Washing and drying machine
The washer/dryer system addresses the inefficiency of large cleaning solution usage by employing a heat pump unit with a cleaning nozzle that sprays cleaning water in a fan shape, enabling effective heat exchanger cleaning with minimal solution usage.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023170342
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-10
AI Technical Summary
Existing washer/dryer systems require a large amount of cleaning solution to evenly clean heat exchangers, which is inefficient and wasteful.
A washer/dryer system equipped with a heat pump unit that includes a cleaning nozzle capable of spraying cleaning water diagonally and in a fan shape onto the heat exchanger, allowing for effective cleaning with a minimal amount of cleaning solution.
The system achieves efficient cleaning of heat exchangers using a small amount of cleaning solution, reducing operational costs and environmental impact while maintaining effective cleaning performance.
Smart Images

Figure 2025059933000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a washing / drying machine that performs washing and drying. [Background technology]
[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a washer / dryer provided with a cleaning means in the air duct of the heat pump device for spraying cleaning liquid onto a heat absorber 30 and a heat radiator 32 (see paragraph 0049). Patent Document 1 further describes a control that sprays an aqueous solution for cleaning the heat exchanger evenly onto the heat absorber and the radiator, and cleans the surface of the heat exchanger at any desired timing (see paragraph 0058). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-224491 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] In Patent Document 1, it is described that the aqueous solution for cleaning the heat exchanger is sprayed evenly from a cleaning means onto the heat absorber and the heat radiator, but there is no sufficient consideration as to how to spray the aqueous solution for cleaning the heat exchanger evenly. In order to spray the aqueous solution for cleaning the heat exchanger evenly onto the heat absorber and the heat radiator, a large amount of the aqueous solution for cleaning the heat exchanger is required. In the present invention, the cleaning liquid for the heat exchanger is not limited to an aqueous solution but will be described as a cleaning liquid, and the target onto which the cleaning liquid is sprayed is not limited to both the heat absorber and the heat radiator but will be described as a heat exchanger.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a washing / drying machine capable of cleaning a heat exchanger with a small amount of cleaning liquid. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a washing and drying machine of the present invention comprises: A washing and drying machine having a washing function and a drying function, An outer tank capable of storing liquid therein; an inner tub that is rotatably supported within the outer tub and that accommodates laundry; A drying device that supplies drying air to the inner tank, The drying device includes a heat pump unit having a heat exchanger and a blower, The heat pump unit includes a cleaning nozzle that is disposed upstream of the heat exchanger in a flow direction of the drying air and that discharges cleaning water toward the heat exchanger. The cleaning nozzle sprays cleaning water obliquely and in a fan shape toward the cleaning surface of the heat exchanger. Effect of the Invention
[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing / drying machine capable of cleaning a heat exchanger with a small amount of cleaning liquid. Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a washer / dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention with side and rear panels removed; [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram of the washer / dryer of FIG. 1 seen obliquely from behind, with the rear panel and side panels removed. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of an outer tub of the washer / dryer of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear (back side) view of the washer / dryer of FIG. 1 with the top panel, side panels, and back panel removed. [Diagram 5] 2 is a partial enlarged view of the upper part of the washer / dryer of FIG. 1, as viewed from the right side. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a heat pump unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a top view of the heat pump unit shown in FIG. 6 with the blower removed. [Figure 8] 8 is a see-through view of the inside of the heat pump unit shown in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the heat pump unit shown in FIG. 6 with an upper casing removed. [Figure 10] 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the XX section of FIG. 7. [Figure 11] 11 is an enlarged view showing a portion XI in FIG. 10 . [Figure 12] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the XII-XII cross section of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a flow of drying air through a heat pump unit. [Figure 14] 1 is a plan view of a heat exchanger cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. [Figure 15] 13 is an enlarged view showing a portion XI in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 16] 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a water receiving portion of the heat exchanger cleaning unit of FIG. 11. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The outline of the configuration of the washer-dryer 100 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a side view of the washer-dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention with a side panel 1a and a rear panel 1b removed. Figure 2 is a diagonal rear view of the washer-dryer 100 of Figure 1 with the rear panel and side panels removed. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the outer tub 2 of the washer-dryer 100 of Figure 1.
[0010] In this specification, the side seen to the right when viewed from the front of the washer-dryer 100 will be referred to as the right side, and the side seen to the left as the left side. The left-right direction of the washer-dryer 100 will sometimes be referred to as the width direction, the front-rear direction as the depth direction, and the up-down direction as the height direction.
[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the washer-dryer 100 is a drum-type washer-dryer having a washing function and a drying function, and performing a washing process and a drying process. The washer-dryer 100 is provided with a water supply unit 19 (see FIG. 4) that supplies water used in the washing process. The water supply unit 7 includes a water supply port 19a (see FIG. 5), a water supply valve, and a detergent / fabric softener tray, which are not shown. The washer-dryer 100 is also provided with a drying device used in the drying process. The drying device of this embodiment is configured to include a heat pump unit 10 (see FIG. 2), a blower 7 (see FIG. 2), and an air circulation duct 6 (see FIG. 2).
[0012] The washer / dryer 100 has a framework formed by combining reinforcing materials such as side panels and front panel 1f (see FIG. 3), not shown, made mainly of steel plate and resin molded parts, on top of a base 1e, and a front design panel 1a, a back panel 1b, and a top panel 1d are attached on top of the framework to form a housing 1. An opening is formed in the front design panel 1a for putting in and taking out laundry such as clothes, and this opening is openably covered by a door, not shown.
[0013] An outer tub 2 is disposed inside the housing 1. The outer tub 2 is capable of storing liquid therein, and is supported by a plurality of suspensions 21.
[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, the inner tub 3 is rotatably supported inside the outer tub 2. The inner tub 3 has a cylindrical side portion 3b with a large number of holes 2a, and the rear side of the side portion 3b is closed by a bottom surface 3c. The inner tub 3 has an opening 3d on the front side, and a fluid balancer 31 is provided on the outer periphery (periphery) of the opening 3d to reduce vibration caused by imbalance of the laundry during spin-drying. The inner tub 3 is configured to be rotatably driven via a drive shaft 51 by a motor 5 provided on the bottom portion (rear portion) of the outer tub 2. For this reason, the inner tub 3 is also called a rotating drum.
[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, a heat pump unit 10 for realizing a drying function is disposed on the rear side of the washer / dryer 100. The heat pump unit 10 includes an evaporator 11, a compressor 12, a condenser 13, an expansion valve 14, and a gas-liquid separator 15. The evaporator 11 and the condenser 13 form a heat exchanger, and the evaporator 11 is disposed downstream of the condenser 13 in the air flow. The air circulating between the heat pump unit 10 and the outer tub 2 and the inner tub 3 is blown by the blower 7, cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 11, and then heated by the condenser 13. The air dehumidified and heated by the heat pump unit 10 dries laundry such as clothes in the inner tub 3, becomes hot and humid, and returns to the heat pump unit 10. In order for the air for drying the laundry to circulate between the heat pump unit 10 and the inner tub 3, an air circulation flow path (air circulation duct) 6 is formed between the heat pump unit 10 and the outer tub 2.
[0016] The air that is dehumidified and heated to dry laundry, and the air that has become hot and humid after drying the laundry, are sometimes referred to as drying air.
[0017] The air circulation duct 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a diagram of the washer / dryer 100 of FIG. 1 as seen from the rear (back side), with the top panel 1d, the side panels, and the back panel 1b removed.
[0018] In this specification, the configuration of the air circulation duct 6 is defined based on the heat pump unit 10. In this embodiment, the blower 7 (see FIG. 2) is configured integrally with the heat pump unit 10, and the configuration of the air circulation duct 6 is defined based on the blower 7 and the heat pump unit 10.
[0019] The air circulation duct 6 includes an air circulation duct section 61 disposed upstream of the inner tank 3, an air circulation duct section 62 disposed downstream of the inner tank 3, and an exhaust device 200 that exhausts a part of the circulating air. The air circulation duct section 61 is disposed between the heat pump unit 10 and the outer tank 2, and constitutes a feed duct (first air duct) that feeds air from the heat pump unit 10 to the outer tank 2. More specifically, the air circulation duct section 61 is disposed between the outer tank 2 and the blower 7 located downstream as viewed from the heat pump unit 10, and is connected to the heat pump unit 10 via the blower 7. On the other hand, the air circulation duct section 62 is disposed between the outer tank 2 and the heat pump unit 10, and constitutes a return duct (second air duct) that returns air from the outer tank 2 side to the heat pump unit 10 side.
[0020] The feed duct 61 is composed of at least two members including an upstream feed duct portion 61a and a downstream feed duct portion 61b. The members constituting the upstream feed duct portion 61a of the feed duct 61 are mainly disposed on the back side of the washer-dryer 100 with respect to the outer tub 2. The members constituting the downstream feed duct portion 61b of the feed duct 61 are mainly disposed on the upper side of the washer-dryer 100 with respect to the outer tub 2.
[0021] That is, in this embodiment, the feed duct 61 includes an upstream duct portion 61a and a downstream duct portion 61b. The upstream duct portion 61a is disposed on the rear side of the washer-dryer 100 with respect to the outer tub 2, and is disposed upstream of the downstream duct portion 61b in the flow direction of the circulating air. The downstream duct portion 61b is disposed on the upper side of the washer-dryer 100 with respect to the outer tub 2, and is disposed downstream of the upstream duct portion 61a in the flow direction of the circulating air.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the upper part of the washer / dryer 100 in FIG. 4, seen from the right side. The upstream feed duct portion 61a is configured to extend in the front-rear direction of the washer-dryer 100, and the downstream feed duct portion 61b is configured to extend in the up-down direction of the washer-dryer 100.
[0023] One end (upstream end) 611 of the feed duct 61 is connected to the heat pump unit 10. The other end (downstream end) is connected to a nozzle (air inlet) 2a1 provided on the front side 2a of the outer tank 2. Specifically, the one end 611 of the feed duct 61 is connected to the discharge port 7a of the blower 7. The other end 612 of the feed duct 61 is connected to the nozzle (air inlet) 2a1 via a connecting member 63a such as a bellows.
[0024] As shown in Fig. 4, one end 611 of the feed duct 61 is one end 61a1 of the upstream feed duct section 61a, and the other end 61a2 of the upstream feed duct section 61a is connected to one end 61b1 of the downstream feed duct section 61b. Then, as shown in Fig. 5, the other end 61b2 of the downstream feed duct section 61b is the other end 612 of the feed duct 61.
[0025] 4, the return duct 62 is disposed on the rear side of the washer-dryer 100 with respect to the outer tub 2. A bent portion 62c is provided between the upstream duct portion 62a and the downstream duct portion 62b of the return duct 62. The upstream duct portion 62a is disposed above the rotary drive shaft 51 of the inner tub 3 and extends in the left-right direction of the washer-dryer 100. The downstream duct portion 62b is disposed on the opposite side to the side where the upstream duct portion 61a of the feed duct 61 is disposed with respect to the rotary drive shaft 51 of the inner tub 3 in the left-right direction of the washer-dryer 100, and extends in the up-down direction of the washer-dryer 100.
[0026] One end (upstream end) 621 of the return duct 62 is connected to the side of the air outlet 2c2 provided on the bottom surface (rear surface) 2c of the outer tank 2, and the other end (downstream end) 622 is connected to the side of the air inlet 10a of the heat pump unit 10. Specifically, the one end 621 of the return duct 62 is connected to the outlet 2c2 via a connecting member such as a bellows (not shown), and the other end 622 of the return duct 62 is connected to the air inlet 10a via a connecting member 63b such as a bellows.
[0027] The air (drying air) used to dry the laundry inside the inner tub 3 flows out into the outer tub 2, flows into the return passage 6c from the air exhaust port 2c2 provided on the rear part of the outer tub 2, and returns to the heat pump unit 10 through the return duct 62.
[0028] In order to form the above-mentioned air flow, the blower 7 is provided integrally with the heat pump unit 10. When the motor 7b of the blower 7 is driven, the air (hot air) sucked into the blower 7 from the heat pump unit 10 flows into the upstream delivery duct portion 61a connected to the discharge port (blower outlet) 7a of the blower 7. On the other hand, the return duct 62 is connected to the air inlet 10a of the heat pump unit 10, and the air flowing through the return duct 62 returns to the heat pump unit 10 from the air inlet 10a of the heat pump unit 10.
[0029] The configurations of the feed duct 61 and the return duct 62 are not limited to the above-mentioned configurations. The feed duct 61 and the return duct 62 may be divided into more members. Furthermore, the connecting members such as bellows used at the connecting portions of the ducts and the duct parts are provided appropriately as necessary, and the connecting portions of the ducts and the duct parts are not limited to the above-mentioned configurations.
[0030] In addition, in the description "duct A is connected to duct B," unless it is specified that they are directly connected, this includes cases where duct A and duct B are indirectly connected via a connecting member such as a bellows or other duct members.
[0031] The heat pump unit 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the heat pump unit 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a view of the heat pump unit 10 shown in Fig. 6 from above with the blower 7 removed. Fig. 8 is a see-through view of the inside of the heat pump unit 10 shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the heat pump unit 10 shown in Fig. 6 with the upper casing 10c removed.
[0032] The heat pump unit 10 is integrally configured with devices such as a compressor 12, a condenser (heater) 13, an expansion valve (pressure reducing mechanism) 14, and an evaporator (dehumidifier) 11 inside a resin case. The resin case can be separated into an upper casing 10c and a lower casing 10d.
[0033] The upper casing 10c is provided with an air inlet 10a and a heat exchanger cleaning unit 4 that flows cleaning water in front of the evaporator (dehumidifier) 11. The evaporator (dehumidifier) 11 and the condenser (heater) 13 form a heat exchanger. The heat exchangers 11 and 13 are sandwiched between the upper casing 10c and the lower casing 10d so as to prevent air from flowing to the surroundings, and form a circulation air passage (circulation flow path) for the drying air. The evaporator (dehumidifier) 11 and the condenser (heater) 13 of this embodiment use a cross-fin tube type heat exchanger in which a heat transfer tube is attached to stacked aluminum fins so as to penetrate the heat transfer tube in order to exchange heat with the drying air.
[0034] Inside casings (plastic cases) 10c and 10d of heat pump unit 10, air flow paths 64 and 65 are formed that connect air inlet 10a of heat pump unit 10 to blower 7. Air flow path 6d inside heat pump 6 constitutes a part of air circulation path (air circulation duct) 6.
[0035] The heat pump configured in the heat pump unit 10 has an evaporator 11, a compressor 12, a condenser 13, an expansion valve 14, and a gas-liquid separator 15. The evaporator 11 is a radiator, and the condenser 13 is a cooler, and the evaporator 11 and the condenser 13 configure a heat exchanger.
[0036] The refrigerant piping 18 includes a refrigerant piping (first refrigerant piping) 181 connecting the evaporator 11 and the compressor 12, a refrigerant piping (second refrigerant piping) 182 connecting the compressor 12 and the condenser 13, a refrigerant piping (third refrigerant piping) 183 connecting the condenser 13 and the expansion valve 14, and a refrigerant piping (fourth refrigerant piping) 184 connecting the expansion valve 14 and the evaporator 11. A gas-liquid separator 15 is provided in the middle of the refrigerant piping 181 connecting the evaporator 11 and the compressor 12. In this heat pump, the refrigerant circulates through the evaporator 11, the gas-liquid separator 15, the compressor 12, the condenser 13, the expansion valve 14, and the evaporator 11 in this order.
[0037] The air flowing through the air circulation flow path 6 is cooled and dehumidified in the evaporator 11 in the heat pump air flow paths 64, 65 extending from the air inlet 10a to the air outlet 10b of the heat pump unit 10, and then heated in the condenser 13. For this reason, the evaporator 11 may be referred to as a dehumidifier, and the condenser 13 may be referred to as a heater.
[0038] In this embodiment, the blower 7 is attached to the air outlet 10b of the heat pump unit 10, and the blower 7 is configured integrally with the heat pump unit 10. For this reason, the blower 7 can be regarded as a part of the heat pump unit 10, and the discharge port 7a of the blower 7 can also be regarded as the outlet (discharge port) of the heat pump unit 10.
[0039] The cleaning of the heat exchanger of the heat pump unit 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 10 to 15. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the XX cross section of Fig. 7. Fig. 11 is an enlarged view showing the XI section of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the XII-XII cross section of Fig. 7. Fig. 13 is a schematic view showing the flow of drying air flowing through the heat pump unit 10. Fig. 14 is a plan view of the water receiving portion 4a of the heat exchanger cleaning unit 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. Fig. 15 is an enlarged view showing the XV portion of Fig. 12. Fig. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the water receiving portion 4a of the heat exchanger cleaning unit 4 of Fig. 11.
[0040] 10 and 11, the heat exchanger cleaning unit 4 has a water receiving member 4a having a cleaning nozzle 41, and a lid member 4b that covers the upper surface of the water receiving member 4a. The lid member 4b also serves as part of the upper casing 10c of the heat pump unit 10, and is composed of the upper casing 10c. The space between the upper casing 10c and the lower casing 10d is water sealed, and a certain amount of water pressure is generated inside the resin cases 10c and 10d when the heat exchangers 11 and 13 are cleaned.
[0041] The heat exchanger cleaning unit 4 sprays a cleaning liquid onto the heat exchangers 11, 13 using a cleaning nozzle 41 in order to clean the heat exchangers 11, 13. In this embodiment, water supplied from a water supply unit 19 is used as the cleaning liquid. Hereinafter, the cleaning liquid will be described as cleaning water.
[0042] The heat exchangers 11, 13 include a heater 13 and a dehumidifier 11 arranged upstream of the heater 13 in the flow direction of the drying air. The cleaning nozzle 41 is arranged upstream (air inlet 10a side) of the dehumidifier 11 in the flow direction of the drying air. Cleaning water is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 41 onto a side surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11 located upstream in the flow direction of the drying air.
[0043] In this case, the cleaning nozzle 41 injects the cleaning water obliquely onto the cleaning surface 11a of the heat exchangers 11, 13. At this time, as shown in Fig. 11, the cleaning nozzle 41 may inject the cleaning water W obliquely so that the inclination angle A2 taken from the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11 is 1 degree or more and 10 degrees or less.
[0044] That is, in the washer / dryer 100 of this embodiment, The heat exchanger 11, 13 includes a heater 13 and a dehumidifier 11 arranged upstream of the heater 13 in the flow direction of the drying air. The cleaning nozzle 41 sprays cleaning water onto the dehumidifier 11 as a cleaning surface.
[0045] Lint contained in the drying air adheres to the side surface 11a located upstream in the flow direction of the drying air of the dehumidifier 11 located upstream in the flow direction of the drying air among the heat exchangers 11 and 13. By spraying cleaning water onto the side surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11, the lint adhering to the heat exchangers 11 and 13 can be efficiently washed away.
[0046] 11, the cleaning nozzle 41 has a spherical surface 41a. The spherical surface 41a is not a perfect sphere, but is, for example, a semispherical curved surface. In addition, the radius of the entire curved surface does not need to be constant.
[0047] The outlet 41b is formed on the spherical surface 41a. As shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, the outlet 41b is formed in a slit shape having a longitudinal direction D1 in a horizontal direction along the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11. The outlet 41b is formed so that a width W1 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1 is the largest at the center in the longitudinal direction D1, and the width of the outlet 41b becomes smaller toward both ends in the longitudinal direction D1. Therefore, when the outlet 41b is viewed from the front, the width dimension W1 of the central part of the outlet 41b is larger than the width dimension W2 of both ends in the longitudinal direction D1.
[0048] That is, in the washer / dryer 100 of this embodiment, The cleaning nozzle 41 has a spherical portion (spherical surface) 41a and a discharge port 41b formed in the spherical portion (spherical surface) 41a. The discharge port 41b is formed in a slit shape having a longitudinal direction D1 in a horizontal direction along the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11, The outlet 41b is formed such that a width W1 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1 is largest at the center in the longitudinal direction D1, and the width of the outlet 41b becomes smaller toward both ends in the longitudinal direction D1.
[0049] By forming the cleaning nozzle 41 into a spherical surface (spherical shape), water pressure is applied evenly inside the cleaning nozzle 41. At this time, by forming the discharge port 41b into a shape having a longitudinal direction, the cleaning water is sprayed in a fan shape, and it becomes possible to clean a wide area of the upstream side surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11.
[0050] That is, the washer / dryer 100 of this embodiment has the following features: A washing and drying machine having a washing function and a drying function, An outer tank 2 capable of storing liquid therein; an inner tub 3 that is rotatably supported within the outer tub 2 and that contains laundry; Drying devices 6, 7, and 10 for sending drying air to the inner tub 3, The drying devices 6, 7, and 10 each include a heat pump unit 10 having a heat exchanger 11 or 13 and a blower 7. The heat pump unit 10 includes a cleaning nozzle 41 that is disposed upstream of the heat exchangers 11 and 13 in the flow direction of the drying air and that discharges cleaning water toward the heat exchangers 11 and 13. The cleaning nozzle 41 sprays cleaning water obliquely and in a fan shape against the cleaning surfaces 11a of the heat exchangers 11 and 13.
[0051] By spraying the cleaning water in a fan shape, even with a small amount of water, it is possible to clean a wide area of the heat exchangers 11 and 13. In this case, by spraying the cleaning water at an acute oblique angle to the cleaning surface 11a, it is possible to reduce the risk that the cleaning water will not hit the leading edges of the fins of the heat exchangers 11 and 13, while also reducing the risk that the cleaning water will pass over the leading edges of the fins.
[0052] 12, the cleaning nozzle 41 is disposed to one side in a portion where a large amount of drying air flows into the casings 4a, 4b of the heat pump unit 10. In this embodiment, two cleaning nozzles 41 are provided, and both of them are disposed to the front side of the center (center) 11x of the cleaning surface 11a in the front-rear direction.
[0053] As shown in Fig. 7, the air outlet 10b of the heat pump unit 10 is disposed forward of the air inlet 10a, and the air outlet 10b and the air inlet 10a are disposed offset in the front-rear direction. In this state, if the heat exchangers 11, 13 are disposed between the air outlet 10b and the air inlet 10a in the front-rear direction, the drying air flowing through the air flow path 64 in the heat pump will flow biased forward as shown by the white arrow in Fig. 13. As a result, the lint contained in the drying air tends to collect in the region indicated by the dashed line on the side surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11.
[0054] Therefore, in the washer / dryer 100 of this embodiment, the cleaning nozzle 41 is disposed biased toward an area with a large amount of lint. In this embodiment, the washing nozzle 41 is arranged only in the area where the amount of lint is large, so that the flow rate of the washing water can be increased even with a small amount of water, and the minimum washing power can be maintained. For example, when the water after washing the heat exchangers 11, 13 is provided in the drying device and is drained by a condensation water drainage pump, the amount of water used as washing water cannot exceed the power of the drainage pump. In this embodiment, since the heat exchangers 11, 13 can be washed with a small amount of washing water, the existing condensation water drainage pump provided in the washer-dryer 100 can be used. Alternatively, since the washer-dryer 100 of this embodiment can wash the heat exchangers 11, 13 with a small amount of washing water, it can be used with low operating costs.
[0055] 14, the cleaning nozzle 41 has a rib 41c at the outlet portion of the discharge port 41b. The rib 41c is provided on the side of the outlet opening edge 41b1 closer to the dehumidifier 11, of the two outlet opening edges 41b1, 41b2 of the discharge port 41b that face each other in a direction D2 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1 of the discharge port 41b.
[0056] That is, in the washer-dryer 100 of this embodiment, the cleaning nozzle 41 has outlet side opening edge portions 41b1, 41b2 of the discharge port 41b, and a rib 41c protruding in the spraying direction of the cleaning water on the outlet side opening edge portion 41b1 on the side of the cleaning surface 11a. The spray angle of the cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 41 may become unstable due to the Coanda effect. By providing the rib 41c, the spray angle becomes stable.
[0057] 14, the slit length of the discharge port 41b of the cleaning nozzle 41 in the longitudinal direction D1 gradually increases from L2 on the inlet side to L2 on the outlet side. This means that the discharge port 41b has an opening angle A1 that opens from the inlet side toward the outlet side, as shown in FIG.
[0058] That is, in the washer / dryer 100 of this embodiment, The discharge port 41b is formed in a slit shape having a longitudinal direction D1 in a horizontal direction along the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11, The discharge port 41b has an opening angle A1 at which the slit length in the longitudinal direction D1 increases from the inlet side to the outlet side, The opening angle A1 is set to an angle equal to or greater than 130° and smaller than 180°.
[0059] Since the amount of water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 41b depends on the water supply pressure, depending on the installation environment (tap water pressure in each household), the cleaning range may be narrowed due to insufficient water volume. In this embodiment, by setting the opening angle of the outlet 41b to 130° or more, it is possible to clean a wide range even when the water supply pressure is low and the amount of water is small.
[0060] As shown in Fig. 16, the discharge port 61b is formed so that the width in a direction D2 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1 increases from the inlet side toward the outlet side. In this case, the side surface 41b3 of the discharge port 41b along the longitudinal direction D1 may be inclined so that the inlet side approaches the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11 with respect to the outlet side. In this embodiment, the side surface 41b4 facing the side surface 41b3 in the direction D2 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1 is formed so as to extend along the up-down direction (vertical direction).
[0061] That is, in the washer / dryer 100 of this embodiment, Of the two sides 41b3, 41b4 of the outlet 41b along the longitudinal direction D1, the side 41b3 closer to the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11 is inclined so that the inlet side is positioned closer to the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11 than the outlet side, and the cleaning water sprayed from the outlet 41b is inclined in the vertical direction toward the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11.
[0062] As a result, the outlet 41b is inclined so as to be directed toward the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11 from the up-down direction (vertical direction).
[0063] As a method for cleaning the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11, a method of using one cleaning nozzle 41b and spraying cleaning water from a high position is considered. However, in order to spray from a high position, it is necessary to enlarge the housing according to the height of the cleaning nozzle 41b. In addition, there is a concern that the cleaning performance may decrease if the cleaning nozzle 41b is separated from the dehumidifier 11. In this embodiment, by having multiple cleaning nozzles 41b, it is possible to spray cleaning water over a wide range from a position closer to the dehumidifier 11 while suppressing an increase in the size of the housing. In this case, cleaning water can be sprayed onto the cleaning surface 11a of the dehumidifier 11 at an acute spray angle A2 (see FIG. 11).
[0064] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the configurations. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of the embodiments with other configurations. [Explanation of symbols]
[0065] 2...outer tub, 3...inner tub, 6, 7, 10...drying device, 7...blower, 10...heat pump unit, 11...dehumidifier, 11a...cleaning surface of dehumidifier 11, 11, 13...heat exchanger, 13...heater, 41...cleaning nozzle, 41a...spherical portion (spherical surface), 41b...discharge outlet, 41b1, 41b2...outlet side opening edge of discharge outlet 41b, 41b3, 41b4...side surface 41c along longitudinal direction D1 of discharge outlet 41b...rib, 100...washer / dryer, A1...opening angle of discharge outlet 41b, A2...tilt angle of cleaning water, D1...longitudinal direction, D2...direction perpendicular to longitudinal direction D1.
Claims
1. A washing and drying machine having a washing function and a drying function, An outer tank capable of storing liquid therein; an inner tub that is rotatably supported within the outer tub and that accommodates laundry; A drying device that supplies drying air to the inner tank, The drying device includes a heat pump unit having a heat exchanger and a blower, The heat pump unit includes a cleaning nozzle that is disposed upstream of the heat exchanger in a flow direction of the drying air and that discharges cleaning water toward the heat exchanger. The washing nozzle sprays washing water obliquely and in a fan shape onto the cleaning surface of the heat exchanger.
2. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, The heat exchanger includes a heater and a dehumidifier disposed upstream of the heater in a flow direction of the drying air, The cleaning nozzle sprays cleaning water onto the dehumidifier as the cleaning surface.
3. The washing and drying machine according to claim 2, The washing nozzle obliquely sprays the washing water so that the inclination angle of the washing water from the washing surface of the dehumidifier is 1 degree or more and 10 degrees or less.
4. The washing and drying machine according to claim 2, The cleaning nozzle has a spherical portion and a discharge port formed in the spherical portion, The outlet is formed in a slit shape having a longitudinal direction along the cleaning surface of the dehumidifier, The discharge port is formed so that the width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is greatest at a central portion in the longitudinal direction and the width of the discharge port decreases toward both ends in the longitudinal direction.
5. The washing and drying machine according to claim 2, The cleaning nozzle has a spherical portion and a discharge port formed in the spherical portion, The outlet is formed in a slit shape having a longitudinal direction along the cleaning surface of the dehumidifier, The discharge port has an opening angle from the inlet side to the outlet side in the longitudinal direction of the washer / dryer that is equal to or larger than 130° and smaller than 180°.
6. The washing and drying machine according to claim 4, A washer-dryer in which, of the two sides of the outlet along the longitudinal direction, the side closer to the cleaning surface of the dehumidifier is inclined so that the inlet side is positioned closer to the cleaning surface of the dehumidifier than the outlet side, and the cleaning water sprayed from the outlet is inclined in the vertical direction toward the cleaning surface of the dehumidifier.
7. The washing / drying machine according to claim 2 or 3, The cleaning nozzle has a spherical portion and a discharge port formed in the spherical portion, The outlet is formed in a slit shape having a longitudinal direction along the cleaning surface of the dehumidifier, The cleaning nozzle has a rib protruding in the spray direction of cleaning water on the outlet side opening edge of the discharge port, the outlet side opening edge being on the side of the cleaning surface.
8. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, The cleaning nozzle is disposed in a position biased toward an area with a large amount of lint.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Drum washing machine
JP2006068193A
Drum-type washing machine
JP2007167279A
Clothes dryer
JP2014030472A
Nozzle, blower and vertical type washing and drying machine
JP2015217110A
Shower cleaning device and cleaning method for roll washing machine and roll washing machine
JP2015505697A