Clothing treatment device

Abstract

To provide a clothing treatment device capable of improving wrinkling of clothing while considering energy saving.SOLUTION: A clothing treatment device includes: an outer box; a clothing storage tub provided in the outer box, having an air inlet and for storing clothing inside; a duct provided in the outer box and connected to the air inlet; a humidification promotion member arranged in the duct; a blower device for blowing air into the clothing storage tub; a water supply path for supplying water from a water supply source outside the outer box to the humidification promotion member; a water supply valve for opening / closing the water supply path; and a control device for controlling the operation of the blower device and the opening / closing of the water supply valve. The control device allows the blower device to operate in the humidification step for imparting humidity to the clothing storage tub, and during the operation of the blower device or before operating the blower device, executes a water supply operation for opening the water supply valve.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a clothing treatment apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a washing and drying machine having a washing function and a drying function has been known. Further, among such washing and drying machines, a washing and drying machine having a function of stretching and removing wrinkles of clothing has been developed.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, between the bottom of a drum which is an inner tub and an outer tub, a heating part which is a heater and a water receiving part for temporarily storing water around the heating part are provided. With clothing placed in the drum, steam is generated in the heating part to wet the clothing, and then air is sent into the drum by a blower fan to dry the clothing, thereby removing wrinkles of the clothing. A washing and drying machine is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In order to generate a sufficient amount of steam to remove wrinkles using a heater, for example, electric power of about 1000 W may be required. Also, it is necessary to store a certain amount of water around the heating part. Therefore, there has been room for consideration from the viewpoint of energy saving for a washing and drying machine having a wrinkle removing function.

[0006] Therefore, the present embodiment of the present invention provides a clothing treatment apparatus that can improve the wrinkling of clothing while considering energy saving.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The clothing treatment apparatus according to the embodiment includes an outer box, a clothing storage tank provided in the outer box, having an air inlet and configured to store clothing therein, a duct provided in the outer box and connected to the air inlet, a humidification promotion member disposed in the duct, a blower configured to blow air into the clothing storage tank, a water supply path configured to supply water from a water source outside the outer box to the humidification promotion member, a water supply valve configured to open and close the water supply path, and a control device configured to control the operation of the blower and the opening and closing of the water supply valve. The control device operates the blower in a humidification step of imparting moisture to the clothing storage tank, and executes a water supply operation of opening the water supply valve during the operation of the blower or before operating the blower.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments in which the clothing treatment apparatus is applied to a washing and drying machine will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that substantially the same elements in the plurality of embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0010] (First Embodiment) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 11, the first embodiment will be described. The washing and drying machine 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a horizontal-axis or diagonal-axis drum-type washing machine having a drying function.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the washing and drying machine 10 includes an outer box 11, a door 12, an outer tub 13, a bellows 14, a rotary tub 15, a rotary tub motor 16, a water supply mechanism 17, and a drainage mechanism 18. In the present embodiment, the side of the door 11 with respect to the outer box 11, that is, the left side of the paper surface of FIG. 1, is defined as the front side of the washing and drying machine 10. The outer box 11 is formed in a rectangular hollow box shape by, for example, a stainless steel plate or the like, and constitutes the outer shell of the washing and drying machine 10. The outer box 11 has a clothing inlet / outlet 111 that communicates the inside and outside of the outer box 11 at the front portion.

[0012] The door 12 is provided at the front of the outer box 11 and is configured to be able to open and close the clothing inlet / outlet 111. The user can put clothes into or take out the rotary tub 15 through the clothing inlet / outlet 111 with the door 12 open.

[0013] The outer tub 13 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening 131 on the front side. In the case of this embodiment, the outer tub 13 can store water inside, and in this case, it functions as a water tank. The outer tub 13 has an air outlet 132 and an air inlet 133. The air outlet 132 is, for example, in the upper front part of the peripheral wall constituting the cylindrical part of the outer tub 13, and is provided at a position away from the center in the left - right direction of the outer tub 13, that is, from the topmost part of the cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the outer tub 13 in the left - right direction. The air inlet 133 is provided, for example, at a position slightly above the center in the up - down direction of the bottom of the outer tub 13. The air outlet 132 and the air inlet 133 communicate the inside and the outside of the outer tub 13.

[0014] The bellows 14 is provided around the clothing entrance / exit 111 of the outer box 11 and the opening 131 of the outer tub 13. The bellows 14 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical bellows shape, and elastically connects the outer box 11 and the outer tub 13 in a state where the clothing entrance / exit 111 and the opening 131 communicate with each other.

[0015] The rotary tub 15 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape capable of accommodating clothing, and is rotatably accommodated inside the outer tub 13. The rotation axis of the rotary tub 15 overlaps with the central axis of the outer tub 13. The rotary tub 15 has a plurality of communication ports 151. The communication ports 151 communicate the inside and the outside of the rotary tub 15. The communication ports 151 are formed over the entire peripheral wall constituting the cylindrical part of the rotary tub 15 and the bottom of the rotary tub 15. The communication ports 151 mainly function as water - passing holes for water to enter and exit during the washing operation and the dehydration operation, and function as ventilation holes for air to enter and exit during the drying operation. The outer tub 13 and the rotary tub 15 function as a clothing storage tub for storing clothing inside during the operation of the washing and drying machine.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a plurality of baffles 152 are provided inside the cylindrical part of the rotary tub 15. When the rotary tub 15 rotates, the baffles 152 agitate the clothing accommodated inside the rotary tub 15.

[0017] The rotary tank motor 16 is provided, for example, on the outer side of the bottom of the outer tank 13. The tip side of the shaft portion 161 of the rotary tank motor 16 protrudes into the outer tank 13 and is connected to the rotary tank 15. As the rotary tank motor 16, for example, an outer rotor type direct drive motor can be used. The shaft portion 161 of the rotary tank motor 16 penetrates the bottom of the outer tank 13 and protrudes into the outer tank 13, and is fixed to the bottom of the rotary tank 15. The rotary tank motor 16 relatively rotates the rotary tank 15 with respect to the outer tank 13. In this case, the shaft portion 161 of the rotary tank motor 16, the central axis of the outer tank 13, and the rotation axis of the rotary tank 15 coincide with each other.

[0018] The water supply mechanism 17 is a device for injecting water supplied from an external water source such as a water supply into the outer tank 13. The water supply mechanism 17 is provided, for example, above one side (left or right) of the outer tank 13 in the outer box 11. The water supply mechanism 17 includes a water supply valve 171, a water supply path 172 for the outer tank, and a water injection case 173.

[0019] The water supply valve 171 is an electromagnetic drive type on-off valve for liquids and is connected to an external water source such as a water supply (not shown). The water supply valve 171 opens and closes the water supply path 172. The water supply path 172 connects the water injection case 173 and the inside of the outer tank 13. The water supply path 172 is a path from the external water source to the inside of the outer tank 13. The water injection case 173 is provided on the downstream side of the water supply valve 171 in the water supply path 172. The water injection case 173 is configured to be able to store a laundry treatment agent such as a detergent or a finishing agent inside.

[0020] When the water supply valve 171 is opened, water from the external water source is injected into the outer tank 13 via the water injection case 173. When a laundry treatment agent is stored in the water injection case 173, during the water injection, the laundry treatment agent in the water injection case 173 rides on the water flowing through the water supply path 172 and is washed down into the outer tank 13. Note that the laundry dryer 10 does not necessarily have to include the water injection case 173. That is, the laundry dryer 10 may be configured such that the user directly inputs a laundry treatment agent into the outer tank 13.

[0021] The drainage mechanism 18 has a function of discharging the water stored inside the outer tub 13 to the outside of the washing and drying machine 10. The drainage mechanism 18 includes a drain valve 181 and a drainage path 182. The drain valve 181 is an electromagnetic drive type on-off valve for liquids. The drain valve 181 opens and closes the drainage path 182. The drainage path 182 is a path leading from inside the outer tub 13 to the outside of the machine.

[0022] In addition, the washing and drying machine 10 is provided with a drying function. The washing and drying machine 10 includes an air duct 20 and a drying unit 30. The air duct 20 includes a duct connected to the air outlet 132 and / or the air inlet 133. In the case of this embodiment, the air duct 20 connects the air outlet 132 and the air inlet 133 outside the outer tub 13. That is, the air duct 20, the outer tub 13, and the rotary tub 15 form a circulating air duct. The drying unit 30 has a function of taking in the air inside the outer tub 13 into the air duct 20 from the air outlet 132, heating it to warm air, and then supplying the generated warm air into the outer tub 13 and the rotary tub 15 from the air inlet 133.

[0023] The air duct 20 can be configured to include, for example, an exhaust duct 21, a filter device 22, a connection duct 23, a heat exchange section 24, and an air supply duct 25. The exhaust duct 21, the filter device 22, the connection duct 23, the heat exchange section 24, and the air supply duct 25 are arranged in order along the flow of the air flowing through the air duct 20. The exhaust duct 21, the connection duct 23, the heat exchange section 24, and the air supply duct 25 function as ducts that form an air duct by allowing air to pass through inside. The air flows through the air duct 20 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3.

[0024] The exhaust duct 21 is a duct that connects the air outlet 132 of the outer tank 13 and the filter device 22. The filter device 22 is provided with a filter (not shown) inside, and collects lint and foreign matters contained in the air flowing in the air passage 20. The connection duct 23 is a duct that connects the filter device 22 and the heat exchange section 24. The heat exchange section 24 is provided inside the lower part of the outer box 11 and below the outer tank 13 and the rotary tank 15. The air taken into the air passage 20 from the outer tank 13 is dehumidified and heated when passing through the heat exchange section 24 and becomes warm dry air. The air supply duct 25 is a duct that connects the heat exchange section 24 and the air inlet 133 of the outer tank 13.

[0025] In the air passage 20, an exhaust port 26 and an opening / closing device 27 are provided. The exhaust port 26 communicates between the inside of the air passage 20 and the outside of the machine, and discharges the exhaust air from the outer tank 13 to the outside of the machine. The opening / closing device 27 opens or closes the exhaust port 26.

[0026] The drying unit 30 functions as a warm air supply device that generates warm air for drying clothes in the rotary tank 15 and supplies the warm air from the air inlet 133 into the outer tank 13. The drying unit 30 can be configured to include, for example, a heat pump type or a heater type heating device. In the case of this embodiment, the drying unit 30 is configured to include a heat pump type heating device, and as shown in FIG. 3, has an evaporator 31, a condenser 32, a compressor 33, a throttling device 34, a refrigerant flow path 35, and a blower device 36.

[0027] The evaporator 31 and the condenser 32 are provided in the heat exchange section 24. The evaporator 31 is provided upstream of the condenser 32 with respect to the air flow in the heat exchange section 24 during the drying operation. The evaporator 31 and the condenser 32, together with the compressor 33, the throttling device 34, and the refrigerant flow path 35 that sequentially connects each component provided outside the heat exchange section 24, constitute a heat pump mechanism, that is, a refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant flows in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 3. The air passing through the heat exchange section 24 is cooled by the evaporator 31, and thereby dehumidified. The air dehumidified by the evaporator 31 is then heated by the condenser 32 and becomes warm air.

[0028] The downstream side of the heat exchange unit 24 is connected to the air inlet 133 of the outer tank 13 by the air supply duct 25. The drying unit 30 includes a blower 36. The blower 36 is provided, for example, at the connection portion between the heat exchange unit 24 and the air supply duct 25, and can be composed of, for example, a sirocco fan or a propeller fan. The blower 36 sucks in the air inside the heat exchange unit 24 and discharges it to the air supply duct 25 side. Thereby, the warm air dehumidified and heated in the heat exchange unit 24 is supplied from the air inlet 133 into the outer tank 13 and further into the rotary tank 15 by the blowing action of the blower 36.

[0029] The washing and drying machine 10 is provided with a humidifying mechanism 40. The humidifying mechanism 40 generates air containing moisture to be given to the clothing storage tank, that is, the inside of the outer tank 13 and the rotary tank 15, and thus to the clothing stored in the clothing storage tank. The humidifying mechanism 40 includes a humidification promotion member 400, a humidification water supply valve 41, a humidification water supply path 42, and a water supply section 43.

[0030] The humidification promotion member 400 has a function of giving humidity to the air by wetting its surface and vaporizing moisture from the surface. The humidification promotion member 400 is disposed in the air passage 20. The humidification promotion member 400 preferably has a structure or shape such that its surface area is larger than that of an object having the same volume as the humidification promotion member 400. For example, the humidification promotion member 400 may be composed of a porous member, or may be a structure having a number of fins or pins. In the present embodiment, a heat exchanger including the evaporator 31 and the condenser 32 is used as the humidification promotion member 400. Since the evaporator 31 and the condenser 32 have a number of fins to improve the heat exchange efficiency, they are designed to have a larger surface area than an object of the same volume.

[0031] The water supply valve 41 for humidification is, for example, an electromagnetic drive type on-off valve for liquids, and is connected to an external water source such as a water supply (not shown). The water supply valve 41 for humidification opens and closes the water supply path 42 for humidification. The water supply path 42 for humidification is a path that connects an external water source and the water supply section 43. The water supply section 43 has a function of supplying water to the humidification promotion member 400. The water supply section 43 has one or a plurality of water supply ports 431 on the surface facing the humidification promotion member 400. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the water supply section 43 is provided above the evaporator 31. The plurality of water supply ports 431 are formed on the lower surface of the water supply section 43, that is, the surface facing the upper surface of the evaporator 31.

[0032] When the water supply valve 41 is opened, water from an external water source is supplied to the water supply section 43 through the water supply path 42. The water that has reached the water supply section 43 is supplied from the water supply port 431 to the evaporator 31 as the humidification promotion member 400.

[0033] When the water supply valve 41 is released and the surface of the humidification promotion member 400 is wet and the blower 36 is driven, moisture vaporizes from the surface of the humidification promotion member 400, steam is generated, and the humidity in the air passage 20 increases. In addition, the generated steam is carried to the clothing storage tank by the action of the blower 36.

[0034] Furthermore, a plurality of humidification promotion members 400 can be arranged side by side along the direction in which the air flows in the air passage 20. In this case, a part of the water supplied to the humidification promotion member 400 on the upwind side can be blown to the downwind side by the wind in a non-vaporized state and wet the surface of the humidification promotion member 400 on the downwind side. The water adhering to the surface of the humidification promotion member 400 on the downwind side vaporizes by the action of the blower 36 and is also carried to the clothing storage tank.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the evaporator 31 and the condenser 32 as the humidification promotion member 400 are arranged side by side along the direction in which the air flows in the heat exchange section 24. Therefore, a part of the water supplied to the evaporator 31 can be blown to the downwind side by the wind in a non-vaporized state and wet the surface of the condenser 32. The water adhering to the surface of the condenser 32 vaporizes by the action of the blower 36 and is carried to the clothing storage tank.

[0036] In addition, in the present embodiment, the water supply unit 43 is disposed above the evaporator 31. However, in addition to the evaporator 31, the water supply unit 43 may be disposed above the condenser 32, or the water supply unit 43 may be disposed above the condenser 32 instead of the evaporator 31. Since the condenser 32 may be heated by the high-temperature refrigerant pressurized and compressed by the compressor 33, when the humidifying mechanism 40 operates after the operation of the compressor 33, vaporization can be promoted by the condenser 32 which is at a high temperature.

[0037] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the water supply port 531 is provided at a position facing the upper surface of the humidification promotion member 400. However, the water supply port 531 may not be provided at a position facing the upper surface of the humidification promotion member 400, and may be provided at a position facing the upwind region of the humidification promotion member. In this case, when water is supplied from the water supply port and the blower 36 is driven, the water can be transported to the humidification promotion member 400 by the air flow and wet the humidification promotion member 400.

[0038] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the washing and drying machine 10 includes a control device 50. The control device 50 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU 501 and a storage area 502 such as a ROM, a RAM, and a nonvolatile memory. The control device 50 has a function of managing the operation of the entire washing and drying machine 10. The rotary tub motor 16, the water supply valve 171, the drain valve 181, the opening / closing device 27, the compressor 33, the blower 36, and the water supply valve 41 are electrically connected to the control device 50 and operate under the control of the control device 50.

[0039] The control device 50 can selectively execute a washing operation, a drying operation, a washing and drying operation, and a wrinkle removal operation by operating the rotary tub motor 16, the water supply valve 171, the drain valve 181, the opening / closing device 27, the compressor 33, the blower 36, and the water supply valve 41 as needed. In the present embodiment, the "operation" in the washing operation, the drying operation, the washing and drying operation, or the wrinkle removal operation is a concept including one or more steps and is a unit that can be selected by the user.

[0040] The washing and drying machine 10 includes a temperature detection unit 51, a humidity detection unit 52, a weight detection unit 53, a fabric quality detection unit 54, and a condenser temperature detection unit 55. The temperature detection unit 51 detects the environmental temperature at which the washing and drying machine 10 is installed. The humidity detection unit 52 detects the humidity of the exhaust gas discharged from the air outlet 132. In the present embodiment, the temperature detection unit 51 and the humidity detection unit 52 are arranged downstream of the exhaust duct 21 and the filter device 22 in the air passage 20.

[0041] The weight detection unit 53 detects the weight of the clothes stored in the rotary tub 15. The fabric quality detection unit 54 detects the fabric quality of the clothes stored in the rotary tub 15. The fabric quality detection unit 54 can classify the fabric quality of the clothes into multiple levels. In the present embodiment, the fabric quality detection unit 54 classifies and determines in two levels, for example, "cotton-based" mainly composed of cotton-based clothes that are easy to absorb moisture, and "chemical fiber-based" mainly composed of chemical fiber-based clothes that are less likely to absorb moisture than cotton-based clothes.

[0042] The condenser temperature detection unit 55 has a function of detecting the temperature of the condenser 32.

[0043] The wrinkle removal operation includes a humidification process. The humidification process is a process of supplying air containing moisture, that is, moist air, to the clothing treatment tank, giving appropriate moisture to the clothes to stretch the fibers of the clothes, and removing the wrinkles on the clothes.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 50 operates the water supply valve 41, the blower 36, and the rotary tub motor 16 to execute the humidification process. In the humidification process, the control device 50 executes a water supply operation of opening the water supply valve 41 and supplying water from the water supply port 431 to the humidification promotion member 400.

[0045] The control device 50 executes the water supply operation intermittently, that is, discontinuously, a plurality of times. That is, once the surface of the humidification promotion member 400 is wet, additional water supply is not required while the moisture is vaporized from the humidification promotion member 400, so that water resources can be saved. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the control device 50 can repeat a cycle of opening the water supply valve 41 during a predetermined water supply period T1 and closing the water supply valve 41 during a non-water supply period T2. When it is desired to increase the amount of humidification for the clothing, the total amount of water supplied by the water supply operation can be increased. The total amount of water supplied by the water supply operation may be increased by increasing the amount of water supplied by each water supply operation, increasing the frequency of the water supply operation, or both. Further, the amount of water supplied by each water supply operation can be increased or decreased by adjusting the flow rate, the water supply period, or both. In the present embodiment, the amount of water supplied by each water supply operation can be increased or decreased by adjusting the water supply period T1.

[0046] The predetermined water supply period T1 can be set, for example, within a range of 0.5 seconds to 3 seconds. The predetermined non-water supply period T2 can be set, for example, within a range of 30 seconds to seconds. In the present embodiment, the water supply period T1 is set to 2 seconds. In other embodiments, the water supply period T1 may be set to 0.5 seconds or 1 second. Also, the non-water supply period T2 may be set to 60 seconds or 120 seconds. FIG. 9 shows a plurality of examples of the water supply period T1 and the non-water supply period T2 in one cycle. The storage area 502 stores information regarding the water supply period and the non-water supply period as shown in FIG. 9, and the control device 50 calls the information and executes the water supply operation based on the information when executing the humidification process.

[0047] The total sum of the water supply periods T1 in the humidification process is set to be shorter than the total sum of the non-water supply periods T2. Therefore, the clothing can be efficiently wetted with a small amount of water, and the amount of water used in the humidification process can be suppressed.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 7, in the humidifying step, the control device 50 drives the blower device 36 at least after the water supply operation. Due to the blowing function of the blower device 36, air hits the humidification promoting member 400 whose surface is wetted by the water supply operation, so that moisture evaporates from the surface, and the evaporated moisture passes through the heat exchange section 24 and the air supply duct 25 and is carried into the outer tank 13 and the rotary tank 15. Note that the control device 50 may drive the blower device 36 before and during the water supply operation.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 7, also in the humidifying step, the control device 50 drives the rotary tank motor 16. When the rotary tank 15 rotates, the clothes accommodated in the rotary tank 15 also rotate. The rotation speed of the rotary tank motor 16 in the humidifying step is set to a predetermined speed such that the clothes rise to the upper part of the rotary tank and then peel off as they rotate with the rotary tank 15. Since relative movement occurs between the clothes, the entire clothes are agitated, and air containing moisture is likely to hit the entire clothes. Therefore, wrinkles on the entire clothes are likely to stretch. For example, the rotation speed of the rotary tank motor 16 can be set within the range of about 40 rpm to about 50 rpm. Note that the control device 50 may rotate the rotary tank motor 16 in a forward and reverse rotation.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 50 does not drive the compressor 33 in the humidifying step. That is, the water supply operation is executed with the compressor 33 not being driven. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the humidified air being instantaneously dehumidified by the evaporator 31 that has become low in temperature.

[0051] The control device 50 can set the period Tm of the humidifying step based on the weight of the clothes detected by the weight detection unit 53 and / or the fabric quality of the clothes detected by the fabric quality detection unit 54. When the detected weight of the weight detection unit 53 is small, the period of the humidifying step is set shorter than when the detected weight is large. Also, at the same weight, when the fabric quality detection unit 54 determines that the fabric is a synthetic fiber type, the time of the humidifying step is set shorter than when it is determined to be a cotton type. Therefore, in the case where the amount of clothes is small and in the case of synthetic fiber type clothes whose fabric quality is difficult to absorb water and is also difficult to wrinkle, the operation time of the wrinkle removal operation can be shortened, and unnecessary power consumption can be reduced.

[0052] In this case, the storage area 502 stores, for example, a chart during the humidifying process shown in FIG. 10 as an example. The control device 50 calls the chart during the humidifying process and sets the period of the humidifying process based on the detection results of the weight detection unit 53 and / or the fabric detection unit 54.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 50 may execute a drying process following the humidifying process during the wrinkle removal operation. This is to dry the clothes that have become moist due to the humidifying process. In the drying process, the control device 50 drives the compressor 33, the blower 36, and the rotary tub motor 16.

[0054] The period Td of the drying process after the humidifying process is set shorter than the period Tm of the humidifying process. For example, the period Td can be set within the range of 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 times the period Tm.

[0055] The air volume of the blower 36 in the humidifying process is set smaller than the air volume of the blower 36 in the drying process. This suppresses the promotion of evaporation from the clothes more than the penetration of moisture into the clothes during the humidifying process. Also, in the drying process, the clothes can be dried quickly. For example, the control device 50 sets the rotation speed of the blower 36 in the humidifying process to be smaller than the rotation speed of the blower 36 in the humidifying process. The lower limit of the rotation speed of the blower 36 in the humidifying process is set in consideration of, for example, ensuring an air volume sufficient to vaporize the water on the surface of the humidifying promotion member 400 and the air volume necessary to supply the air containing moisture to the rotary tub 15. The upper limit of the rotation speed of the blower 36 in the humidifying process is set to avoid, for example, blowing off the water on the surface of the humidifying promotion member 400 and causing it to be transported as water droplets without vaporizing, or the water droplets circulating in the air passage 20 and wetting the filter portion of the filter device 22.

[0056] The rotation speed of the blower 36 in the humidification process varies depending on, for example, the cross-sectional area of the air duct and the shape of the fan of the blower 36, but can be set, for example, within the range of 2000 to 4500 rpm. The rotation speed of the blower 36 in the drying process can be set, for example, within the range of 3500 to 5000 rpm. In the present embodiment, the rotation speed of the blower 36 in the humidification process is set to 2000 rpm. Also, the rotation speed of the blower 36 in the drying process is set to 3500 rpm.

[0057] In addition, in the drying process after the humidification process, the control device 50 does not have to drive the compressor 33. That is, in the drying process, the control device 50 may supply air that is not heated by the drying unit 30 to the rotary tank 15 by the blower 36 to dry the clothes.

[0058] When the drying process is executed after the humidification process, the control device 50 controls the opening / closing device 27 to open the exhaust port 26 after the end of the humidification process. In the present embodiment, the control device 50 controls the opening / closing device 27 to open the exhaust port 26 at least at the initial stage of the drying process after the humidification process. Thereby, the high-humidity air in the air duct 20 and the clothes treatment tank is discharged outside the machine, and the drying of the clothes is promoted.

[0059] When the drying process is executed after the humidification process, if the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 during the humidification process is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature t1, the control device 50 does not drive the compressor 33 until a predetermined period required for the condenser 32 to dry has elapsed since the last water supply operation stopped. Thereby, a situation where the heat exchangers 31 and 32 freeze due to operating the compressor 33 with the heat exchangers 31 and 32 in a wet state is suppressed, and a smooth transition from the humidification process to the drying process is realized. In this case, the predetermined temperature t1 can be set, for example, within the range of 5°C. Also, the predetermined period can be set within the range of 1 to 5 minutes.

[0060] When the detected temperature of the condenser temperature detection unit 55 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature t2, the control device 50 stops the water supply operation. This is to avoid a malfunction in the heat pump caused by operating the compressor 33 with the condenser 32 remaining wet when the temperature of the condenser 32 is too low. The predetermined temperature t2 can be set to, for example, 3°C. Note that the control device 50 may be configured not to execute the humidifying process when the detected temperature of the condenser temperature detection unit 55 is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature.

[0061] The control device 50 can selectively execute operations other than the wrinkle removal operation, such as a washing operation, a drying operation, or a washing and drying operation, from a normal course that does not include the humidifying process and a wrinkle improvement course that includes the humidifying process. When executing the wrinkle removal course, as shown in FIG. 11, the control device 50, for example, after executing the preheating dehydration process of the washing and drying operation (FIG. 11(a)), after executing the drying process of the drying operation or the washing and drying operation (FIG. 11(b)), after executing the final dehydration process of the washing operation or the washing and drying operation (FIG. 11(c), (e)), or after executing the drying process of the drying operation (FIG. 11(d)), can execute the humidifying process. Note that when executing the humidifying process after the drying process, the control device 50 may further execute a drying process or a blowing process of driving the blower device 36 without driving the compressor 33 after the humidifying process.

[0062] Note that in the preheating dehydration process, since the rotary tub motor 16 is rotated at a high speed to dehydrate the clothes by centrifugal force and the drying unit 30, that is, the compressor 33 and the blower device 36 are driven, drying by dehydration and heating proceeds while maintaining a state where there is no relative movement between the clothes. Therefore, in the preheating dehydration process, there is a possibility that the progress of drying of the clothes may be uneven. By executing the humidifying process after the preheating dehydration process, appropriate moisture can be replenished to the clothes that have become partially overdried, so that the progress of drying of the entire clothes can be made uniform. At the same time, by blowing air containing moisture while stirring the clothes in the humidifying process, the fibers can be stretched and the wrinkles generated in the preheating dehydration process can be improved. At this time, by supplying water to the condenser 32 that has been heated in the preheating dehydration process, vaporization is further promoted.

[0063] According to the embodiment described above, the washing and drying machine 10 as a clothing treatment apparatus includes an outer box 11, an outer tub 13 and a rotary tub 15 as a clothing storage tub, an exhaust duct 21, a connection duct 23, a heat exchange unit 24, and an air supply duct 25 as ducts, humidification promotion members 400, 31, 32, a blower device 36, a water supply path 42, a water supply valve 41, and a control device 50. The outer tub 13 and the rotary tub 15 are provided inside the outer box 11. The outer tub 13 has an air inlet 133. The rotary tub 15 accommodates clothing inside. The exhaust duct 21, the connection duct 23, the heat exchange unit 24, and the air supply duct 25 are provided inside the outer box 11 and connected to the air inlet 133. The humidification promotion members 400, 31, 32 are arranged inside the duct, in this case, inside the heat exchange unit 24. The blower device 36 blows air into the clothing storage tub. The water supply path 42 supplies water from a water supply source outside the outer box 11 to the humidification promotion members 400, 31, 32. The water supply valve 41 opens and closes the water supply path 42. The control device 50 controls the operation of the blower device 36 and the opening and closing of the water supply valve 41. In a humidification process of giving moisture to the clothing storage tub, the control device 50 operates the blower device 36 and executes a water supply operation of opening the water supply valve 41 during the operation of the blower device 36 or before operating the blower device 36.

[0064] According to this, the water supplied to the humidification promotion members 400, 31, 32 is vaporized by the function of the blower device 36 and further carried into the clothing treatment tub as water vapor, so that the humidity in the clothing treatment tub can be increased. Therefore, by giving moisture to the clothing and stretching the fibers, the wrinkled state of the clothing can be improved. In this case, since air containing water vapor is generated without using a heater, a de-wrinkling operation can be performed at about 1 / 3 times the power consumption of the heater method, resulting in power saving. Therefore, a clothing treatment apparatus is provided that can improve the wrinkles of clothing while considering energy saving.

[0065] Here, the inventors confirmed that in the process of developing the washing and drying machine 10 of the present embodiment, even if water supply is continuously performed, that is, the water supply valve is opened for a long time, the humidifying effect does not improve. That is, when the water supply valve is opened for a long time, the amount of water used for improving the wrinkles of the clothes does not increase, but the drainage volume increases.

[0066] The control device 50 intermittently executes the water supply operation a plurality of times.

[0067] According to this, excessive water consumption is suppressed. Therefore, a clothes processing apparatus is provided that can further improve the wrinkle of clothes in consideration of energy saving.

[0068] In the humidifying step, the total sum of the water supply periods, which are the periods during which the water supply operation is executed, is set shorter than the total sum of the water supply periods during which the water supply operation is not executed.

[0069] According to this, the water consumption is further suppressed. Therefore, a clothes processing apparatus is provided that can further improve the wrinkle of clothes in consideration of resource saving.

[0070] The humidification promoting members 400 are the heat exchangers 31 and 32.

[0071] Since the heat exchangers 31 and 32 used for the drying function are provided with a large number of fins and are designed to have a large surface area, they are desirable as humidification promoting members for the purpose of vaporization from the surface. Also, since no new configuration needs to be provided, an increase in the size of the entire clothes processing apparatus and an increase in the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

[0072] Here, even if water is supplied during the operation of the compressor 33, the humidity temporarily increases due to evaporation by the heat generated by the condenser 32, but the humidity immediately decreases due to dehumidification by the cooled evaporator 31.

[0073] The washing and drying machine 10 includes a compressor 33 that sends refrigerant to the heat exchangers 31 and 32. The control device 50 executes the water supply operation during the period when the compressor 33 is stopped.

[0074] As a result, the water applied to the heat exchangers 31 and 32 as the humidification promotion members 400 does not evaporate rapidly and is not dehumidified rapidly either, so that a gentle humidification effect on the clothing can be made to last for a long time.

[0075] The washing and drying machine 10 includes a temperature detection unit 51 that detects the environmental temperature. When the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, the control device 50 does not operate the compressor 33 until a predetermined period has elapsed since the stop of the water supply operation.

[0076] This suppresses a situation in which the heat exchangers 31 and 32 are frozen due to the operation of the compressor 33 while the heat exchangers 31 and 32 are in a wet state, and a smooth transition from the humidification process to the drying process can be realized.

[0077] A plurality of the humidification promotion members 400, 31, and 32 are arranged side by side along the air flow in the ducts 21, 23, 24, and 25.

[0078] According to this, by supplying water to the upstream humidification promotion members 400 and 31, a part of the supplied water is blown off from the upstream humidification promotion members 400 and 31 by the action of the blower device 36 and adheres to the downstream humidification promotion members 400 and 32. In this way, the evaporation of moisture is promoted from the surface of the downstream humidification promotion members 400 and 32 that are wet by the action of the blower device 36, so that moisture can be vaporized using a larger surface area. Further, when the humidification promotion member 400 is the heat exchangers 31 and 32 as in the present embodiment, the downstream condenser 32 can be heated by driving the compressor 33, so that vaporization can be promoted by supplying water to the pre-heated condenser 32. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which water is selectively supplied not to the upstream evaporator 31 but to the condenser 32.

[0079] The washing and drying machine 10 as a clothing treatment device can execute a clothing wrinkle improvement course including a humidification process.

[0080] That is, by performing a humidifying process on possible wrinkles generated during a washing operation, a drying operation, or a washing and drying operation, and stretching the fibers of the clothing, the finish of the clothing can be improved.

[0081] In the wrinkle improvement course, the humidifying process is executed before or after the drying process.

[0082] Thereby, wrinkles generated in the drying process can be improved before and after the drying process.

[0083] The washing and drying machine 10 as the clothing processing apparatus of the present embodiment includes an outer box 11, an outer tub 13, a rotary tub 15, a rotary tub motor 16, an exhaust duct 21 as a duct, a connection duct 23, a heat exchange unit 24, and an air supply duct 25, humidification promotion members 400, 31, 32, a blower 36, a water supply path 42, a water supply valve 41, and a control device 50. The outer tub 13 is provided inside the outer box 11 and has an air inlet 133. The rotary tub 15 is rotatably provided inside the outer tub 13 and houses clothing therein. The rotary tub motor 16 rotationally drives the rotary tub 15. The exhaust duct 21, the connection duct 23, the heat exchange unit 24, and the air supply duct 25 are provided inside the outer box 11 and connected to the air inlet 133. The humidification promotion members 400, 31, 32 are arranged inside the duct, in this case, inside the heat exchange unit 24. The blower 36 blows air into the rotary tub 15 through the air supply duct 25. The water supply path 42 supplies water from a water supply source outside the outer box 11 to the humidification promotion members 400, 31, 32. The water supply valve 41 opens and closes the water supply path 42. The control device 50 controls the rotary tub motor 16 and the blower 36 to perform a drying process for drying the clothing, and controls the operation of the blower 36 and the opening and closing of the water supply valve 41 to perform a humidifying process for supplying moisture into the rotary tub 15. In the humidifying process, the control device 50 executes a water supply operation of opening the water supply valve 41, sets the air volume of the blower 36 in the humidifying process to be lower than the air volume of the blower 36 in the drying process, or sets the rotation speed of the blower 36 in the humidifying process to be lower than the rotation speed of the blower 36 in the drying process.

[0084] Accordingly, in the humidifying process, by blowing air containing moisture onto the clothing at a relatively gentle air volume, evaporation from the clothing can be suppressed while promoting the penetration of moisture into the clothing. Therefore, an apparatus for treating clothing is provided that can improve the wrinkling of clothing while considering energy conservation by generating air containing moisture without using a heater and allowing it to penetrate the clothing.

[0085] In the humidifying process, the control device 50 sets the air volume of the blower device to be lower than the air volume of the blower device in the drying process, or sets the rotation speed of the blower device in the humidifying process to be lower than the rotation speed of the blower device in the drying process.

[0086] This suppresses the promotion of evaporation from the clothing more than the penetration of moisture into the clothing in the humidifying process. Also, in the drying process, the clothing can be dried quickly.

[0087] In the humidifying process, the control device 50 sets the rotation speed of the rotary tank motor 16 to a speed such that the clothing rises to the upper part of the rotary tank and then peels off as it rotates with the rotary tank.

[0088] As a result, relative movement occurs between the clothing during the humidifying process, so the entire clothing is agitated, making it easier for air containing moisture to hit the entire clothing. Therefore, the wrinkles of the entire clothing are more likely to stretch.

[0089] The outer tank 13 has an air outlet 132. The ducts 21, 23, 24, 25 form an air passage 20 connecting the air outlet 132 and the air inlet 133. The ducts 21, 23, 24, 25 have an exhaust port 26 communicating to the outside of the machine and an opening / closing device 27 for opening and closing the exhaust port 26. The control device 50 executes a drying process after the humidifying process, and at the initial stage of the drying process, controls the opening / closing device 27 to open the exhaust port 26.

[0090] This discharges the high-humidity air in the air passage 20 and the clothing treatment tank generated in the humidifying process to the outside of the machine, and can promote the drying of the clothing in the drying process.

[0091] The humidification promotion member 400 is a heat exchanger including an evaporator 31 and a condenser 32. The clothing treatment apparatus includes a condenser temperature detection unit 55 that detects the temperature of the condenser 32. When the detected temperature of the condenser temperature detection unit 55 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature in the humidification process, the control device 50 stops the water supply operation.

[0092] This can avoid the occurrence of problems in the heat pump due to operating the compressor 33 with the condenser 32 remaining wet.

[0093] (Second Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 12, the second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the water supply amount in each water supply operation is not constant throughout the humidification process.

[0094] When the humidification promotion members 400, 31, and 32 are in a dry state, the control device 50 can increase the water supply period T1 compared to when the humidification promotion members 400, 31, and 32 are at least partially wet. For example, before the first water supply operation, it is assumed that the humidification promotion members 400, 31, and 32 are in a dry state. On the other hand, before the second and subsequent water supply operations, it is assumed that the humidification promotion members 400, 31, and 32 are not completely dry due to the action of the blower 36 and are at least partially wet. Therefore, the water supply amount in the first water supply operation is set to be larger than the water supply amount in the second and subsequent water supply operations. For example, when the water supply amount is managed by time, the control device 50 can set the water supply period T1 in the first water supply operation to be longer than the water supply period T1 in the second and subsequent water supply operations. Also, the control device 50 can set the non-water supply period T2 in the first water supply operation to be shorter than the water supply period T1 in the second and subsequent water supply operations. Further, when the water supply amount is managed by flow rate, the control device 50 can set the flow rate in the first water supply operation to be larger than the flow rate in the second and subsequent water supply operations.

[0095] In this embodiment, the water supply amount is managed over time. FIG. 12 shows a plurality of examples of the water supply period T1 and the non-water supply period T2 of the water supply operations for the first time and subsequent times. The storage area 502 stores information regarding the water supply period and the non-water supply period as shown in FIG. 12. When executing the humidification process, the control device 50 calls the information and executes the water supply operation based on the information.

[0096] Note that, as the maximum amount of the water supply amount by one water supply operation, the amount of water that can be stored in a drain tank (not shown) disposed downstream of the humidification promotion members 400, in this case the heat exchangers 31 and 32, or the storage amount of the drainage for starting the operation of a drain pump (not shown) that sucks out the drainage from the drain tank in the same manner can be set as a reference. For example, when the storage amount of the drainage for starting the operation of the drain pump is 400 ml, the maximum value of the water supply amount by one water supply operation can be set to 400 ml.

[0097] Also by the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments are achieved.

[0098] The control device 50 sets the water supply amount in the first water supply operation among the plurality of water supply operations to be larger than the water supply amount in the water supply operations after the second time.

[0099] Thereby, for the first water supply operation, the amount of water is such that the dry humidification promotion members 400, 31, and 32 can be sufficiently wetted, and in the water supply operations after the second time, by supplying a necessary and sufficient amount of water, excessive consumption of water resources can be suppressed.

[0100] (Third Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 13, the third embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the control device 50 controls the water supply operation based on the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52. In this case, instead of executing the water supply operation at regular time intervals, the control device 50 determines the necessity of the water supply operation based on the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52 after a predetermined period T3 has elapsed after the water supply operation.

[0101] After the elapse of a predetermined period T3, if it is determined based on the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52 that the air in the rotary tank 15 contains sufficient moisture, the control device 50 does not execute the water supply operation. After the elapse of a predetermined period T3, if it is determined based on the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52 that the air in the rotary tank 15 does not contain sufficient moisture, the control device 50 executes the water supply operation again.

[0102] The period T3 can be set, for example, within the range of 30 seconds to 120 seconds. In the present embodiment, the predetermined period T3 is set to 30 seconds.

[0103] For example, if the detected humidity X of the humidity detection unit 52 after the elapse of the period T3 after the execution of the water supply operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value X0, the control device 50 does not execute the water supply operation. If the detected humidity X of the humidity detection unit 52 after the elapse of the period T3 after the execution of the water supply operation is less than the predetermined threshold value X0, the control device 50 executes the water supply operation. The predetermined threshold value can be set, for example, within the range of 85 to 95% RT (relative humidity). In the present embodiment, the threshold value X0 is set to 90% RT.

[0104] If the humidity detection unit 52 detects the threshold value X0 once in the humidification process, the control device 50 may not execute the water supply operation again until the period Tm of the humidification process elapses, or may detect the humidity by the humidity detection unit 52 every period T3 and determine whether to execute the water supply operation again. In the present embodiment, the control device 50 detects the humidity by the humidity detection unit 52 every period T3, determines whether to execute the water supply operation again, and repeats the water supply operation or not according to the determination result.

[0105] With reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 13, the processing by the control device 50 in the humidification process will be described. In this flowchart, only the processing related to the control of the water supply valve 41 is described, and the control of the rotary tank motor 16 and the blower 36 is omitted.

[0106] When the humidification process is executed (start in FIG. 13), the control device 50 opens the water supply valve 41 in step S11. Thereby, the water supply operation is executed. In step S12, the control device 50 determines whether or not the water supply period T1 has elapsed. If the water supply period T1 has not elapsed (No in step S12), the control device 50 repeats the process of step S12. If the water supply period T1 has elapsed (Yes in step S12), the control device 50 advances the process to step S13.

[0107] In step S13, the control device 50 closes the water supply valve 41. Thereby, the water supply operation stops. In step S14, the control device 50 determines whether or not the period Tm of the humidification process has elapsed since the start of the humidification process. If the period Tm of the humidification process has not elapsed since the start of the humidification process (No in step S14), the control device 50 advances the process to step S15.

[0108] In step S15, the control device 50 determines whether or not a predetermined period T3 has elapsed since the water supply valve 41 was closed or since the previous humidity detection. If the predetermined period T3 has not elapsed (No in step S15), the control device 50 returns the process to step S14. If the predetermined period T3 has elapsed (Yes in step S15), the control device 50 advances the process to step S16.

[0109] In step S16, the control device 50 detects the humidity by the humidity detection unit 52. In step S17, the control device 50 determines whether or not the detected humidity by the humidity detection unit 52 is equal to or greater than the threshold value X0. If the detected humidity by the humidity detection unit 52 is less than the threshold value X0 (No in step S17), the control device 50 returns the process to step S11. If the detected humidity by the humidity detection unit 52 is equal to or greater than the threshold value X0 (Yes in step S17), the control device 50 returns the process to step S14.

[0110] Return to step S14. When the period Tm of the humidification process has elapsed since the start of the humidification process (Yes in step S14), the control device 50 ends the humidification process (End). In this way, the control device 50 controls the water supply valve 41 in the humidification process.

[0111] Also according to the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the above embodiments are achieved.

[0112] The washing and drying machine 10 as the clothing processing device of the present embodiment includes a humidity detection unit 52 that detects the humidity in the ducts 21, 23, 24, 25. The control device 50 controls the water supply operation based on the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52.

[0113] According to this, it is possible to perform appropriate humidification control by reflecting the humidity of the air supplied to the clothing based on the detected humidity.

[0114] When the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52 after a predetermined period T3 has elapsed after the water supply operation is equal to or less than a predetermined value X0, the control device 50 performs the water supply operation again.

[0115] According to this, even if the air supplied to the clothing storage tank already contains sufficient moisture, the water supply operation is performed and water is consumed more than necessary, or conversely, a situation where the wrinkle-removing effect cannot be exerted because the moisture for stretching the fibers of the clothing is insufficient in the air can be suppressed.

[0116] (Fourth Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 14, the fourth embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, similar to the third embodiment, the control device 50 controls the water supply operation based on the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52. However, different from the third embodiment, the control device 50 controls the water supply operation based on the change in the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52. In this case, the control device 50 can control the water supply operation based on, for example, the decrease amount or decrease rate of the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit within a predetermined period after the water supply operation.

[0117] When the clothing is in a dry state, when water containing moisture is supplied to the clothing treatment tank by the water supply operation and the operation of the blower device 36, the clothing absorbs moisture relatively quickly. Therefore, it is considered that the humidity that once rose after the water supply operation will decrease again. On the other hand, as the clothing gradually gets wet, the clothing does not absorb moisture immediately after the water supply operation. Therefore, it is considered that the change in humidity becomes gentle.

[0118] For example, when the amount of decrease ΔX in humidity from the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52 after the water supply operation to the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52 after a predetermined period T3 has elapsed after the water supply operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value ΔX1, the control device 50 may execute the water supply operation again. When the amount of decrease ΔX in humidity from the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52 after the water supply operation to the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52 after a predetermined period T3 has elapsed after the water supply operation is less than the predetermined threshold value ΔX1, the water supply operation may be stopped. Further, the control device 50 may execute the determination of steam based on the rate of change per unit time of the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52.

[0119] When the amount of decrease in the detected humidity becomes less than the threshold value ΔX1 once in the humidification process, the control device 50 may end the humidification process, or may operate the blower device 36 and the rotary tank motor 16 until a preset period Tm of the humidification process elapses. In the present embodiment, when the amount of decrease in the detected humidity becomes less than the threshold value ΔX1, the control device 50 ends the humidification process.

[0120] With reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 14, the processing by the control device 50 in the humidification process will be described. The description of the same points as the flowchart shown in FIG. 13 will be omitted.

[0121] In step S21, the control device 50 detects the humidity immediately after the water supply operation by the humidity detection unit 52. In step S22, the control device 50 determines whether or not the decrease amount ΔX from the detected humidity immediately after the water supply operation to the detected humidity after a predetermined period T3 has elapsed after the water supply operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value ΔX1. When the decrease amount ΔX is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value ΔX1 (Yes in step S22), the control device 50 returns the process to step S11. When the decrease amount ΔX is less than the predetermined threshold value ΔX1 (No in step S22), the control device 50 ends the humidification process (end). In this way, the control device 50 controls the water supply operation in the humidification process.

[0122] Also according to the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments are achieved.

[0123] According to the present embodiment, when the decrease amount or decrease rate of the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit 52 in a predetermined period T3 after the water supply operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value ΔX1, the control device 50 executes the water supply operation again.

[0124] According to this, since appropriate control of the water supply operation reflecting the water supply state of the clothing is executed, further resource saving and effective removal of wrinkles become possible.

[0125] (Fifth Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 15, the fifth embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the control device 50 controls the humidification process based on the environmental temperature of the washing and drying machine 10. Even at the same relative humidity, when the temperature is low, the amount of moisture contained in the air decreases as compared with the case where the temperature is high. Therefore, when the temperature is low, it is necessary to increase the water supply amount as compared with the case where the temperature is high.

[0126] In this case, the control device 50 changes the water supply amount based on the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51. The control device 50 may adjust the water supply amount by changing, for example, the period Tm of the humidification process, or may adjust the water supply amount by changing the water supply period T1 per water supply operation, or may adjust the water supply amount by changing the non-water supply period T2. In the present embodiment, the control device 50 adjusts the water supply amount by changing the period Tm of the humidification process.

[0127] For example, the storage area 502 stores a chart of the period Tm of the humidification process determined in advance based on the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 shown in an example in FIG. 15. In the example shown in FIG. 15, together with the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51, the period Tm of the humidification process is determined according to the fabric quality determined by the fabric quality detection unit 54. In this case, whether the fabric is a synthetic fiber type or a cotton type, the period Tm of the humidification process is set longer when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is low than when the detected temperature is high. For example, when the detected temperature is 10°C or less, the period Tm of the humidification process is set longer than when the detected temperature exceeds 10°C. Also, when the detected temperature is 25°C or less, the period Tm of the humidification process is set longer than when the detected temperature exceeds 25°C. Also, when the detected temperature is 40°C or less, the period Tm of the humidification process is set longer than when the detected temperature exceeds 40°C. Thereby, when the environmental temperature is low and the fibers are difficult to stretch, the period of the humidification process can be extended, and by making the moisture penetrate easily into the clothing, the improvement of the wrinkles of the clothing can be enhanced.

[0128] Also, according to the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments are achieved.

[0129] The washing and drying machine 10 as a clothing treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a temperature detection unit 51 that detects the environmental temperature of the washing and drying machine 10. When the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is the first temperature, the control device 50 sets a larger water supply amount in the humidification period than when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is higher than the first temperature.

[0130] According to this, an appropriate humidifying process that also takes into account the environmental temperature where the clothing treatment apparatus is placed is executed, so that it can contribute more to energy savings and can effectively remove wrinkles.

[0131] In addition, when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is less than a predetermined temperature, the control device 50 can also set a larger water supply amount during the humidifying period as compared with the case where the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature.

[0132] (Sixth Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 16, the sixth embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the control device 50 controls the humidifying process based on the environmental temperature of the washing and drying machine 10 in the same manner as in the fifth embodiment. However, different from the fifth embodiment, the control device 50 changes the air volume based on the environmental temperature of the washing and drying machine 10.

[0133] In this case, the control device 50 changes the air volume of the air blowing device 36 based on the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51. The control device 50 can adjust the air volume, for example, by changing the rotation speed of the air blowing device 36.

[0134] For example, the memory area 502 stores a chart of the rotation speed of the blower 36 determined in advance based on the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 shown in FIG. 16 as an example. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the rotation speed of the blower 36 is determined according to the fabric quality determined by the fabric quality detection unit 54 together with the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51. In this case, regardless of whether the fabric is a synthetic fiber type or a cotton type, the rotation speed of the blower 36 is set higher when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is low than when the detected temperature is high. For example, when the detected temperature is 10°C or lower, the rotation speed of the blower 36 is set higher than when the detected temperature exceeds 10°C. Also, when the detected temperature is 25°C or lower, the rotation speed of the blower 36 is set higher than when the detected temperature exceeds 25°C. Further, when the detected temperature is 40°C or lower, the rotation speed of the blower 36 is set higher than when the detected temperature exceeds 40°C. Thereby, when the environmental temperature is low and the fibers are difficult to stretch, the blowing volume can be increased and the moisture can easily penetrate into the clothing, so that the improvement of wrinkles in the clothing can be enhanced.

[0135] Also, according to the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments are achieved.

[0136] The washing and drying machine 10 as a clothing treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a temperature detection unit 51 that detects the environmental temperature of the washing and drying machine 10. When the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is the first temperature, the control device 50 sets a larger blowing volume or a higher rotation speed of the blower 36 during the humidification period than when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

[0137] According to this, since an appropriate humidification process considering the environmental temperature where the clothing treatment apparatus is placed is executed, it can contribute to further energy saving, and can effectively remove wrinkles.

[0138] In addition, when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is less than a predetermined temperature, the control device 50 can set a larger air volume of the blower 36 or a higher rotational speed during the humidification period, as compared with the case where the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature.

[0139] In this embodiment, the rotational speed of the blower 36 is increased to increase the air volume of the blower 36. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of blowers 36 may be provided in the washing and drying machine 10, and the air volume may be increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the number of operating blowers 36. Further, for example, when the detected temperature is detected to be high, the blower 36 may be intermittently operated, and when the detected temperature is low, the operating time per unit time of the blower 36 may be lengthened, or further, the air volume of the blower 36 may be increased by continuously operating.

[0140] (Seventh Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 17, the seventh embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the control device 50 promotes humidification of the clothing by performing a second water supply operation of supplying water not only to the humidification promoting members 400, 31, and 32 but also to the air passage 20 or the outer tub 13 during the humidification process.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 17, as the second water supply operation, for example, the control device 50 may open the outer tub water supply valve 171 to supply water to the outer tub 13. The water supply period of the second water supply operation is set to a short period such that water does not reach the inner bottom surface of the rotary tub 15 and the water that has not vaporized on the clothing does not directly come into contact with the water. The second water supply period, which is the execution period of the second water supply operation, may be set to be the same as the water supply period T1 by the water supply valve 41, or may be set separately. In this embodiment, it is set to be the same as the water supply period T1 by the water supply valve 41.

[0142] When water is supplied to the outer tub 13, the surface of the outer tub 13 becomes wet. When the blower 36 operates and blows air onto the wet surface of the outer tub 13, moisture also vaporizes from the surface of the outer tub 13. Further, when the rotary tub motor 16 operates and the rotary tub 15 rotates, the vaporization of water from the surface of the outer tub 13 can be promoted.

[0143] Even with the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments are achieved.

[0144] The washing and drying machine 10 as a clothing treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an outer tub water supply path 172 as a second water supply path for directly supplying water from an external water supply source into the outer tub 13 as a clothing storage tub or into the ducts 21, 23, 24, 25, and an outer tub water supply valve 171 as a second water supply valve for opening and closing the outer tub water supply path 172.

[0145] According to this, by using the plurality of water supply paths 42, 172, humidification of clothing can be performed more efficiently, and the operation time of the humidification process can be shortened.

[0146] In the present embodiment, the second water supply operation is performed by opening the water supply valve 171 for the outer tub, but it is not limited to this. In other embodiments, for example, a water supply path for the door 12 and a water supply valve for opening and closing the water supply path may be provided, and the second water supply operation may be performed by opening the water supply valve for the door. In still other embodiments, for example, a water supply path for the exhaust duct 21 and a water supply valve for opening and closing the water supply path may be provided, and the second water supply operation may be performed by opening the water supply valve for the duct.

[0147] (Eighth Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 18, the eighth embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the control device 50 executes a heating process before the humidification process. The heating process is a process of warming the air passage 20 and / or the humidification promotion members 400, 31, 32 to create an environment in which moisture easily evaporates.

[0148] The control device 50 operates the compressor 33 in the heating process to generate high-temperature air. Further, the control device 50 supplies warm air to the outer tank 13 and the rotating tank 15 by operating the blower device 36. Further, the control device 50 ends the heating process when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature t3 at which the fibers of the clothing are likely to stretch. The predetermined temperature t3 can be set, for example, within the range of 40°C to 60°C. In the present embodiment, the predetermined temperature t3 is set to 50°C.

[0149] In the heating process, the control device 50 sets the air volume of the blower device 36 to be smaller than the air volume of the blower device 36 in the humidifying process, or sets the rotation speed of the blower device 36 in the heating process to be lower than the rotation speed of the blower device 36 in the humidifying process.

[0150] For example, the rotation speed of the blower device 36 in the heating process can be set within the range of 1000 rpm to 1500 rpm. In the present embodiment, the rotation speed of the blower device 36 is set to 1000 rpm.

[0151] Also according to the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments are achieved.

[0152] According to the washing and drying machine 10 as the clothing treatment device of the present embodiment, the humidification promoting members 400 are the heat exchangers 31 and 32. The washing and drying machine 10 includes a compressor 33 that supplies refrigerant to the heat exchangers 31 and 32. The control device 50 executes a heating process of driving the compressor 33 and driving the blower device 36 at an air volume smaller than the air volume in the humidifying process or at a rotation speed lower than the rotation speed in the humidifying process before executing the humidifying process.

[0153] By the heating process, vaporization in the humidifying process can be promoted, and the clothing can be heated to a temperature at which wrinkles are likely to stretch. Further, by restricting the air volume of the blower device 36, it is possible to suppress the clothing from being further dried due to the vaporization of moisture from the clothing before the water supply operation.

[0154] In addition, when the heating process is performed, the control device 50 may promote the vaporization of moisture in the humidifying process by supplying water to the condenser 32 heated by the heating process, and thereby promote the improvement of wrinkles in the clothing.

[0155] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the control device 50 operates the compressor 33 as the heating process, but it is not limited to this. For example, in other embodiments, a defrosting heater may be provided in the evaporator 31, and the evaporator 31, that is, the humidification promoting member 400, may be heated using this.

[0156] (Ninth Embodiment) Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, the ninth embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the humidifying process includes a water supply process, a first air blowing process, and a second air blowing process. The first air blowing process is a process of promoting the vaporization of moisture from the surface of the humidification promoting member 400. The second air blowing process is a process of promoting the penetration of the vaporized moisture into the clothing. The first air blowing process is executed at least immediately after the water supply operation. The second air blowing process is executed after the first air blowing process. In the present embodiment, in the first air blowing process, the control device 50 intermittently and periodically executes the water supply operation.

[0157] As shown in FIG. 19, in the first air blowing process, the control device 50 operates the air blowing device 36 at the first rotation speed R1, and in the second air blowing process, the control device 50 operates the air blowing device 36 at a second rotation speed R2 lower than the first rotation speed R1. Thereby, in a situation where the surfaces of the humidification promoting members 400, 31, and 32 are well wet immediately after the water supply operation, the air volume is increased to promote vaporization. On the other hand, after a certain amount of moisture has vaporized, the air volume is decreased so that moisture is not vaporized from the clothing, and the penetration of moisture into the clothing is promoted by applying gently humid air to the clothing.

[0158] The first rotation speed R1 can be set, for example, within the range of 2500 to 3500 rpm. The second rotation speed R2 can be set, for example, within the range of 2000 to 2500 rpm. In the present embodiment, the first rotation speed R1 is set to 3000 rpm. Also, the second rotation speed R2 is set to 2000 rpm.

[0159] After the execution of the first water supply operation, the control device 50 executes the first air supply process until a predetermined period T4 elapses. T4 can be set to a predetermined period T4 based on the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51, the detected temperature of the humidity detection unit 52, the detected weight of the weight detection unit 53, and / or the determination result of the fabric detection unit 54. For example, the control device 50 may vary the predetermined period T4 according to the environmental temperature and the change in humidity after the execution of the water supply operation. The control device 50 executes the second air supply process after the period T4 has elapsed.

[0160] For example, the storage area 502 may store a chart of the predetermined period T4 determined in advance based on the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 and the determination result of the fabric detection unit 54 shown in FIG. 20. When executing the humidification process, the control device 50 calls the chart to set the predetermined period T4. In the example shown in FIG. 19, regardless of the fabric, when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit 51 is low, the period T4 is set longer than when the detected temperature is high. Also, in the case of the same detected temperature, when the determination of the fabric detection unit 54 is cotton-based, the period T4 is set longer than when the determination is chemical fiber-based.

[0161] In this case, when the predetermined period T4 is lengthened, the water supply amount by the water supply operation may be increased at the same time.

[0162] In this embodiment, after a predetermined period T4 has elapsed after the execution of the water supply operation, the control device 50 detects the humidity by the humidity detection unit 52. When the detected humidity by the humidity detection unit 52 is less than the predetermined threshold value X0, the control device 50 does not shift to the second air supply step and executes the water supply operation and the first air supply step again. When the detected humidity by the humidity detection unit 52 is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value X0, the control device 50 ends the first air supply step and executes the second air supply step. In the example shown in FIG. 19, at the time when the period T4 has elapsed after each of the first to fifth water supply operations, since the detected humidity by the humidity detection unit 52 is less than the predetermined threshold value X0, the control device 50 executes the water supply operation and the first air supply step again. After the sixth water supply operation, when the period T4 has elapsed, since the detected humidity by the humidity detection unit 52 is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value X0, the control device 50 ends the first air supply step and then executes the second air supply step.

[0163] That is, when a predetermined period T4 has elapsed after the execution of the water supply operation, the control device 50 determines the necessity of a new water supply operation based on the detected humidity by the humidity detection unit 52. In this embodiment, the control device 50 executes the first air supply step until a predetermined period T4 has elapsed after the execution of the water supply operation, and when it is determined that a new water supply operation is required, the control device 50 executes the new water supply operation and the first air supply step again, but it is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the control device 50 may execute the first air supply step, for example, during a period T5 shorter than the period T4 after the execution of the water supply operation, and then execute the second air supply step during the remaining period of the period T4. That is, within the cycle of the predetermined period T4 until it is determined whether a new water supply operation is required after the water supply operation, the first air supply step and the second air supply step with a lower air volume than the first air supply step may be executed.

[0164] Also according to the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the above embodiments are achieved.

[0165] According to the washing and drying machine 10 as the clothing treatment apparatus of the present embodiment, the humidification step includes a first air blowing step and a second air blowing step executed after the first air blowing step. The control device 50 operates the air blowing device 36 at the first rotation speed R1 in the first air blowing step, and operates the air blowing device 36 at a second rotation speed R2 lower than the first rotation speed R1 in the second air blowing step.

[0166] According to this, by changing the rotation speed of the air blowing device 36 and thus the air volume, it becomes possible to promote appropriate vaporization and the penetration of moisture into the clothing.

[0167] The control device 50 executes the first air blowing step until a predetermined period T4 elapses after the execution of the water supply operation, and executes the second air blowing step after the predetermined period T4 has elapsed.

[0168] According to this, immediately after the water supply operation, the vaporization of moisture from the humidification promoting members 400, 31, and 32 is promoted, and at a stage where a certain amount of moisture has vaporized, the supply of moisture to the clothing can be efficiently achieved.

[0169] The washing and drying machine 10 as the clothing treatment apparatus includes a humidity detection unit 52 that detects the humidity in the ducts 21, 23, 24, and 25. When the detected humidity by the humidity detection unit 52 after a predetermined period T4 has elapsed after the execution of the water supply operation is less than a predetermined threshold value X0, the control device 50 executes the water supply operation again.

[0170] According to this, it is possible to ensure the vaporization of an amount of moisture sufficient to stretch the wrinkles of the clothing.

[0171] (Embodiment 10) Referring to FIGS. 21 to 23, the tenth embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, the washing and drying machine 10 is provided with a thick fabric detection unit 56. The thick fabric detection unit 56 detects that there is thick fabric clothing in the clothing stored in the rotary tub 15, which is thicker and heavier than standard clothing. Since thick fabric clothing is bulky with respect to the surface area and has a high fiber density, it takes more time to absorb moisture than standard clothing. Also, the amount of moisture required to stretch the fibers is more than that of standard clothing. Thick fabric clothing includes, for example, judo uniforms, denim clothing such as jeans, towel blankets, and comforters.

[0172] The thick fabric detection unit 56 can detect the presence of thick fabric by detecting, for example, the magnitude and location of the imbalance of the rotary tub 15.

[0173] When the thick fabric detection unit 56 determines that there is thick fabric, the control device 50 sets the period Tm of the humidifying process to be longer than when it determines that there is no thick fabric. The storage area 502 stores a chart of the period Tm of the humidifying process that is determined in advance based on the presence or absence of thick fabric shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 as an example. When executing the humidifying process, the control device 50 calls the chart and sets the period Tm of the humidifying process based on the detection result of the thick fabric detection unit 56.

[0174] The example shown in FIG. 22 is a chart of the period Tm of the humidifying process determined according to the presence or absence of thick fabric when the determination of the fabric quality detection unit 54 is cotton-based. The example shown in FIG. 23 is a chart of the period Tm of the humidifying process determined according to the presence or absence of thick fabric when the determination of the fabric quality detection unit 54 is chemical fiber-based. Whether the fabric is cotton-based or chemical fiber-based, the period Tm of the humidifying process when there is thick fabric is set longer than the period Tm of the humidifying process when there is no thick fabric. Also, when compared with the same weight, the period Tm of the humidifying process when there is thick fabric is set longer than the period Tm of the humidifying process when there is no thick fabric.

[0175] Also according to the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments are achieved.

[0176] The washing and drying machine 10 as the clothing processing apparatus of the present embodiment includes a thick clothing detection unit 56 that detects that thick clothing is accommodated in the rotary tub 15. When the thick clothing detection unit 56 detects thick clothing, the control device 50 sets the period Tm of the humidifying process to be longer than when thick clothing is not detected.

[0177] As a result, even for thick clothing that is bulky and takes time for moisture to penetrate, wrinkles can be efficiently stretched by allowing sufficient time for absorption of sufficient moisture.

[0178] (11th Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 24, the 11th embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the control device 50 executes a humidifying process after the drying process. That is, when performing a drying operation or a washing and drying operation in a wrinkle improvement course, the control device 50 executes a humidifying process after the drying process. In the drying process, static electricity may be generated when dry clothes rub against each other. Therefore, generation of static electricity is suppressed by supplying moisture to the rotary tub 15.

[0179] As shown in FIG. 24, the humidifying process includes a third air blowing process and a fourth air blowing process executed after the third air blowing process. The third air blowing process is a process of allowing moisture to penetrate into the clothes to stretch the fibers and suppressing the generation of static electricity. The fourth air blowing process is a process of evaporating excess moisture from the static clothes and finishing the clothes. In the fourth air blowing process, generation of static electricity again is suppressed by keeping the rotation speed and / or the number of rotations of the rotary tub 15 low.

[0180] In the third air blowing process, the control device 50 intermittently and periodically executes a water supply operation. In this embodiment, the water supply time per water supply operation is set to 1 second. Also, the non-water supply period per cycle is set to 59 seconds. That is, the control device 50 executes a water supply operation for 1 second out of 60 seconds in one cycle.

[0181] In both the third air supply process and the fourth air supply process included in the humidification process, the control device 50 does not drive the compressor 33. However, the compressor 33 is driven in the drying process that is executed before the execution of the humidification process, and at least in the third air supply process, the condenser 32 is in a state warmer than the normal temperature. Therefore, by supplying water to the evaporator 31 and / or the condenser 32 as the humidification promotion member 400, the vaporization of moisture from the surface of the condenser 32 is likely to be promoted.

[0182] The control device 50 operates the air supply device 36 in the third air supply process and the fourth air supply process. In the third air supply process, due to the function of the air supply device 36, the moisture supplied to the humidification promotion member 400 vaporizes, and the air containing moisture is supplied to the rotary tank 15 to penetrate the clothes with moisture. In the fourth air supply process, due to the function of the air supply device 36, the excess moisture evaporates from the clothes. Also, by executing the third air supply process and the fourth air supply process without operating the compressor 33 after the drying process in which the clothes are heated, there is also an effect of lowering the temperature of the clothes.

[0183] The control device 50 controls the air supply device 36 so that the air supply volume in the fourth air supply process is larger than the air supply volume in the third air supply process. In the present embodiment, the control device 50 drives the air supply device 36 at the third rotation speed in the third air supply process, and drives the air supply device 36 at the fourth rotation speed higher than the third rotation speed in the fourth air supply process. For example, the third rotation speed can be set within the range of 3000 to 4000 rpm. Also, the fourth rotation speed can be set within the range of 4000 to 5000 rpm. In the present embodiment, the third rotation speed is set to 4000 rpm and the fourth rotation speed is set to 5000 rpm.

[0184] The control device 50 reduces the operation frequency or the rotation speed of the rotary tank motor 16 in the fourth air supply process compared to the operation frequency or the rotation speed of the rotary tank motor 16 in the drying process. That is, in the fourth air supply process, which is the final stage of the operation, so to speak, the finishing process, the clothes in the rotary tank 15 are not agitated violently, but are agitated relatively gently to promote the evaporation of moisture from the whole clothes and to suppress the generation of static electricity in the clothes again.

[0185] In the drying process, the control device 50 stirs the clothes by continuously and periodically rotating the rotary drum motor 16 forward and backward, for example. The rotation speed of the rotary drum motor 16 in the drying process can be set within a range of, for example, 45 to 65 rpm.

[0186] In the third air supply process, the control device 50 executes an operation of intermittently driving the rotary drum motor 16 at a predetermined rotation speed such that the clothes in the rotary drum 15 swing finely in the horizontal direction, that is, a so-called tumbling operation. Due to the tumbling operation, the clothes in the rotary drum 15 are lifted up to the side surface of the rotary drum 15 together with the rotary drum 15 and then fall instantaneously, so that the relative positions of adjacent clothes change. As shown in FIG. 24, the control device 50 rapidly increases the rotation speed of the rotary drum motor 16 from 0 rpm or substantially 0 rpm to a predetermined top rotation speed, and when the rotation speed of the rotary drum motor 16 reaches the predetermined top rotation speed, the control device 50 decreases the rotation speed to 0 rpm or substantially 0 rpm, that is, instantaneously stops the rotation, and repeats this. The predetermined top rotation speed is a rotation speed at which the clothes rise to the apex of the rotary drum 15 and then fall together with the rotary drum 15. In the present embodiment, the predetermined top rotation speed can be set within a range of, for example, about 75 rpm to about 120 rpm. In the present embodiment, the predetermined top rotation speed is set to 75 rpm.

[0187] The control device 50 sets the rotation speed from 0 rpm or substantially 0 rpm to the top rotation speed within a predetermined period, and drops the rotation speed from the top rotation speed to 0 rpm or substantially 0 rpm within a predetermined period. The predetermined period can be set within a range of, for example, about 0.5 to about 3 seconds. In the present embodiment, the predetermined period is set to 1 second. The control device 50 may execute the tumbling operation by rotating the rotary drum motor 16 forward and backward, or may execute the tumbling operation by rotating the rotary drum motor 16 in a fixed direction.

[0188] Furthermore, the control device 50 may intermittently and periodically perform a combination of a tumbling operation and an overall stirring operation that greatly moves the entire clothing in the vertical direction in the third air blowing step. The overall stirring operation that greatly moves the entire clothing in the vertical direction is an operation of intermittently driving the rotary tub motor 16 at a predetermined rotation speed such that the clothing in the rotary tub 15 moves greatly in the vertical direction. By this overall stirring operation, the clothing in the rotary tub 15 is lifted to the top of the rotary tub 15 together with the rotary tub 15 and falls to the bottom, so that the relative positions of the entire clothing change. The control device 50 gradually increases the rotation speed of the rotary tub motor 16 to a predetermined rotation speed, maintains the rotation speed for a predetermined period when the rotation speed of the rotary tub motor 16 reaches the predetermined rotation speed, and then repeats stopping the rotation. The predetermined rotation speed is a rotation speed smaller than the rotation speed in the tumbling operation, and is a rotation speed such that the clothing does not rise to the apex of the rotary tub 15 together with the rotary tub 15 but reaches the side surface of the rotary tub 15 and falls. Furthermore, the overall stirring operation may be alternately repeated between forward rotation and reverse rotation. The rotation speed of the rotary tub motor 16 in the overall stirring operation can be set, for example, within a range of about 40 rpm to about 50 rpm.

[0189] The control device 50 sets the operation frequency or rotation speed of the rotary tub motor 16 in the fourth air blowing step to be lower than the operation frequency or rotation speed of the rotary tub motor 16 in the third step. That is, in the fourth air blowing step, the amount of movement of the clothing in the rotary tub 15 is less than that in the third air blowing step. Thereby, it is possible to suppress as much as possible the static electricity generated by the rubbing of the dried clothes against each other when further air is blown after humidification.

[0190] The control device 50 operates the opening / closing device 27 to open the exhaust port 26 during at least a part of the fourth air blowing step. Thereby, the extra moisture contained in the air without being absorbed by the clothing is easily discharged outside the machine. In the present embodiment, the control device 50 keeps the opening / closing device 27 in the open state during the entire period of the fourth air blowing step. However, instead of the entire period of the fourth air blowing step, the control device 50 may operate the opening / closing device 27 to open the exhaust port 26 during a part of the latter half period.

[0191] Even with the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the above embodiments are achieved.

[0192] The control device 50 executes a humidifying process after the drying process. The humidifying process includes a third blowing process including the operation of the blower 36 and the water supply operation, and a fourth blowing process executed after the third blowing process and including the operation of the blower 36. The control device 50 makes the blowing volume of the blower 36 in the fourth blowing process larger than the blowing volume of the blower 36 in the third blowing process, and reduces the operation frequency or rotation speed of the rotary tank motor 16 in the fourth blowing process to be lower than the operation frequency or rotation speed of the rotary tank motor 16 in the third process.

[0193] Thereby, after stretching the fibers of the clothing and suppressing the generation of static electricity in the third blowing process, in the fourth blowing process, the clothing can be dried and finished by increasing the blowing volume relatively. Further, in the fourth blowing process which is the finishing stage, the movement of the rotary tank motor 16 and thus the rotary tank 15 is calmed to suppress the movement amount of the clothing, suppress the impact on the clothing and suppress the generation of further wrinkles, and at the same time, it is possible to suppress the re-generation of static electricity on the dried clothing.

[0194] Although a plurality of embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0195] 10... Washing machine, 13... Outer tub, 133... Air inlet, 15... Rotating tub, 16... Rotating tub motor, 171... Water supply valve for outer tub (second water supply valve), 172... Water supply path for outer tub (second water supply path), 20... Air duct, 21... Exhaust duct (duct), 23... Connection duct (duct), 24... Heat exchange section (duct), 25... Air supply duct (duct), 26... Exhaust port, 27... Opening / closing device, 31... Evaporator (heat exchanger, humidification promotion member), 32... Condenser (heat exchanger, humidification promotion member), 33... Compressor, 36... Blower, 41... Water supply valve for humidification (water supply valve), 42... Water supply path for humidification (water supply path), 50... Control device, 51... Temperature detection section, 52... Humidity detection section, 53... Weight detection section, 54... Fabric quality detection section, 55... Condenser temperature detection section, 56... Thick fabric detection section

Claims

1. An outer box, a clothing storage tank provided inside the outer box, having an air inlet and configured to store clothing therein, a duct provided inside the outer box and connected to the air inlet, a humidification promotion member disposed within the duct, a blower configured to blow air into the clothing storage tank, a water supply path for supplying water from a water source outside the outer box to the humidification promotion member, a water supply valve for opening and closing the water supply path, and a control device configured to control the operation of the blower and the opening and closing of the water supply valve, wherein the control device operates the blower in a humidification process of imparting moisture to the clothing storage tank, and executes a water supply operation of opening the water supply valve during or before the operation of the blower. A clothing treatment apparatus.

2. The control device executes the water supply operation intermittently a plurality of times. The clothing treatment apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. The control device sets the water supply amount in the first water supply operation among the plurality of water supply operations to be larger than the water supply amount in the water supply operations after the second time. The clothing treatment apparatus according to Claim 2.

4. In the humidification process, the total sum of the water supply periods, which are the periods during which the water supply operation is executed, is set to be shorter than the total sum of the non-water supply periods, which are the periods during which the water supply operation is not executed. The clothing treatment apparatus according to Claim 2.

5. Comprising a humidity detection unit for detecting the humidity inside the duct, wherein the control device controls the water supply operation based on the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit. The clothing treatment apparatus according to Claim 1.

6. When the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit after a predetermined period has elapsed after the water supply operation is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value, the control device executes the water supply operation again. The clothing treatment apparatus according to Claim 5.

7. When the amount of decrease or the rate of decrease of the detected humidity of the humidity detection unit in a predetermined period after the water supply operation is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the control device executes the water supply operation again. The clothing treatment apparatus according to Claim 5.

8. Comprising a temperature detection unit for detecting the environmental temperature of the clothing treatment apparatus, wherein when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit is a first temperature, the control device sets the water supply amount in the humidification period to be larger than when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit is a second temperature higher than the first temperature. The clothing treatment apparatus according to Claim 1.

9. Comprising a temperature detection unit for detecting the environmental temperature of the clothing treatment apparatus, When the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit is the first temperature, the control device sets a larger air volume or a higher rotational speed of the blower device in the humidification process than when the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit is a second temperature higher than the first temperature. The clothing treatment device according to claim 1.

10. A second water supply path for directly supplying water from the external water supply source into the clothing storage tank or the duct; A second water supply valve for opening and closing the second water supply path. In the humidification process, the control device executes a second water supply operation for opening the second water supply valve. The clothing treatment device according to claim 1.

11. The humidification promoting member is a heat exchanger. The clothing treatment device according to claim 1.

12. It includes a compressor for sending refrigerant to the heat exchanger. During the period when the compressor is stopped, the control device executes the water supply operation. The clothing treatment device according to claim 11.

13. It includes a temperature detection unit for detecting the ambient temperature. When the detected temperature of the temperature detection unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, the control device does not operate the compressor until a predetermined period elapses after the water supply operation stops. The clothing treatment device according to claim 12.

14. The heat exchanger includes an evaporator and a condenser arranged side by side along the air flow in the air duct. The clothing treatment device according to claim 11.

15. Execute a clothing wrinkle improvement course including at least the humidification process. The clothing treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. In the wrinkle improvement course, the humidification process is executed before or after the drying process. The clothing treatment device according to claim 15.

Images