has passed ("No" in step S15), the control unit 10 repeatedly performs the processing after step S11. In addition, when the heating unit 5 is stopped but the temperature in the warehouse is between the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the second set temperature T2 ("No" in step S14), the control unit 10 also repeatedly performs the processing after step S11 until the second operating time t2 has passed ("No" in step S15). As a result, in the main drying process, when each air supply unit 4 is operating at a low speed of the second rotation speed R2, the temperature in the warehouse fluctuates between the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the second set temperature T2, and the humidity in the warehouse is further reduced (refer to Figure 5 ).

[0053] When the second operation time t2 has elapsed (YES in step S15), the control unit 10 stops the air supply unit 4 and the heating unit 5, thereby ending the main drying process (step S16), thereby ending the entire drying operation.

[0054] As described above, in the drying operation, the control unit 10 performs the main drying process (steps S9 to S16) after performing the wrinkle smoothing process (steps S1 to S8). As the wrinkle smoothing process, the control unit 10 sends air having a larger air volume than the prescribed air volume into the storage chamber 2L through the air supply unit 4 when the temperature in the storage chamber 2L is the first set temperature T1. As the main drying process, the control unit 10 makes the temperature in the storage chamber 2L become the second set temperature T2 higher than the first set temperature T1 through the heating unit 5.

[0055] Therefore, in the drying operation, through the initial wrinkle smoothing process, a large amount of air is blown onto the clothes L in a relatively moist state where wrinkles are easily smoothed while the temperature in the storage chamber 2L is the first set temperature T1, so that the wrinkles of the clothes L can be smoothed by using the moisture contained in the clothes L. Then, in the main drying process after the wrinkle smoothing process, since the temperature in the storage chamber 2L becomes the second set temperature T2 higher than the first set temperature T1, the clothes L with wrinkles within the lower limit can be quickly dried in a high temperature environment. By combining the wrinkle smoothing process and the main drying process, the wrinkles of the clothes L can be smoothed in addition to drying them.

[0056] In addition, if the clothing L is almost completely dried, the wrinkles remaining on the clothing L are difficult to smooth out unless they are wetted. In the present embodiment, by performing the wrinkle smoothing process when the clothing L is wet to a certain extent, the moisture contained in the clothing L itself can be used to remove the wrinkles from the clothing L, and the clothing L can be treated well. Therefore, in the wrinkle smoothing process, it is necessary to blow a large amount of strong air on the wet clothing without drying the clothing L at a very high speed. Therefore, the first set temperature T1 in the wrinkle smoothing process is set to a low temperature at which the drying speed of the clothing L is lower than the drying speed in the main drying process, and the above-mentioned air volume greater than the prescribed air volume is set to a value at which the wrinkles of the wet clothing L can be smoothed. In addition, since the dryer 1 does not include a humidifying device for wetting the clothing L to smooth the wrinkles, low cost can be achieved.

[0057] Next, refer to Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The drying operation of the modified example is described in the flowchart shown in FIG. 1 . The clothes dryer 1 of the modified example further includes a humidity detection unit 16, which detects the humidity in the storage chamber 2L, that is, the humidity in the storage chamber, and inputs the humidity into the control unit 10 (refer to FIG. 1 ). Figure 3 As the humidity detection unit 16, a known humidity sensor can be used.

[0058] As the drying operation of the modified example starts, the control unit 10 determines the first upper limit time Max1 indicating the upper limit value of the time from the start to the end of the wrinkle smoothing process, the first rotation speed R1 as the target value of the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4 in the wrinkle smoothing process, the first set temperature T1 as the target value of the temperature in the storage compartment in the wrinkle smoothing process, and the first set humidity W1 as the target value of the humidity in the storage compartment in the wrinkle smoothing process (step S21). The first upper limit time Max1, the first rotation speed R1, the first set temperature T1, and the first set humidity W1 are determined according to the type and quantity of the clothes L stored in the storage chamber 2L. The first upper limit time Max1, the first rotation speed R1, the first set temperature T1, and the first set humidity W1 may be obtained in advance and stored in the memory 14. In this case, in step S21, the control unit 10 does not determine these values ​​by calculation, but obtains these values ​​from the memory 14.

[0059] The first upper limit time Max1 is, for example, 30 minutes, which is longer than the first operation time t1. The first rotation speed R1 is, for example, 7000 rpm, which is a relatively high rotation speed. The first set temperature T1 is set in a range, and the upper limit value of the first set temperature T1 is, for example, 45°C, and the lower limit value of the first set temperature T1 is, for example, 40°C. The first set humidity W1 is, for example, 50%.

[0060] Next, the control unit 10 confirms whether the humidity in the storage is below the first set humidity W1 (step S22). When the drying operation starts, since the clothes L are in a wet state, the humidity in the storage is higher than the first set humidity W1. In this case ("No" in step S22), the control unit 10 operates each air supply unit 4 to control the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4 to reach the first rotation speed R1 (step S23). As a result, the air in the box 2 circulates between the storage chamber 2L and the circulation path 2M. As described above, since the rotation speed of the first rotation speed R1 is relatively high, the air volume is greater than the prescribed air volume, and the air with a strong flow is blown from the circulation path 2M onto the clothes L in the storage chamber 2L, thereby smoothing the wrinkles of the clothes L.

[0061] In the state where the air supply unit 4 is working in this way, the control unit 10 confirms whether the temperature in the warehouse is below the upper limit of the first set temperature T1 (step S24). If the temperature in the warehouse is below the upper limit of the first set temperature T1 ("yes" in step S24), the control unit 10 operates the heating unit 5 to heat the air in the box 2 (step S25). On the other hand, if the temperature in the warehouse is higher than the upper limit of the first set temperature T1 during the operation of the heating unit 5 ("no" in step S24), the control unit 10 stops the heating unit 5 in order to lower the temperature in the warehouse (step S26), and confirms whether the temperature in the warehouse is below the lower limit of the first set temperature T1 (step S27). If the temperature in the warehouse is below the lower limit of the first set temperature T1 ("yes" in step S27), the temperature in the warehouse drops too low, and the control unit 10 operates the heating unit 5 to heat the air in the box 2 (step S25).

[0062] The control unit 10 checks whether the humidity in the storage is below the first set humidity W1 (step S28) when the heating unit 5 is operated (step S25) or stopped (step S26). When the humidity in the storage becomes below the first set humidity W1 due to the drying of the clothes L ("Yes" in step S28), the control unit 10 ends the wrinkle smoothing process (step S29) and starts the main drying process. The control unit 10 may also stop the air supply unit 4 and the heating unit 5 when the wrinkle smoothing process ends.

[0063] When the humidity in the storage is higher than the first set humidity W1 ("No" in step S28), the control unit 10 repeats the process after step S24 until the first upper limit time Max1 has passed ("No" in step S30). On the other hand, when the humidity in the storage is higher than the first set humidity W1 ("No" in step S28), but the first upper limit time Max1 has passed ("Yes" in step S30), the control unit 10 forcibly ends the wrinkle smoothing process (step S29) and starts the main drying process.

[0064] As the main drying process starts, the control unit 10 determines the second upper limit time Max2 representing the upper limit value of the time from the start to the end of the drying operation, the second rotation speed R2 as the target value of the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4 in the main drying process, the second set temperature T2 as the target value of the temperature in the storage room in the main drying process, and the second set humidity W2 as the target value of the humidity in the storage room in the main drying process (step S31). The second upper limit time Max2, the second rotation speed R2, the second set temperature T2, and the second set humidity W2 are determined according to the type and quantity of the clothes L stored in the storage chamber 2L. The second upper limit time Max2, the second rotation speed R2, the second set temperature T2, and the second set humidity W2 can be calculated in advance and stored in the memory 14. In this case, in step S31, the control unit 10 does not determine these values ​​by calculation, but obtains these values ​​from the memory 14.

[0065] The second upper limit time Max2 is, for example, 60 minutes, which is longer than the above-mentioned second operation time t2. The difference between the second upper limit time Max2 and the first upper limit time Max1 represents the upper limit value of the time from the start to the end of the main drying process. The difference can be regarded as the second upper limit time Max2. The second rotation speed R2 is lower than the first rotation speed R1, for example, 5000 rpm. The second set temperature T2 is higher than the first set temperature T1. The second set temperature T2 sets a range, the upper limit value of the second set temperature T2 is, for example, 65°C, and the lower limit value of the second set temperature T2 is, for example, 60°C. The second set humidity W2 is lower than the first set humidity W1, for example, 30%.

[0066] Next, the control unit 10 confirms whether the humidity in the storage is below the second set humidity W2 (step S32). At the beginning of the main drying process, since the clothes L are still in a wet state, the humidity in the storage is higher than the second set humidity W2. In this case ("No" in step S32), the control unit 10 operates each air supply unit 4 to control the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4 to reach the second rotation speed R2 (step S33). Thus, the air in the box 2 circulates between the storage chamber 2L and the circulation path 2M. It should be noted that each air supply unit 4 can also continue to work after the wrinkle smoothing process. In this case, the rotation speed of each air supply unit 4 is reduced to the second rotation speed R2 in step S33, and then continues to work. Since the second rotation speed R2 is relatively low, the power consumption used to operate each air supply unit 4 can be suppressed to a lower level.

[0067] In the state where the air supply unit 4 is working in this way, the control unit 10 confirms whether the temperature in the warehouse is below the upper limit of the second set temperature T2 (step S34). If the temperature in the warehouse is below the upper limit of the second set temperature T2 ("Yes" in step S34), the control unit 10 operates the heating unit 5 to heat the air in the box 2 (step S35). On the other hand, if the temperature in the warehouse is higher than the upper limit of the second set temperature T2 during the operation of the heating unit 5 ("No" in step S34), the control unit 10 stops the heating unit 5 in order to lower the temperature in the warehouse (step S36), and confirms whether the temperature in the warehouse is below the lower limit of the second set temperature T2 (step S37). If the temperature in the warehouse is below the lower limit of the second set temperature T2 ("Yes" in step S37), the temperature in the warehouse drops too low, and the control unit 10 operates the heating unit 5 to heat the air in the box 2 (step S35).

[0068] The control unit 10 checks whether the humidity in the storage is below the second set humidity (step S38) when the heating unit 5 is operated (step S35) or stopped (step S36). When the humidity in the storage becomes below the second set humidity W2 due to the drying of the clothes L ("yes" in step S38), the control unit 10 stops the air supply unit 4 and the heating unit 5 and normally ends the main drying process (step S39), thereby ending the entire drying operation.

[0069] When the humidity in the storage is higher than the second set humidity W2 ("No" in step S38), the control unit 10 repeats the process after step S34 until the second upper limit time Max2 has passed ("No" in step S40). On the other hand, when the humidity in the storage is higher than the second set humidity W2 ("No" in step S38), but the second upper limit time Max2 has passed ("Yes" in step S40), the control unit 10 notifies the error that the clothes L cannot be dried through the display operation unit 11 or the like (step S41), and forcibly ends the main drying process (step S39).

[0070] As described above, in the drying operation of the modified example, when the humidity in the storage chamber 2L is higher than the first set humidity W1, the control unit 10 performs the wrinkle smoothing process (steps S21 to S30). In the wrinkle smoothing process, the control unit 10 sends air with a larger air volume than the prescribed air volume into the storage chamber 2L through the air supply unit 4 when the temperature in the storage chamber 2L is the first set temperature T1. Then, when the humidity in the storage chamber 2L becomes lower than the first set humidity W1 ("Yes" in step S28), the control unit 10 ends the wrinkle smoothing process (step S29) and performs the main drying process. In the main drying process, the control unit 10 makes the temperature in the storage chamber 2L become the second set temperature T2 higher than the first set temperature T1 through the heating unit 5. Then, when the humidity in the storage chamber 2L becomes lower than the second set humidity W2 lower than the first set humidity W1 ("Yes" in step S38), the control unit 10 ends the main drying process (step S39).

[0071] Therefore, during the drying operation, when the humidity in the storage chamber 2L is higher than the first set humidity W1, that is, when the clothes L in the storage chamber 2L are in a relatively humid state, a large amount of air is blown onto the clothes L in a relatively humid state where wrinkles are easily smoothed, while the temperature in the storage chamber 2L is in a low temperature state below the first set temperature T1, by the wrinkle smoothing process. Thus, the wrinkles of the clothes L can be smoothed by using the moisture contained in the clothes L. Then, in the main drying process performed when the humidity in the storage chamber 2L has dropped to a certain extent, since the temperature in the storage chamber 2L becomes the second set temperature T2 higher than the first set temperature T1, the clothes L with wrinkles eliminated can be quickly dried in a high temperature environment. By combining such a wrinkle smoothing process and the main drying process, wrinkles can be smoothed in addition to drying the clothes L.

[0072] The above embodiment (see Figure 4A and Figure 4B ), in the drying operation of the modified example, the end time of the wrinkle smoothing process and the main drying process is determined according to the first operation time t1 and the second operation time t2, while in the drying operation of the modified example, the end time of the wrinkle smoothing process and the main drying process is determined according to the humidity in the cabinet detected by the humidity detection unit 16 instead of these set times. Therefore, in the drying operation of the modified example and the drying operation of the above-mentioned embodiment, although the parameters for determining the end time are different, they are essentially the same.

[0073] Therefore, if it is a normal drying operation, after the first operation time t1 has passed ("Yes" in step S7), the humidity in the storage room will become less than the first set humidity W1 ("Yes" in step S28). In addition, after the second operation time t2 has passed ("Yes" in step S15), the humidity in the storage room will become less than the second set humidity W2 ("Yes" in step S38). Therefore, in the drying operation of the modified example, the temperature in the storage room, the humidity in the storage room, and the rotation speed of the air supply unit 4 will actually change in the same way as the drying operation of the above-mentioned embodiment (refer to Figure 5 ).

[0074] Furthermore, when the first upper limit time Max1 has passed after the wrinkle smoothing process has started ("Yes" in step S30), even if the humidity in the storage chamber 2L is not lower than the first set humidity W1, the control unit 10 ends the wrinkle smoothing process and performs the main drying process. Furthermore, when the second upper limit time Max2 has passed after the main drying process has started ("Yes" in step S40), even if the humidity in the storage chamber 2L is not lower than the second set humidity W2, the control unit 10 ends the main drying process. Therefore, when the drying operation is started in a state where the clothes L are not fully dehydrated, the wrinkle smoothing process and the main drying process can be properly ended, thereby preventing the drying operation from being unnecessarily prolonged.

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical claims.

[0076] For example, the number of the air blowing units 4 can be arbitrarily changed. Furthermore, when there are a plurality of air blowing units 4 , the first rotation speed R1 and the second rotation speed R2 may be different values ​​for different air blowing units 4 .

Claims

1. A clothes dryer, characterized in that: include: Reception room, for storing clothes; A support portion, used to support the clothes; an air supply portion, used to supply air into the receiving chamber through a blower outlet arranged above the support portion; A heating unit, for heating the air sent into the receiving chamber; A control unit, controlling the air supply unit and the heating unit; as well as a temperature detection unit, detecting the temperature in the storage chamber and inputting the temperature into the control unit, When the temperature in the receiving chamber is at a first set temperature, the control unit performs a wrinkle smoothing process in which a larger air volume than a specified air volume is sent into the receiving chamber through the air supply unit, and then performs a main drying process in which the temperature in the receiving chamber becomes a second set temperature higher than the first set temperature through the heating unit.

2. A clothes dryer, characterized in that: include: Reception room, for storing clothes; A supporting portion, used for supporting clothing; An air supply unit supplies air into the receiving chamber through an air outlet disposed above the supporting unit; A heating unit, for heating the air sent into the receiving chamber; A control unit, controlling the air supply unit and the heating unit; a temperature detection unit, which detects the temperature in the receiving chamber and inputs the temperature into the control unit; as well as a humidity detection unit, which detects the humidity in the storage chamber and inputs the humidity into the control unit, When the humidity in the storage chamber is higher than a first set humidity and the temperature in the storage chamber is at a first set temperature, the control unit performs a wrinkle smoothing process by sending air having a volume greater than a specified volume into the storage chamber through the air supply unit. When the humidity in the storage chamber becomes lower than the first set humidity, the control unit ends the wrinkle smoothing process and performs a main drying process by causing the heating unit to set the temperature in the storage chamber to a second set temperature higher than the first set temperature. When the humidity in the storage chamber becomes lower than a second set humidity which is lower than the first set humidity, the control unit ends the main drying process.

3. The clothes dryer according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the first upper limit time has passed after the wrinkle smoothing process is started, the control unit ends the wrinkle smoothing process and performs the main drying process even if the humidity in the storage chamber is not lower than the first set humidity. When the second upper limit time has elapsed after the start of the main drying process, the control unit ends the main drying process even if the humidity in the storage chamber is not lower than the second set humidity.

Images