Clothes dryer

Abstract

To maintain laundry in a suitable state until it is taken out.SOLUTION: A clothes dryer includes a tub into which clothes are put, a dehumidification mechanism that dehumidifies air, a heating mechanism that heats the dehumidified air, an air blowing mechanism that sends the air heated by the heating mechanism to the tub, and a control unit. The control part drives the dehumidifying mechanism and the heating mechanism in a state of not driving the air blowing mechanism after performing a drying process of drying the clothes in the tub by driving the dehumidifying mechanism, the heating mechanism and the air blowing mechanism, and then performs a low humidity process of driving the air blowing mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to clothes dryers. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a clothes dryer that operates by intermittently rotating the drum after the drying operation ends and before the finishing operation begins, in order to prevent wrinkling of clothes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-317594 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, if the clothes are not removed from the clothes dryer immediately after the drying cycle is completed and are left in the tub, moisture may get into the tub, causing the clothes that were once dried to become damp again.

[0005] One of the objects of the present disclosure is, for example, to be able to maintain clothes in a suitable condition until they are removed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a clothes dryer includes a tub into which clothes are placed, a dehumidifying mechanism that dehumidifies air, a heating mechanism that heats the dehumidified air, a blower mechanism that sends the air heated by the heating mechanism to the tub, and a control unit. The control unit drives the dehumidifying mechanism, the heating mechanism, and the blower mechanism to perform a drying process to dry the clothes in the tub, then drives the dehumidifying mechanism and the heating mechanism without driving the blower mechanism, and then performs a humidity reduction process in which the blower mechanism is driven. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, for example, it is possible to maintain clothes in a suitable condition until they are removed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a washing machine. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a drying mechanism of the washing machine. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a washing machine. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of steps performed in a fully automatic washing mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The washing machine 1 is an example of a clothes dryer, and is a washing machine (washer-dryer) with a clothes drying function. Clothes dryers without a washing function are also included in the present invention. In the following description, components having substantially the same functions will be referred to by the same reference numerals, and the description will be incorporated herein by reference. In the following description, the side of the washing machine 1 on which the door 12 is provided will be referred to as the front side, and the opposite side will be referred to as the rear side. The front-to-rear direction will sometimes be referred to as the depth direction. The right and left sides are the directions when the washing machine 1 is viewed from the front side to the rear side. The left-to-right direction will sometimes be referred to as the width direction. The direction perpendicular to each of the depth direction and width direction will be referred to as the height direction.

[0010] In the present disclosure, the term "washing machine" refers to a general device that performs various processes such as washing and drying on items to be washed. Examples of processes that a washing machine can perform on items to be washed include washing, drying, deodorizing, and sterilizing. The items to be washed are not particularly limited. Examples of items to be washed include cloth products. Specific examples of items to be washed include clothing such as clothes, hats, and gloves, personal belongings such as shoes, bags, handkerchiefs, and towels, bedding such as curtains, blankets, towel blankets, and futon covers, carpets, stuffed toys, and the like.

[0011] First, as shown in FIG. 1, washing machine 1 includes housing 11, door 12, washing tub 13, washing drum 14, motor 15 as a rotation mechanism, water supply channel 16, and drain channel 17.

[0012] Housing 11 houses each component of washing machine 1. Housing 11 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The upper part of the entire surface, which is one side of housing 11, is inclined surface 11a that faces diagonally upward.

[0013] A main opening 11b is formed in the inclined surface 11a of the housing 11. The main opening 11b is used for putting in and taking out laundry such as clothes. The door 12 is rotatably supported by the housing 11. The door 12 is rotatable between a closed position where the main opening 11b is closed and an open position where the main opening 11b is open.

[0014] A water inlet 11c is provided at the top of the housing 11. A water outlet 11d is provided at the bottom of the housing 11.

[0015] Washing tub 13 stores water used for washing. Washing tub 13 is formed with opening 13a that communicates with main opening 11b of housing 11. Washing tub 13 also has water supply port 13b and drain port 13c.

[0016] Water supply channel 16 is a water channel that runs from water supply port 11c of housing 11 to water supply port 13b of washing tub 13. Drain channel 17 is a water channel that runs from drain port 13c of washing tub 13 to drain port 11d of housing 11.

[0017] Laundry is placed into the washing drum 14. The washing drum 14 accommodates the laundry. The washing drum 14 is cylindrical with an opening 14a at one end and a bottom at the other end. The laundry is placed into the washing drum 14 through the main opening 11b and the opening 14a of the washing drum 14. The cylindrical portion and bottom of the washing drum 14 are formed with a number of water-passing holes.

[0018] The water supplied to water supply passage 16 is supplied into washing tub 13 through water supply port 13b, and further into washing drum 14 through the water passage hole.

[0019] The water inside washing tub 13 and washing drum 14 passes through drain outlet 13c and drain channel 17 and is discharged from drain outlet 11d.

[0020] Washing drum 14 is supported rotatably around rotating shaft 15a. Motor 15 rotates washing drum 14 by rotating rotating shaft 15a. Motor 15 constitutes a rotation mechanism that rotates washing drum 14, which constitutes a tub. Motor 15 as a rotation mechanism may, for example, rotate washing drum 14 only in one rotation direction about the axis of rotating shaft 15a, or may be configured to rotate in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. For example, motor 15 may be controlled to repeatedly perform one rotation operation that rotates washing drum 14 clockwise and another rotation operation that rotates washing drum 14 counterclockwise.

[0021] The rotation shaft 15a of the washing drum 14 is inclined relative to the horizontal direction. As a result, the opening 14a of the washing drum 14 faces diagonally upward. For example, the rotation shaft 15a is disposed at an angle ranging from 5 to 30 degrees relative to the horizontal direction. The inclination angle of the rotation shaft 15a is determined based on the water-saving effect, cleaning power, the susceptibility of the laundry to damage, and the ease of removing the laundry. Alternatively, the rotation shaft 15a may be disposed horizontally. In this case, the washing drum 14 is supported with the opening 14a of the washing drum 14 facing horizontally.

[0022] For example, by driving motor 15 and rotating washing drum 14 relative to washing tub 13 when water is stored in washing tub 13, laundry in washing drum 14 can be washed or rinsed. Also, by driving motor 15 when there is no water in washing tub 13, laundry in washing drum 14 can be dehydrated.

[0023] Washing machine 1 further includes drying mechanism 20 shown in Fig. 2. Drying mechanism 20 dries laundry in washing drum 14 provided inside washing tub 13 by circulating air inside washing tub 13. Specifically, drying mechanism 20 includes air blowing mechanism 21 and heat pump 22.

[0024] The air blowing mechanism 21 and the washing tub 13 are connected by a circulation path 23 .

[0025] Air blowing mechanism 21 sends air to washing tub 13 via circulation path 23. The air sent to washing tub 13 returns to air blowing mechanism 21 via circulation path 23. Air blowing mechanism 21 can be configured by, for example, a fan or the like.

[0026] Circulation path 23 passes through washing machine 13, evaporator 22b, condenser 22d, and blower mechanism 21. In circulation path 23, air discharged from washing tub 13 passes through evaporator 22b, then passes through condenser 22d and is sent to blower mechanism 21, and is blown into washing tub 13 again.

[0027] The heat pump 22 dehumidifies and heats the air in the circulation path 23. Here, the term "heat pump" refers to a system that collects and transfers heat from the atmosphere, etc. Specifically, the heat pump 22 includes a refrigerant circuit 22c. A medium such as a refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit 22c. The refrigerant circuit 22c passes through a compressor 22a, an evaporator 22b, and a condenser 22d. The evaporator 22b and the condenser 22d are arranged so that both the refrigerant circuit 22c and the circulation path 23 pass through them. Therefore, heat exchange occurs between the air in the circulation path 23 and the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 22c in both the evaporator 22b and the condenser 22d.

[0028] Compressor 22a arranged in refrigerant flow path 22c compresses the refrigerant. The refrigerant compressed in compressor 22a becomes a high-temperature liquid and is sent to condenser 22d. As a result, in condenser 22d, heat exchange occurs between the high-temperature refrigerant and the air in circulation path 23, and the air in circulation path 23 is heated. The air heated in condenser 22d is supplied to washing machine 13, and the temperature inside washing machine 13 rises.

[0029] Meanwhile, in evaporator 22b, the refrigerant in refrigerant circuit 22c expands and becomes colder. This cold refrigerant lowers the temperature of evaporator 22b. As a result, water vapor contained in the humid air sent from washing tub 13 condenses in evaporator 22b, and the moisture content of the air in circulation path 23 decreases (dehumidification occurs). In this way, heat pump 22 constitutes both a dehumidifying mechanism that dehumidifies the air flowing in from washing tub 13 in circulation path 23, and a heating mechanism that heats the air sent to washing tub 13.

[0030] In this embodiment, an example in which a heat pump constitutes a dehumidifying mechanism and a heating mechanism has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, a water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism or a heating mechanism using an electric resistance heater may be used. Furthermore, a condenser and a heater may be used together as a heating mechanism.

[0031] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the washing machine 1. Next, the control configuration of the washing machine 1 will be described mainly with reference to FIG.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, washing machine 1 includes control unit 30. Control unit 30 may be configured with, for example, an operator such as a processor including hardware, a storage unit, and the like. The processor may be configured with, for example, at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), and the like. The storage unit includes at least one of a temporary recording medium and a non-temporary recording medium. The storage unit may be configured with, for example, at least one of semiconductor memory such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), flash memory, and read-only memory (ROM), a register, a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), and an optical disk. For example, the memory stores computer-readable instructions, and the processor executes the instructions to realize the functions of control unit 30 as processing. The instructions here may be instructions from an instruction set constituting a program, or instructions that instruct the hardware circuitry of the processor to operate. The program may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable ROM, an optical disk, a hard disk drive, etc. The program may be stored in the recording medium in advance, or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide area communication network including the Internet.

[0033] The control unit 30 includes a communication unit 31 , a memory 32 , and a processing unit 33 .

[0034] Communication unit 31 communicates with devices outside washing machine 1. For example, communication unit 31 may be connected wirelessly or by wire to a router installed in a house where washing machine 1 is installed, and may be able to connect to the Internet via the router. Communication unit 31 may also be able to communicate with a mobile terminal such as a smartphone owned by a user of washing machine 1.

[0035] The memory 32 is configured by the temporary storage medium and non-temporary storage medium described above. The memory 32 stores programs executed by the processing unit 33, data generated by the execution of the programs by the processing unit 33, databases used in processing by the processing unit 33, and the like.

[0036] Processing unit 33 is configured by, for example, the above-mentioned processor. Processing unit 33 controls various mechanisms of washing machine 1 and receives and processes inputs from sensors 41 to 43 and input unit 44 (described later). Specifically, processing unit 33 controls various mechanisms such as compressor 22a and motor 15 based on, for example, inputs from sensors 41 to 43 and input unit 44, programs stored in memory 32, etc.

[0037] Washing machine 1 is provided with sensors such as temperature sensor 41 that measures the temperature of air flowing in from washing tub 13, temperature sensor 42 that measures the temperature of air near condenser 22d of circulation path 23, and door sensor 43 that detects whether door 12 is open or closed. The various sensors output sensed data to control unit 30.

[0038] The washing machine 1 further includes an input unit 44. The input unit 44 is a part through which a user of the washing machine 1 inputs various information and commands, such as operation information, to the washing machine 1. In this embodiment, the user can input the end time of the washing to the input unit 44. The input unit 44 may be configured, for example, by a touch panel or buttons that can be operated by the user. The input unit 44 may be configured, for example, by a microphone that collects information by collecting the user's speech, or an imaging element that captures an image of the user to collect information.

[0039] Input unit 44 is connected to control unit 30. Information and commands input to input unit 44 are output from input unit 44 to control unit 30. For example, when a user inputs the end time of the washing, the input end time is input to control unit 30, specifically, processing unit 33, and stored in memory 32 as necessary.

[0040] More specifically, in this embodiment, the user can input multiple washing modes and conditions for each washing mode into the input unit 44. For example, the user can input into the input unit 44 washing modes such as a mode that performs only the washing process, a mode that performs the washing process, the rinsing process, and the spin-drying process, and a fully automatic washing mode that performs the washing process, the rinsing process, the spin-drying process, and the drying process. After inputting the fully automatic washing mode, the user can also input conditions such as the amount of water to be added in the washing process, the number of washes and rinses, the start time of the mode, and the end time of the mode. The washing machine 1 performs the washing process according to the washing mode and conditions input into the input unit 44.

[0041] The washing machine 1 may further include a display in addition to the input unit 44. The display may display, for example, the washing mode and washing conditions used in the washing, the scheduled time of completion, and the like.

[0042] (Control of washing machine 1 in fully automatic washing mode) 4 is a flowchart showing an example of steps performed in the fully automatic washing mode. Hereinafter, the control of the washing machine 1 when the fully automatic washing mode is selected will be described in detail mainly with reference to FIG.

[0043] Specifically, the control described below is a control performed in the washing machine 1 when, for example, the fully automatic washing mode is selected immediately or by reservation and the washing machine 1 is instructed to start the immediate washing mode, or when the selected start time arrives in the reserved mode. In the fully automatic washing mode, a washing process in which laundry is washed by agitating it with water containing detergent, etc., a rinsing process in which the detergent, etc. is removed from the laundry, a spin-drying process in which the moisture content of the laundry is reduced, and a drying process in which hot air is supplied to the laundry to dry it are performed successively in this order.

[0044] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, first, a washing process is performed in step S1. Specifically, in the washing process, the control unit 30 shown in Fig. 3 drives the motor 15 to rotate the washing drum 14. This agitates the laundry in the washing drum 14 and the water containing detergent and the like.

[0045] Before performing step S1, a step of sensing the volume of laundry in washing drum 14 may be performed. For example, the control unit 30 drives motor 15 to rotate washing drum 14, and the volume of laundry can be estimated by measuring the rotational resistance at that time and parameters related to the rotational resistance.

[0046] Next, step S2 is performed following step S1. In step S2, a rinsing process is performed. In the rinsing process of step S2, the water used in the washing process is drained, and new purified water is supplied into the washing drum 14. The control unit 30 drives the motor 15 to rotate the washing drum 14, thereby agitating the laundry together with the newly supplied purified water. This separates the sewage, detergent, etc. that the laundry has absorbed from the laundry.

[0047] In the example shown in Fig. 4, the washing process of step S1 and the rinsing process of step S2 are each performed once. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, the washing process of step S1 and the rinsing process of step S2 may be performed multiple times. Also, only one of the washing process of step S1 and the rinsing process of step S2 may be performed multiple times.

[0048] Next, step S3 is performed following step S2. In step S3, a spin-drying process is performed. The spin-drying process is a process for reducing the moisture content of the laundry in the washing drum 14. In the spin-drying process of step S3, first, water is drained from the washing tub 13. Thereafter, the control unit 30 drives the motor 15 to rotate the washing drum 14. This applies centrifugal force to the laundry in the washing drum 14, thereby reducing the moisture content of the laundry.

[0049] Next, step S4 is performed following step S3. In step S4, a drying process is performed. This drying process is the main drying process, and in this drying process, the laundry is dried until it has a moisture content that makes it wearable. For this reason, the drying process in step S4 is sometimes called the main drying process.

[0050] In the drying process of step S4, control unit 30 drives motor 15 to rotate washing drum 14 and agitate the laundry, while driving heat pump 22, which serves as a dehumidifying mechanism and a heating mechanism, and blower mechanism 21 to blow high-temperature dry air into washing drum 14. This increases the ambient temperature inside washing drum 14 and decreases the relative humidity. As a result, the laundry inside washing drum 14 dries. The execution time (drying time) of step S4, which is the main drying process, can be determined appropriately depending on, for example, the volume of laundry, the humidity of the laundry, the humidity of the atmosphere inside washing drum 14, etc.

[0051] After the drying step in step S4 is completed, step S5 is performed. In step S5, the control unit 30 determines whether a predetermined period of time (for example, 5 minutes to 3 hours, preferably about 15 minutes to 1 hour) has elapsed since the drying step (step S4) or the drying and loosening step (step S6, described below) was completed.

[0052] If the control unit 30 determines in step S5 that the predetermined period has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, the control unit 30 determines whether or not the predetermined time has elapsed. Here, the "predetermined time" in step S7 may be, for example, the desired end time input by the user to the input unit 44 (see FIG. 3) minus the time required for the finish drying process described below.

[0053] In step S7, if the control unit 30 determines that a predetermined time, such as a desired end time input by the user, has been reached, the process proceeds to step S8, which is a finish drying step. In step S8, the control unit 30 drives the heat pump 22 and the air blower 21, which serve as a dehumidifying and heating mechanism, and the motor 15, which serves as a rotation mechanism, to further dry the laundry. By performing this finish drying step immediately before the laundry is removed, it is possible to achieve a low moisture content, fluffy finished laundry.

[0054] The drying time in the finish drying step in step S8 is preferably shorter than the drying time in the drying step in step S4, and is preferably 1 / 2 or less, more preferably 1 / 3 or less, of the drying time in the drying step. The drying time in the finish drying step in step S8 can be set appropriately depending on the volume of laundry, the time elapsed since the end of step S4, etc., and specifically can be set to, for example, about 30 seconds to 10 minutes.

[0055] In step S7, if the control unit 30 determines that the predetermined time has not been reached (the time is earlier than the predetermined time), the process returns to step S5.

[0056] On the other hand, if the control unit 30 determines in step S5 that the predetermined period has elapsed since the drying step (step S4) was completed, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0057] In step S6, a drying and loosening process is performed. Specifically, in the drying and loosening process, control unit 30 drives both heat pump 22 and blower mechanism 21, which serve as a dehumidifying mechanism and a heating mechanism, to dehumidify washing tub 13. By performing this drying and loosening process, it is possible to prevent the laundry from becoming damp after the drying process in step S4 is completed and before the treated laundry is removed from washing machine 1. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent, for example, the generation of undesirable odors from the laundry and the proliferation of bacteria and the like in the laundry.

[0058] The drying and loosening step S6 in this embodiment will be described in more detail below.

[0059] As described above, the drying and loosening process in step S6 is a process for preventing the laundry from becoming damp, i.e., a humidity reduction process for reducing the humidity of the laundry. In the drying and loosening process, the control unit 30 drives the heat pump 22 as a dehumidifying mechanism and a heating mechanism without driving the air blowing mechanism 21, and then drives the air blowing mechanism 21.

[0060] For example, it is conceivable to simultaneously activate the heat pump and the blower mechanism to perform the dehumidification process. However, it is conceivable that immediately after the heat pump is activated, the temperature of the condenser has not risen sufficiently, and the temperature of the evaporator has not dropped sufficiently. Therefore, when the heat pump and the blower mechanism are simultaneously activated, the temperature of the air supplied to the washing tub is low and the relative humidity is not sufficiently low immediately after activation, so that air with a sufficiently high temperature and low humidity is not supplied, and dehumidification inside the washing tub is not performed efficiently.

[0061] In contrast, in this embodiment, during the drying and loosening process, control unit 30 drives heat pump 22, which serves as a dehumidifying mechanism and a heating mechanism, without driving blower mechanism 21. At this time, because blower mechanism 21 is not yet driven, evaporator 22b is rapidly cooled and condenser 22d also rapidly becomes hot. Then, blower mechanism 21 is driven after the temperature difference between evaporator 22b and condenser 22d becomes sufficiently large. Therefore, dry air flows quickly into washing tub 13, and the inside of washing tub 13 and the laundry are reduced in humidity in a short time. Specifically, the inside of washing tub 13 and the laundry can be reduced in humidity with a small amount of energy input, with high energy efficiency, and in a short time.

[0062] In the drying and loosening process, since the laundry has already been dried in the drying process (step S4), it is sufficient to dehumidify the moisture that has entered washing tub 13 after the drying process, rather than further drying the laundry. On the other hand, since the drying and loosening process is not an operation instructed by the user, if it is operated for a long time, the user may mistakenly think that the drying process is being performed again. Therefore, by first driving heat pump 22, which is difficult for the user to notice, to create a sufficient temperature difference between evaporator 22b and condenser 22d, and then driving blower mechanism 21 and motor 15 for a short time, the humidity in washing tub 13 and the laundry can be reduced in a short time, and the laundry can be prevented from becoming damp.

[0063] The timing for starting the operation of the air blower mechanism 21 is preferably after the evaporator 22b and the condenser 22d have been heated to a temperature where the temperature difference between them is sufficiently large. Therefore, it is preferable to start the operation of the air blower mechanism 21 based on the temperature near the condenser 22d measured by the temperature sensor 42, for example. Specifically, it is preferable to start the operation of the air blower mechanism 21 when the temperature of the air near the condenser 22d measured by the temperature sensor 42 as the first temperature sensor reaches or exceeds a predetermined temperature. Since the operation of the air blower mechanism 21 can be started at an appropriate timing, it is possible to more efficiently reduce the humidity of the laundry.

[0064] Alternatively, control unit 30 may start driving blower mechanism 21 in step S6 as the humidity reduction step after the temperature near condenser 22d, among the temperatures measured by temperature sensor 42 as the first temperature sensor, becomes higher by a predetermined temperature or more (for example, preferably 5°C or more, more preferably 10°C or more) than the temperature inside washing tub 13 measured by temperature sensor 41 as the second temperature sensor. In this case as well, efficient humidity reduction of laundry can be achieved.

[0065] Similar control may also be performed, for example, in the drying step of step S4 and the finish drying step of step S8. However, while steps S4 and S8 are performed once per wash, the drying and loosening step of step S6 is expected to be performed multiple times per wash. Therefore, among steps S4, S6, and S8, in the drying and loosening step of step S6, it is effective to first drive heat pump 22 as a heating mechanism without driving air blower mechanism 21, and then drive air blower mechanism 21. Note that, since the purpose of the drying and loosening step of step S6 is to dehumidify moisture that has entered washing tub 13 as described above, the rotation speed of compressor 22a may be lower than that of the drying step of step S4. Also, the amount of air blown by air blower mechanism 21 may be lower than that of the drying step of step S4. These controls can reduce the amount of power consumed in the drying and loosening step and can suppress the effects of excessively high temperature and low humidity on the laundry, such as shrinkage of the laundry.

[0066] In this embodiment, when step S6 begins, the control unit 30 first turns off the blower mechanism 21 and drives the compressor 22a, thereby generating a temperature difference between the evaporator 22b and the condenser 22d. The duration of this process is, for example, preferably 1 second to 10 minutes, more preferably 10 seconds to 5 minutes, and even more preferably 10 seconds to 3 minutes. Then, in this embodiment, the control unit 30 starts driving the blower mechanism 21 while keeping the compressor 22a driven, thereby simultaneously driving the heat pump 22 and the blower mechanism 21, which function as a dehumidification mechanism and a heating mechanism. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, the heat pump 22 may be stopped simultaneously with the start of driving the blower mechanism 21, or after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the start of driving the blower mechanism 21 but before the blower mechanism 21 is stopped. For example, from the viewpoint of further improving energy efficiency, first, the blower mechanism 21 is turned off and the heat pump 22 as a dehumidification mechanism and a heating mechanism is driven, and then both the blower mechanism 21 and the heat pump 22 are driven, after which the drive of the compressor 22a is stopped and a period is set during which the blower mechanism 21 is driven, and then the blower mechanism 21 is stopped.

[0067] By stopping the operation of the compressor 22a before stopping the operation of the blower mechanism 21, the blower mechanism 21 can generate low-humidity air to compensate for the remaining temperature difference between the evaporator 22b and the condenser 22d, thereby efficiently reducing the humidity of the laundry and shortening the time required for reducing the humidity.

[0068] In the drying and loosening process (humidity reduction process) of step S6, it is optional whether or not to drive motor 15 as a rotation mechanism. For example, the drying and loosening process may be performed without driving motor 15, or, from the viewpoint of shortening the time required for humidity reduction, in step S6, control unit 30 may drive at least one of blower mechanism 21 and compressor 22a while driving motor 15. From the viewpoint of achieving both a reduction in the time required for humidity reduction and suppressing a decrease in energy efficiency, it is preferable to substantially match the driving period of motor 15 with the driving period of blower mechanism 21. For example, during the period when only compressor 22a is driven without driving blower mechanism 21, it is preferable not to drive motor 15 because substantially no air is supplied.

[0069] In this embodiment, the process returns to step S5 after the drying and loosening process in step S6 is completed, and therefore the drying and loosening process is performed intermittently until a predetermined time is reached. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the drying and loosening process (low-humidity process) may be controlled to be performed continuously until a predetermined time before the scheduled end time.

[0070] Furthermore, regardless of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, step S6 may not be performed after the door sensor 43 detects that the door 12 has been opened or after the door 12 has been unlocked.

[0071] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. Furthermore, configurations obtained by combining the configurations of different embodiments described in this specification are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1: Washing machine 12: Door 13: Washing machine tub 14: Washing drum 15: Motor 20:Drying mechanism 21: Air blower mechanism 22: Heat pump 22a: Compressor 22b: Evaporator 22d: Agglomerator 30: Control section 41: Temperature sensor 42: Temperature sensor 43: Door sensor 44: Input section

Claims

1. a tub into which clothes are put; a dehumidification mechanism that dehumidifies the air; a heating mechanism for heating the dehumidified air; a blower mechanism that sends the air heated by the heating mechanism to the tank; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit After a drying process is performed in which the dehumidifying mechanism, the heating mechanism, and the air blowing mechanism are driven to dry the clothes in the tub, The clothes dryer drives the dehumidifying mechanism and the heating mechanism while the air blowing mechanism is not driven, and then performs a humidity reduction step by driving the air blowing mechanism.

2. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit drives the dehumidifying mechanism and the heating mechanism together with the air blowing mechanism in the humidity reducing step.

3. Further provided is a rotation mechanism for rotating the tank, The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit drives the rotation mechanism together with the air blowing mechanism in the humidity reducing step.

4. a first temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the air heated by the heating mechanism; The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit starts driving the air blowing mechanism in the humidity reduction step based on the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor.

5. a second temperature sensor for measuring a temperature inside the tank; 3. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit starts driving the blower mechanism in the low-humidity process after the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor becomes higher by a predetermined temperature or more than the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor.

6. further comprising an input unit for a user to input an end time; The control unit The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the humidity-reducing step is performed continuously or intermittently until the input end time or a predetermined period before the end time.

7. Further provided is a rotation mechanism for rotating the tank, The control unit The humidity reduction step is carried out continuously or intermittently until a predetermined period before the end time, The clothes dryer according to claim 6, further comprising: a finish drying step in which the rotation mechanism and the air blowing mechanism are driven a predetermined period before the end time.

8. a door for opening and closing the tank; a door sensor that detects whether the door is open or closed; Furthermore, 3. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit does not perform the humidity reduction step after the door sensor detects that the door has been opened after the drying step has started.

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