Filter device and clothes dryer equipped with the filter device

Abstract

To provide a filter device that can switch between capturing foreign matter contained in drying air at a mesh portion and removing the captured foreign matter from the mesh portion by changing a form of airflow in an arc-shaped mesh portion.SOLUTION: The present disclosure provides a filter device 16 comprising a case 16a that forms part of a circulation air passage 9, a cylindrical or arc-shaped mesh portion 17 disposed within the case 16a for capturing foreign matter, and an airflow switching portion 70 that changes the form of the air passage on the upstream side of the mesh portion 17. The airflow switching portion 70 includes a shutter 71 provided on the upstream side of the mesh portion 17, and a shutter motor 73 that drives the shutter 71. By changing the opening of the air passage with the shutter 71, a swirling flow of air is generated in the space including the inner side of the arc of the mesh portion 17, and air is caused to pass through the mesh portion 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a filter device for collecting foreign matter contained in a fluid flowing through a flow path and a clothes dryer including this filter device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a clothes dryer provided with a filter unit for collecting foreign matter such as lint. The filter unit includes an air introduction part, a filter case, a mesh part, and a dust collection part. The filter case includes the mesh part and has a filter unit outlet connected to the downstream circulation air path. The mesh part is formed in a frustum-shaped cylindrical shape with the inner diameter of the upstream opening larger than the inner diameter of the downstream opening, and is provided so that the drying air flowing in from the air introduction part inside the filter case passes from the inside to the outside. The dust collection part is connected so that the downstream opening communicates, and the inner diameter of the bottom surface is formed larger than the inner diameter of the dust collection opening.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a clothes dryer that reduces a decrease in air volume without allowing foreign matter such as lint collected by a filter to escape to a rotary drum or a circulation air path and maintains drying efficiency. The filter unit has a filter case connected to the circulation air path and a first filter and a second filter provided in the filter case. Further, it has a first ventilation path that allows drying air to pass through and collects lint on the first filter, a second ventilation path that blows drying air along the lint collection surface of the first filter and peels off the lint collected on the first filter, and an air path switching means for switching between the first ventilation path and the second ventilation path. The lint is peeled off from the first filter by the drying air blown through the second ventilation path and moved to the second filter side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0005] The present disclosure can switch between capturing foreign matter contained in drying air at a mesh part and removing the captured foreign matter from the mesh part by changing the form of the air flow in an arc-shaped mesh part, and can perform the capture of foreign matter in a state with low pressure loss and effectively perform the removal of foreign matter in a short time. A filter device and a clothes dryer including this filter device are provided.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0006] The filter device of the present disclosure is a filter device provided in a flow path through which a fluid containing foreign matter passes, and includes a case that forms part of the flow path, a cylindrical or arc-shaped mesh part disposed in the case for capturing the foreign matter, and an air flow switching part that changes the form of the flow path upstream of the mesh part. The air flow switching part includes a shutter provided upstream of the mesh part and a drive part that drives the shutter. By changing the opening of the flow path with the shutter, a swirling flow of the fluid is generated in a space including the inner side of the arc of the mesh part, and the fluid is configured to pass through the mesh part.

[0007] In addition, a clothes dryer including the filter device of the present disclosure includes a housing, a storage part provided inside the housing for storing clothes and the like, and a blower device that generates an air flow during drying of the clothes. A filter device that collects foreign matter contained in the air, an air duct that includes the housing portion and the filter device and is connected so that air circulates by the blower device, and a control unit that executes a drying operation. The filter device includes a case, a lid, an air introduction portion, a mesh portion having a cylindrical shape or an arc shape that captures the foreign matter, and an air flow switching portion that changes the form of the air duct on the upstream side of the mesh portion. The air flow switching portion includes a shutter provided on the upstream side of the mesh portion and a drive portion that drives the shutter. The control unit includes control to switch to a collection mode in which the foreign matter is captured by the mesh portion by changing the air duct by the air flow switching portion, or a detachment mode in which a swirling flow of the fluid is generated inside the arc of the mesh portion and the captured foreign matter is detached from the mesh portion.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] The filter device of the present disclosure can change the form including the position and cross-sectional area of the opening of the air duct by the shutter. Thereby, when the shutter is fully open and the opening of the air duct is wide, foreign matter contained in the air can be efficiently captured by the mesh portion. Also, when the shutter is significantly closed and the opening of the air duct is narrow, a swirling flow is generated to peel off the foreign matter attached to the mesh portion and accumulate it into a lump, so that the air resistance due to foreign matter in the mesh portion is eliminated and the pressure loss is restored to the original state with a small value.

[0009] In addition, the clothes dryer of the present disclosure includes this filter device, and the control unit can switch to a collection mode in which foreign matter is captured by the mesh portion or a detachment mode in which a swirling flow of air is generated inside the arc of the mesh portion and the captured foreign matter is detached from the mesh portion by changing the air duct by the shutter. Thereby, the clothes dryer can appropriately execute the detachment mode and suppress a decrease in drying efficiency due to an excessive pressure loss in the circulation air duct in the collection mode of the drying operation, and can continue an efficient drying operation. Also, the user can reduce the labor of maintaining the mesh portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 8

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Figure 14

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0011] (Knowledge etc. that became the basis of the present disclosure) When the inventors arrived at the present disclosure, the technology of the filter device of the clothing dryer was completely left to the user, where the user checks the deposition state of foreign matters and appropriately discards them. Therefore, in the industry, the drying efficiency decreases due to the decrease in the circulation amount of drying air caused by the deposition of foreign matters As an issue of suppressing [the relevant situation], technologies that accumulate deposits by the filter device itself and reduce the labor of the user are disclosed, for example, in Cited Reference 1 and Cited Reference 2.

[0012] However, in the configuration of Cited Reference 1, a swirling flow is always generated in the mesh portion that captures foreign matter in the filter portion, and when this swirling flow passes through the mesh portion, there is a problem of a large pressure loss in the circulation air passage. For this reason, it is necessary to provide a powerful blower unit that can ensure the circulation amount of drying air sufficient to maintain the drying efficiency.

[0013] Also, in the configuration of Cited Reference 2, foreign matter peeled off from the first filter, which is the mesh portion, is accumulated in the second filter and the space in front of it. For the user, although the accumulated foreign matter is easy to discard, it is inevitable that the foreign matter accumulates on the second filter, and it still results in the labor of having to clean the second filter each time it is discarded. The inventors have arrived at the configuration of the filter device that constitutes the subject matter of the present disclosure in order to solve these problems.

[0014] Therefore, the present disclosure can switch the capture of foreign matter contained in drying air in the mesh portion and the removal of the captured foreign matter from the mesh portion by changing the form of the air flow in the arc-shaped mesh portion, and has a low pressure loss when capturing foreign matter in the mesh portion and can effectively perform the removal of foreign matter in the mesh portion in a short time. The present disclosure provides a filter device and a clothes dryer including this filter device, which reduces the labor of maintenance of the mesh portion by the user.

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, a more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, a detailed description of well-known matters or a duplicate description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted.

[0016] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby.

[0017] (Embodiment 1) [1-1. Configuration of the drum-type washing and drying machine] As an example of the filter device of the present disclosure and a dryer including the filter device, an example of a drum-type washing and drying machine having washing and drying functions will be described. During the drying operation as a dryer, the drum-type washing and drying machine collects and separates foreign matters such as lint and thread waste generated from clothes and contained in the drying air by a filter device. In the present embodiment, the fluid is exemplified as air or drying air, the flow path is exemplified as an air duct or a circulation air duct, the housing part is exemplified as a rotary drum, and the foreign matter is exemplified as lint such as lint and thread waste.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drum-type washing and drying machine 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the drum-type washing and drying machine 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in the drum-type washing and drying machine 100, a door 6 through which clothes as laundry are put in and taken out is provided on the front surface of the housing 1. Further, a detergent input section for holding detergents, softeners, etc., and a filter device 16 are arranged so as to be accessible from above.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, inside the housing 1, an outer tub 3 is supported by a suspension device 2. A rotary drum 4 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape is disposed in the outer tub 3 so that its axial direction is inclined downward from the front side to the back side. A clothing inlet / outlet 5 communicating with the open end of the rotary drum 4 is formed on the front side of the outer tub 3. The door 6 is provided so as to be able to open and close an opening formed on the front side of the housing 1. The user can put in and take out clothes into and from the rotary drum 4 through the clothing inlet / outlet 5 by opening and closing the door 6.

[0020] A large number of through holes (not shown) that communicate with the inside of the outer tank 3 are formed on the cylindrical surface of the rotating drum 4. Further, stirring protrusions 7 are provided at a plurality of positions on the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder. This rotating drum 4 is rotationally driven in the forward and reverse directions by a motor 8 attached to the back side of the outer tank 3. Also, a water supply path (not shown) having a water supply valve and a drainage path 103 having a drainage valve 101 and a trap 102 are connected to the outer tank 3. Then, by controlling the water supply valve and the drainage valve 101, water is supplied into the outer tank 3 and drained out of the outer tank 3, respectively.

[0021] In order to dry the clothes accommodated in the rotating drum 4, an air duct (circulation air duct 9) is formed so that air (drying air) circulates. In the middle of this circulation air duct 9, a filter device 16 for collecting foreign matters such as lint, a radiator 10 as a heating section, an absorber 11 as a dehumidifying section, and a blower device 12 including a blower fan and a fan motor are arranged. By driving the blower device 12, the air in the outer tank 3 is circulated through the circulation air duct 9, the foreign matters are removed by the filter device 16, then dehumidified by the absorber 11, heated by the radiator 10, and blown into the outer tank 3 and the rotating drum 4 again.

[0022] The heat pump device includes a compressor (not shown) that compresses a refrigerant, a radiator 10 that radiates the heat of the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant after compression, a throttling mechanism (not shown) that reduces the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant to maintain the pressure difference of the refrigerant, an absorber 11 that the decompressed refrigerant having become low-pressure takes heat from the surroundings, and a pipe line that connects these so that the refrigerant circulates.

[0023] The filter device 16 is disposed between the outer tank 3 and the heat absorber 11 on the upstream side of the flow of the drying air from any of the radiator 10, the heat absorber 11, and the blower device 12. The filter device 16 includes a mesh portion 17 (FIG. 3) that captures foreign matter. Further, a lid 16b is provided on the upper surface of the filter device 16. The lid 16b is configured to be openable and closable so that the user can discharge the foreign matter collected during the drying operation. The lid 16b may be formed of a transparent material. Thereby, the user can visually recognize the state of the foreign matter inside the filter device 16. Further, the lid 16b may be configured to protrude from the upper surface of the housing 1 in a shape having a space. Thereby, the filter device 16 can collect more foreign matter, and the user can easily visually recognize that the foreign matter has been collected. The detailed configuration inside the filter device 16 will be described later.

[0024] A control unit 110 that executes various operations as the drum-type washing and drying machine 100 is disposed in the upper space.

[0025] [1-2. Operations and Actions of Drum-Type Washing and Drying Machine] Regarding the drum-type washing and drying machine 100 configured as described above, its operations and actions will be described. The user opens the door 6, puts clothes and detergent into the rotating drum 4, sets the washing operation and the drying operation, and starts the operation of the drum-type washing and drying machine 100. Thereby, the control unit 110 executes the washing operation, and the washing process is started. A predetermined amount of water is supplied into the outer tank 3 from the water supply path. Then, the rotating drum 4 is rotationally driven by the motor 8. Due to the rotation of the rotating drum 4, the clothes accommodated in the rotating drum 4 are lifted in the rotational direction by the stirring protrusions 7 provided on the inner peripheral wall of the rotating drum 4, and the stirring action of falling from an appropriate height position is repeated. Thereby, the clothes are washed by the action of beating washing.

[0026] After a predetermined washing time, the soiled washing liquid is discharged from the drainage path. Then, by means of a dehydration operation in which the rotary drum 4 is rotated at high speed, the washing liquid contained in the clothes is dehydrated. Thereafter, a rinsing process is performed, and water is supplied from the water supply path into the outer tub 3. In the rinsing process, similar to the washing process, a stirring operation is repeated on the clothes accommodated in the rotary drum 4 to perform rinsing. Then, again by means of a dehydration operation in which the rotary drum 4 is rotated at high speed, the moisture contained in the clothes is dehydrated, and the washing operation ends.

[0027] When the control unit 110 finishes the washing operation, it executes a drying operation. In the drying operation, the rotary drum 4 is rotated at a low speed, and at the same time, by driving the blower 12, high-temperature drying air dried by the heat pump device is sent from the circulation air path 9 into the rotary drum 4. That is, the drying air repeats a circulation as indicated by the arrow W in FIG. 2. Thereby, the clothes accommodated in the rotary drum 4 are dried.

[0028] Specifically, the drying air heated by the radiator 10 is sent by the blower 12 from the air outlet 13 into the rotary drum 4 in which the clothes are accommodated. Then, the drying air takes away the moisture of the clothes and flows out from the exhaust port 14 in a wet state. The wet drying air flowing out from the exhaust port 14 is cooled and dehumidified by the heat absorber 11. Then, it is heated by the radiator 10 to become high-temperature dry air and is sent again into the rotary drum 4 by the blower 12.

[0029] In the drying operation, foreign matters generated from the clothes are mixed in the drying air circulating in the circulation air path 9 and circulate. These foreign matters are collected by the filter device 16. The filter device 16 is disposed upstream of the radiator 10 and the like, between the exhaust port 14 of the outer tub 3 and the heat absorber 11. For this reason, foreign matters are removed before the heat absorber 11, and adhesion to the heat absorber 11, the radiator 10, and the blower 12 is suppressed. Thereby, the heat absorber 11, the radiator 10, and the blower 12 can maintain their respective functions.

[0030] [1-3. Configuration of Filter Device] The configuration of the filter device 16 of the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 in the present embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIG. 3, the filter device 16 includes a case 16a, a lid 16b, a cylindrical mesh portion 17 disposed in the case 16a for capturing foreign matters, and an air introduction portion 18.

[0031] The air introduction portion 18 has approximately half the width and height of the case 16a and is formed to be inserted at approximately the lower half position of the case 16a. Then, the mesh portion 17 is combined above the air introduction portion 18 within the case 16a, and the case 16a and the mesh portion 17 are configured such that a space serving as an air passage is formed throughout the periphery of the mesh portion 17. The lid 16b is provided so as to protrude from the case 16a above the mesh portion 17 and have a cylindrical space.

[0032] The air introduction portion 18 includes an inlet 18a. The inlet 18a is connected to the circulation air passage 9 from the exhaust port 14 which is on the upstream side in the flow of the drying air. The case 16a includes an outlet 16c. The outlet 16c is connected to the downstream circulation air passage 9. Thereby, an air passage is formed from the air introduction portion 18 through the mesh portion 17 to the case 16a, and it is configured as a part of the circulation air passage 9.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the filter device 16 includes an air - flow switching portion 70 on the upstream side of the mesh portion 17, that is, below the mesh portion 17. The air - flow switching portion 70 includes a cylindrical portion 70a having a cylindrical shape integrally formed at the lower part of the mesh portion 17, an arc - shaped shutter 71 and a rotation shaft 72 provided inside the cylindrical portion 70a and rotatable, and a shutter motor 73 as a driving portion for rotationally driving the shutter 71. That is, the air - flow switching portion 70 is included in the tip portion 18b of the air introduction portion 18 and has a triple - layer structure of the tip portion 18b, the cylindrical portion 70a, and the shutter 71 from the outside. The air - flow switching portion 70 can switch between a configuration in which the air flow substantially flows along the air passage and passes through the mesh portion 17, and a configuration in which the air forms a swirling flow in the space including the inner side of the arc of the mesh portion 17 and passes through the mesh portion 17 by changing the form of the air passage according to the position of the shutter 71.

[0034] Specifically, the air introduction part 18 encloses the cylindrical part 70a with a slight gap at the tip part 18b inside the case 16a. The cylindrical part 70a has an opening 70b with an upstream side part facing the inlet 18a being open. As shown in FIG. 5, the shutter 71 is formed in an arc shape for approximately half of the cylinder, and the rest is formed to have frames 71a up and down and open. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, a shutter motor 73 is provided on the bottom surface and combined with the shutter 71 via a rotating shaft 72.

[0035] The shutter 71 changes the opening area of the opening 70b according to the position rotated by the shutter motor 73. In other words, the shutter 71 changes the form including the position and cross-sectional area of the opening of the air passage. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, it can be switched to either a state where the opening 70b is fully open and the opening of the air passage is wide, or a state where, as shown in FIG. 9, the narrowed opening 70b due to the rotation of the shutter 71 is formed offset to the opposite side of the shutter 71.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4, the mesh part 17, the air flow switching part 70, and the lid 16b may be configured to be detachable from the case 16a integrally except for the shutter motor 73. The user can hold the lid 16b, pull out the mesh part 17 and the air flow switching part 70 from the housing 1, and remove the lid 16b to discard the accumulated foreign matter. Note that the mesh part 17 and the air flow switching part 70 may also be configured to be decomposable. Thereby, the shutter 71 can also be taken out, facilitating maintenance such as cleaning of each component.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the case 16a and the air introduction part 18 are provided such that the cylindrical center line A1 (FIG. 6) of the mesh part 17 is substantially orthogonal to the width center line B (FIG. 7) of the inlet 18a and the outlet 16c. The lid 16b, the mesh part 17, and the air flow switching part 70 are configured such that their respective center lines substantially coincide with the cylindrical center line A.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 6, the mesh portion 17 is formed in a hollow frustum-shaped cylindrical form in which the inner diameter D1 on the upstream side (lower side) is smaller than the inner diameter D2 on the downstream side (upper side). That is, in the mesh portion 17, the inner diameter D2 on the lid 16b side is larger than the inner diameter D1 on the opposite side. Further, the mesh portion 17 includes a mesh 17d made of metal, resin, or the like having a plurality of fine holes on the conical surface of the frame 17c. The density of the plurality of fine holes is set so as not to allow foreign matter contained in the drying air to pass through while preventing the air resistance from becoming excessive. In the drum type washing and drying machine of the present embodiment, for example, circular fine holes of 50 to 200 meshes are formed in a thin stainless steel plate. The material is not limited to stainless steel even if it is made of metal, and may be a mesh cloth such as polyester if it is made of resin.

[0039] Note that the frustum-shaped cylindrical mesh portion 17 does not have to be a perfect frustum shape, and may be distorted, partially chipped, or partially flat. Further, the mesh portion 17 does not have to be present on the entire circumference, and may have an arc shape only on a part of the conical side surface. The cylindrical shape or arc shape described in the present embodiment only needs to be substantially cylindrical to the extent that it does not prevent the generation of a swirling flow, and includes a polygonal cylindrical shape.

[0040] Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a flat wind direction guide 74 may be provided on the upstream side of the airflow switching portion 70 in the air introduction portion 18. The wind direction guide 74 has a size that fits within the inner dimensions of the rectangular inlet 18a, has substantially the same height and about half the width, and is configured to be rotatable by a guide motor (not shown) about a hinge 75 provided on the top surface. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the wind direction guide 74 is configured to obliquely block the air passage by half when rotated.

[0041] [1-4. Operation and Action of Filter Device] Regarding the filter device 16 configured as described above, it is disposed in the drum type washing and drying machine 100 The operation and function when the drying operation is performed will be described. The filter device 16 has a collection mode in which foreign matter contained in the drying air is captured by the mesh portion 17, and a detachment mode in which the foreign matter captured by the mesh portion 17 generates a swirling flow of the drying air inside the arc to peel off from the mesh portion 17 and accumulate. The drum - type washing and drying machine 100 has control to switch between these two modes.

[0042] [1 - 4 - 1. Collection mode] The drying air (sometimes simply referred to as air) blown from the exhaust port 14 of the outer tub 3 of the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 into the upstream - side circulation air duct 9 flows into the filter device 16 from the inlet 18a. The air flow inside the filter device 16 in the collection mode is schematically shown by arrows C1 and C2 in FIGS. 6 and 7. Arrow C1 indicates the flow of the air that has flowed in from the inlet 18a and passes through the mesh portion 17 on the side of the outlet 16c. Arrow C2 indicates the flow of the air that has flowed in from the inlet 18a and passes through the mesh portion 17 on the side opposite to the outlet 16c. The actual air passes through the entire mesh portion 17. In either flow, the air flow immediately before passing through the mesh portion 17 becomes a flow substantially along the air duct. Note that the actual air flow is not as simple as schematically shown by arrows C1 and C2, but exhibits a complex aspect including twisting, swirling, and tumbling throughout the air duct. The "flow substantially along the air duct" described here is a flow in which foreign matter is filtered out by the mesh portion 17 and is distinguished from a flow in which foreign matter is peeled off from the mesh portion 17 as in the detachment mode described later.

[0043] During the drying operation, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shutter 71 is held on the opposite side of the opening 70b, and the opening of the shutter 71 coincides with the opening 70b. The wind direction guide 74 is held on the top surface of the air introduction part 18, and the air passage is in a wide state to ensure that the air flow is not obstructed. Therefore, the air flowing in from the opening 70b collides with the inner surface of the shutter 71, changes its direction toward the mesh part 17, and passes through a wide range of the entire mesh part 17 as shown by the arrows C1 and C2 and flows out from the outlet 16c. In this way, the filter device 16 can efficiently capture foreign substances contained in the air by the mesh part 17 while suppressing the pressure loss of the air passage and flowing the air substantially along the air passage. The burden on the blower 12 for circulating the drying air is also small.

[0044] In addition, in the collection mode, when the air flows into the airflow switching part 70 from the air introduction part 18 and is biased to either the left or the right, a swirling flow may occur around the cylindrical center line A in the airflow switching part 70. In this case, it becomes difficult for the air to pass through the mesh part 17 due to swirling, and the pressure loss may increase. However, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the width center line B of the air introduction part 18 intersects the cylindrical center line A so that the air inflow from the air introduction part 18 is substantially evenly distributed left and right. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the air from flowing into the airflow switching part 70 in a biased manner from the air introduction part 18. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the pressure loss caused by the generation of a swirling flow in the airflow switching part 70.

[0045] Incidentally, a fluid such as air flows in the direction with the smallest pressure loss. Therefore, in the cylindrical mesh part 17, for example, if no foreign substances are captured at all, more air flows because the outlet 16c side is a shorter path and has less resistance. However, as more air flows and more foreign substances are captured, the resistance becomes greater, so the passage from the opposite side of the outlet 16c increases. That is, the air flows out from the entire mesh part 17 according to the balance with the resistance associated with the amount of foreign substance adhesion.

[0046] In this way, the filter device 16 captures foreign matters contained in the drying air in the collection mode with the mesh part 17, and the foreign matters gradually accumulate on the entire mesh part 17. Then, when switched to the detachment mode, the foreign matters are peeled off from the mesh part 17 and accumulated, the mesh part 17 returns to the original state with a small pressure loss, and the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 can continue an efficient drying operation. It can be done.

[0047] Incidentally, when foreign matters contained in the drying air are captured and deposited on the mesh part 17, although it causes an increase in pressure loss, on the other hand, it also serves as a filter and improves the capture efficiency.

[0048] [1 - 4 - 2. Detachment mode] When the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 finishes the drying operation, it performs the detachment mode of the filter device 16. Although the details of the timing for executing the detachment mode will be described later, for example, it may be provided with a detection part (not shown) for detecting the pressure loss of the air passage, and when this detection part detects an increase in the pressure loss of the filter device 16 exceeding a predetermined value, the detachment mode may be executed. By executing the detachment mode, the foreign matters deposited on the mesh part 17 are peeled off from the mesh 17a and accumulated into lumps, and the mesh part 17 has the air resistance caused by the foreign matters eliminated and returns to the original state with a small pressure loss.

[0049] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the air - flow switching part 70, the shutter 71 rotates around the rotation shaft 72 by the drive of the shutter motor 73, and changes so as to greatly close the opening of the air passage of the air introduction part 18. As a result, the opening 70b becomes smaller in area and biases toward the side wall on the opposite side of the wind - direction guide 74. Also, the wind - direction guide 74 rotates around the hinge 75 by the drive of a guide motor (not shown) to gradually reduce the cross - sectional area of the air passage of the air introduction part 18. For this reason, the air from the inlet 18a easily flows in the direction of the opening 70b.

[0050] Figures 8 and 9 schematically show the air flow in the filter device 16 in the detachment mode by arrows C3 and C4. Arrow C3 indicates the flow of the air that flows in from the opening 70b, rises while swirling, and passes through the mesh portion 17 on the side of the outlet 16c. Arrow C4 indicates the flow of the air that flows in from the opening 70b, rises while swirling, and passes through the mesh portion 17 on the side opposite to the outlet 16c. The actual air passes through the entire mesh portion 17. In any of the flows, the air flow immediately before passing through the mesh portion 17 becomes a swirling flow inside the arc of the mesh portion 17, and passes from the mesh portion 17 where the swirling flow is generated toward the outlet 16c.

[0051] The air flowing in from the inlet 18a of the air introduction portion 18 is biased and flows into the airflow switching portion 70 through the opening 70b by the wind direction guide 74 and the shutter 71, as shown by arrows C3 and C4 in Fig. 9. In this way, the air smoothly flows into the inside of the arc of the airflow switching portion 70 while being biased toward the side wall of the air passage. Then, a swirling flow is generated along the inner surfaces of the cylindrical portion 70a and the shutter 71, which are the airflow switching portion 70. Here, in the present embodiment, since the cylindrical portion 70a and the shutter 71 can form a substantially cylindrical wall surface, a swirling flow with a large swirling force that suppresses distortion can be generated. In particular, the wind direction guide 74 can deflect the air flowing into the air introduction portion 18 toward the opening 70b and suppress the disturbance of the airflow due to the space on the inlet 18a side of the cylindrical shutter 71.

[0052] The swirling air flow generated by the air flow switching unit 70 rises while swirling as indicated by arrow C3 and arrow C4 in Fig. 8. Since the mesh portion 17 is also arc-shaped, a stable swirling air flow persists even inside this arc. Due to this swirling air flow, foreign matter deposited on the inner surface of the mesh portion 17 is peeled off. Furthermore, the peeled foreign matter forms a single mass and is pressed and accumulated toward the lid 16b side. At this time, a force acts on the foreign matter to transfer it to the downstream side. In particular, in this embodiment, since the inner diameter D2 on the lid 16b side of the mesh portion 17 on the downstream side is configured to be larger than the inner diameter D1 on the opposite side, a centrifugal force also acts on the foreign matter, and a force to transfer it to the lid 16b side works. Therefore, in the case of the filter device 16 provided in the drum-type washing and drying machine 100, even without a special transfer mechanism, the foreign matter can be easily transferred in the direction of the lid 16b, that is, in the direction of the outer contour of the housing 1 by the air flow. As a result, problems such as excessive deposition of foreign matter on the mesh portion 17 and deterioration of the drying performance due to an increase in pressure loss can be suppressed. The problem that the drying performance deteriorates can be suppressed.

[0053] To summarize the above, the filter device 16 is provided in an air passage (circulation air passage 9) through which air containing foreign matter passes, and includes a case 16a that forms a part of the circulation air passage 9, a cylindrical or arc-shaped mesh portion 17 disposed in the case 16a to capture foreign matter, and an air flow switching unit 70 that changes the form of the air passage on the upstream side of the mesh portion. The air flow switching unit 70 includes the mesh portion 17, a shutter 71 provided on the upstream side of the mesh portion 17, and a shutter motor 73 that drives the shutter 71. By changing the opening of the air passage with the shutter 71, a swirling air flow is generated in the space including the inside of the arc of the mesh portion 17, and the air is configured to pass through the mesh portion 17.

[0054] With this configuration, the filter device 16 can change the form including the position and cross-sectional area of the opening of the air passage by the airflow switching unit 70. As a result, when the shutter 71 is fully open and the opening of the air passage is wide, while suppressing the pressure loss of the air passage, by flowing the air substantially along the air passage, foreign matter contained in the air can be efficiently captured by the mesh portion 17. Further, when the shutter 71 is significantly closed and the opening of the air passage is narrow, by deflecting the air flow to generate a swirling flow inside the arc of the mesh portion 17, the foreign matter attached to the mesh portion 17 is peeled off and accumulated into lumps, while the air passes through the mesh portion. Thereby, the air resistance due to foreign matter of the mesh portion is eliminated, and it is restored to the original state with a small pressure loss.

[0055] That is, the filter device 16 captures foreign matter contained in the drying air in the collection mode by the mesh portion 17, and the foreign matter gradually accumulates on the mesh portion 17. Then, by switching to the detachment mode and peeling off the foreign matter from the mesh portion 17, the drum type washing and drying machine 100 can continue efficient drying operation.

[0056] [1-4-3. After the detachment mode ends] Next, the operation and action after the detachment mode ends will be described. When the detachment mode is completed, the blower 12 of the circulation air passage 9 stops, and the air flowing into the filter device 16 stops. As described above, the foreign matter is pressed and held in the space of the lid 16b or the upper part of the mesh portion 17 when a relatively large amount of foreign matter accumulates on the mesh portion 17. For example, when the drying operation is performed only once, and when the drying operation such as drying of a small amount of clothing or synthetic fiber clothing that is less likely to generate lint is repeated, etc., there is a possibility that the foreign matter accumulated on the mesh portion 17 is relatively small.

[0057] In such a case, since the mass of foreign matter in the detachment mode is small, it may fall by its own weight to the lower part of the mesh part 17 or the airflow switching part 70 without being held in the space of the lid 16b or above the mesh part 17. In such a case, it may be difficult for the user to visually recognize the foreign matter from the outside, and the next drying operation can be performed without being aware of it. Then, when the drying operation is repeatedly performed and a large amount of foreign matter accumulates to affect the drying performance, it can be held above the mesh part 17 to prompt the user to discard the foreign matter.

[0058] When the user discards the foreign matter collected by the filter device 16, for example, two methods can be considered.

[0059] The first method is, as shown in FIG. 4, a method in which the user holds the lid 16b and pulls out from the housing 1 the integrally configured lid 16b, the mesh part 17, the airflow switching part 70, and the shutter 71 configured in the airflow switching part 70, removes the lid 16b, and discards the mass of the collected foreign matter. In this case, since the foreign matter is in one mass, the user can discard it without touching the foreign matter or by simply picking it up a little. Also, in this embodiment, the foreign matter may be easily detached from the mesh part 17 and it may be difficult for the foreign matter to remain adhered, and the user can discard the foreign matter extremely easily. able.

[0060] At this time, after the end of the detachment mode or the like, the shutter motor 73 may drive the shutter 71 to move it to a position where the opening 70b is further narrowed or closed. Thereby, even when the amount of foreign matter is small and small masses of foreign matter have fallen into the airflow switching part 70, when the airflow switching part 70 is pulled out from the housing 1, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter from falling from the opening 70b.

[0061] The second method is a method in which, with the mesh portion 17, the airflow switching portion 70, etc. attached to the housing 1, the user opens only the lid 16b and removes and discards foreign matter with their hand, a brush, or the like. In this case, the foreign matter inside the airflow switching portion 70 can be discarded without removing the mesh portion 17, the airflow switching portion 70, etc. from the housing 1. Even in this case, since it is difficult for the foreign matter to clump and remain attached to the mesh portion 17, the user can easily discard the foreign matter.

[0062] In such a filter device 16, as shown in FIG. 1, the lid 16b may have a space and be provided so as to be exposed on the upper surface of the housing 1. Further, the lid 16b may be formed of a transparent or translucent material that allows for viewing through. Thereby, the user can easily visually recognize the inside of the mesh portion 17 and check the state of the foreign matter collected. And if it is found that foreign matter has accumulated, the foreign matter can be discarded immediately. The fact that the lid 16b is translucent in this way makes it easy for the user to recognize that foreign matter has accumulated in the filter device 16 without touching the housing 1, which prompts the user to discard the foreign matter. In the drying operation, problems such as an increase in pressure loss due to the air resistance of the circulation air passage 9 and a decrease in the foreign matter capture ability can be suppressed, and a decrease in the drying performance can be suppressed.

[0063] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the lid 16b may have a shape with a space and protrude from the housing 1, or may not protrude (not shown). If the lid 16b protrudes from the housing 1, the filter device 16 can collect more foreign matter. And if the lid 16b is translucent, the user can visually recognize the state in which the foreign matter is swirling in the space portion of the lid 16b in the detachment mode. For this reason, the user can more easily become aware of the presence of the foreign matter, and can easily visually recognize that the foreign matter has been collected even afterwards.

[0064] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the space of the protruding lid 16b may be configured to be larger than the inner diameter D2 of the mesh portion 17. Due to the step formed by this difference in inner diameter, foreign matter can be trapped in the space of the lid 16b and it can be made difficult for the foreign matter to return to the mesh portion 17. In particular, when the filter device 16 is configured in a direction in which the swirling flow rises as in the present embodiment, since the peeled foreign matter tends to move downward due to gravity, it is effective to provide a return suppression shape such as a step.

[0065] Note that the space of the lid 16b is not necessarily required, and a see-through lid 16b having no space above the mesh portion 17 may be provided. In this case, the foreign matter captured and deposited in the mesh portion 17 is detached from the mesh portion 17 in the detachment mode and forms a lump so as to stick to the lid 16b above the mesh portion 17 while swirling in the space of the mesh portion 17. The user can easily visually recognize such a state, and can appropriately discard the foreign matter to suppress a decrease in the efficiency of the drying operation. Also, if the lid 16b is not configured to protrude more than the top surface of the housing 1, it becomes easier for the user to effectively use the top surface of the housing 1, such as placing an object on it.

[0066] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the see-through lid 16b is provided on the top surface of the housing 1 so that the user can visually recognize the inside of the lid 16b from above the housing 1, but it is not limited to this. For example, the lid 16b may be provided on the front surface or the side surface of the housing 1, and the user may be able to visually recognize the inside of the lid 16b from that direction. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the top surface of the housing 1 and the cylindrical center line A of the mesh portion 17 are configured to be perpendicular, but the cylindrical center line A may be configured to be inclined toward the front surface side of the housing 1. Thereby, it becomes easier for the user to visually recognize the part of the lid 16b. become.

[0067] [1-5. Control of the Filter Device in the Drum-Type Washing and Drying Machine] In the drum - type washing and drying machine 100, the sequence of the control unit 110 that operates the filter device 16 will be described. During the drying operation, the filter device 16 is basically operated in the collection mode. As described above, in the collection mode, the shutter 71 and the air - flow guide 74 are controlled to positions where they do not obstruct the air flow. For this reason, the pressure loss is relatively small, foreign matter gradually accumulates on the mesh part 17, and this deposit becomes like a mesh, exerting a filtering effect and maintaining a good collection rate. At this time, the air volume flowing through the circulation air duct 9 is set to be large, and the blower 12 is operated at a high rotation speed.

[0068] However, when the deposition amount of foreign matter becomes excessive, the circulation air volume decreases. Therefore, the control unit 110 executes the detachment mode at a predetermined timing. As described above, in the detachment mode, the shutter 71 and the air - flow guide 74 are controlled to positions where they close the air duct and narrow the opening 70b. Further, a swirling flow is generated inside the mesh part 17, and the passage of air through the mesh part 17 is also obstructed. As a result, the pressure loss becomes relatively large, so the air volume flowing through the circulation air duct 9 is set to be small, and the blower 12 is operated at a low rotation speed. At this time, even with a relatively small air volume, the air speed flowing into the mesh part 17 from the narrow opening 70b is high, and the swirling flow generated can peel off the foreign matter deposited on the mesh part 17. Also, the execution time of the detachment mode, for a household drum - type washing and drying machine 100, can accumulate the peeled - off foreign matter into lumps in about 10 to 20 seconds, for example.

[0069] In this way, by including the control in which the control unit 110 accurately switches from the collection mode to the detachment mode, the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 appropriately executes the detachment mode, suppresses the situation where the pressure loss in the circulation air duct 9 becomes excessive and the drying efficiency decreases during the drying operation, and can continue an efficient drying operation.

[0070] [1 - 5 - 1. Timing of executing the detachment mode] The timing for executing the detachment mode is not particularly limited, but it is preferably executed at least before foreign matter accumulates in the mesh portion 17 and the circulating air volume decreases, resulting in a significant reduction in drying efficiency. As foreign matter accumulates in the mesh portion 17, the deposit becomes like a mesh and can capture objects, so the collection rate improves. However, the pressure loss increases, and the circulating air volume decreases. In the drying operation, the reduction in drying efficiency due to the decrease in the circulating air volume is significant, and the amount of deposition or the air volume reduction at which the detachment mode is to be executed is individually designed for each dryer.

[0071] For this reason, it is preferable that the control unit 110 can detect a predetermined change in values that change with the accumulation of foreign matter in the mesh portion 17 of the filter device 16, such as the pressure loss and the circulating air volume of the filter device 16. That is, when the control unit 110 detects a predetermined change in any of these values, it may switch to the detachment mode.

[0072] For example, a detection unit for detecting a change in the pressure loss of the filter device 16 may be provided. The method for detecting a change in the pressure loss is not particularly limited as long as it can be applied to the household drum-type washing and drying machine 100. For example, as a method for determining an increase in the pressure loss, known methods such as measuring an increase in the differential pressure before and after the filter device 16, measuring a decrease in the power consumption or current of the blower device 12, and measuring a decrease in the wind speed in the circulation air passage 9 can be considered. According to these methods, since the decrease in the circulating air volume can be reliably grasped, the detachment mode can be executed by setting respective limit values, and the drying operation in a state where the pressure loss increases and the drying efficiency significantly decreases can be suppressed.

[0073] Also, instead of directly measuring the increase in pressure loss, a method of detecting or estimating the deposition of foreign matter and then executing the process may be used. As this method, the control unit 110 may, for example, dispose an optical sensor to optically detect the deposition amount. Thereby, the deposition amount of foreign matter can be accurately detected. Further, the control unit 110 may accumulate the number of executions or the execution time of the drying operation, or may accumulate the amount of clothing detected during the washing operation according to the multiple executions of the drying operation. In this method, the amount of foreign matter generated may vary depending on the type of clothing fabric, but the control unit 110 can suppress the increase in the pressure loss of the filter device 16 and maintain good drying efficiency by executing the detachment mode at an average or early timing.

[0074] Note that the execution of the detachment mode does not necessarily have to be after the pressure loss has increased. If it is executed appropriately early, good drying efficiency can be maintained.

[0075] Hereinafter, the timing of executing the detachment mode during the operation of the drum-type washing and drying machine 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 10. In the following description, the drying operation includes an operation of dehumidifying and heating while circulating the drying air, and an operation of only circulating the drying air.

[0076] First, the control unit 110 starts the drying operation (Step 10). As a drying operation, the control unit 110 circulates the air by the blower device 12 and dehumidifies and humidifies the circulating air (Step 20). Then, the control unit 110 detects an increase in the pressure loss of the filter device 16 or an increase in the deposition amount of foreign matter by the above-described detection method, and determines whether to execute the detachment mode (Step 30). When the detachment mode is to be executed, it is determined at what timing to execute it according to, for example, the usage situation of the user or the setting by the user (Step 40).

[0077] The timing for executing the detachment mode is selected, for example, from (1) after the drying operation is completed, (2) during the drying operation including only air circulation immediately after the start of the drying operation, and further, in the case of a dryer having a washing function such as the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 shown in the present embodiment, (3) during the next washing operation, etc. Thus, by being able to select the timing for executing the detachment mode, it is possible to accommodate the convenience or preferences of the user, etc., and the usability of the user is improved.

[0078] Furthermore, regardless of the amount of foreign matter deposition, the control unit 110 may execute the detachment mode at any timing during or after the drying operation each time the drying operation is executed (Yes in Step 50). Thereby, when the drying operation is executed regardless of the amount of foreign matter deposition, foreign matter is peeled off every time, and a drying operation with good drying efficiency can be executed with a low pressure loss every time.

[0079] 1) Execution after the drying operation is completed The control unit 110 completes the drying operation, for example, by detecting that a predetermined drying state has been reached or by detecting that the set drying operation time has been reached (Yes in Step 110). Then, the detachment mode is executed for a predetermined time (Step 120). At this time, if there are counts such as time and number in the detection of the pressure loss or the amount of foreign matter deposition, they are reset. When the detachment mode ends, the drying operation ends (Step 130).

[0080] In the flowchart, the detachment mode is performed after the drying operation is completed when a predetermined increase in the pressure loss is detected during the drying operation performed including multiple times. Note that this is not limited to this. As described above, the detachment mode may be executed every time after the drying operation is completed regardless of the deposition state of foreign matter. It may be possible for the user to set this selection. When the detachment mode is executed every time after the drying operation is completed, if there is little foreign matter, it will not have a great adverse effect on the next drying operation even if it is not discarded. Also, as described above, if the lid 16b is transparent, the user can check the collection state of foreign matter and appropriately discard the foreign matter.

[0081] With this configuration, the detachment mode is executed as necessary after the drying operation is completed, so that foreign matter does not accumulate excessively in the mesh portion 17. Also, the detachment mode is not executed during the drying operation to reduce the circulating air volume. Therefore, during the drying operation, a good collection rate is maintained and a decrease in drying efficiency is suppressed.

[0082] 2) Execution during the drying operation The control unit 110 executes the detachment mode for a predetermined time while continuing the drying operation (Step 210). During this time, the circulating air volume is changed to a small value. At this time, if there are counts such as the time and number of times for detecting the pressure loss or the amount of foreign matter deposition, they are reset. Then, the control unit 110 completes the drying operation by, for example, detecting that a predetermined drying state has been reached or detecting that the set drying operation time has been reached (Yes in Step 220). When the drying operation is completed, the drying operation ends (Step 230).

[0083] In this way, the detachment mode is executed while continuing the drying operation when a predetermined increase such as a pressure loss is detected. With this configuration, although the circulating air volume may decrease and the drying efficiency may decrease only for a short time during the execution of the detachment mode, the foreign matter deposited on the mesh portion 17 is peeled off, the circulating air volume immediately recovers, and good drying efficiency is maintained.

[0084] 3) Execution during the next washing operation (in the case of a washing and drying machine) The control unit 110 completes the drying operation by, for example, detecting that a predetermined drying state has been reached or detecting that the set drying operation time has been reached while holding the execution flag of the detachment mode (Yes in Step 310). When the drying operation is completed, the drying operation ends (Step 320). Then, the control unit 110 executes the detachment mode for a predetermined time during the next washing operation (Step 330). At this time, or at the time when the previous drying operation ends, if there are counts such as the time and number of times for detecting the pressure loss or the amount of foreign matter deposition, they are reset. The execution flag of the detachment mode is reset when the execution of the detachment mode ends.

[0085] Thus, in the case of a dryer having a washing function, the detachment mode is performed during the next washing operation when a predetermined increase such as a pressure loss during the drying operation is detected. With this configuration, since the detachment mode is executed during the washing operation, the blowing noise in the detachment mode is masked by the noise of the washing operation and is not conspicuous, and there is no extension of the drying operation time as in the case of execution during and after the drying operation. And since the subsequent drying operation can always be executed with the pressure loss being lower than a predetermined value, a decrease in drying efficiency is suppressed.

[0086] Note that since the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 has a washing function, as shown in FIG. 2, a drainage path 103 for washing water is connected to a sewer or the like. As a result, the odor of the sewer may flow back and intrude. To prevent this odor intrusion, a trap 102 is provided in the middle of the drainage path 103, and water called sealing water is stored to seal the drainage path 103. However, when a drying operation is performed and foreign matter accumulates in the filter device 16 and the pressure loss increases, the static pressure in the outer tub 3 also rises. If this pressure rises excessively, the sealing water flows out and disappears, and the trap 102 stops functioning.

[0087] According to the present embodiment, since the detachment mode is accurately executed, an excessive pressure loss of the filter device 16 is suppressed, so that the function of the trap 102 is suppressed from being destroyed. Also, an increase in pressure loss due to the generation of a swirling flow or the like during the execution of the detachment mode can be suppressed by shortening the execution time and reducing the air volume, and the function of the trap 102 is suppressed from being destroyed. Further, since there is water storage in the outer tub 3 during the washing operation, a large pressure is not applied to the trap 102. Even if there is a destruction of the function of the trap 102 by any chance, the function of the trap 102 is restored by drainage during the washing step and the rinsing step. (Embodiment 2)

[0088] (Embodiment 2) The filter device 116 in the second embodiment will be described. As an example of the filter device of the present disclosure and a dryer including the filter device, a drum - type washing and drying machine having washing and drying functions will be described. This drum - type washing and drying machine is equivalent to the one described in the first embodiment except that the filter device is replaced, and for the configuration, operation, and action of the drum - type washing and drying machine, as well as the control of the filter device, the description in the first embodiment is incorporated herein by reference.

[0089] [2 - 1. Configuration of the Filter Device] As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the filter device 116 includes a case 116a, a lid 116b, a mesh part 117 disposed in the case 116a, and an air introduction part 118.

[0090] The air introduction part 118 has the same height as the case 116a, and the width is approximately half, and is configured as an air passage on the inlet 118a side with a trapezoidal cross - section that is narrow at the bottom according to the cross - sectional shape of the mesh part 117. And it is formed so as to be inserted into the case 116a, and a frustum - shaped semi - cylindrical mesh part 117 is provided in the case 116a by abutting the air introduction part 118. The outside of the mesh part 117 is the space inside the case 116a and is configured as an air passage on the outlet 116c side. The lid 116b is provided so as to protrude from the case 116a above the mesh part 117 and have a cylindrical space.

[0091] The lid 116b and the mesh part 117 may be integrally configured to be detachable from the case 116a. The user can discard the accumulated foreign matter by holding the lid 116b and pulling out the mesh part 117 together from the case 116a. Note that the lid 116b and the mesh part 117 may be configured to be disassembled. This facilitates maintenance such as cleaning of each component.

[0092] In addition, the air introduction part 118 includes an inlet 118a. The inlet 118a is connected to the upstream circulation air duct 9 in the flow of the drying air. The case 116a includes an outlet 116c. The outlet 116c is connected to the downstream circulation air duct 9. Thereby, an air duct is formed from the air introduction part 118 through the mesh part 117 to the case 116a, which constitutes a part of the circulation air duct 9.

[0093] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the case 116a and the air introduction part 118 are provided such that the cylindrical center line A2 (FIG. 12) of the mesh part 117 is substantially orthogonal to the width center line B2 (FIG. 13) of the inlet 118a. The lid 116b and the mesh part 117 are configured such that their respective center lines substantially coincide with the cylindrical center line A2 of the case 116a.

[0094] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the mesh part 117 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape of a hollow truncated cone with the direction of the inlet 118a opening and the inner diameter D5 on the lower side being smaller than the diameter D6 on the upper side. That is, the inner diameter D6 on the lid 116b side of the mesh part 117 is larger than the inner diameter D5 on the opposite side. The mesh part 117 includes a mesh 117d made of metal or resin having a plurality of fine holes on the conical surface of the frame 117c. The density of the plurality of fine holes is set to such an extent that foreign matters contained in the drying air do not pass through while the air resistance does not become excessive. In the drum-type washing and drying machine of the present embodiment, for example, circular fine holes of 50 to 200 meshes are formed in a thin stainless steel plate. The material is not limited to stainless steel even if it is made of metal, and may be a mesh cloth such as polyester if it is made of resin.

[0095] The semi-cylindrical mesh part 117 does not have to be a complete truncated cone shape, and may be distorted, partially chipped, or partially flat. Regarding the arc shape described in the present embodiment, it only needs to be a substantially cylindrical shape that does not prevent the generation of a swirling flow, including a polygonal cylindrical shape. Also, the mesh part does not have to be on the entire circumference, and may be only a part of the conical side surface.

[0096] Further, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, in the air introduction part 118, a flat shutter 174 is provided upstream of the mesh part 117. The shutter 174 has the functions of the shutter 71 and the wind direction guide 74 described in the first embodiment. The shutter 174 has a size that fits within the inner dimensions of the trapezoidal inlet 118a, has substantially the same height and a width of approximately 70% to 100%, and a rotary shaft 175 is provided vertically. A shutter motor 176 connected to the rotary shaft 175 is provided below the shutter 174. The shutter motor 176 rotationally drives the shutter 174 to change the cross-sectional area of the air passage of the air introduction part 118. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, it can be switched to a state where the opening of the air passage is wide, or a state where the opening 170a of the air passage narrowed by the rotation of the shutter 174 is biased to the opposite side of the shutter 174 as shown in FIG. 14.

[0097] In this embodiment, this shutter 174 and the shutter motor 176, together with the mesh part 117, are defined as the airflow switching part 170. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, when the shutter 174 is parallel to the basic flow of the air flowing into the air introduction part 118, the air travels straight through the opening 170a and passes through the mesh part 117 as it is. Then, as shown in FIG. 14, when the shutter 174 rotates and closes the air passage of the air introduction part 118 diagonally, for example, by about 80%, the air passage of the air introduction part 118 gradually decreases in cross-sectional area to become a narrow opening 170a and is in a state of being biased towards the side wall. As a result, the air flows into the inside of the airflow switching part 170 along the side wall of the air introduction part 118, and a swirling flow is generated inside the mesh part 117. In this way, in the airflow switching part 170, the shutter 174 changes the form including the position and cross-sectional area of the air passage according to the position rotationally driven by the shutter motor 176, thereby changing the flow of the air passing through the mesh part 117.

[0098] [2-2. Operation and Action of Filter Device] Regarding the filter device 116 configured as described above, the operation and function in the drying operation of the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 will be described. The filter device 116 has a collection mode in which the foreign matter contained in the drying air is captured by the mesh part 117, and a detachment mode in which the foreign matter captured by the mesh part 117 generates a swirling flow of the drying air inside the arc to peel it off from the mesh part 117 and accumulate it. The drum - type washing and drying machine 100 has control to switch between these two modes.

[0099] [2 - 2 - 1. Collection mode] The drying air blown from the exhaust port 14 of the outer tub 3 of the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 into the upstream - side circulation air duct 9 flows into the filter device 116 from the inlet 118a. The flow of air (drying air) inside the filter device 116 in the collection mode is schematically shown by an arrow C5 in FIGS. 12 and 13. During the drying operation, in the collection mode, the shutter 174 is arranged at a position parallel to the air flow and hardly obstructs the flow, and the inlet 118a, the mesh part 117, and the outlet 116c are linearly arranged. For this reason, the overall pressure loss of the filter device 116 becomes small, and the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 can perform an efficient drying operation with a large air volume of the drying air and without increasing the pressure inside the outer tub 3.

[0100] In addition, when air flows in largely biased from the air introduction part 118, there is a possibility that a swirling flow is generated in the inner space of the mesh part 117. In this case, it becomes difficult for the air to pass through the mesh part 117 due to the swirling of the air, and the pressure loss may increase. However, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the width center line B2 of the air introduction part 118 intersects the cylindrical center line A2 so that the air inflow from the air introduction part 118 becomes substantially uniform on the left and right. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the air from flowing into the mesh part 117 in a biased manner from the air introduction part 118. For this reason, it is possible to suppress an increase in the pressure loss due to the generation of a swirling flow inside the mesh part 117.

[0101] In this way, the filter device 116 captures foreign substances contained in the drying air in the collection mode with the mesh part 117, and the foreign substances gradually accumulate on the entire mesh part 117. Then, when switched to the detachment mode, the foreign substances are peeled off and accumulated from the mesh part 117, the mesh part 117 returns to its original state with a small pressure loss, and the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 can continue an efficient drying operation.

[0102] [2 - 2 - 2. Detachment mode] When the drying operation of the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 ends, the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 performs the detachment mode of the filter device 116. Also, for example, it is provided with a detection part (not shown) that detects the pressure loss of the air passage, and when this detection part detects an increase in the pressure loss of the filter device 116 equal to or more than a predetermined value, the detachment mode may be performed. By executing the detachment mode, the foreign substances deposited on the mesh part 117 are peeled off from the mesh 117a and accumulated into a lump, and the mesh part 117 has the air resistance caused by the foreign substances eliminated and returns to its original state with a small pressure loss.

[0103] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, in the air - flow switching part 170, the shutter 174 rotates around the rotation shaft 175 by the drive of the shutter motor 176 to greatly close and change the opening of the air - introduction part 118's air passage. That is, the opening area of the air passage is reduced to narrow the opening part 170a and bias it to the side wall on the opposite side of the shutter 174. For this reason, the air from the inlet 118a easily flows in the direction of the opening part 170a.

[0104] The air flow within the filter device 116 in the detachment mode is schematically shown by arrow C6 in FIG. 14. Arrow C6 indicates the flow of air that flows in from the opening 170a, swirls inside the arc of the mesh portion 117, and passes through the mesh portion 117 on the side of the outlet 116c. The air flowing in from the air introduction portion 118 is guided by the shutter 174, passes through the opening 170a, and flows in a biased manner into the air flow switching portion 170. The air flowing in a biased manner flows along the surface of the frustum-shaped mesh portion 117, thereby generating a swirling flow within the air flow switching portion 170 including the space inside the arc of the mesh portion 117. And at the same time, it passes from the mesh portion 117 toward the outlet 116c.

[0105] Due to this swirling flow, foreign matter deposited on the inner surface of the mesh portion 117 is peeled off, forms a single mass, and is pressed toward the lid 116b side. That is, since the inner diameter D2 on the lid 116b side of the mesh portion 117 is configured to be larger than the inner diameter D1 on the opposite side, a centrifugal force is also applied to the foreign matter, and a force that transfers it upward acts. For this reason, in the case of the filter device 116 provided in the drum type washing and drying machine 100, even without a special transfer mechanism, the foreign matter can be transferred in the direction of the lid 116b, that is, in the direction of the outer contour of the housing 1 by the air flow. Thereby, it is possible to suppress problems such as excessive deposition of foreign matter on the mesh portion 117 and deterioration of the drying performance due to an increase in pressure loss.

[0106] (Effects, etc.) As described above, the technologies and their effects described in Embodiments 1 and 2 are as follows.

[0107] (Technology 1) The filter devices 16 and 116 are provided in the air passage (circulation air passage 9) through which air containing foreign matter passes, and include cases 16a and 116a that are part of the circulation air passage 9, and a cylindrical or arc-shaped mesh portion disposed within the cases 16a and 116a for capturing foreign matter 17 and 117 are provided with airflow switching parts 70 and 170 that change the form of the air passage on the upstream side of the mesh part. The airflow switching part includes shutters 71 and 174 provided on the upstream side of the mesh part, and shutter motors 73 and 176 that drive the shutters. By changing the opening of the air passage with the shutters, a swirling flow of air is generated in the space including the inner side of the arc of the mesh part, and the air is configured to pass through the mesh part.

[0108] With this configuration, the filter device can change the form including the position and cross-sectional area of the opening of the air passage by the airflow switching part. Thus, when the shutter is fully open and the opening of the air passage is wide, while suppressing the pressure loss of the air passage, by flowing the air substantially along the air passage, foreign substances contained in the air can be efficiently captured by the mesh part. Also, when the shutter is significantly closed and the opening of the air passage is narrow, by deflecting the air flow to generate a swirling flow inside the arc of the mesh part, the swirling flow peels off the foreign substances attached to the mesh part and accumulates them into lumps, while the air passes through the mesh part. Thereby, the air resistance of the mesh part due to foreign substances is eliminated, and the mesh part is restored to the original state with a small pressure loss.

[0109] (Technology 2) The filter devices 16 and 116 described in Technology 1 may have a collection mode in which, by controlling the airflow switching parts 70 and 170, the upstream air flow passing through the mesh parts 17 and 117 becomes a flow substantially along the air passage, and foreign substances are captured by the mesh parts, and a detachment mode in which the upstream air flow passing through the mesh parts becomes a swirling flow inside the arc of the mesh parts, and the swirling flow peels off and accumulates the foreign substances captured by the mesh parts from the mesh parts.

[0110] With this configuration, after the filter device captures foreign substances contained in the air in the collection mode by the mesh part, it switches to the detachment mode to peel off and accumulate the captured foreign substances from the mesh part, thereby eliminating the air resistance of the mesh part due to foreign substances and suppressing the pressure loss.

[0111] (TECHNOLOGY 3) The filter devices 16 and 116 described in TECHNOLOGY 1 or 2 may narrow the opening area of the air passage by the shutters 71 and 174 of the air flow switching units 70 and 170, bias the air passage towards the side wall, bias the air flowing into the mesh parts 17 and 117 to flow along the side wall, and generate a swirling flow along the inner arc of the mesh part.

[0112] With this configuration, the air is biased towards the side wall of the air passage and smoothly flows into the inner arc of the air flow switching unit, generating a swirling flow, and a stable swirling flow is also generated inside the inner arc of the mesh part.

[0113] (TECHNOLOGY 4) In the filter devices 16 and 116 described in any one of TECHNOLOGY 1 to 3, the mesh parts 17 and 117 may be formed in a hollow truncated cone-shaped cylindrical shape or an arc shape in which the inner diameter of one bottom surface having the lid 16b is larger than the inner diameter of the other bottom surface.

[0114] With this configuration, first, a force to transfer foreign matters downstream acts on the foreign matters. Furthermore, a centrifugal force is also applied to the foreign matters, and a force to transfer them towards the lid side with a larger inner diameter acts. Therefore, even without a special transfer mechanism, the foreign matters can be easily transferred in the direction of the lid, that is, in the direction of the outer contour of the housing, by the air flow. As a result, it is possible to suppress problems such as excessive accumulation of foreign matters in the mesh part and deterioration of the drying performance of the dryer due to an increase in pressure loss.

[0115] (TECHNOLOGY 5) In particular, in the filter device 16 described in any one of TECHNOLOGY 1 to 4, which was described in Embodiment 1, the air flow switching unit 70 may include a cylindrical part 70a having a cylindrical shape with an opening 70b integrally formed at the lower part of the mesh part 17 and having an upstream side part open, a rotatable cylindrical shutter 71 and a rotation shaft 72 provided inside the cylindrical part, and a shutter motor 73 for rotationally driving the shutter.

[0116] With this configuration, the shutter can change the opening area of the opening of the cylindrical part, and as a filter device, it is possible to capture foreign matters in the mesh part, generate a swirling flow to peel off the foreign matters attached to the mesh part and accumulate them into lumps.

[0117] (Technique 6) In the filter device 116 described in any one of Techniques 1 to 4, particularly in Embodiment 2, the airflow switching unit 170 may include a rotatable flat shutter 174 and a rotation shaft 175 provided on the upstream side of the mesh unit 117, and a shutter motor 176 that rotationally drives the shutter.

[0118] With this configuration, the shutter can change the cross-sectional area of the air passage, capture foreign matter with the mesh unit as a filter device, generate a swirling flow, peel off the foreign matter attached to the mesh unit, and accumulate it into lumps.

[0119] (Technique 7) The drum-type washing and drying machine 100 includes a housing 1, a rotating drum 4 provided inside the housing for accommodating clothes and the like, a blower 12 that generates an air flow during drying of the clothes, filter devices 16, 116 that collect foreign matter contained in the air, a circulation air passage 9 that includes the rotating drum and the filter device and is connected so that air circulates by the blower, and a control unit 110 that executes a drying operation. The filter device has a case 16a, a lid 16b, air introduction parts 18, 118, cylindrical or arc-shaped mesh parts 17, 117 that capture foreign matter, and airflow switching parts 70, 170 that change the form of the air passage on the upstream side of the mesh part. The airflow switching part includes shutters 71, 174 provided on the upstream side of the mesh part and shutter motors 73, 176 that drive the shutters. The control unit includes control to switch to a collection mode of capturing foreign matter with the mesh part or a detachment mode of generating a swirling flow of air inside the arc of the mesh part and peeling off the captured foreign matter from the mesh part by changing the air passage with the shutter.

[0120] With this configuration, the drum-type washing and drying machine can appropriately execute the detachment mode by including control in which the control unit accurately switches from the collection mode to the detachment mode during the execution of the drying operation, and suppress a decrease in drying efficiency due to an excessive pressure loss in the circulation air passage in the collection mode of the drying operation, and continue an efficient drying operation.

[0121] (Technique 8) In the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 described in Technique 7, the lids 16b and 116b may be formed of a transparent material.

[0122] With this configuration, the user can easily visually check the inside of the mesh part and confirm the state of the foreign matter collected.

[0123] (Technique 9) In the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 described in Technique 7 or 8, the lids 16b and 116b may be configured to protrude from the housing 1 in a shape having a space.

[0124] With this configuration, the filter device can collect more foreign matter, and the user can easily visually confirm that the foreign matter has been collected.

[0125] (Technique 10) In the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 described in any one of Techniques 7 to 9, when the control unit 110 detects a predetermined change in a numerical value that changes with the deposition of foreign matter on the mesh parts 17 and 117 of the filter devices 16 and 116, the control unit 110 may execute the detachment mode at a predetermined timing.

[0126] With this configuration, since the decrease in the circulating air volume can be surely grasped, by setting respective limit values, the drying operation in a state where the pressure loss increases and the drying efficiency greatly decreases can be suppressed. can be.

[0127] (Technique 11) In the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 described in Technique 10, the control unit 110 may execute the detachment mode at any timing, including during the drying operation of the drying operation or after the completion of the drying operation, and further including during the washing operation when the washing machine function is provided.

[0128] With this configuration, by being able to select the timing for executing the detachment mode, it is possible to respond to the convenience or preference of the user, etc., and the usability of the user is improved.

[0129] (Technology 12) In the drum - type washing and drying machine 100 described in any one of Technologies 7 to 9, the control unit 110 may execute the detachment mode at any timing among immediately before the drying operation, during the drying operation, and after the drying operation, each time the drying operation is executed.

[0130] With this configuration, when the drying operation is executed regardless of the amount of foreign matter deposition, foreign matter is peeled off each time, and a drying operation with good drying efficiency can be executed with a low pressure loss each time.

[0131] (Other Embodiments) The filter device can be applied not only to dryers but also to devices that separate foreign matter from fluids such as water or oil flowing through a flow path, not limited to separating foreign matter from air. For example, it can also be applied as a device that separates residues such as uneaten food, which are foreign matter, from water in a dishwasher.

Industrial Applicability

[0132] The present disclosure is applicable to a filter device that collects foreign matter contained in a fluid flowing through a flow path and a device equipped with this filter device. These devices are not limited to household or business use, etc. Specifically, in addition to clothes dryers, other dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, etc., which separate foreign matter from gases, or filter devices provided in devices that separate foreign matter from water and other liquids, such as dishwashers and water purifiers.

Explanation of Signs

[0133] 1 Housing 2 Suspension device 3 Outer tub 4 Rotating drum 5 Clothes inlet / outlet 6 Door 7 Stirring protrusion 8 Motor 9 Circulation air path 10 Radiator 11 Heat absorber 12 Blower 13 Air outlet 14 Exhaust port 16 Filter device 16a Case 16b Lid 16c Outlet 17 Mesh part 17a Mesh 17c Frame 17d Mesh 18 Air inlet part 18a Inlet 18b Tip 70 Airflow switching part 70a Cylindrical part 70b Opening 71 Shutter 71a Frame 72 Rotation axis 73 Shutter motor 74 Wind direction guide 75 Hinge 100 Drum - type washing and drying machine 101 Drain valve 102 Trap 103 Drainage path 110 Control unit 116 Filter device 116a Case 116b Lid 116c Outlet 117 Mesh part 117a Mesh 117c Frame 117d Mesh 118 Air inlet part 118a Inlet 170 Airflow switching part 170a Opening 174 Shutter 175 Rotation axis 176 Shutter motor

Claims

1. A filter device provided in a flow path through which a fluid containing foreign matter passes, comprising: a case that forms part of the flow path; a cylindrical or arcuate mesh portion disposed within the case for capturing the foreign matter; an airflow switching portion for changing the form of the flow path upstream of the mesh portion; The airflow switching portion includes a shutter provided upstream of the mesh portion and a driving portion for driving the shutter. By changing the opening of the flow path with the shutter, a swirling flow of the fluid is generated in a space including the inner side of the arc of the mesh portion, and the fluid is configured to pass through the mesh portion. Filter device.

2. By controlling the airflow switching portion, a collection mode in which the flow of air upstream of the mesh portion passing through the mesh portion becomes a flow substantially along the air passage, and the foreign matter is captured by the mesh portion; and a detachment mode in which the flow of air upstream of the mesh portion passing through the mesh portion becomes a swirling flow inside the arc of the mesh portion, and the swirling flow peels off the foreign matter captured by the mesh portion from the mesh portion and accumulates it. The filter device according to claim 1.

3. The airflow switching portion narrows the opening area of the flow path with the shutter and biases the flow path toward the side wall, biases the fluid flowing into the mesh portion to flow along the side wall, and generates the swirling flow along the inner side of the arc of the mesh portion. The filter device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The mesh portion is formed in a hollow frustum-shaped cylindrical or arcuate shape having an inner diameter of one bottom surface with a lid larger than that of the other bottom surface. The filter device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The airflow switching portion includes a cylindrical portion having an opening integrally formed at the lower part of the mesh portion and having an open upstream portion, a rotatable cylindrical shutter and a rotating shaft provided inside the cylindrical portion, and a shutter motor for rotationally driving the shutter. The filter device according to claim 1.

6. The airflow switching portion includes a rotatable flat plate-shaped shutter and a rotating shaft provided upstream of the mesh portion, and a shutter motor for rotationally driving the shutter. The filter device according to claim 1.

7. A housing; a storage portion provided inside the housing for storing clothes and the like; a blower for generating an air flow when drying the clothes; A filter device for collecting foreign matter contained in the air; An air duct including the housing part and the filter device and connected so that air circulates by the blower device; A control unit that executes a drying operation, and; The filter device; A case, a lid, an air introduction part, a cylindrical or arc-shaped mesh part for capturing the foreign matter, and an air flow switching part for changing the form of the air duct on the upstream side of the mesh part; The air flow switching part includes a shutter provided on the upstream side of the mesh part and a drive part for driving the shutter; The control unit includes control for switching to a collection mode in which the foreign matter is captured by the mesh part or a detachment mode in which a swirling flow of the fluid is generated inside the arc of the mesh part and the captured foreign matter is peeled off from the mesh part by changing the air duct by the air flow switching part; A clothes dryer.

8. The lid is formed of a transparent material; The clothes dryer according to claim 7.

9. The lid is configured to protrude from the upper surface of the housing 1 in a shape having a space; The clothes dryer according to claim 7 or 8.

10. When the control unit detects a predetermined change in a numerical value that changes with the deposition of foreign matter on the mesh part of the filter device, the control unit executes the detachment mode at a predetermined timing; The clothes dryer according to claim 7.

11. The control unit executes the detachment mode at any timing during or after the drying operation of the drying operation, and further, when including a washing function, during the washing operation; The clothes dryer according to claim 10.

12. Each time the control unit executes a drying operation, the control unit executes the detachment mode at any timing during or after the drying operation; The clothes dryer according to claim 7.

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