Laundry drying equipment

Abstract

To provide laundry drying equipment capable of smoothly transporting a laundry pole between a laundry storage space and an open ceiling space while suppressing interference with an opening / closing member disposed between the laundry storage space and the open ceiling space.SOLUTION: Laundry drying equipment of the invention comprises: a laundry pole 14 extending long in a prescribed direction; a transportation mechanism 20 configured to transport the laundry pole 14 along a transportation path disposed between an open ceiling space F and a laundry storage space C in a building H; an opening / closing member 16 that is disposed in a middle position of the transportation path and opens and closes in an opening / closing direction along the prescribed direction; and a control device 18 to control width in the opening / closing direction of an opening 32 formed when the opening / closing member 16 opens. The control device 18 widens the width according to a decrease in a distance between the opening / closing member 16 and the laundry pole 14 while the laundry pole 14 moves on the transportation path toward the opening / closing member 16. The control device 18 narrows the width according to an increase in the distance while the laundry pole 14 moves on the transportation path in a direction separating away from the opening / closing member 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to drying equipment having a drying pole, and more particularly to drying equipment suitable for drying laundry and the like in the indoor space of a building having a plurality of floors.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a demand for technologies and methods for making the work of drying laundry that has been washed in an indoor washing machine outdoors and the work of taking in the dried laundry and storing it in a space such as a closet (clothing storage space) more efficient and shortening the working time. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes drying equipment capable of moving a drying pole between indoors and outdoors. By using such equipment, the laundry can be efficiently moved to a place suitable for drying, and the dried laundry can be smoothly taken in from that place.

[0003] Also, Patent Document 2 discloses drying equipment capable of raising and lowering a drying pole in a through space penetrating from the first floor to the attic. According to such equipment, when there is a drying pole at the lower part of the through space, a person (worker) can easily hang the washed laundry on the drying pole and easily take in the dried laundry, and when there is a drying pole at the upper part of the through space, the laundry can be efficiently dried.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In addition, as an application example of the drying equipment described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example, drying equipment capable of moving a drying pole between a blow-through space and a clothing storage space such as a closet can be considered. However, the situation where the clothing storage space is visible from the blow-through space side should preferably be avoided as much as possible for various reasons. Therefore, an opening / closing member is provided between the clothing storage space and the blow-through space, and the opening / closing member is closed during normal times, and when moving the drying pole, a configuration in which the opening / closing member is opened can be assumed. In this configuration, it is preferable to set the opening / closing timing of the opening / closing member so that the drying pole can move smoothly. Specifically, it is required to open and close the opening / closing member while suppressing interference between the clothing hung on the drying pole and the opening / closing member.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide drying equipment capable of smoothly transporting a drying pole between two spaces while suppressing interference with an opening / closing member disposed between a clothing storage space and a blow-through space.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to the drying equipment of the present invention, the above problems are solved by having a drying pole extending in a predetermined direction, a transport mechanism for transporting the drying pole along a transport path provided between a blow-through space and a clothing storage space in a building, an opening / closing member provided at an intermediate position of the transport path and opening and closing in an opening / closing direction along a predetermined direction, and a control device for controlling the width of an opening formed when the opening / closing member is opened in the opening / closing direction. While the drying pole moves on the transport path toward the opening / closing member, the control device widens the width in response to a decrease in the distance between the opening / closing member and the drying pole. While the drying pole moves on the transport path in a direction away from the opening / closing member, the control device narrows the width in response to an increase in the distance.

[0008] In the drying equipment of the present invention configured as described above, the width of the opening formed when the opening / closing member is open can be changed according to the distance between the opening / closing member and the drying pole. Thereby, when transporting the drying pole between the clothing storage space and the through space, the drying pole can be smoothly transported while suppressing interference between the clothing hung on the drying pole and the opening / closing member.

[0009] Further, in the above drying equipment, the opening / closing member has a first portion located on one end side in the opening / closing direction and a second portion located on the other end side in the opening / closing direction. The first portion and the second portion are separated from each other in the opening / closing direction to open, and the first portion and the second portion approach each other in the opening / closing direction to close. It is preferable that the control device moves each of the first portion and the second portion in the opening / closing direction to control the width of the opening formed between the first portion and the second portion. According to the above configuration, the opening / closing member has a double-opening structure, and the width of the opening can be adjusted more smoothly compared to the single-opening structure. Also, in the above configuration, ventilation between the through space and the clothing storage space (in other words, ventilation of the clothing storage space) can be efficiently performed.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above configuration, it is more preferable that each of the first portion and the second portion is a bellows-structured wall body that can expand and contract in the opening / closing direction. In this case, an opening / closing member with a double-opening structure whose opening width can be adjusted can be realized with a simpler configuration.

[0011] Further, in the above drying equipment, it is more preferable to include a sensor that outputs a signal according to the distance, and the control device controls the width according to the distance specified from the signal output from the sensor. According to the above configuration, since the distance between the opening / closing member and the drying pole can be specified using the sensor, the adjustment of the width of the opening based on that distance can be performed more appropriately (enhancing the reliability of the adjustment).

[0012] Also, in the above configuration, while the drying pole moves along the transport path toward the opening / closing member, the control device may start widening the width from the moment the distance reaches the first set distance, and gradually widen the width as the above distance decreases. Also, while the drying pole moves along the transport path in a direction away from the opening / closing member, the control device may start narrowing the width from the moment the distance reaches the second set distance, and gradually narrow the width as the distance increases. With the above configuration, by changing the width of the opening at the timing based on the above distance, the adjustment of the width can be performed more efficiently.

[0013] Also, in the above drying equipment, when the control device widens the width in response to the decrease in distance, it is more preferable to control the width at the moment when the distance becomes 0 to be the width corresponding to the length of the drying pole in a predetermined direction. According to the above configuration, the width of the opening can be set to the minimum length necessary for passing the drying pole, and the situation where the clothing storage space can be seen from the blow-through space side can be suppressed as much as possible.

[0014] Also, in the above drying equipment, having an operation unit operated by the user, when the operation unit is operated, if the transport mechanism transports the drying pole along the transport path in the direction corresponding to the operation performed by the operation unit and by the amount corresponding to the operation, it is even more preferable. According to the above configuration, the position of the drying pole in the transport path can be freely changed.

[0015] Also, in the above configuration, the operation unit may be installed in the clothing storage space. In this case, when the operation unit is operated while the drying pole is in the clothing storage space, it is more preferable if the transport mechanism transports the drying pole along the portion laid in the clothing storage space of the transport path in the direction corresponding to the operation performed by the operation unit and by the amount corresponding to the operation. According to the above configuration, the position of the drying pole in the clothing storage space can be freely changed. In other words, the clothing etc. hung on the drying pole can be arranged at an arbitrary position within the clothing storage space.

[0016] Furthermore, it is more preferable that the drying equipment further includes a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the drying pole within the blowing-through space while the drying pole is at a predetermined position within the blowing-through space. According to the above configuration, at the lower part of the blowing-through space, the operations of drying the laundry on the drying pole and removing the laundry from the drying pole and taking it in can be performed smoothly. Also, at the upper part of the blowing-through space, since warm air stays, the laundry hung on the drying pole can be efficiently dried.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the drying equipment of the present invention, while suppressing interference with the opening and closing member arranged between the clothing storage space and the blowing-through space, the drying pole can be smoothly conveyed between the two spaces.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0019] <<About the drying equipment which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention>> Hereinafter, the drying equipment which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention (henceforth this Embodiment) is demonstrated, referring an attached drawing. Here, the Embodiment demonstrated below is only an example for facilitating understanding of this invention, and does not limit this invention. That is, this invention can be changed and improved, without deviate from the meaning. In addition, of course, the equivalent is included in this invention.

[0020] In the drawing, each member is illustrated rather simply and typically in order to make description easy to understand. Also, the size (dimension) of each member shown in the figure and the intervals between members are different from the actual ones. In addition, the position, direction, attitude, etc. of each member described below are the position, direction, attitude, etc. when each member is in a used state, unless otherwise specified.

[0021] In the following description, a house is cited as an example of a building. However, the building of this invention should just be a building in which laundry etc. are dried inside, that is, a building in which indoor drying is performed, and buildings other than houses, for example, facilities, factories, and sheds etc. may be sufficient.

[0022] The house equipped with the drying facility according to this embodiment is a house having a plurality of floors (hereinafter, house H), for example, a two-story house as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Note that the number of floors of house H may be two or more and may be any number.

[0023] In each of two adjacent floors in house H, that is, the first floor and the second floor, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, there are a plurality of spaces (specifically, rooms and spaces). In particular, on the floor located above the first floor, that is, the second floor, there is a walk-in closet (hereinafter, closet) C as a clothing storage space.

[0024] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, a through space F spanning the first floor and the second floor is provided in house H. The through space F is provided adjacent to the closet C on the second floor, and the two spaces are partitioned by an opening / closing member 16 having a double-opening structure. Further, in house H, a window W for lighting is provided on the outer wall adjacent to the through space F, specifically, the outer wall located on the second floor. Thereby, in the upper part of the through space F, the air is warmed by the sunlight passing through the window W. In addition, the air warmed by using heating equipment or the like on the first floor flows into the through space F and rises, so that the upper part of the through space F is warmed.

[0025] Note that the plurality of spaces existing on the second floor of house H only need to include the through space F adjacent to the closet C, and the number of the other spaces (for example, rooms) and the use of each space are not particularly limited. Also, the layout of the spaces on the second floor is not particularly limited.

[0026] The house H has a structure suitable for indoor drying. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, among the void spaces F, the space located on the second floor (hereinafter referred to as the upper space S1) can be used to dry the laundry L inside the house H. As a result, for example, it is not necessary to secure a space for drying the laundry L, such as a veranda, outside the house H. And in the present embodiment, as equipment for indoor drying, a drying equipment 100 is installed inside the house H. The drying equipment 100 has a drying pole 14 extending in a predetermined direction, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The washed clothes (laundry L) are hung on the drying pole 14.

[0027] Also, in the drying equipment 100 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the drying pole 14 is movable between the void space F and the closet C. In other words, the arrangement position of the drying pole 14 can be changed between these two spaces. Thereby, the laundry L can be dried in a place where it dries easily inside the house H, specifically in the upper space S1. Also, the dried laundry L can be placed in the closet C while being hung on the drying pole 14. Thereby, the labor of taking in the laundry L and transporting it to the closet C can be omitted.

[0028] Regarding the configuration of the drying equipment 100 according to the present embodiment, the drying equipment 100 includes, as main components, a rail 10, a ceiling pole 12, a drying pole 14, an opening / closing member 16, and a control device 18, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. The rail 10 and the ceiling pole 12 constitute a transport mechanism 20 and transport the drying pole 14 along a transport path provided between the void space F and the closet C inside the house H. The rail 10 defines the transport path of the drying pole 14 and is laid on the ceiling of the second floor, and extends in a substantially horizontal direction in the present embodiment. As the structure of the rail 10, a structure similar to a known rail installed on the ceiling of a house, such as a light rail and a picture rail, can be used.

[0029] The laying path of the rail 10, that is, the conveyance path of the drying pole 14, is laid such that the rail 10 passes through the void space F and the closet C existing on the second floor, as shown in FIG. 3. That is, a part of the rail 10 is disposed within the void space F, and a part of the rail 10 other than the part located within the void space F is disposed within the closet C.

[0030] The rail 10 according to the present embodiment is composed of two rail portions (specifically, the first rail portion 10A and the second rail portion 10B shown in FIG. 3) laid parallel to each other. Further, a ceiling pole 12 is installed between the two rail portions. More specifically, one end of the ceiling pole 12 is placed on the first rail portion 10A, and the other end is placed on the second rail portion 10B. Each of the two rail portions extends linearly from the void space F to the closet C. In addition, when the house H has three or more floors and the void space F is provided across three or more floors, the rail 10 may be laid on the ceiling of the top floor among the three or more floors.

[0031] The ceiling pole 12 can move along the rail 10 while holding the drying pole 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the ceiling pole 12 has a wheel-shaped moving portion 22 that can move while rolling on the rail 10, and a plurality of support wires 24 hanging from the ceiling pole 12. The ceiling pole 12 extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the rail 10, is located above the drying pole 14 as shown in FIG. 4, and is arranged parallel to the drying pole 14. That is, the drying pole 14 is held by the ceiling pole 12 in a state where its extending direction is substantially orthogonal to the rail 10, and is strictly suspended. In addition, in FIG. 4, for the sake of illustration convenience, the illustration of the opening and closing member 16 is simplified. Specifically, the illustration of a part (the second part 16B) of the opening and closing member 16 is omitted.

[0032] The moving part 22 is engaged with the rail 10 and is composed of an electric device that operates by a driving force from a motor or the like (not shown). When a resident of the house H, who is the user, operates an operation unit 26 provided at a predetermined location of the house H, the moving part 22 moves on the rail 10. Strictly speaking, a control device 18 described later controls a motor or the like of the moving part 22 based on an operation (hereinafter also referred to as a moving operation) performed through the operation unit 26 to move the moving part 22. At this time, the moving part 22 moves on the rail 10 in a direction corresponding to the moving operation and by an amount corresponding to the moving operation. Then, when the moving part 22 moves, the ceiling pole 12 moves along the rail 10, and the drying pole 14 held (suspended) from the ceiling pole 12 moves integrally. That is, the drying pole 14 is conveyed along the conveyance path.

[0033] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the above-described operation unit 26 is composed of a plurality of operation buttons provided in the closet C. When a resident presses any one of the buttons, the drying pole 14 is conveyed in a direction corresponding to the type of the pressed button and by an amount corresponding to the time for which the button is pressed. Therefore, for example, when an operation button is operated by the resident while the drying pole 14 is in the closet C, the moving part 22 as a conveyance mechanism conveys the drying pole 14 along a portion of the conveyance path laid in the closet C in a direction corresponding to the button operation and by an amount corresponding to the button operation. Thereby, the drying pole 14 and the clothes hung on the drying pole 14 can be freely moved within the closet C and arranged at an arbitrary position.

[0034] Note that the moving part 22 can be used without limitation as long as it is configured to be movable on the rail 10 while being engaged with the rail 10, and a known device adopting such a configuration may be used. Further, the moving part 22 may be, for example, a manual device connected to a towing wire and moving when the towing wire is towed by the user.

[0035] The support wire 24 is for suspending the drying pole 14 from the ceiling pole 12, and can be wound up by a winding reel (not shown), whereby the distance between the ceiling pole 12 and the drying pole 14 can be adjusted. In other words, in this embodiment, the length of the support wire 24 hanging down from the ceiling pole 12 is adjustable, and as a result, the arrangement position of the drying pole 14 in the vertical direction (the height of the drying pole 14) is changed. Note that the adjustment of the length of the support wire 24 is performed by the user operating an electric or manual device.

[0036] Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the drying equipment 100 according to this embodiment further includes a lifting mechanism 28. The lifting mechanism 28 lifts and lowers the ceiling pole 12 and the drying pole 14 held by the ceiling pole 12 within the through space F. Specifically described, at a predetermined location in the house H, for example, in the space located on the first floor in the through space F (hereinafter, the lower space S2), there are provided a lever and a switch (not shown) for operating the lifting mechanism 28. When this lever and switch are operated by the resident of the house H who is the user, in response to the operation, the lifting wire 30 of the lifting mechanism 28 is wound up or fed out by a winding mechanism (not shown). Thereby, the ceiling pole 12 to which the tip of the lifting wire 30 is fixed moves up and down, and accordingly, the drying pole 14 moves up and down.

[0037] Further, in the present embodiment, the elevating mechanism 28 is operable only when the ceiling pole 12 and the drying pole 14 are at the end positions on the side of the through-space F in the conveyance path. That is, while the drying pole 14 is at a predetermined position in the through-space F, specifically, at the position closest to the outer wall, a resident of the house H, who is the user, can operate the lever or switch for elevation, and in response to the operation, the elevating mechanism 28 elevates or lowers the drying pole 14 within the through-space F. If the drying pole 14 can be elevated and lowered within the through-space F in this way, when hanging the laundry L on the drying pole 14, the drying pole 14 can be moved to the lower space S2 and lowered to a position reachable by a person. Further, after hanging the laundry L on the drying pole 14, the drying pole 14 can be moved to the upper space S1 and raised to a position where the laundry L dries easily.

[0038] Note that the configuration of the elevating mechanism 28 is not particularly limited, and any mechanism that can elevate and lower the ceiling pole 12 and the drying pole 14 while the drying pole 14 is within the through-space F can be used without limitation, and a known configuration may be adopted. For example, a mechanism used for a roll curtain or a roll screen may be diverted and used as the elevating mechanism 28. Further, the elevating mechanism 28 may be configured to be able to elevate and lower within the space when the ceiling pole 12 and the drying pole 14 are in a space other than the through-space F.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the drying pole 14 is used in a position relatively close to the ceiling, that is, in the upper space S1 of the through-space F, while being suspended from the ceiling pole 12 by the support wire 24. This is because in the upper part of the through-space F, warmer air stays more than in the lower part of the through-space F, and the laundry L can be dried more efficiently. Note that the length of the drying pole 14 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a length suitable for use within the through-space F. Also, the material of the drying pole 14 is not particularly limited, and it may be made of, for example, a resin material, metal, wood, or a fiber material.

[0040] On one end face of the drying pole 14, a distance sensor 36 (an example of a sensor) for outputting a signal corresponding to the distance d between the opening / closing member 16 and the drying pole 14 is provided. The distance sensor 36 is a known distance sensor, and while the drying pole 14 is being conveyed along the rail 10, it sequentially measures the distance d and outputs a signal corresponding to the distance d. The output signal is received by the control device 18. Here, the distance d between the opening / closing member 16 and the drying pole 14 may be the straight-line distance from the opening / closing member 16 to the drying pole 14 in the direction along the conveyance path of the drying pole 14 (in other words, the extending direction of the rail 10). Alternatively, the straight-line distance from the end of the drying pole 14 where the distance sensor 36 is attached to the nearer-side end of the opening 32 formed by the opening of the opening / closing member 16 by the distance sensor 36 may be defined as the distance d. Note that the distance sensor 36 may be installed on the opening / closing member 16 side instead of on the drying pole 14 side.

[0041] The opening / closing member 16 is a wall body with a double-opening structure that is provided at an intermediate position in the laying path of the rail 10 (in other words, the conveyance path of the drying pole 14) and opens and closes in the opening / closing direction along the extending direction of the drying pole 14. The opening / closing member 16 according to the present embodiment is composed of a first part 16A and a second part 16B, and each part is a bellows-structured wall body that can expand and contract in the opening / closing direction. Then, the opening / closing member 16 opens and closes by the expansion and contraction of the first part 16A and the second part 16B. More specifically, the opening / closing member 16 is arranged at the end position on the blow-through space F side of the closet C and is provided so as to partition the closet C. The first part 16A is arranged on one end side of the opening / closing member 16 in the opening / closing direction, and the second part 16B is arranged on the other end side of the opening / closing member 16. Then, the opening / closing member 16 opens when the first part 16A and the second part 16B contract and move apart from each other in the opening / closing direction, and the opening / closing member 16 closes when the first part 16A and the second part 16B extend and approach each other in the opening / closing direction.

[0042] Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1B, the first portion 16A and the second portion 16B come into contact with each other at the central position of the opening / closing member 16 in the opening / closing direction (in other words, at the intermediate position between the first rail portion 10A and the second rail portion 10B), whereby the opening / closing member 16 is closed, and thereby, the through-space F and the closet C are partitioned. Further, in the present embodiment, the first portion 16A and the second portion 16B move (expand and contract) at the same speed, and when both are separated from each other, the opening / closing member 16 is opened, and an opening 32 is formed between the first portion 16A and the second portion 16B as shown in FIG. 3.

[0043] The first portion 16A and the second portion 16B are connected to a first drive unit 40 that moves these portions, and the first drive unit 40 is composed of an electric device that is opened and closed by a driving force of a motor or the like (not shown). Here, the opening and closing of the opening / closing member 16, that is, the movement (contraction) of the first portion 16A and the second portion 16B, is controlled by the control device 18.

[0044] The control device 18 is a controller provided in the house H, specifically, a control terminal (computer). Connected to the control device 18 are an operation unit 26, a distance sensor 36, a first drive unit 40 that moves the first portion 16A and the second portion 16B, a second drive unit 42 that moves the moving unit 22, and a third drive unit 44 that operates the elevating mechanism 28. When the operation unit 26 is operated, the control device 18 controls the second drive unit 42 according to the operation to move the moving unit 22, thereby controlling the position of the drying pole 14 in the conveyance path. Further, when an elevating lever or switch is operated while the drying pole 14 is at the end position on the through-space F side in the conveyance path, the control device 18 controls the third drive unit 44 according to the operation to operate the elevating mechanism 28, thereby elevating the drying pole 14 within the through-space F and controlling the position (specifically, the height) of the drying pole 14.

[0045] Further, when the drying pole 14 moves in the conveyance path, the control device 18 controls the first drive unit 40 according to the position of the drying pole 14 to move (expand and contract) the first portion 16A and the second portion 16B in the opening / closing direction, thereby opening and closing the opening / closing member 16.

[0046] Specifically, while the drying pole 14 moves along the conveying path, the distance sensor 36 outputs a signal according to the distance between the opening and closing member 16 and the drying pole 14 (hereinafter referred to as distance d), and the control device 18 receives the signal. The control device 18 identifies the distance d from the output signal of the distance sensor 36, and controls the first driving unit 40 based on the identified distance d. That is, during the movement of the drying pole 14, the control device 18 moves each of the first part 16A and the second part 16B in the opening and closing direction, and controls the opening degree of the opening and closing member 16 according to the distance d, in other words, the width of the opening 32 formed when the opening and closing member 16 is opened (strictly speaking, the width in the opening and closing direction).

[0047] More specifically, for example, it is assumed that a resident of the house H, who is a user, operates the operation unit 26 to move the drying pole 14 in the closet C to the blow-through space F (specifically, presses the first operation button). At this time, the opening and closing member 16 is in the fully closed state. Then, as shown in Fig. 6(a), when the drying pole 14 moves along the conveying path toward the opening and closing member 16 and the distance d reaches the first set distance, the control device 18 moves (contracts) each of the first part 16A and the second part 16B so that the first part 16A and the second part 16B are separated from each other in the opening and closing direction. As a result, as shown in Fig. 6(b), the width of the opening 32 begins to widen and gradually widens as the distance d decreases. The first set distance is a preset distance and is stored in the memory of the control device 18.

[0048] Eventually, when the drying pole 14 reaches the installation position of the opening and closing member 16 in the conveying path and the distance d becomes 0, the width of the opening 32 is controlled to a width through which the drying pole 14 can pass. The width of the opening 32 at this time is a width corresponding to the length of the drying pole 14 in the extending direction (predetermined direction) of the drying pole 14. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6(c), it is a width slightly wider than the length of the drying pole 14. Note that when the distance d becomes 0, that is, when the drying pole 14 is sandwiched between the first part 16A and the second part 16B and is arranged in a side-by-side position with these parts, the control device 18 may temporarily stop the movement of the drying pole 14. In this case, when the resident operates the operation unit 26 again (specifically, presses the first operation button again), the control device 18 resumes the movement of the drying pole 14, and the drying pole 14 may move toward the through-space F side.

[0049] After passing through the opening 32, the drying pole 14 moves toward the through-space F as shown in FIG. 6(d), that is, away from the opening / closing member 16. As the drying pole 14 moves, the distance d increases. When the distance d increases to the second set distance, the control device 18 moves (extends) each of the first part 16A and the second part 16B so that the first part 16A and the second part 16B approach each other in the opening / closing direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the width of the opening 32 begins to narrow and gradually narrows as the distance d increases. Finally, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the first part 16A and the second part 16B come into contact with each other, and the opening / closing member 16 is in a fully closed state. The second set distance is a preset distance and is stored in the memory of the control device 18.

[0050] Also, for example, when transporting the drying pole 14 in the through-space F to the closet C, the resident of the house H operates the operation unit 26 according to a procedure different from the above, specifically, presses the second operation button. Thereby, the drying pole 14 is transported from the through-space F toward the closet C. During this time, the control device 18 controls the opening degree of the opening / closing member 16, that is, the width of the opening 32, according to the same procedure as above.

[0051] That is, when the drying pole 14 moves along the conveying path toward the opening / closing member 16 and the distance d decreases to the first set distance, the control device 18 causes the first part 16A and the second part 16B to contract respectively, and starts to widen the width of the opening 32, gradually widening it as the distance d decreases. Then, when the distance d becomes 0, the width of the opening 32 is controlled to a width corresponding to the length of the drying pole 14 in the extending direction (predetermined direction) of the drying pole 14. Then, when the drying pole 14 passes through the opening 32 and moves away from the opening / closing member 16 in the closet C and the distance d increases to the second set distance, the control device 18 causes the first part 16A and the second part 16B to extend respectively, and starts to narrow the width of the opening 32, gradually narrowing it as the distance d increases.

[0052] Also, when the drying pole 14 enters the closet C and the opening / closing member 16 is in the fully closed state, the control device 18 stops the movement of the drying pole 14. After that, when a resident of the house H operates (presses) an operation part 26 provided in the closet C, specifically an operation button, the control device 18 moves the drying pole 14 in the closet C as shown in Fig. 7(c). At this time, the drying pole 14 moves in the direction corresponding to the button operation by an amount corresponding to the button operation.

[0053] As described above, in the present embodiment, since the width of the opening 32 formed when the opening / closing member 16 is open can be changed according to the distance between the opening / closing member 16 and the drying pole 14, when the drying pole 14 is conveyed between the closet C and the void space F, the drying pole 14 can be smoothly conveyed while suppressing interference between the clothing hung on the drying pole 14 and the opening / closing member 16. More specifically, under normal circumstances, in order to prevent the interior of the closet C from being visible from other spaces within the house H (for example, the atrium space F side), it is desirable to keep the opening / closing member 16 closed as much as possible. However, if the opening / closing member 16 is opened immediately before taking the drying pole 14 in and out of the closet C, there is a possibility that the laundry L hanging on the drying pole 14 may interfere with the opening / closing member 16. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the opening / closing member 16 is gradually opened according to the distance d between the opening / closing member 16 and the drying pole 14 to change the width of the opening 32. As a result, it is possible to smoothly take the drying pole 14 in and out of the closet C while avoiding interference between the laundry L and the opening / closing member 16.

[0054] So far, one embodiment of the drying equipment of the present invention has been described. However, the above embodiment is merely an example for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and does not limit the present invention. That is, the present invention can be changed and improved without departing from its gist. Also, it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0055] Also, in the drying equipment 100 according to the above embodiment, it is assumed that the two rails 10 (specifically, the first rail portion 10A and the second rail portion 10B) are laid linearly from the atrium space F across the closet C. However, it is not limited thereto, and each of the two rails 10 may be laid in a C-shaped or U-shaped curve within the closet C.

[0056] Also, in the above-described embodiment, when the drying pole 14 is inside the closet C, when a resident of the house H, who is the user, operates the operation unit 26 (specifically, the operation button) installed inside the closet C, the control device 18 controls the moving unit 22 of the transport mechanism 20. As a result, the drying pole 14 is transported along the portion of the transport path laid inside the closet C in the direction corresponding to the operation performed at the operation unit 26 and by an amount corresponding to the operation. However, it is not limited to this. The resident of the house H may manually move the drying pole 14 along the rail 10 inside the closet C, and in that case, the drying pole 14 can be arranged at an arbitrary position in the transport path (specifically, the portion laid inside the closet C).

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0057] 10 Rail 10A First Rail Portion 10B Second Rail Portion 12 Ceiling Pole 14 Drying Pole 16 Opening / Closing Member 16A First Portion 16B Second Portion 18 Control Device 20 Transport Mechanism 22 Moving Unit 24 Support Wire 26 Operation Unit 28 Lifting Mechanism 30 Lifting Wire 32 Opening 36 Distance Sensor 40 First Driving Unit 42 Second Driving Unit 44 Third Driving Unit 46 Lifting Device 100 Drying Equipment F Atrium Space H House (Building) W Window C Closet L Laundry S1 Upper Space S2 Lower Space

Claims

1. A drying pole extending in a predetermined direction, a conveying mechanism for conveying the drying pole along a conveying path provided between a through space and a clothing storage space in a building, an opening and closing member provided at an intermediate position of the conveying path and opening and closing in an opening and closing direction along the predetermined direction, and a control device for controlling a width of an opening formed by the opening of the opening and closing member in the opening and closing direction. While the drying pole moves on the conveying path toward the opening and closing member, the control device widens the width in response to a decrease in the distance between the opening and closing member and the drying pole. While the drying pole moves on the conveying path in a direction away from the opening and closing member, the control device narrows the width in response to an increase in the distance. A drying equipment.

2. The opening and closing member has a first portion located on one end side in the opening and closing direction and a second portion located on the other end side in the opening and closing direction. The first portion and the second portion are separated from each other in the opening and closing direction to open, and the first portion and the second portion approach each other in the opening and closing direction to close. The control device moves each of the first portion and the second portion in the opening and closing direction to control the width of the opening formed between the first portion and the second portion. The drying equipment according to claim 1.

3. Each of the first portion and the second portion is a bellows-structured wall body that can expand and contract in the opening and closing direction. The drying equipment according to claim 2.

4. Comprising a sensor that outputs a signal according to the distance, The control device controls the width according to the distance specified from the signal output from the sensor. The drying equipment according to claim 1.

5. While the drying pole moves on the conveying path toward the opening and closing member, the control device starts widening the width when the distance reaches a first set distance, and gradually widens the width as the distance decreases. While the drying pole moves on the conveying path in a direction away from the opening and closing member, the control device starts narrowing the width when the distance reaches a second set distance, and gradually narrows the width as the distance increases. The drying equipment according to claim 1.

6. When widening the width in response to the decrease in the distance, the control device controls the width at the time when the distance becomes 0 so as to be a width corresponding to the length of the drying pole in the predetermined direction. The drying equipment according to claim 1.

7. having an operation unit operated by a user, When the operation unit is operated, the transport mechanism transports the drying pole along the transport path in a direction corresponding to the operation performed by the operation unit and by an amount corresponding to the operation. The drying equipment according to claim 1.

8. The operation unit is installed in the clothing storage space, When the operation unit is operated while the drying pole is in the clothing storage space, the transport mechanism transports the drying pole along a portion of the transport path laid in the clothing storage space in a direction corresponding to the operation performed by the operation unit and by an amount corresponding to the operation. The drying equipment according to claim 7.

9. The drying equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the drying pole in the blow-through space while the drying pole is at a predetermined position in the blow-through space.

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