Clothes dryer

Abstract

To provide a clothes dryer enabling improvement of reliability of clothes drying.SOLUTION: A clothes dryer includes: a housing tub which has an exhaust port and an air supply port, and in which clothes are housed; a circulation air passage connecting the exhaust port and the air supply port; a heating device generating warm air by heating the air flowing in the circulation air passage; a temperature sensor detecting the temperature of the air in the circulation air passage; a humidity sensor detecting the humidity of the air in the circulation air passage; and a control portion detecting progress or finishing of a drying step for drying the clothes in the housing tub by one of or both of the temperature and humidity, and capable of performing the drying step by controlling the heating device. In the case where it is determined that one of the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor has failed during the performing of the drying step, the control portion continues the drying step by the other of the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a clothes dryer. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional washer-dryer includes a humidity detector that detects the humidity of the gas discharged from the tub through an exhaust port, a temperature detector that detects the temperature of the gas discharged from the tub through an exhaust port, and a controller. In the conventional configuration, the controller controls the hot air supply unit to stop heating and drying when the humidity detector detects a predetermined humidity and the temperature detector detects a predetermined temperature after the hot air supply unit starts heating and drying the gas. This allows the finished product to be properly dried, i.e., neither too dry nor too dry. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-018256 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional configuration, the drying process is carried out by controlling the hot air supply unit using both the humidity detected by the humidity detection unit and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit, but no consideration is given to properly carrying out the drying process even if a malfunction occurs in either the humidity detection unit or the temperature detection unit.

[0005] In addition, if a malfunction occurs in either the humidity detector or the temperature detector, the drying process can be terminated when a preset maximum operating time has elapsed, preventing the drying process from ending before the clothes are dry. However, if the drying process is terminated when the maximum operating time has elapsed, a long operating time must be set to prevent the clothes from being dry, which can waste electricity and cause damage to the clothes. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of improving the reliability of the clothes drying function.

[0006] Therefore, a clothes dryer that can improve the reliability of drying clothes is provided. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The clothes dryer of one embodiment comprises a storage tub having an exhaust port and an air intake port and in which clothes are stored, a circulation air duct connecting the exhaust port and the air intake port, a heating device that heats air flowing through the circulation air duct to generate warm air, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the air in the circulation air duct, a humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the air in the circulation air duct, and a control unit that detects the progress or completion of a drying process for drying clothes in the storage tub using either the temperature or the humidity, or both, and controls the heating device to carry out the drying process, and if the control unit determines that one of the temperature sensor or the humidity sensor is faulty during the drying process, it continues the drying process using the other of the temperature sensor or the humidity sensor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a configuration of a clothes dryer according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a clothes dryer according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a clothes dryer according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of changes in temperature and humidity over time in the circulating air duct during the drying process in the clothes dryer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of determining whether a humidity sensor has failed based on a change in the value of a temperature sensor in the clothes dryer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of determining whether a humidity sensor has failed based on a change in the value of a temperature sensor in the clothes dryer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of determining whether a temperature sensor has failed based on a change in the value of a humidity sensor in the clothes dryer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of determining whether a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor have failed based on changes in the temperature of each part of the refrigeration cycle in the clothes dryer according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of determining whether a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor have failed based on the operation of the compressor and the air blower in the clothes dryer according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, clothes dryers according to a number of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that substantially the same elements in the respective embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0010] (First embodiment) First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The clothes dryer 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a drum-type clothes dryer, for example, a horizontal-axis type in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub 14 is oriented horizontally, or an inclined-axis type inclined downward toward the rear. The clothes dryer 10 has, for example, a washing function and a drying function, and is capable of performing a washing and drying operation including the washing, rinsing, spin-drying, and drying processes. In addition to the washing and drying operation, the clothes dryer 10 can also perform a drying operation, which is an operation that only performs drying. The drying operation includes a drying process. Note that the clothes dryer 10 is not limited to a drum-type clothes dryer, but may also be a vertical-axis type clothes dryer in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub is oriented vertically. The clothes dryer can also be configured without a washing function.

[0011] Clothes dryer 10 includes outer case 11, door 12, water tub 13, rotating tub 14, motor 15, drainage mechanism 16, water supply mechanism 17, and drying mechanism 20. In Fig. 1, the side of the installation surface of clothes dryer 10, i.e., the vertically lower side, is referred to as the lower side of clothes dryer 10, and the opposite side of the installation surface, i.e., the vertically upper side, is referred to as the upper side of clothes dryer 10. The side of clothes dryer 10 seen from the user, i.e., the left side of the paper in Fig. 1, is referred to as the front side of clothes dryer 10, and the side opposite the user, i.e., the right side of the paper in Fig. 1, is referred to as the rear side of clothes dryer 10.

[0012] Outer box 11 is formed into a rectangular hollow box shape as a whole by combining metals such as stainless steel plates and resin materials, for example. Outer box 11 forms the outer shell of clothes dryer 10. Outer box 11 has a front opening 111 on the front side that connects the inside and outside of outer box 11. Door 12 is provided on the front side of outer box 11 and opens and closes front opening 111. With door 12 open, a user can put clothes in or take them out of rotatable tub 14 through front opening 111. Water tub 13 and rotatable tub 14 are both formed into a so-called bottomed cylindrical shape that is open on one axial side, i.e., the front side, and has a bottom on the other axial side, i.e., the rear side.

[0013] The water tub 13 is capable of storing water therein. The water tub 13 is provided within the outer casing 11 and is elastically supported by a suspension (not shown). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water tub 13 has an exhaust port 131 and an air inlet 132. The exhaust port 131 and the air inlet 132 connect the inside and outside of the water tub 13. The exhaust port 131 is for discharging air from the water tub 13. The exhaust port 131 is provided, for example, in a portion toward the front of the upper part of the water tub 13, located to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the water tub 13. The air inlet 132 is for supplying air into the water tub 13. The air inlet 132 is provided, for example, in the bottom of the water tub 13, slightly above the center in the up-down direction of the bottom.

[0014] Rotary tub 14 is rotatably disposed within water tub 13 and can accommodate clothes. Rotary tub 14, together with water tub 13, constitutes a storage tub that accommodates and dries clothes during the drying process. Rotary tub 14 is driven to rotate by motor 15. Rotary tub 14 has multiple holes 141. These holes 141 are formed over almost the entire circumferential surface of rotary tub 14 and function, for example, as ventilation holes for air to enter and exit during the drying process. Motor 15 is provided on the outside bottom of water tub 13. Although not shown in detail, motor 15 may be, for example, a brushless direct-drive motor with a variable rotation speed. Motor 15 is directly connected to rotary tub 14 without a transmission belt or rotation reduction mechanism, and functions to rotate rotary tub 14 relative to water tub 13. Motor shaft 151 of motor 15, the central axis of water tub 13, and the rotation axis of rotary tub 14 are concentrically aligned.

[0015] Drain mechanism 16 has the function of draining water stored in water tub 13 to the outside of clothes dryer 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, drain mechanism 16 has drain valve 161 and drain hose 162. Drain valve 161 is configured to be electromagnetically openable and closable. One end of drain hose 162 is connected to drain valve 161, and the other end is drawn out to the outside of clothes dryer 10. When drain valve 161 is opened, water stored in water tub 13 is drained to the outside of clothes dryer 10 through drain hose 162. Drain valve 161 opens and closes a drain path for draining water stored in water tub 13 to the outside.

[0016] The water supply mechanism 17 has the function of supplying water supplied from an external water source such as a water mains into the water tub 13. As shown in FIG. 2 , the water supply mechanism 17 has a water supply valve 171 and a water injection case 172. The water supply valve 171 is configured to be electromagnetically openable and closable. The water supply valve 171 has the function of opening and closing the water supply path leading from the external water source to the water tub 13 via the water supply mechanism 17. The water injection case 172 is provided downstream of the water supply valve 171. The water injection case 172 has a treatment agent case (not shown). The treatment agent case is configured to be able to store, for example, the laundry treatment agent required for one washing run. When the treatment agent case stores a laundry treatment agent, the water supplied from the external water source that flows into the water injection case 172 and the laundry treatment agent are mixed in the water injection case 172 and then supplied into the water tub 13 and the spin tub 14.

[0017] Drying mechanism 20 has the function of supplying warm air into water tub 13. Drying mechanism 20 has a circulation air duct 30 and a heating device 40. Circulation air duct 30 is located outside water tub 13, with one end connected to exhaust port 131 and the other end connected to air intake port 132. Circulation air duct 30 connects exhaust port 131 and air intake port 132. Circulation air duct 30 is used to circulate and supply air into water tub 13. Circulation air duct 30 takes in air from water tub 13 through exhaust port 131, generates warm air via heating device 40, and then supplies the warm air into water tub 13 through air intake port 132. In this case, with respect to the air flowing through circulation air duct 30, exhaust port 131 is on the upstream side and air intake port 132 is on the downstream side.

[0018] The circulating air passage 30 can be configured to include, for example, an exhaust duct 31, a filter device 32, a connection duct 33, a heat exchanger 34, and an air supply duct 35. The exhaust duct 31 is configured, for example, by a flexible bellows-shaped hose. One end of the exhaust duct 31 is connected to the exhaust port 131, and the other end is connected to the filter device 32. The exhaust duct 31 is a part that exhausts air from, for example, the aquarium 13.

[0019] The filter device 32 is provided on the circulation air duct 30 downstream of the exhaust port 131 and captures foreign matter such as lint and dust contained in the air flowing through the exhaust port 131 and within the circulation air duct 30. The filter device 32 can be configured to include a filter device main body 321 and a filter 322. The filter device main body 321 can be configured as a container-shaped member made of, for example, resin and with an open top. The opening provided on the top surface of the filter device main body 321 is opened and closed by a lid (not shown). The filter 322 is detachably provided inside the filter device main body 321. The filter 322 captures foreign matter contained in the air flowing within the circulation air duct 30. A user can clean the filter 322 by removing it from the filter device main body 321.

[0020] The connection duct 33 is a duct that connects the filter device 32 and the heat exchanger 34. The heat exchanger 34 is disposed, for example, on the rear side of the clothes dryer 10, near the bottom inside the outer casing 11. The heat exchanger 34 is provided midway along the circulating air duct 30. Air that is taken into the circulating air duct 30 from the water tub 13 and flows through the connection duct 33 is dehumidified and heated as it passes through the heat exchanger 34, becoming dry, warm air. The intake air duct 35 is a duct that connects the heat exchanger 34 and the air intake port 132 of the water tub 13. The intake air duct 35 is a part that supplies air into the water tub 13, for example.

[0021] The heating device 40 constitutes, for example, a heat pump mechanism, i.e., a refrigeration cycle. The heating device 40 is provided midway through the circulating air duct 30. The heating device 40 heats the air flowing through the circulating air duct 30 to generate hot air for drying the clothes in the rotating tub 14. The hot air is set to a temperature of, for example, approximately 60°C to 70°C. As shown in FIG. 2 , the heating device 40 includes an evaporator 41, a condenser 42, a compressor 43, and a throttle valve 44. The heating device 40 is connected in a circular arrangement, with the condenser 42, the throttle valve 44, and the evaporator 41 in this order, relative to the compressor 43, in the direction in which the refrigerant flows. In other words, the heating device 40 circulates the refrigerant through the compressor 43, the condenser 42, and the evaporator 41.

[0022] The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 are provided within the heat exchange unit 34. The evaporator 41 cools and dehumidifies the air circulating through the circulation air duct 30. The condenser 42 heats the air flowing through the circulation air duct 30 to turn it into warm air. The compressor 43 is provided outside the heat exchange unit 34. The compressor 43 supplies refrigerant to the condenser 42 by pressure transfer. The throttle valve 44 reduces the pressure of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant so that it can evaporate easily. Note that the heating device 40 may be a well-known heater-type mechanism instead of a heat pump mechanism.

[0023] Drying mechanism 20 also has air blower 45. Air blower 45 is configured, for example, as a sirocco fan and includes a fan motor 451. Fan motor 451 drives and rotates air blower 45. Air blower 45 is provided midway along circulating air duct 30 and has the function of supplying air dehumidified and heated by heating device 40 into water tub 13 through air inlet 132. In other words, air blower 45 sends air from circulating air duct 30 into water tub 13. As shown in FIG. 2, air blower 45 is provided, for example, between heat exchanger 34 and air intake duct 35.

[0024] Clothes dryer 10 also includes exhaust mechanism 50. Exhaust mechanism 50 has opening 51 and exhaust damper 52. Opening 51 is provided midway through circulation air duct 30, and connects the inside of circulation air duct 30 to the outside. Opening 51 exhausts a portion of the air in circulation air duct 30 to the outside. As shown in FIG. 1 , outer casing 11 also includes communication opening 112. Communication opening 112 is located in a portion of outer casing 11 corresponding to opening 51, and connects the inside of outer casing 11 to the outside. Air exhausted from opening 51 to the outside of circulation air duct 30 is exhausted to the outside of clothes dryer 10 through communication opening 112, as indicated by the black arrow in FIG. 1 .

[0025] Exhaust damper 52 has an actuator such as a motor or a solenoid, and is configured to be able to open and close opening 51 based on a control signal. When exhaust damper 52 is open, opening 51 is open, and when exhaust damper 52 is closed, opening 51 is closed. In other words, exhaust damper 52 has the function of switching between an open state in which opening 51 is open and some of the air in circulation air passage 30 is discharged through opening 51, and a closed state in which opening 51 is closed and some of the air in circulation air passage 30 is not discharged through opening 51.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , clothes dryer 10 includes exhaust air temperature sensor 61, supply air temperature sensor 62, humidity sensor 63, evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, condenser temperature sensor 66, and compressor temperature sensor 67. Exhaust air temperature sensor 61 detects the temperature of the air in circulation air duct 30 before it is affected by the heat of evaporator 41 and condenser 42. In this case, exhaust air temperature sensor 61 is located downstream of filter device 32 and upstream of evaporator 41 in circulation air duct 30. Supply air temperature sensor 62 detects the temperature of the air in circulation air duct 30 that has been heated by condenser 42. In this case, supply air temperature sensor 62 is located downstream of blower device 45 and upstream of air intake port 132 in circulation air duct 30. Exhaust air temperature sensor 61 and supply air temperature sensor 62 function as temperature sensors.

[0027] The humidity sensor 63 detects the humidity of the air in the circulating air duct 30 before it is affected by the heat of the evaporator 41 and the condenser 42. Humidity refers to relative humidity (%), which is the ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air at a certain temperature to the amount of saturated water vapor at that temperature. The humidity sensor 63 is located downstream of the filter device 32 and upstream of the evaporator 41 in the circulating air duct 30. The humidity sensor 63 is located, for example, near the exhaust gas temperature sensor 61. By locating the humidity sensor 63 downstream of the filter device 32, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from accumulating on the humidity sensor 63.

[0028] The evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, the condenser temperature sensor 66, and the compressor temperature sensor 67 detect the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the heating device 40. The evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, the condenser temperature sensor 66, and the compressor temperature sensor 67 function as heating device temperature sensors for detecting temperatures related to the heating device 40. The evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64 is located on the refrigerant inlet side of the evaporator 41 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 41. The evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65 is located on the refrigerant outlet side of the evaporator 41 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the evaporator 41. The condenser temperature sensor 66 is located near the condenser 42 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the condenser 42, i.e., the temperature of the condenser 42. The compressor temperature sensor 67 is located on the discharge side of the compressor 43 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, i.e., the temperature of the compressor 43.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3 , the clothes dryer 10 also includes a control unit 70 and a memory unit 71. The motor 15, the drain valve 161, the water supply valve 171, the compressor 43, the fan motor 451, the exhaust damper 52, and the memory unit 71 are electrically connected to the control unit 70 and operate under the control of the control unit 70. The exhaust air temperature sensor 61, the supply air temperature sensor 62, the humidity sensor 63, the evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, the condenser temperature sensor 66, and the compressor temperature sensor 67 are electrically connected to the control unit 70 and transmit their respective detection results to the control unit 70. The control unit 70 is primarily composed of a microcomputer having a CPU and memory areas such as ROM, RAM, and rewritable flash memory. The control unit 70 controls the overall operation of the clothes dryer 10. The memory area of ​​the control unit 70 stores a control program for controlling the clothes dryer 10 to operate. Each process of the control unit 70 is realized by the CPU executing the control program.

[0030] The control unit 70 receives detection signals from the various sensors 61-67 and controls the operation of the motor 15, drain valve 161, water supply valve 171, compressor 43, fan motor 451, and exhaust damper 52 based on a control program to perform operation. The memory unit 71 is configured with well-known storage media such as a ROM, HDD, semiconductor memory, and magnetic disk, and stores various types of information. The memory unit 71 can be configured, for example, by a predetermined area set in the storage area of ​​the control unit 70.

[0031] The control unit 70 can execute, for example, a drying operation. The drying operation includes a drying process. Since these are well-known configurations, detailed description will be omitted. However, during the drying operation, the control unit 70 executes a weight detection process and a fabric quality detection process before the drying process. The drying process is a process of drying clothes by supplying warm air into the water tub 13 and the rotatable tub 14. When the control unit 70 executes the drying process, it controls the operation of the heating device 40 (in this case, the compressor 43 and the blower 45) based on detection signals from the exhaust air temperature sensor 61, the intake air temperature sensor 62, and the humidity sensor 63, to dry the clothes in the rotatable tub 14.

[0032] That is, the control unit 70 detects the progress or completion of the drying process based on either or both of the temperatures detected by the exhaust air temperature sensor 61 or the intake air temperature sensor 62, or the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63, and controls the compressor 43, the blower 45, etc. to carry out the drying process. The control unit 70 also stores temperature information relating to the temperatures detected by the exhaust air temperature sensor 61 and the intake air temperature sensor 62 while the drying process is in progress in the memory unit 71. The control unit 70 also stores humidity information relating to the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63 while the drying process is in progress in the memory unit 71.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 4, the drying process progresses in the order of a heating period T1, a constant rate period T2, a decreasing rate period T3, and a blowing period T4. The graph indicated by reference symbol A1 in Fig. 4 and other figures shows the change over time in the measurement value of the exhaust temperature sensor 61. The graph indicated by reference symbol A2 in Fig. 4 and other figures shows the change over time in the measurement value of the supply air temperature sensor 62. The graph indicated by reference symbol A3 in Fig. 4 shows the change over time in the difference between the measurement value of the supply air temperature sensor 62 and the measurement value of the exhaust air temperature sensor 61. The graph indicated by reference symbol B1 in Fig. 4 and other figures shows the change over time in the measurement value of the humidity sensor 63. To make the drawings easier to understand, the graphs indicated by reference symbols A1 and A2 in Fig. 4 are shown by two-dot chain lines.

[0034] The heating period T1 is a period during which the clothes in the rotating tub 14 are warmed. During the heating period T1, the compressor 43 and the air blower 45 are operated to start the drying process, and the temperature and humidity in the rotating tub 14 tend to increase. The control unit 70 can determine that the heating period T1 has ended, for example, when the temperature detected by the supply air temperature sensor 62 reaches a predetermined temperature. The constant coefficient period T2 is a period during which moisture evaporates from the clothes in the rotating tub 14. During the constant coefficient period T2, the temperature detected by the supply air temperature sensor 62 tends to remain constant. Furthermore, during the constant coefficient period T2, the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63 tends to decrease. The humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63 during the constant coefficient period T2 is lower than the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63 during the heating period T1.

[0035] At the end of the constant rate period T2, a certain amount of moisture has evaporated from the clothes, and the clothes are relatively dry. The control unit 70 can determine the end of the constant rate period T2 based on both the temperatures detected by the exhaust air temperature sensor 61 or the intake air temperature sensor 62, or the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63. In other words, while the drying process is in progress, the control unit 70 can perform dryness detection based on both the temperatures detected by the exhaust air temperature sensor 61 or the intake air temperature sensor 62, or the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63. Dryness detection means detecting the degree of dryness of the clothes, and it detects when the clothes are relatively dry, that is, when a certain amount of moisture has evaporated from the clothes.

[0036] In dryness detection using both the temperatures detected by the exhaust air temperature sensor 61 and the intake air temperature sensor 62, the control unit 70 performs dryness detection, for example, when the temperature difference between the temperature detected by the intake air temperature sensor 62 and the temperature detected by the exhaust air temperature sensor 61 gradually decreases and reaches a threshold temperature. That is, the control unit 70 can determine that the constant rate period T2 has ended when the temperature difference between the temperature detected by the intake air temperature sensor 62 and the temperature detected by the exhaust air temperature sensor 61 reaches the threshold temperature. On the other hand, in dryness detection using the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63, the control unit 70 performs dryness detection, for example, when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63 reaches a threshold humidity. That is, the control unit 70 can determine that the constant rate period T2 has ended when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63 reaches the threshold humidity. Note that the control unit 70 may determine the end of the constant rate period T2 based on the elapsed time since the start of the constant rate period T2 or the detection results of the temperature sensors 61 and 62.

[0037] The decreasing rate period T3 is a period during which the amount of moisture evaporated from the clothes in the rotating tub 14 tends to decrease. During the decreasing rate period T3, the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 63 changes gradually. The control unit 70 can determine the end of the decreasing rate period T3, for example, based on the elapsed time since the start of the decreasing rate period T3. The air-blowing period T4 is a period during which the rotating tub 14 and the clothes therein are cooled. During the air-blowing period T4, the control unit 70 operates the air blower 45 while the compressor 43 is stopped, opens the opening 51 of the exhaust damper 52, and discharges a portion of the air in the circulating air passage 30 through the opening 51, thereby cooling the rotating tub 14 and the clothes therein. The control unit 70 can determine the end of the air-blowing period T4, for example, based on the elapsed time since the start of the air-blowing period T4.

[0038] Here, it is conceivable that the sensors 61-63 may malfunction due to aging or other reasons caused by prolonged use of the sensors 61-63. If the control unit 70 determines that one of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63 has malfunctioned during the drying process, the control unit 70 continues the drying process using the other of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63. The heating period T1 of the drying process is typically a period during which the values ​​of the sensors 61-63 significantly increase. In other words, the heating period T1 can be considered a period during which the values ​​of the sensors 61-63 continuously change. For this reason, it is preferable that the control unit 70 determine whether the sensors 61-63 have malfunctioned during the heating period T1 of the periods T1-T4 of the drying process. Note that the timing for determining whether the sensors 61-63 have malfunctioned during the drying process is not limited to the heating period T1.

[0039] For example, if the values ​​of the sensors 61-63 do not change during the heating period T1, the control unit 70 can determine that the sensors 61-63 have failed due to aging or other reasons. In this case, if the values ​​of the sensors 61-63 do not change by more than a set value within a predetermined time interval, the control unit 70 can determine that the values ​​of the sensors 61-63 have not changed. Furthermore, if the values ​​of the sensors 61-63 do not change continuously during the heating period T1, the control unit 70 can determine that the sensors 61-63 have failed. In other words, if the values ​​of the sensors 61-63 change intermittently, the control unit 70 can determine that the sensors 61-63 have failed due to poor contact, such as a broken wire. In this case, if the values ​​of the sensors 61-63 do not change continuously for a predetermined period of time or longer, the control unit 70 can determine that the values ​​of the sensors 61-63 are not changing continuously, i.e., are changing intermittently.

[0040] Furthermore, the control unit 70 can determine that one of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63 has failed if the change in the value of one of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63 is abnormal relative to the change in the value of the other of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63. Figure 5 shows a case where a failure of the humidity sensor 63 is determined based on the change in the value of the exhaust temperature sensor 61, one of the temperature sensors 61, 62.

[0041] For example, the control unit 70 determines whether the humidity sensor 63 has failed based on the degree of change in the value of the humidity sensor 63 during a period in which the value of the exhaust temperature sensor 61 has changed. In Figure 5, the value A1 of the exhaust temperature sensor 61 has increased while the value B1 of the humidity sensor 63 has not changed, so the control unit 70 determines whether the humidity sensor 63 has failed. Note that the control unit 70 may also determine whether the humidity sensor 63 has failed based on a comparison with the change in the value of the supply air temperature sensor 62.

[0042] 6, if the value B1 of the humidity sensor 63 does not change continuously during a period in which the value A1 of the exhaust temperature sensor 61 changes continuously, the control unit 70 can determine that the humidity sensor 63 has failed. In the example of FIG. 6, the value A1 of the exhaust temperature sensor 61 increases continuously, while the value B1 of the humidity sensor 63 changes intermittently, so the control unit 70 determines that the humidity sensor 63 has failed.

[0043] 7 shows a case where a failure of the exhaust temperature sensor 61, one of the temperature sensors 61 and 62, is determined based on a change in the value of the humidity sensor 63. For example, the control unit 70 determines a failure of the exhaust temperature sensor 61 based on the degree of change in the value of the exhaust temperature sensor 61 during a period in which the value of the humidity sensor 63 is changing. In FIG. 7, the value B1 of the humidity sensor 63 is increasing while the value A1 of the exhaust temperature sensor 61 is not changing, so the control unit 70 determines a failure of the exhaust temperature sensor 61. Note that a failure of the supply air temperature sensor 62 may also be determined based on a comparison with the change in the value of the humidity sensor 63.

[0044] According to the embodiment described above, clothes dryer 10 includes water tub 13, rotatable tub 14, circulation air duct 30, heater 40, exhaust air temperature sensor 61, intake air temperature sensor 62, humidity sensor 63, and controller 70. Clothes are stored in water tub 13 and rotatable tub 14. Water tub 13 has exhaust port 131 and intake air port 132. Circulation air duct 30 connects exhaust port 131 and intake air port 132. Heater 40 heats air flowing through circulation air duct 30 to generate warm air. Exhaust air temperature sensor 61 and intake air temperature sensor 62 detect the temperature of the air in circulation air duct 30. Humidity sensor 63 detects the humidity of the air in circulation air duct 30. Controller 70 detects the progress or completion of the drying process for drying clothes in rotatable tub 14 based on either temperature or humidity, or both, and controls heater 40 to execute the drying process. Then, if the control unit 70 determines that one of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63 has failed while the drying process is being performed, the control unit 70 continues the drying process using the other of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63.

[0045] This allows the drying process to continue even if one of the two sensors, temperature sensors 61 and 62 and humidity sensor 63, fails. This prevents the drying process from being prolonged by limiting the execution of the drying process based on the preset maximum operating time in case of a failure, for example. As a result, the reliability of the clothes drying can be improved.

[0046] The control unit 70 determines that one of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63 has failed if the change in the value of one of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63 is abnormal relative to the change in the value of the other of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63. This allows for early detection of a failure of the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63 based on the changes in the values ​​of the temperature sensors 61, 62 and the humidity sensor 63. This improves the reliability of clothes drying.

[0047] The control unit 70 determines whether the humidity sensor 63 has failed based on the degree of change in the value of the humidity sensor 63 during the period when the values ​​of the temperature sensors 61 and 62 are changing. This allows for early detection of a failure in the humidity sensor 63. This improves the reliability of clothes drying and ease of maintenance.

[0048] The control unit 70 determines whether the temperature sensors 61, 62 have failed based on the degree of change in the values ​​of the temperature sensors 61, 62 during the period when the value of the humidity sensor 63 is changing. This allows for early detection of a failure in the temperature sensors 61, 62. This improves the reliability of clothes drying and ease of maintenance.

[0049] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8 . In this second embodiment, a method for determining whether the temperature sensors 61, 62 or the humidity sensor 63 have failed differs from that of the first embodiment. Here, the temperature of the heating device 40 changes during the heating period T1 in the drying process. That is, during the heating period T1, the values ​​of the evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, the condenser temperature sensor 66, and the compressor temperature sensor 67 change over time. Therefore, in this second embodiment, the control unit 70 determines whether at least one of the temperature sensors 61, 62 and the humidity sensor 63 has failed based on the degree of change in the values ​​of the temperature sensors 61, 62 and the humidity sensor 63 during the periods when the values ​​of the evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, the condenser temperature sensor 66, and the compressor temperature sensor 67 are changing.

[0050] FIG. 8 shows an example of determining whether the exhaust gas temperature sensor 61 and the humidity sensor 63 have failed based on changes in the values ​​of the evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, the condenser temperature sensor 66, and the compressor temperature sensor 67. The graph indicated by reference symbol C1 in FIG. 8 shows the change over time in the measured value of the evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64. The graph indicated by reference symbol C2 in FIG. 8 shows the change over time in the measured value of the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65. The graph indicated by reference symbol C3 in FIG. 8 shows the change over time in the measured value of the condenser temperature sensor 66. The graph indicated by reference symbol C4 in FIG. 8 shows the change over time in the measured value of the compressor temperature sensor 67.

[0051] 8, the values ​​C1 to C4 of the evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, the condenser temperature sensor 66, and the compressor temperature sensor 67 are all changing, while the value A1 of the exhaust gas temperature sensor 61 and the value B1 of the humidity sensor 63 are not changing. Therefore, the control unit 70 determines that the exhaust gas temperature sensor 61 and the humidity sensor 63 are malfunctioning. Note that the control unit 70 may determine that the supply air temperature sensor 62 is malfunctioning based on a comparison with the changes in the values ​​C1 to C4 of the evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, the condenser temperature sensor 66, and the compressor temperature sensor 67. Alternatively, the control unit 70 may determine that the exhaust gas temperature sensor 61, the supply air temperature sensor 62, or the humidity sensor 63 is malfunctioning based on changes in the values ​​of some of the temperature sensors among the evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, the condenser temperature sensor 66, and the compressor temperature sensor 67.

[0052] According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved. Furthermore, a malfunction of one or both of the temperature sensors 61, 62 and the humidity sensor 63 can be determined early based on changes in the values ​​of the evaporator inlet temperature sensor 64, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 65, the condenser temperature sensor 66, and the compressor temperature sensor 67. This improves the reliability of clothes drying and the ease of maintenance of the clothes dryer 10.

[0053] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. In this third embodiment, the method of determining whether temperature sensors 61, 62 or humidity sensor 63 have failed differs from that of the first embodiment. Here, during heating period T1 in the drying process, compressor 43 and blower 45 are operating as described above. During heating period T1, compressor 43 operates, causing air heat exchange by heating device 40, and the warm air generated by this heat exchange is passed through water tub 13 and rotating tub 14 by blower 45 and flows into circulating air duct 30. Therefore, during heating period T1, that is, the period during which compressor 43 and blower 45 are operating, the values ​​of temperature sensors 61, 62 and humidity sensor 63 tend to rise.

[0054] Therefore, in this third embodiment, the control unit 70 determines a failure of at least one of the temperature sensors 61, 62 and the humidity sensor 63 based on the degree of change in the temperature sensors 61, 62 and the humidity sensor 63 while the blower 45 and the compressor 43 are operating. Fig. 9 shows a case where a failure of the exhaust temperature sensor 61 and the humidity sensor 63 is determined based on the degree of change in the exhaust temperature sensor 61 and the humidity sensor 63 out of the temperature sensors 61, 62 while the blower 45 and the compressor 43 are operating. The period during which the blower 45 and the compressor 43 are operating refers to a period during which the rotation speed of the blower 45 and the operating frequency of the compressor 43 are measured.

[0055] 9, although the blower 45 and the compressor 43 are operating, the value A1 of the exhaust temperature sensor 61 and the value B1 of the humidity sensor 63 do not change, so the control unit 70 determines that the exhaust temperature sensor 61 and the humidity sensor 63 have failed. Note that the control unit 70 may determine that the supply air temperature sensor 62 has failed based on a comparison with the operation of the blower 45 and the compressor 43. Furthermore, the control unit 70 may determine that the temperature sensors 61, 62, or the humidity sensor 63 have failed based on the operation of either the blower 45 or the compressor 43 during the heating period T1.

[0056] According to the third embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved. Furthermore, a malfunction of one or both of temperature sensors 61, 62 and humidity sensor 63 can be determined early based on the operation of blower 45 or compressor 43. This improves the reliability of clothes drying and the ease of maintenance of clothes dryer 10.

[0057] The above-described embodiments can be combined with each other, and only the characteristic features of two or more embodiments can be extracted and combined. Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 10... clothes dryer, 13... water tub (storage tub), 131... exhaust port, 132... air intake port, 14... rotating tub (storage tub), 30... circulating air duct, 40... heating device, 61... exhaust temperature sensor (temperature sensor), 62... intake air temperature sensor (temperature sensor), 63... humidity sensor, 70... control unit

Claims

1. a storage tub having an exhaust port and an air intake port and configured to store clothing; a circulation air passage connecting the exhaust port and the air intake port; a heating device that heats the air flowing through the circulating air passage to generate hot air; a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the air in the circulating air passage; a humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the air in the circulating air passage; a control unit that detects the progress or completion of a drying process for drying the clothes in the storage tub based on either the temperature or the humidity, or both, and controls the heating device to execute the drying process; When it is determined that one of the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor has failed during the drying process, the control unit continues the drying process using the other of the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor. Clothes dryer.

2. the control unit determines that one of the temperature sensor or the humidity sensor is faulty when a change in the value of one of the temperature sensor or the humidity sensor is abnormal with respect to a change in the value of the other of the temperature sensor or the humidity sensor. The clothes dryer according to claim 1.

3. the control unit determines whether the humidity sensor has failed based on the degree of change in the value of the humidity sensor during a period in which the value of the temperature sensor is changing. The clothes dryer according to claim 2.

4. the control unit determines whether the temperature sensor has failed based on the degree of change in the value of the temperature sensor during a period in which the value of the humidity sensor is changing. The clothes dryer according to claim 2.

5. a heating device temperature sensor for detecting a temperature related to the heating device; the control unit determines a failure of at least one of the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor based on the degree of change in the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor during a period in which the value of the heating device temperature sensor is changing. The clothes dryer according to claim 1.

6. The apparatus further includes a blower that sends air in the circulating air passage to the storage tank, The heating device includes a refrigeration cycle that circulates a refrigerant through a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator, the control unit determines a failure of at least one of the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor based on the degree of change in the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor during an operation period of the air blower or the compressor. The clothes dryer according to claim 1.

Images