Dryer

Abstract

The objective is to provide a drying machine that dries objects using an adsorbent that has the characteristic of releasing moisture at low temperatures. [Solution] The dryer 100 of this disclosure is equipped with an adsorbent 139 that adsorbs moisture from the air heated to dry the object to be dried in the processing chamber 112. The adsorbent 139 exhibits adsorption capacity when it is at a temperature within the adsorption temperature range. The temperature of the adsorbent 139 is adjusted by a temperature control unit 163 so that the temperature of the adsorbent 139 remains within the adsorption temperature range even if there is heat transfer from the air to the adsorbent 139.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dryer for drying an object to be dried.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a dryer 900 shown in FIG. 12. The dryer 900 is configured to dry clothes as an object to be dried, and includes a processing chamber 910 for accommodating the clothes and a circulation air passage portion 920 through which air circulates. A dehumidifying device 930 is disposed in the middle of the circulation air passage portion 920, and moisture contained in the air is adsorbed by an adsorbent in the dehumidifying device 930. Further, the air is heated in the dehumidifying device 930.

[0003] The air dehumidified and heated in the dehumidifying device 930 flows into the processing chamber 910 through the circulation air passage portion 920. This air takes moisture from the clothes in the processing chamber 910 and then flows into the dehumidifying device 930 through the circulation air passage portion 920.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In Patent Document 1, silica gel or zeolite is used as the adsorbent. Silica gel and zeolite have the ability to release moisture, but the temperature at which this release ability is exhibited is higher than the temperature of the air required to dry the clothes. Therefore, in the dryer 900 of Patent Document 1, the clothes can be dried at a temperature at which moisture is not released from the adsorbent. For this reason, the clothes can be dried in the processing chamber 910 without the moisture released from the adsorbent flowing into the processing chamber 910.

[0006] However, it is sometimes preferable to use an adsorbent that has the ability to release moisture at a temperature lower than the air temperature required to dry clothes. For example, in the case of an adsorbent whose adsorption capacity for moisture is restored by releasing moisture, the lower the amount of heat required to restore the adsorption capacity, the more energy-saving the dryer can be. However, if the adsorbent releases moisture at a temperature lower than the air temperature required to dry clothes, this moisture may return to the processing chamber containing the items to be dried, hindering the drying of those items.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a drying machine that dries an object while suppressing the release of moisture from an adsorbent that has the ability to release moisture in the temperature range in which the object to be dried is dried. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The dryer in this disclosure is configured to dry an object to be dried. The dryer includes a heating unit that heats air towards a predetermined target temperature for drying the object to be dried; a processing chamber for drying the object to be dried; a circulating air passage connected to the processing chamber so that air flowing out of the processing chamber returns to the processing chamber; an airflow generation unit that generates a circulating airflow of air circulating through the processing chamber and the circulating air passage; an adsorbent that has the characteristic of adsorbing moisture in an adsorption temperature range lower than the target temperature, while releasing moisture in a release temperature range including the target temperature, thereby restoring its adsorption capacity, and is positioned upstream of the heating unit in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage; a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the adsorbent or the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent; and a temperature adjustment unit that, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit exceeds the adsorption temperature range during the execution of the drying process for drying the object to be dried, performs a cooling process to cool the adsorbent or the air passing through the adsorbent so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit falls within the adsorption temperature range. The temperature control unit, provided that predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process are met, performs a temperature increase process that utilizes the residual heat from heating in the heating unit during the drying process to allow the adsorbent to rise in temperature to the release temperature range. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The aforementioned dryer can dry the object to be dried while suppressing the release of moisture from the adsorbent, which has the ability to release moisture in the temperature range in which the object to be dried is dried. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view of the dryer (first embodiment) [Figure 2] Dryer control configuration diagram [Figure 3] Dryer control flowchart [Figure 4] Cross-section of another dryer [Figure 5] Schematic diagram of a storage case for the absorbent material of a dryer. [Figure 6] Schematic diagram of other storage cases [Figure 7] Schematic diagram of other storage cases [Figure 8] Flowchart for controlling the dryer (Second Embodiment) [Figure 9] Dryer control flowchart [Figure 10] Cross-sectional view of the dryer (third embodiment) [Figure 11] Dryer control configuration diagram [Figure 12] Schematic diagram of a conventional dryer [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The first to third embodiments of the dryer will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary details may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding for those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following explanation are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0012] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a dryer 100. This dryer 100 is configured not only to dry clothing or fabric products (such as handkerchiefs, towels, curtains, and sheets, etc.) as drying objects, but also to wash them.

[0013] (Overall Structure of the Dryer) The dryer 100 includes a housing 110 formed with an inlet for loading a drying object, and a door portion 111 for opening and closing the inlet of the housing 110. Specifically, the inlet is formed in the front wall of the housing 110, and the door portion 111 is rotatably attached to the front wall of the housing 110. Various internal devices for performing a washing process, a rinsing process, a dehydration process, and a drying process are accommodated in the housing 110.

[0014] In the housing 110, a water tank 114 and a rotating drum 115 are arranged which form a treatment chamber 112 for accommodating the drying object loaded through the inlet and for washing and drying this drying object. The water tank 114 has an opening 113 opened toward the closed door portion 111, and the rotating drum 115 is held rotatably within the water tank 114. An opening 116 opened in the same direction as the opening 113 of the water tank 114 is formed in the front end wall of the rotating drum 115. Also, a number of small holes 117 are formed in the peripheral wall of the rotating drum 115. The drying object loaded through the inlet is accommodated in the rotating drum 115 through the openings 113 and 116 of the water tank 114 and the rotating drum 115.

[0015] The water tank 114 is provided for storing water in the washing process and the rinsing process. The water tank 114 is elastically supported by a suspension mechanism 118 fixed to the bottom wall of the housing 110.

[0016] In order to suppress the leakage of water from the opening 113 of the water tank 114, a seal member 119 is provided at the opening 113 of the water tank 114. The seal member 119 is compressed by the door portion 111 when the door portion 111 closes the inlet.

[0017] At the upper part of the peripheral wall of the water tank 114, a water supply port 120 through which water flows in during the washing process and the rinsing process is provided. Also, a drain port 121 for draining the water used for washing and rinsing the drying object is provided at the lower part of the peripheral wall of the water tank 114. Since a large number of small holes 117 are formed in the rotary drum 115 in the water tank 114, the water supplied through the water supply port 120 can soak into the drying object in the rotary drum 115 through these small holes 117.

[0018] Also, in the drying process, in order to allow the inflow and outflow of air for drying the drying object, an exhaust port 122 is formed at the upper part of the peripheral wall of the water tank 114, and an air supply port 123 is formed at the rear end wall of the water tank 114. In the drying process, air flows into the processing chamber 112 from the air supply port 123 and is exhausted from the processing chamber 112 through the exhaust port 122. In the processing chamber 112, since a large number of small holes 117 are formed in the rotary drum 115, air can flow into the rotary drum 115 through these small holes 117 and contact the clothes in the rotary drum 115.

[0019] A drive motor 124 for rotationally driving the rotary drum 115 is attached to the outer surface of the rear end wall of the water tank 114. The motor shaft of the drive motor 124 penetrates the rear end wall of the water tank 114 and is connected to the rotary drum 115. When the rotary drum 115 is rotationally driven by the drive motor 124, the drying object can be agitated in the rotary drum 115. The drive motor 124 is configured to be able to change the rotational speed of the rotary drum 115 under inverter control.

[0020] Above the water tank 114, a water supply unit 125 is provided for supplying water to the objects to be dried in the processing chamber 112. The water supply unit 125 includes a water supply route 126 piped above the water tank 114, a water supply valve 127 and a detergent box 128 provided in the water supply route 126.

[0021] The upstream end of the water supply path 126 is exposed on the outer surface of the housing 110 and is configured to be connectable to a hose (not shown) extending from a water tap. The downstream end of the water supply path 126 is connected to the water inlet 120 of the water tank 114.

[0022] The water supply valve 127 is configured to open and close the water supply path 126 and is positioned upstream of the detergent box 128 in the direction of water flow within the water supply path 126. The detergent box 128 is configured to contain detergent. The detergent box 128 is also configured to allow water to pass through it when the water supply valve 127 is opened.

[0023] A drainage path 129 is provided on the underside of the water tank 114 for draining water from the water tank 114. The drainage path 129 extends from the drain port 121 of the water tank 114 to the outside of the housing 110. The drainage path 129 is equipped with a drain valve 130 that opens and closes the drainage path 129. When the drain valve 130 opens the drainage path 129 while water has accumulated in the processing chamber 112, the water in the processing chamber 112 is drained through the drainage path 129.

[0024] Outside the water tank 114, a circulating air passage 131 is provided, connected to the air intake 123 and exhaust 122 of the water tank 114, to allow air that has flowed out of the processing chamber 112 to return to the processing chamber 112. An airflow generating unit 152 is arranged inside the circulating air passage 131 to generate a circulating airflow that flows between the circulating air passage 131 and the processing chamber 112. This airflow generating unit 152 is configured to draw air from inside the processing chamber 112 through the exhaust 122 and to allow this air to flow into the processing chamber 112 through the air intake 123. For example, a sirocco fan can be used as the airflow generating unit 152.

[0025] To remove moisture from the air flowing through the circulating air passage 131, a dehumidifier 156 and an adsorbent 139 are arranged within the circulating air passage 131. The dehumidifier 156 is configured to cool the air to the extent that condensation occurs. This condensation removes some of the moisture contained in the air from the air flowing through the circulating air passage 131. For example, the dehumidifier 156 may be configured with a heating unit 153 located downstream of the dehumidifier 156 in the direction of airflow in the circulating air passage 131 to form a heat pump device. High energy efficiency can be obtained by configuring the dehumidifier 156 and the heating unit 153 as a heat pump device. When the dehumidifier 156 and the heating unit 153 are configured as a heat pump device, the dehumidifier 156 may consist of an expansion valve that expands the refrigerant and fins that are cooled by the expanded refrigerant. The heating unit 153 may consist of a compressor that compresses the refrigerant and fins that are heated by the compressed refrigerant. The air flowing through the circulating air passage 131 may be cooled or heated as it passes through these fins.

[0026] The adsorbent 139 is positioned downstream of the dehumidifier 156 in the airflow direction within the circulating air passage 131 to remove any moisture that could not be removed by the dehumidifier 156. The adsorbent 139 has adsorption properties that adsorb moisture contained in the air within a predetermined adsorption temperature range, and release properties that release moisture within a predetermined release temperature range that is higher than this adsorption temperature range. The adsorbent 139 can recover its adsorption capacity by releasing moisture.

[0027] The adsorbent 139 is configured to swell by adsorbing moisture from the air in the adsorption temperature range, and then, when it reaches the release temperature range, to contract and release liquid water (hereinafter referred to as "liquid water") into the liquid phase. Such adsorbent 139 includes N-substituted acrylamide polymers (for example, N-isopropylacrylamide, poly(N-ethylacrylamide), poly(Nn-propylacrylamide), poly(N-cyclopropylacrylamide), poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide), poly(N-ethyl-N-methylacrylamide), poly(N-methyl-Nn-propylacrylamide), poly(N-impropyl-N-methylacrylamide), poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide), poly(N-acryloylpyrrolidine), poly(N-acryloylpiperidine), poly(N-ethoxyethylacrylamide), poly(N-ethyl-N-methoxyethylacrylamide), poly(N-methoxyethylacrylamide) Poly(N-ethoxypropylacrylamide), poly(N-impropoxypropylacrylamide), poly(N-methoxyethoxypropylacrylamide), poly(N-tetrahydrofurfurylacrylamide), poly(N-1-methyl-2-methoxyethylacrylamide), poly(N-1-methoxymethylpropylacrylamide), poly(CN-(2·2-dimethoxyethyl)-N-methylacrylamide), poly(N-(1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-N-methylacrylamide), poly(N-8-acryloyl-1,4-dioxa-8-aza-spiro(4,5)decane), poly(N,N-dimethoxyethylacrylamide), poly(N-acryloylmorpholin), etc. can be used.

[0028] The release temperature range of the adsorbent 139 made of this material is lower than that of silica gel and zeolite. The predetermined target temperature (e.g., 60°C) set relative to the air temperature for drying the clothing to be dried falls within the release temperature range of the adsorbent 139. On the other hand, the adsorption temperature range of the adsorbent 139 is lower than this target temperature. The adsorbent 139 described above can exhibit adsorption capacity within the range of normal temperature (5°C to 35°C).

[0029] A heating unit 153 is positioned downstream of the adsorbent 139 in the airflow direction within the circulating air passage 131. The heating unit 153 heats the air toward a target temperature, increasing the saturated water vapor content of the air. As air with a high saturated water vapor content flows into the processing chamber 112 through the air inlet 123, moisture adhering to the object to be dried can evaporate into this air.

[0030] In order to suppress heat transfer from the heating unit 153 to the adsorbent 139, the position of the heating unit 153 may be set such that the distance from the adsorbent 139 to the heating unit 153 is longer than the distance from the dehumidifying unit 156 to the adsorbent 139.

[0031] To obtain temperature information for controlling the amount of heating by the heating unit 153, the processing chamber 112 is equipped with a temperature detection unit 155 that detects the temperature of the air inside the processing chamber 112. In addition, to obtain temperature information for controlling the amount of cooling by the dehumidifying unit 156, another temperature detection unit 161 is placed near the adsorbent material 139, and this temperature detection unit 161 detects the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent material 139.

[0032] These temperature detection units 155 and 161 are electrically connected to a control circuit unit 138 located on the upper part of the housing 110, and signals representing the temperature detected by these temperature detection units 155 and 161 are connected to the control circuit unit 138. This control circuit unit 138 is configured to control the entire operation of the dryer 100 and is also connected to the heating unit 153, dehumidifying unit 156, airflow generation unit 152, drive motor 124, water supply valve 127, and drain valve 130. Furthermore, this control circuit unit 138 is also electrically connected to an operation panel 157 located on the upper part of the front wall of the housing 110 and operated by the user. The operating mode of the dryer 100 can be specified by operating the operation panel 157.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the control circuit unit 138 has a main control unit 158 ​​that controls the drive motor 124, the water supply valve 127, and the drain valve 130. The control circuit unit 138 also has a cooling control unit 162 that controls the dehumidification unit 156, a heating control unit 165 that controls the heating unit 153, and a circulation control unit 154 that controls the airflow generation unit 152 during the drying process. The heating control unit 165 is configured to perform feedback control to the heating unit 153 based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 155. For example, the heating control unit 165 can control the heating unit 153 by increasing or decreasing the compression ratio of the compressor of the heating unit 153, which is part of the heat pump system. The cooling control unit 162 is configured to perform feedback control to the dehumidification unit 156 based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161. For example, the cooling control unit 162 can control the dehumidification unit 156 by increasing or decreasing the expansion ratio of the expansion valve of the dehumidification unit 156, which is part of the heat pump system. In this embodiment, the cooling control unit 162 and the circulation control unit 154, together with the dehumidification unit 156, constitute a temperature control unit 163 that adjusts the temperature of the adsorbent 139.

[0034] The main control unit 158 ​​is configured to control the drive motor 124, water supply valve 127, and drain valve 130 according to a program corresponding to the operating mode specified by operation on the control panel 157, in order to sequentially execute the washing, rinsing, and dewatering processes. After the dewatering process, the main control unit 158 ​​notifies the cooling control unit 162, circulation control unit 154, and heating control unit 165 to start the drying process, and controls the drive motor 124 to obtain the rotation speed required for the drying process.

[0035] (Operation of the main control unit from the washing process to the dewatering process) During the washing process, the main control unit 158 ​​closes the drain valve 130 and opens the water supply valve 127 so that an amount of water corresponding to the amount of material to be dried is stored in the processing chamber 112. Then, with water stored in the processing chamber 112, the main control unit 158 ​​operates the drive motor 124 to agitate the material to be dried in the processing chamber 112.

[0036] During the rinsing process, the main control unit 158 ​​operates the drive motor 124 while controlling the water supply valve 127 and the drain valve 130 to agitate the items to be dried in the processing chamber 112, so that water is repeatedly stored in the processing chamber 112 and drained from the processing chamber 112. During the dewatering process, the main control unit 158 ​​closes the water supply valve 127 and opens the drain valve 130 to discharge water from the processing chamber 112. The main control unit 158 ​​then operates the drive motor 124 to rotate the rotating drum 115 at high speed. The centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating drum 115 causes water to be separated from the clothes by centrifugal force.

[0037] When the dewatering process is complete, the main control unit 158 ​​controls the drive motor 124 so that the rotation speed of the rotating drum 115 decreases from the rotation speed of the rotating drum 115 during the dewatering process, and notifies the cooling control unit 162, the circulation control unit 154, and the heating control unit 165 that the drying process has begun. Upon receiving this notification, the cooling control unit 162, the circulation control unit 154, and the heating control unit 165 activate the dehumidifying unit 156, the airflow generation unit 152, and the heating unit 153, respectively.

[0038] (Operation of the dryer during the drying process) The dryer 100 operates in the drying process as shown in Figure 3. Specifically, when the circulation control unit 154 and the heating control unit 165 receive notification from the main control unit 158 ​​that the drying process has started, they activate the airflow generation unit 152 and the heating unit 153, respectively (step S105). The cooling control unit 162 also activates the dehumidification unit 156 (step S105). The activation of the airflow generation unit 152 generates a circulating airflow within the dryer 100 that circulates through the processing chamber 112 and the circulating air passage 131. This circulating airflow is then heated in the heating unit 153 and cooled in the dehumidification unit 156.

[0039] For a while after the heating unit 153 is started, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 and the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent 139 are lower than the upper limit of the adsorption temperature range (Step S110: Yes). Therefore, the temperature detection unit 161 detects a temperature lower than the upper limit of the adsorption temperature range.

[0040] Furthermore, for a while after the heating unit 153 is started, the temperature inside the processing chamber 112 is below a predetermined control range set around the target temperature (Step S115: No). Therefore, the temperature detection unit 155 detects a temperature below the lower limit of this control range. In this case, the heating control unit 165 controls the heating unit 153 so that the amount of heat dissipated from the heating unit 153 increases (Step S120).

[0041] When heating by the heating unit 153 continues for a certain period, the temperature detection unit 155 detects a temperature within the control range (Step S115: Yes). In this case, the heating control unit 165 controls the heating unit 153 to maintain the amount of heat dissipated from the heating unit 153. If the predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process are not met (Step S125: No), the heating control unit 165 continues feedback control to the heating unit 153 (Steps S115, S120). If, during this feedback control, the temperature detection unit 155 detects a temperature exceeding the upper limit of the control range, the heating control unit 165 controls the heating unit 153 to reduce the amount of heat dissipated from the heating unit 153 (Step S120).

[0042] As the temperature of the air in the processing chamber 112 rises, air with a temperature exceeding the upper limit of the adsorption temperature range may flow into the dehumidification unit 156. In this state, if the dehumidification unit 156 is unable to sufficiently cool the air that has flowed into it, the temperature detection unit 161 may detect a temperature higher than the upper limit of the adsorption temperature range (Step S110: No). In this case, the cooling control unit 162 controls the dehumidification unit 156 so that its temperature decreases (Step S130). That is, the cooling control unit 162 and the dehumidification unit 156 perform a cooling process to further cool the air passing through the dehumidification unit 156 and the adsorbent material 139 in sequence. This cooling process continues until the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 falls within the adsorption temperature range (Steps S110, S130).

[0043] While the temperature detection unit 161 continues to control the temperature detected within the adsorption temperature range, the adsorbent 139 is exposed to air at the adsorption temperature range. As a result, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 also falls within the adsorption temperature range. Under these temperature conditions, the adsorbent 139 adsorbs moisture contained in the air. Therefore, air dehumidified by the dehumidification unit 156 and the adsorbent 139 flows into the heating unit 153. After this air is heated in the heating unit 153, it flows into the processing chamber 112, causing any moisture adhering to the object to be dried in the processing chamber 112 to evaporate into the air flowing into the processing chamber 112.

[0044] The air from which moisture has been removed from the object being dried passes through the dehumidification unit 156 and the adsorbent material 139 in sequence. This air is then dehumidified again by the dehumidification unit 156 and the adsorbent material 139.

[0045] When the termination condition for ending the drying process is met (step S125: Yes), a temperature-raising process is performed to allow the adsorbent 139 to reach the release temperature range. That is, in response to the satisfaction of the termination condition, the cooling control unit 162 stops the dehumidification unit 156 (step S135). For example, if the heating unit 153 and the dehumidification unit 156 constitute a heat pump device, the cooling control unit 162 stops the dehumidification unit 156 by causing the expansion valve of the heat pump device to stop expanding the refrigerant. The termination condition may also be that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the temperature of the air detected by the temperature detection unit 155 reached the target temperature. When this termination condition is met, the main control unit 158 ​​stops the drive motor 124.

[0046] In synchronization with the stopping of the dehumidification unit 156, the heating control unit 165 stops the heating unit 153, while the circulation control unit 154 controls the airflow generation unit 152 so that airflow generation continues (step S135). For example, if the heating unit 153 and the dehumidification unit 156 constitute a heat pump device, the heating control unit 165 stops the heating unit 153 by causing the compressor of the heat pump device to stop compressing the refrigerant.

[0047] Immediately after the heating unit 153 stops, the heating unit 153 is at a temperature close to the target temperature, while the dehumidifying unit 156 is at a temperature low enough to cause condensation. However, even after the heating unit 153 stops, the airflow generating unit 152 continues to generate airflow, so the dehumidifying unit 156 is warmed by this airflow. As a result, the temperature of the air after passing through the dehumidifying unit 156 rises after the heating unit 153 stops. Then, after some time has passed since the heating unit 153 stopped, the temperature of this air reaches the release temperature range (Step S140: Yes).

[0048] The adsorbent 139 is exposed to air that has passed through the dehumidification unit 156. Therefore, before the temperature of this air reaches the release temperature range, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 is also lower than the release temperature range, and no water is released from the adsorbent 139 (Step S140: No). Subsequently, when the air that has passed through the dehumidification unit 156 reaches the temperature of the release temperature range, the adsorbent 139 also reaches the temperature of the release temperature range, and the release of water from the adsorbent 139 begins (Step S140: Yes). The adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 is restored by the release of water. Since the water released from the adsorbent 139 is in the liquid phase, little water flows into the processing chamber 112 on the circulating airflow in the circulating air passage 131. Therefore, the drying object in the processing chamber 112 is prevented from becoming wet again by the water released from the adsorbent 139.

[0049] The temperature of the adsorbent 139 remains within the release temperature range for a while, but gradually decreases over time. That is, the temperature of the heating section 153 decreases over time, and as a result, the temperature of the air flowing into the dehumidifying section 156 and the temperature of the air flowing out of the dehumidifying section 156 and passing through the adsorbent 139 also decreases. The release of water from the adsorbent 139 stops when the temperature of the adsorbent 139 falls below the release temperature range. Also, even if the temperature of the adsorbent 139 is above the lower limit of the release temperature range, if this temperature is close to the lower limit of the release temperature range, the amount of water released from the adsorbent 139 may be small. It is undesirable for the airflow generation section 152 to continue generating airflow when there is no or little water release from the adsorbent 139. To avoid airflow generation by the airflow generation section 152 in such a state, the control shown in Figure 3 sets a threshold temperature above the lower limit of the release temperature range (step S145).

[0050] If the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 exceeds this threshold temperature (step S145: No), a certain amount of water is released from the adsorbent 139. Then, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 falls below this threshold temperature (step S145: Yes), the amount of water released from the adsorbent 139 is reduced, so the circulation control unit 154 stops the airflow generation unit 152 (step S150).

[0051] In the first embodiment of the dryer 100, since not only the dehumidifying section 156 but also the adsorbent 139 is provided, air can flow into the processing chamber 112 in a drier state. Therefore, the object to be dried in the processing chamber 112 can be dried in a short time.

[0052] The dehumidifying section 156 upstream of the adsorbent 139 cools the air to the point of causing condensation. As a result, the adsorbent 139 is exposed to air cooled by the dehumidifying section 156, and the temperature rise of the adsorbent 139 is suppressed. Since the adsorption temperature range in which the adsorbent 139 can exert its adsorption capacity is lower than the target temperature, the temperature rise suppression effect of the dehumidifying section 156 is suitable for maintaining the temperature of the adsorbent 139 within the adsorption temperature range. In particular, when the control shown in Figure 3 is performed, if the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent 139 rises above the adsorption temperature range (step S110: No), the temperature of the dehumidifying section 156 is lowered (step S130). As a result, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 can be maintained within the adsorption temperature range for a long period of time. In other words, the adsorbent 139 can exert its adsorption capacity for a long period of time.

[0053] To further suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent 139, the adsorbent 139 is positioned away from the heating unit 153. For example, the distance from the adsorbent 139 to the heating unit 153 is longer than the distance from the dehumidifying unit 156 to the adsorbent 139. Therefore, the adsorbent 139 is less likely to be exposed to the heat emitted from the heating unit 153.

[0054] Because the adsorbent 139 is provided downstream of the dehumidification unit 156, the adsorbent 139 is exposed to air that has been partially dehumidified by the dehumidification unit 156. Therefore, it takes time for the amount of moisture adsorbed by the adsorbent 139 to reach the maximum amount of moisture it can adsorb. Consequently, the adsorbent 139 can maintain its adsorption capacity over a long period of time.

[0055] The adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 is restored by the release of water from the adsorbent 139. The water is released from the adsorbent 139 when it reaches a temperature in the release temperature range, which is higher than the adsorption temperature range. In order to release water from the adsorbent 139, that is, to restore the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139, the adsorbent 139 is heated up, and the residual heat of the heating unit 153 after it has been stopped is used for this heating. Therefore, it is not necessary to generate additional heat to restore the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 in addition to the heat required to dry the object to be dried, and power saving of the dryer 100 can be achieved.

[0056] The water released from the adsorbent 139 is in the liquid phase, not the gas phase. If the water were released from the adsorbent 139 in the gas phase, this water could flow with the air and enter the processing chamber 112. In this case, the objects to be dried in the processing chamber 112 could be re-wetted by the water released from the adsorbent 139. On the other hand, if the water is released from the adsorbent 139 in the liquid phase, the amount of water flowing into the processing chamber 112 with the air will be less than when the water is released from the adsorbent 139 in the gas phase. Therefore, by configuring the adsorbent 139 to release water in the liquid phase, it is possible to suppress the re-wetting of the objects to be dried in the processing chamber 112.

[0057] The release temperature range in which water is released from the adsorbent 139 includes the target temperature set for drying the object to be dried (clothing or fabric products), and is lower than the release temperature range in which moisture is released from other adsorbents such as silica gel and zeolite. Therefore, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 can be restored by applying a lower amount of heat to the adsorbent 139 compared to when silica gel and zeolite are used as adsorbents. In other words, the adsorbent 139 used in the dryer 100 of this embodiment contracts when it reaches the release temperature range, seeping out liquid water and releasing the adsorbed moisture, so the amount of heat required for release is only the sensible heat. On the other hand, silica gel and zeolite release the adsorbed moisture by evaporation, so in addition to the sensible heat for temperature rise, latent heat of vaporization is also required, and a large amount of heat is needed to release the adsorbed moisture. Therefore, the adsorbent 139 of this embodiment does not evaporate the adsorbed moisture and can restore its adsorption capacity with a small amount of heat, thus contributing to power saving of the dryer 100.

[0058] In the dryer 100 shown in Figure 1, the temperature detection unit 161 can detect the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent 139. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, the temperature detection unit 161 may be provided in contact with the adsorbent 139 to detect the temperature of the adsorbent 139 itself. In this case, the temperature detection unit 161 can accurately detect the temperature of the adsorbent 139. As long as the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 can be considered as the temperature of the adsorbent 139, the temperature detection unit 161 can be placed at any position within the flow path section from the dehumidification unit 156 to the heating unit 153.

[0059] In the dryer 100 shown in Figure 1, the heating unit 153 and the dehumidifying unit 156 may or may not constitute a heat pump system. If the heating unit 153 and the dehumidifying unit 156 do not constitute a heat pump system, it becomes easier to control the heating unit 153 and the dehumidifying unit 156 independently. For this reason, for example, instead of the process in step S135 of Figure 3, the heating control unit 165 may perform control to continue heating by the heating unit 153 even after the dehumidifying unit 156 has stopped. Then, when the temperature detection unit 161 detects that the temperature of the air after passing through the dehumidifying unit 156 has reached the temperature of the release temperature range (step S140: Yes), the heating control unit 165 may stop the heating unit 153. As a result, the power consumption by the heating unit 153 increases, but the temperature of the air after passing through the dehumidifying unit 156 can reach the release temperature range in a shorter time than when the heating unit 153 is stopped, due to the continuation of heating by the heating unit 153.

[0060] If it is difficult to fix the adsorbent 139 to the circulating air passage 131 using only the adsorbent 139 (for example, if the adsorbent 139 is in particulate form), the adsorbent 139 may be housed in the housing case 140 shown in Figure 5. In this case, by fixing the housing case 140 to the circulating air passage 131, it becomes possible to position the adsorbent 139 at a predetermined location in the circulating air passage 131.

[0061] The housing case 140 has a roughly cylindrical case body 141 in which the adsorbent material 139 is housed. The case body 141 may be formed using an insulating material to prevent heat released from the heating unit 153 from being transferred to the adsorbent material 139. If an insulating material is used in the case body 141, heat transfer from the heating unit 153 to the adsorbent material 139 is suppressed, so the heating unit 153 may be placed close to the housing case 140 that houses the adsorbent material 139.

[0062] An inlet port 142, an outlet port 143, and a drain port 144 protrude from the case body 141. The inlet port 142 is connected to the portion of the circulating air passage 131 that is upstream of the housing case 140 in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage 131. The inlet port 142 forms an inlet 145 that extends substantially horizontally from one end face of the case body 141, and air can flow into the case body 141 through the inlet 145.

[0063] The outlet port 143 and drain port 144 protrude from the peripheral wall of the case body 141 near the other end face of the case body 141. The outlet port 143 extends upward from the case body 141 and forms an upward-opening outlet 146. The portion of the circulating air passage 131 that is downstream of the housing case 140 in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage 131 is connected to the outlet port 143. Air that flows into the case body 141 through the inlet 145 of the inlet port 142 flows out through the outlet 146 of the outlet port 143.

[0064] The drain port 144 extends downward from the case body 141 and forms a downward-opening drain outlet 147. The drain port 144 is provided to allow the liquid seeping from the adsorbent 139 to drain from the case body 141, and a drain tube (not shown) can be attached to the drain port 144 to guide this liquid outside the dryer 100. An on-off valve may be attached to this drain tube. This on-off valve can be controlled by the control circuit unit 138 to close the flow path of the drain tube until the conditions for ending the drying process are met, and then open the flow path of the drain tube when these conditions are met.

[0065] Until the conditions for the end of the drying process are met, air cooled by the dehumidifier 156 flows into the containment case 140 through the inlet port 142. The adsorbent 139 contained in the containment case 140 adsorbs the moisture contained in this air. As a result, the adsorbent 139 swells inside the containment case 140.

[0066] After the drying process completion conditions are met, air at the release temperature range flows into the containment case 140 through the inlet port 142, and the adsorbent 139 inside the containment case 140 reaches the release temperature range. Under these temperature conditions, water seeps out of the adsorbent 139, causing it to contract. The water seeped out of the adsorbent 139 is drained through the outlet 147 of the containment case 140. As a result of the release of water from the adsorbent 139, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 is restored.

[0067] At this time, the air that has entered the containment case 140 is at a relatively high temperature, so it is more likely to flow out from the upward-opening outlet port 143 than from the downward-facing outlet port 147. As a result, a state is achieved where liquid water flows out from the outlet port 147 and air flows out from the outlet port 146. In other words, the containment case 140 promotes gas-liquid separation. As a result, the return of liquid water released from the adsorbent 139 to the treatment chamber 112 is suppressed.

[0068] To enhance this gas-liquid separation effect, the case body 141 may be tilted, as shown in Figure 6, so that the connection point with the drain port 144 is the lowest point within the case body 141. In this case, the liquid seeping from the adsorbent 139 flows within the case body 141 towards the outlet 147 of the drain port 144. As a result, the discharge of liquid from the containment case 140 is promoted.

[0069] To suppress the outflow of moisture through the outlet 146, a gas-liquid separator 159 may be provided inside the outlet port 143 of the containment case 140, as shown in Figure 7, provided that it does not create excessive resistance to the air passing through the outlet 146. This gas-liquid separator 159 may be composed of a fiber bundle or membrane that allows air to pass through while adsorbing moisture contained in the air. In this case, even if the liquid seeping from the adsorbent 139 evaporates due to the heat of the air, the outflow of this evaporated moisture from the containment case 140 through the outlet 146 is suppressed.

[0070] As described above, the dryer 100 according to one aspect of the above embodiment is configured to dry an object to be dried. The dryer 100 includes a heating unit 153 that heats air toward a predetermined target temperature for drying the object to be dried, a processing chamber 112 for drying the object to be dried, a circulating air passage 131 connected to the processing chamber 112 so that air flowing out of the processing chamber 112 returns to the processing chamber 112, an airflow generating unit 152 that generates a circulating airflow of air circulating through the processing chamber 112 and the circulating air passage 131, and a special function that restores the adsorption capacity by adsorbing moisture in an adsorption temperature range lower than the target temperature, while releasing moisture in a release temperature range that includes the target temperature. The system includes an adsorbent 139 having the properties of adsorption and positioned upstream of the heating unit 153 in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage 131; a temperature detection unit 161 that detects the temperature of the adsorbent 139 or the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent 139; and a temperature adjustment unit 163 that, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 exceeds the adsorption temperature range during the drying process for drying the object to be dried, performs a cooling process to cool the adsorbent 139 or the air passing through the adsorbent 139 so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 falls within the adsorption temperature range. The temperature adjustment unit 163, provided that predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process are met, performs a temperature increase process to allow the adsorbent 139 to rise in temperature to the release temperature range by utilizing the residual heat from heating in the heating unit 153 during the drying process.

[0071] In the configuration described above, when the dryer 100 is in operation, air is circulated through the processing chamber 112 and the circulation air passage 131 by the airflow generation unit 152. During this time, the air is heated by the heating unit 153, and the temperature of the air gradually rises toward the target temperature for drying the object to be dried. If the air heated by the heating unit 153 flows into the circulation air passage 131 without temperature adjustment by the temperature control unit 163, the adsorbent 139 will be exposed to the heated air and may reach the temperature within the release temperature range. In this case, moisture will be released from the adsorbent 139, and this moisture may hinder the drying of the object to be dried in the processing chamber 112. To avoid such a situation, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 during the drying process exceeds the adsorption temperature range, the temperature control unit 163 performs a cooling process to cool the adsorbent 139 or the air passing through the adsorbent 139 so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 falls within the adsorption temperature range. As a result, the adsorbent 139 can continue to exhibit its adsorption capacity to adsorb moisture during the drying process.

[0072] After the drying process is completed, it is preferable for the adsorbent 139 to regain its adsorption capacity for adsorbing moisture. For this reason, when the predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process are met, the temperature control unit 163 performs a temperature-raising process to allow the adsorbent 139 to rise in temperature. This temperature increase utilizes the residual heat from heating the heating unit 153 during the drying process, thus saving power for the dryer 100. Furthermore, since the release temperature range of the adsorbent 139 includes the target temperature for drying the object to be dried, the adsorbent 139 can reach the temperature in the release temperature range due to the residual heat from heating the heating unit 153 during the drying process. Under these temperature conditions, moisture is released from the adsorbent 139. By releasing moisture from the adsorbent 139, the adsorbent 139 recovers its adsorption capacity and can exhibit its adsorption capacity in the next drying process.

[0073] In the above configuration, the temperature control unit 163 may include a dehumidifying unit 156 that dehumidifies the air by cooling the air upstream of the adsorbent 139 in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage 131 to cause condensation, and a cooling control unit 162 that, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 during the drying process exceeds the adsorption temperature range, lowers the temperature of the dehumidifying unit 156 to keep the temperature of the air passing through the adsorbent 139 within the adsorption temperature range.

[0074] In the above configuration, the dehumidifying unit 156 cools the air to the point of causing condensation, thus suppressing the temperature rise of the adsorbent 139, which is located downstream of the dehumidifying unit 156 and upstream of the heating unit 153. Furthermore, since the air is dehumidified by the dehumidifying unit 156 before passing through the adsorbent 139, the adsorbent 139 adsorbs the moisture contained in the air that has been dehumidified by the dehumidifying unit 156. For this reason, the amount of moisture adsorbed by the adsorbent 139 does not easily reach the maximum amount of moisture that the adsorbent 139 can adsorb.

[0075] The air dehumidified by the dehumidification unit 156 and the adsorbent 139 is heated by the heating unit 153 and then flows into the processing chamber 112. This air removes moisture from the object to be dried, allowing the object to be dried in a short time.

[0076] If the air temperature exceeds the adsorption temperature range after passing through the dehumidification unit 156, the temperature detection unit 161 may detect a temperature above the adsorption temperature range from the adsorbent material 139 or the air surrounding the adsorbent material 139. In this case, the cooling control unit 162 controls the dehumidification unit 156 so that its temperature decreases. As a result, the temperature of the air after passing through the dehumidification unit 156, and consequently the temperature of the adsorbent material 139, decreases. Then, due to the cooling of the adsorbent material 139, its temperature is brought within the adsorption temperature range.

[0077] In the above configuration, the dryer 100 may further include a heating control unit 165 that stops heating by the heating unit 153 when the termination conditions are met. The temperature adjustment unit 163 may have a circulation control unit 154 that controls the airflow generation unit 152 so that the generation of circulating airflow by the airflow generation unit 152 is maintained even when the termination conditions are met. The cooling control unit 162 may be configured to stop the dehumidification unit 156 when the termination conditions are met.

[0078] In the above configuration, when the conditions for ending the drying process are met, the heating unit 153 stops heating, but the generation of circulating airflow by the airflow generation unit 152 is maintained. The temperature of this circulating airflow is at or close to the target temperature due to the heating by the heating unit 153 before the conditions for ending the process are met. As this air flows through the circulating air passage 131, the dehumidifying unit 156 is stopped, so the adsorbent material 139 is heated by the air and can reach a temperature within the release temperature range. At this temperature, the adsorbent material 139 releases moisture, and its adsorption capacity is restored. In other words, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent material 139 can be restored by utilizing the residual heat of the air after the conditions for ending the process are met. Therefore, it is not necessary to generate additional heat to restore the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent material 139 in addition to the heat required to dry the object to be dried, and power saving of the dryer 100 can be achieved.

[0079] In the above configuration, the circulation control unit 154 may be configured to stop the airflow generation unit 152 on the condition that the temperature detection unit 161 detects that the air temperature has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature that is above the lower limit of the discharge temperature range after the termination condition has been met.

[0080] In the above configuration, when the heating unit 153 is stopped, the air temperature gradually decreases. When the air temperature falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 also falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, and no moisture is released from the adsorbent 139. In this state, even if air passes over the adsorbent 139, it does not contribute to the recovery of the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139. For this reason, the circulation control unit 154 stops the airflow generation unit 152 when the air temperature falls below a threshold temperature set to be above the lower limit of the release temperature range. If the threshold temperature is set to a value greater than the lower limit of the release temperature range, the airflow generation unit 152 will stop earlier, and power consumption in the airflow generation unit 152 will be suppressed.

[0081] In the above configuration, the adsorbent 139 may be arranged in the circulating air passage 131 such that the distance from the adsorbent 139 to the heating section 153 is greater than the distance from the dehumidifying section 156 to the adsorbent 139.

[0082] In the above configuration, the distance from the adsorbent 139 to the heating unit 153 is greater than the distance from the dehumidifying unit 156 to the adsorbent 139, so the heat transferred from the heating unit 153 to the adsorbent 139 may be small. Therefore, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 is less likely to exceed the adsorption temperature range.

[0083] In the above configuration, the adsorbent 139 may be configured such that when it reaches the temperature in the release temperature range, water, which is moisture in a liquid phase, seeps out from the adsorbent 139.

[0084] If moisture is released from the adsorbent 139 in a gaseous state, after the termination condition is met, the moisture may return to the treatment chamber 112 on the air circulating through the circulating air passage 131 and the treatment chamber 112. To suppress such moisture, in the above configuration, the adsorbent 139 is configured such that when it reaches the temperature in the release temperature range, liquid water seeps out from the adsorbent 139.

[0085] In the above configuration, the dryer 100 may further include a storage case 140 configured to house the adsorbent 139. The storage case 140 may have an inlet 145 through which air flows in, an outlet 146 through which the air that has passed through the adsorbent 139 flows out, and a downward-facing outlet 147 that allows the liquid seeping out from the adsorbent 139 to flow down.

[0086] In the configuration described above, air enters the containment case 140 through the inlet 145 and exits the containment case 140 through the outlet 146. During this time, when the adsorbent 139 reaches the release temperature range due to the heat of the air, water seeps out of the adsorbent 139, but this water flows down through the outlet 147. As a result, the return of water to the treatment chamber 112 along with the air exiting from the outlet 146 of the containment case 140 is suppressed.

[0087] In the above configuration, the outlet 146 may be open upward.

[0088] In the above configuration, since the outlet 146 opens upward, heated air is easily discharged from the containment case 140 through the outlet 146. On the other hand, since liquid water tends to flow downward due to gravity, separation of liquid water and air in the containment case 140 is promoted.

[0089] In the above configuration, the dryer 100 may further include a gas-liquid separation unit 159 that allows the passage of air flowing out from the outlet 146, while restricting the passage of moisture contained in this air.

[0090] In the configuration described above, the flow of moisture contained in the air discharged from the outlet 146 into the processing chamber 112 is restricted by the gas-liquid separation unit 159.

[0091] In the above configuration, the storage case 140 may be formed using an insulating material that suppresses heat transfer to the adsorbent material 139 inside the storage case 140.

[0092] In the above configuration, if the housing case 140 is located near the heating unit 153, the housing case 140 may receive heat from the heating unit 153. However, since the housing case 140 is made using an insulating material, the transfer of heat from the heating unit 153 to the adsorbent material 139 inside the housing case 140 is suppressed.

[0093] (Second Embodiment) In the control shown in Figure 3, after the dehumidification unit 156 and heating unit 153 are stopped, it takes a certain amount of time for the adsorbent 139 to reach the release temperature range (step S140). To shorten this time, the airflow generation unit 152 may be configured to switch the direction of the circulating airflow in the circulating air passage unit 131 from a forward direction from the exhaust port 122 to the intake port 123 to a reverse direction from the intake port 123 to the exhaust port 122. When the direction of the circulating airflow is forward, the air passes sequentially through the dehumidification unit 156, adsorbent 139, heating unit 153, and processing chamber 112. When the direction of the circulating airflow is reverse, the air passes sequentially through the processing chamber 112, heating unit 153, adsorbent 139, and dehumidification unit 156. In this case, the control shown in Figure 8 may be executed. In the control shown in Figure 8, the process until the termination condition of the drying process is met is the same as the control shown in Figure 3. Before this termination condition is met (i.e., during the period in which the drying process to dry the object is being carried out), the air flows in the forward direction.

[0094] When the conditions for the end of the drying process are met, the cooling control unit 162 stops the dehumidifying unit 156, and the heating control unit 165 stops the heating unit 153 (step S137). At this time, the circulation control unit 154 switches the direction of the circulating airflow from forward to reverse (step S137). This switch allows the air that has passed through the heating unit 153 to come into contact with the adsorbent 139 without passing through the processing chamber 112 and the dehumidifying unit 156. Immediately after the heating unit 153 stops (step S137), the temperature of the air is at or close to the target temperature. Since the release temperature range in which the adsorbent 139 releases water is within this target temperature range, the adsorbent 139 is exposed to air at the release temperature range immediately after the heating unit 153 stops. Therefore, the adsorbent 139 can reach the release temperature range immediately after the heating unit 153 stops. In other words, the release of water from the adsorbent 139 may begin immediately after the heating unit 153 stops.

[0095] Furthermore, for the following reasons, switching the direction of the circulating airflow from forward to reverse can accelerate the timing of water release from the adsorbent 139. That is, if the direction of the circulating airflow is maintained in the forward direction even after the conditions for completion of the drying process are met, the air that has passed through the heating unit 153 will sequentially pass through the processing chamber 112, the dehumidifying unit 156, and the adsorbent 139. The object to be dried in the processing chamber 112 may still contain moisture even after the conditions for completion of the drying process are met, and when this moisture evaporates, heat is removed from the air. In addition, the air that has passed through the processing chamber 112 has heat removed by the residual heat from the cooling during the drying process by the dehumidifying unit 156. As the adsorbent 139 is then exposed to the air from which heat has been removed, it takes time for the adsorbent 139 to reach the temperature of the release temperature range.

[0096] On the other hand, when the direction of the circulating airflow is switched from forward to reverse, the adsorbent 139 is exposed to air before the evaporation of moisture remaining in the object being dried and the cooling caused by the dehumidifier 156 occur, even after the conditions for the end of the drying process have been met. As a result, the adsorbent 139 can reach the release temperature range in a short time.

[0097] After the heating unit 153 is stopped, the temperature of the heating unit 153 gradually decreases. Also, after the adsorbent 139 reaches the temperature in the release temperature range, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 gradually decreases in line with the decrease in the temperature of the heating unit 153. When the temperature of the adsorbent 139 falls below the threshold temperature (step S145: Yes), the circulation control unit 154 stops the airflow generation unit 152 (step S150).

[0098] In the control shown in Figure 8, the dehumidifier 156 stops in synchronization with the stopping of the heating unit 153 (step S137). In this case, compared to the case where the dehumidifier 156 continues to cool the air after the heating unit 153 stops, the period during which the temperature of the air flowing in the opposite direction, and consequently the temperature of the adsorbent 139, remains within the release temperature range is extended. Therefore, the amount of water released from the adsorbent 139 may increase. Thus, by stopping the heating unit 153 and the dehumidifier 156 in synchronization with each other, the amount of water released from the adsorbent 139 can be increased. However, for the following reasons, the dehumidifier 156 may continue to cool the air even after the heating unit 153 stops, as shown in Figure 9 (step S139).

[0099] In other words, some of the water released from the adsorbent 139 can evaporate into the air flowing over the adsorbent 139. If the dehumidifier 156 continues to cool the air, the water evaporated into the air can condense in the dehumidifier 156. Therefore, compared to the case where the dehumidifier 156 is stopped in synchronization with the stopping of the heating unit 153, the amount of water flowing into the processing chamber 112 may be less.

[0100] In the control shown in Figure 9, the dehumidification unit 156 is stopped in synchronization with the stopping of the airflow generation unit 152. That is, when the temperature of the adsorbent material 139 falls below the threshold temperature (step S145: Yes), the dehumidification unit 156 is stopped (step S155).

[0101] In the control shown in Figure 9, even if water in a gaseous state is released from the adsorbent 139, this water can be captured by the dehumidifier 156. For this reason, an adsorbent 139 that releases water in a gaseous state may be used. For example, the adsorbent 139 may be acrylic acid, acrylate, polyacrylic acid, or polyacrylate.

[0102] Instead of switching the direction of the circulating airflow from forward to reverse, the dryer 100 may be configured to allow switching of the circulating airflow path, although this is not shown in the figure. For example, the dryer 100 may have another circulating airflow path that circulates through the heating section 153 and the adsorbent 139 without passing through the processing chamber 112 and the dehumidifying section 156, and an airflow path switching section that switches the flow path of the circulating airflow between the circulating airflow path 131 and the other circulating airflow path. The control circuit unit 138 shown in Figure 2 may be provided with a switching control unit that switches this airflow path switching unit as follows: In the drying process, this switching control unit controls the airflow path switching unit so that the circulating airflow flows through the circulating airflow path 131. When the conditions for the end of the drying process are met, the airflow path switching unit is controlled so that the circulating airflow flows through the other circulating airflow path. This prevents heat from being taken from the air by the object being dried in the processing chamber 112 or by the dehumidifying section 156.

[0103] As described above, the dryer 100 according to one aspect of the second embodiment is configured to dry an object to be dried. The dryer 100 includes a heating unit 153 that heats air toward a predetermined target temperature for drying the object to be dried, a processing chamber 112 for drying the object to be dried, a circulating air passage 131 connected to the processing chamber 112 so that air flowing out of the processing chamber 112 returns to the processing chamber 112, an airflow generating unit 152 that generates a circulating airflow of air circulating through the processing chamber 112 and the circulating air passage 131, and a special function that recovers its adsorption capacity by adsorbing moisture in an adsorption temperature range lower than the target temperature, while releasing moisture in a release temperature range that includes the target temperature. The system includes an adsorbent 139 having the properties of adsorption and positioned upstream of the heating unit 153 in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage 131; a temperature detection unit 161 that detects the temperature of the adsorbent 139 or the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent 139; and a temperature adjustment unit 163 that, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 exceeds the adsorption temperature range during the drying process for drying the object to be dried, performs a cooling process to cool the adsorbent 139 or the air passing through the adsorbent 139 so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 falls within the adsorption temperature range. The temperature adjustment unit 163, provided that predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process are met, performs a temperature increase process to allow the adsorbent 139 to rise in temperature to the release temperature range by utilizing the residual heat from heating in the heating unit 153 during the drying process.

[0104] In the configuration described above, when the dryer 100 is in operation, air is circulated through the processing chamber 112 and the circulation air passage 131 by the airflow generation unit 152. During this time, the air is heated by the heating unit 153, and the temperature of the air gradually rises toward the target temperature for drying the object to be dried. If the air heated by the heating unit 153 flows into the circulation air passage 131 without temperature adjustment by the temperature control unit 163, the adsorbent 139 will be exposed to the heated air and may reach the temperature within the release temperature range. In this case, moisture will be released from the adsorbent 139, and this moisture may hinder the drying of the object to be dried in the processing chamber 112. To avoid such a situation, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 during the drying process exceeds the adsorption temperature range, the temperature control unit 163 performs a cooling process to cool the adsorbent 139 or the air passing through the adsorbent 139 so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 falls within the adsorption temperature range. As a result, the adsorbent 139 can continue to exhibit its adsorption capacity to adsorb moisture during the drying process.

[0105] After the drying process is completed, it is preferable for the adsorbent 139 to regain its adsorption capacity for adsorbing moisture. For this reason, when the predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process are met, the temperature control unit 163 performs a temperature-raising process to allow the adsorbent 139 to rise in temperature. This temperature increase utilizes the residual heat from heating the heating unit 153 during the drying process, thus saving power for the dryer 100. Furthermore, since the release temperature range of the adsorbent 139 includes the target temperature for drying the object to be dried, the adsorbent 139 can reach the temperature in the release temperature range due to the residual heat from heating the heating unit 153 during the drying process. Under these temperature conditions, moisture is released from the adsorbent 139. By releasing moisture from the adsorbent 139, the adsorbent 139 recovers its adsorption capacity and can exhibit its adsorption capacity in the next drying process.

[0106] In the above configuration, the temperature control unit 163 may include a dehumidifying unit 156 that dehumidifies the air by cooling the air upstream of the adsorbent 139 in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage 131 to cause condensation, and a cooling control unit 162 that, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 during the drying process exceeds the adsorption temperature range, lowers the temperature of the dehumidifying unit 156 to keep the temperature of the air passing through the adsorbent 139 within the adsorption temperature range.

[0107] In the above configuration, the dehumidifying unit 156 cools the air to the point of causing condensation, thus suppressing the temperature rise of the adsorbent 139, which is located downstream of the dehumidifying unit 156 and upstream of the heating unit 153. Furthermore, since the air is dehumidified by the dehumidifying unit 156 before passing through the adsorbent 139, the adsorbent 139 adsorbs the moisture contained in the air that has been dehumidified by the dehumidifying unit 156. For this reason, the amount of moisture adsorbed by the adsorbent 139 does not easily reach the maximum amount of moisture that the adsorbent 139 can adsorb.

[0108] The air dehumidified by the dehumidification unit 156 and the adsorbent 139 is heated by the heating unit 153 and then flows into the processing chamber 112. This air removes moisture from the object to be dried, allowing the object to be dried in a short time.

[0109] If the air temperature exceeds the adsorption temperature range after passing through the dehumidification unit 156, the temperature detection unit 161 may detect a temperature above the adsorption temperature range from the adsorbent material 139 or the air surrounding the adsorbent material 139. In this case, the cooling control unit 162 controls the dehumidification unit 156 so that its temperature decreases. As a result, the temperature of the air after passing through the dehumidification unit 156, and consequently the temperature of the adsorbent material 139, decreases. Then, due to the cooling of the adsorbent material 139, its temperature is brought within the adsorption temperature range.

[0110] In the above configuration, the dryer 100 may further include a heating control unit 165 that stops heating by the heating unit 153 when the termination conditions are met. The temperature adjustment unit 163 may have a circulation control unit 154 that controls the airflow generation unit 152 so that the direction of air circulation switches from a forward direction, passing sequentially through the dehumidifying unit 156, the adsorbent 139, and the heating unit 153, to a reverse direction, passing sequentially through the heating unit 153, the adsorbent 139, and the dehumidifying unit 156, when the termination conditions are met.

[0111] In the above configuration, the heating unit 153 stops when the drying process completion conditions are met. However, due to heating before the completion conditions are met, the heating unit 153 itself is at a high temperature, and the air temperature is also high. At this time, the direction of the circulating airflow is switched to the opposite direction, so the adsorbent 139 is exposed to the high-temperature air and can reach the temperature within the release temperature range. When the adsorbent 139 reaches the temperature within the release temperature range, moisture is released from the adsorbent 139, and the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 is restored. In other words, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 can be restored by utilizing the residual heat of the heating unit 153 after the completion conditions have been met. Therefore, it is not necessary to generate additional heat to restore the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 in addition to the heat required to dry the object to be dried, and power saving of the dryer 100 can be achieved.

[0112] In the above configuration, the cooling control unit 162 may be configured to stop the dehumidification unit 156 when the termination condition is met.

[0113] In the above configuration, after the termination conditions are met, the air passes through the adsorbent 139 and then through the dehumidifier 156. However, since the dehumidifier 156 is stopped at this time, the cooling of the air by the dehumidifier 156 can be suppressed. As a result, the air can pass through the heating unit 153, the adsorbent 139, and the dehumidifier 156 again in sequence while maintaining a relatively high temperature. Therefore, the adsorbent 139 can maintain a temperature within the release temperature range for a certain period of time.

[0114] In the above configuration, the circulation control unit 154 may be configured to stop the airflow generation unit 152 on the condition that the temperature detection unit 161 detects that the air temperature has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature that is above the lower limit of the discharge temperature range after the termination condition has been met.

[0115] In the above configuration, when the heating unit 153 is stopped, the air temperature gradually decreases. When the air temperature falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 also falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, and no moisture is released from the adsorbent 139. In this state, even if air passes over the adsorbent 139, it does not contribute to the recovery of the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139. For this reason, the circulation control unit 154 stops the airflow generation unit 152 when the air temperature falls below a threshold temperature set to be above the lower limit of the release temperature range. If the threshold temperature is set to a value greater than the lower limit of the release temperature range, the airflow generation unit 152 will stop earlier, and power consumption in the airflow generation unit 152 will be suppressed.

[0116] In the above configuration, the cooling control unit 162 may be configured to stop the dehumidification unit 156 on the condition that the temperature detection unit 161 detects that the air temperature has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature equal to or greater than the lower limit of the discharge temperature range after the termination condition has been met.

[0117] In the above configuration, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 can be restored by using the residual heat of the air after the termination conditions have been met to release moisture from the adsorbent 139. Therefore, it is not necessary to generate additional heat to restore the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 in addition to the heat required to dry the object to be dried, and power saving of the dryer 100 can be achieved.

[0118] The adsorbent 139 can continue to release moisture until the air temperature falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range after the conditions for the end of the drying process have been met. This moisture can then flow into the dehumidifier 156 along with the air that flows from the adsorbent 139 to the dehumidifier 156 after the conditions for the end of the drying process have been met. To remove this moisture, the dehumidifier 156 continues to operate for the period after the conditions for the end of the drying process have been met and until the temperature detection unit 161 detects that the air temperature has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature that is above the lower limit of the release temperature range. If the threshold temperature is set to a value greater than the lower limit of the release temperature range, the dehumidifier 156 will stop earlier, and power consumption in the dehumidifier 156 will be suppressed.

[0119] In the above configuration, the circulation control unit 154 may be configured to stop the airflow generation unit 152 in synchronization with the cooling control unit 162 stopping the dehumidification unit 156.

[0120] In the above configuration, the heating unit 153 remains stopped for a while after the termination conditions are met, while the dehumidifying unit 156 continues to cool the air. As a result, the air temperature drops after the termination conditions are met, falling below the lower limit of the release temperature range. As the air temperature decreases, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 also falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, and no moisture is released from the adsorbent 139. In this state, even if the airflow generation unit 152 circulates the air, it does not contribute to the recovery of the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139. Therefore, the circulation control unit 154 stops the airflow generation unit 152 when the air temperature falls below a threshold temperature set to be above the lower limit of the release temperature range. If the threshold temperature is set to a value greater than the lower limit of the release temperature range, the airflow generation unit 152 will stop earlier, and power consumption in the airflow generation unit 152 will be suppressed.

[0121] When the airflow generation unit 152 stops, air does not pass through the dehumidification unit 156. Since the operation of the dehumidification unit 156 is wasted in this state, the dehumidification unit 156 and the airflow generation unit 152 are stopped in sync with each other.

[0122] In the above configuration, the adsorbent 139 may be arranged in the circulating air passage 131 such that the distance from the adsorbent 139 to the heating section 153 is greater than the distance from the dehumidifying section 156 to the adsorbent 139.

[0123] In the above configuration, the distance from the adsorbent 139 to the heating unit 153 is greater than the distance from the dehumidifying unit 156 to the adsorbent 139, so the heat transferred from the heating unit 153 to the adsorbent 139 may be small. Therefore, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 is less likely to exceed the adsorption temperature range.

[0124] In the above configuration, the adsorbent 139 may be configured such that when it reaches the temperature in the release temperature range, water, which is moisture in a liquid phase, seeps out from the adsorbent 139.

[0125] If moisture is released from the adsorbent 139 in a gaseous state, after the termination condition is met, the moisture may return to the treatment chamber 112 on the air circulating through the circulating air passage 131 and the treatment chamber 112. To suppress such moisture, in the above configuration, the adsorbent 139 is configured such that when it reaches the temperature in the release temperature range, liquid water seeps out from the adsorbent 139.

[0126] In the above configuration, the dryer 100 may further include a storage case 140 configured to house the adsorbent 139. The storage case 140 may have an inlet 145 through which air flows in, an outlet 146 through which the air that has passed through the adsorbent 139 flows out, and a downward-facing outlet 147 that allows the liquid seeping out from the adsorbent 139 to flow down.

[0127] In the configuration described above, air enters the containment case 140 through the inlet 145 and exits the containment case 140 through the outlet 146. During this time, when the adsorbent 139 reaches the release temperature range due to the heat of the air, water seeps out of the adsorbent 139, but this water flows down through the outlet 147. As a result, the return of water to the treatment chamber 112 along with the air exiting from the outlet 146 of the containment case 140 is suppressed.

[0128] In the above configuration, the outlet 146 may be open upward.

[0129] In the above configuration, since the outlet 146 opens upward, heated air is easily discharged from the containment case 140 through the outlet 146. On the other hand, since liquid water tends to flow downward due to gravity, separation of liquid water and air in the containment case 140 is promoted.

[0130] In the above configuration, the dryer 100 may further include a gas-liquid separation unit 159 that allows the passage of air flowing out from the outlet 146, while restricting the passage of moisture contained in this air.

[0131] In the configuration described above, the flow of moisture contained in the air discharged from the outlet 146 into the processing chamber 112 is restricted by the gas-liquid separation unit 159.

[0132] In the above configuration, the storage case 140 may be formed using an insulating material that suppresses heat transfer to the adsorbent material 139 inside the storage case 140.

[0133] In the above configuration, if the housing case 140 is located near the heating unit 153, the housing case 140 may receive heat from the heating unit 153. However, since the housing case 140 is made using an insulating material, the transfer of heat from the heating unit 153 to the adsorbent material 139 inside the housing case 140 is suppressed.

[0134] (Third embodiment) In the first and second embodiments, the temperature control unit 163 of the dryer 100 keeps the temperature of the adsorbent 139 within the adsorption temperature range by cooling the air flowing through the circulating air passage 131. Alternatively, the temperature control unit 163 may be configured to cool the adsorbent 139 itself. That is, as shown in Figure 10, the temperature control unit 163 has a cooler 164 configured to cool the adsorbent 139 while in contact with it. This cooler 164 may be made of, for example, a Peltier element and is controlled by a cooling control unit 162 as shown in Figure 11. The temperature detection unit 161 used for control by the cooling control unit 162 is configured to detect the temperature of the adsorbent 139 itself, rather than the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent 139, as shown in Figure 10.

[0135] Since the adsorbent 139 shown in Figure 10 is cooled by the cooler 164, if the adsorbent 139 alone can remove a sufficient amount of moisture from the air, the dryer 100 does not need to have a dehumidifying section 156, as shown in Figures 10 and 11. In this case, the heating section 153 may be composed of, for example, a heater.

[0136] In the third embodiment, the heating control unit 165 and the circulation control unit 154 of the dryer 100 can perform the same control on the heating unit 153 and the airflow generation unit 152 as shown in Figure 3.

[0137] During the period from the start of the drying process until the conditions for the end of the drying process are met, air at the target temperature or close to the target temperature flows through the circulating air passage 131. During this time, the cooling control unit 162 provides feedback control to the cooler 164 to ensure that the temperature of the adsorbent 139 remains within the adsorption temperature range. As a result, the adsorbent 139 adsorbs moisture contained in the air passing through it, and low-humidity air flows into the processing chamber 112. This allows the objects to be dried in the processing chamber 112 to be dried in a short time.

[0138] When the conditions for the end of the drying process are met, the cooling control unit 162 stops the cooler 164 in synchronization with the stopping of the heating unit 153. During this time, the airflow generation unit 152 continues to generate a circulating airflow, so the adsorbent 139 is warmed by this circulating airflow and reaches the temperature within the release temperature range. When the adsorbent 139 reaches the temperature within the release temperature range, it releases water. This restores the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139. Since the water released from the adsorbent 139 is in the liquid phase, little water flows into the processing chamber 112 on the circulating airflow in the circulating air passage 131. Therefore, the drying material in the processing chamber 112 is prevented from becoming wet again by the water released from the adsorbent 139.

[0139] In the dryer 100 of the third embodiment, the airflow generation unit 152 may be configured to switch the flow direction of the circulating airflow from forward to reverse. When the conditions for the end of the drying process are met, if the flow direction of the circulating airflow is switched from forward to reverse, the air that has passed through the heating unit 153 can come into contact with the adsorbent 139 without passing through the processing chamber 112.

[0140] If the circulating airflow direction is maintained in the forward direction even after the conditions for the end of the drying process are met, the air that has passed through the heating unit 153 will sequentially pass through the processing chamber 112 and the adsorbent 139. The object to be dried in the processing chamber 112 may still contain moisture even after the conditions for the end of the drying process are met, and when this moisture evaporates, heat is removed from the air. As the adsorbent 139 is then exposed to the air from which heat has been removed, it takes time for the adsorbent 139 to reach the temperature within the release temperature range.

[0141] On the other hand, when the direction of the circulating airflow is switched from forward to reverse, the adsorbent 139 is exposed to air before the temperature drops due to the evaporation of moisture remaining in the object being dried, even after the conditions for the end of the drying process have been met. As a result, the adsorbent 139 can reach the release temperature range in a short time.

[0142] In the dryer 100 of the third embodiment, the adsorbent 139 may be housed in the storage case 140 shown in Figures 5 to 7.

[0143] To improve the drying efficiency of the material to be dried, the dryer 100 may have a dehumidifier 156 in addition to the cooler 164. In this case, the cooling control unit 162 is configured to control not only the cooler 164 but also the dehumidifier 156. The control of the dehumidifier 156 may be the same as that shown in Figure 3 or Figure 9.

[0144] The dryer 100 in the first to third embodiments is configured as a drum-type washing machine. Alternatively, the dryer 100 may be configured as a top-loading washing machine.

[0145] The dryer 100 in the first to third embodiments has not only the function of drying clothes or fabric products, but also the function of washing clothes or fabric products. Alternatively, the dryer 100 may have only the function of drying clothes or fabric products and not the function of washing clothes or fabric products. In this case, the dryer 100 does not need to have a water supply unit 125.

[0146] The dryer 100 of the first to third embodiments dries clothing or textile products as the object to be dried. Alternatively, the dryer 100 may be configured to dry dishes. Since dishes are not as susceptible to deterioration from the heat of the air as clothing or textile products, when the technology of this disclosure is applied to a dishwasher, the target temperature may be higher than the target temperature set for drying clothing or textile products.

[0147] As described above, the dryer 100 according to one aspect of the third embodiment is configured to dry an object to be dried. The dryer 100 includes a heating unit 153 that heats air toward a predetermined target temperature for drying the object to be dried, a processing chamber 112 for drying the object to be dried, a circulating air passage 131 connected to the processing chamber 112 so that air flowing out of the processing chamber 112 returns to the processing chamber 112, an airflow generating unit 152 that generates a circulating airflow of air circulating through the processing chamber 112 and the circulating air passage 131, and a special function that restores the adsorption capacity by adsorbing moisture in an adsorption temperature range lower than the target temperature, while releasing moisture in a release temperature range that includes the target temperature. The system includes an adsorbent 139 having the properties of adsorption and positioned upstream of the heating unit 153 in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage 131; a temperature detection unit 161 that detects the temperature of the adsorbent 139 or the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent 139; and a temperature adjustment unit 163 that, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 exceeds the adsorption temperature range during the drying process for drying the object to be dried, performs a cooling process to cool the adsorbent 139 or the air passing through the adsorbent 139 so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 falls within the adsorption temperature range. The temperature adjustment unit 163, provided that predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process are met, performs a temperature increase process to allow the adsorbent 139 to rise in temperature to the release temperature range by utilizing the residual heat from heating in the heating unit 153 during the drying process.

[0148] In the configuration described above, when the dryer 100 is in operation, air is circulated through the processing chamber 112 and the circulation air passage 131 by the airflow generation unit 152. During this time, the air is heated by the heating unit 153, and the temperature of the air gradually rises toward the target temperature for drying the object to be dried. If the air heated by the heating unit 153 flows into the circulation air passage 131 without temperature adjustment by the temperature control unit 163, the adsorbent 139 will be exposed to the heated air and may reach the temperature within the release temperature range. In this case, moisture will be released from the adsorbent 139, and this moisture may hinder the drying of the object to be dried in the processing chamber 112. To avoid such a situation, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 during the drying process exceeds the adsorption temperature range, the temperature control unit 163 performs a cooling process to cool the adsorbent 139 or the air passing through the adsorbent 139 so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 falls within the adsorption temperature range. As a result, the adsorbent 139 can continue to exhibit its adsorption capacity to adsorb moisture during the drying process.

[0149] After the drying process is completed, it is preferable for the adsorbent 139 to regain its adsorption capacity for adsorbing moisture. For this reason, when the predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process are met, the temperature control unit 163 performs a temperature-raising process to allow the adsorbent 139 to rise in temperature. This temperature increase utilizes the residual heat from heating the heating unit 153 during the drying process, thus saving power for the dryer 100. Furthermore, since the release temperature range of the adsorbent 139 includes the target temperature for drying the object to be dried, the adsorbent 139 can reach the temperature in the release temperature range due to the residual heat from heating the heating unit 153 during the drying process. Under these temperature conditions, moisture is released from the adsorbent 139. By releasing moisture from the adsorbent 139, the adsorbent 139 recovers its adsorption capacity and can exhibit its adsorption capacity in the next drying process.

[0150] In the above configuration, the temperature control unit 163 may include a cooler 164 that cools the adsorbent 139 while in contact with it, and a cooling control unit 162 that controls the cooler 164 to bring the temperature of the adsorbent 139 within the adsorption temperature range by lowering the temperature of the cooler 164 when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 161 exceeds the adsorption temperature range. The temperature detection unit 161 may be configured to detect the temperature of the adsorbent 139.

[0151] In the above configuration, if the temperature of the adsorbent 139 detected by the temperature detection unit 161 exceeds the adsorption temperature range, the cooling control unit 162 controls the cooler 164 to lower its temperature. Since the cooler 164 is in contact with the adsorbent 139, the adsorbent 139 can be cooled in a shorter time compared to when the coolant is cooled via the air flowing through the circulating air passage 131.

[0152] As the temperature of the cooler 164 decreases, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 also decreases, and it can fall within the adsorption temperature range. As a result, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 is maintained. Furthermore, since the temperature detection unit 161 detects the temperature of the adsorbent 139 itself, the cooling of the adsorbent 139 by the cooler 164 can be controlled more precisely by the cooling control unit 162 compared to when the temperature detection unit 161 detects the temperature of the surrounding environment of the adsorbent 139.

[0153] In the above configuration, the dryer 100 may further include a heating control unit 165 that stops heating by the heating unit 153 when the termination conditions are met. The temperature adjustment unit 163 may have a circulation control unit 154 that controls the airflow generation unit 152 so that the generation of circulating airflow by the airflow generation unit 152 is maintained even when the termination conditions are met. The cooling control unit 162 may be configured to stop the cooler 164 when the termination conditions are met.

[0154] In the above configuration, when predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process for drying the object to be dried are met, the heating unit 153 stops heating, while the airflow generation unit 152 continues to generate a circulating airflow of air circulating through the processing chamber 112 and the circulating air passage unit 131. This air is at or near the target temperature due to heating by the heating unit 153 before the termination conditions are met. As this air flows through the circulating air passage unit 131, the cooler 164 is stopped, so the adsorbent 139 is heated by the air and can reach a temperature within the release temperature range. At this temperature, the adsorbent 139 releases moisture, and its adsorption capacity is restored. In other words, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139 can be restored by utilizing the residual heat of the air after the termination conditions have been met.

[0155] In the above configuration, the circulation control unit 154 may be configured to control the airflow generation unit 152 so that, when the termination condition is met, the direction of air circulation changes from a forward direction, passing sequentially through the adsorbent 139 and the heating unit 153, to a reverse direction, passing sequentially through the heating unit 153 and the adsorbent 139.

[0156] Even after the termination conditions are met, it is assumed that moisture remains in the material being dried. When this moisture evaporates into the air passing through the processing chamber 112, the temperature of the air decreases. When this cooled air passes through the adsorbent 139, it takes time for the adsorbent 139 to reach the release temperature range. To avoid this situation, once the termination conditions are met, the direction of air circulation is switched from forward to reverse. In this case, the air comes into contact with the adsorbent 139 before passing through the processing chamber 112. Therefore, the adsorbent 139 can reach the release temperature range in a short time.

[0157] In the above configuration, the circulation control unit 154 may be configured to stop the airflow generation unit 152 on the condition that the temperature of the adsorbent 139 falls below a predetermined threshold temperature above the lower limit of the release temperature range after the termination condition has been met, as detected by the temperature detection unit 161.

[0158] In the above configuration, when the heating unit 153 is stopped, the air temperature gradually decreases. When the air temperature falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, the temperature of the adsorbent 139 also falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, and no moisture is released from the adsorbent 139. In this state, even if air passes over the adsorbent 139, it does not contribute to the recovery of the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 139. For this reason, the circulation control unit 154 stops the airflow generation unit 152 when the temperature of the adsorbent 139 falls below a threshold temperature that is set to be above the lower limit of the release temperature range. If the threshold temperature is set to a value greater than the lower limit of the release temperature range, the airflow generation unit 152 will stop earlier, and power consumption in the airflow generation unit 152 will be suppressed.

[0159] In the above configuration, the adsorbent 139 may be configured such that when it reaches the temperature in the release temperature range, water, which is moisture in a liquid phase, seeps out from the adsorbent 139.

[0160] If moisture is released from the adsorbent 139 in a gaseous state, after the termination condition is met, the moisture may return to the treatment chamber 112 on the air circulating through the circulating air passage 131 and the treatment chamber 112. To suppress such moisture, in the above configuration, the adsorbent 139 is configured such that when it reaches the temperature in the release temperature range, liquid water seeps out from the adsorbent 139.

[0161] In the above configuration, the dryer 100 may further include a storage case 140 configured to house the adsorbent 139. The storage case 140 may have an inlet 145 through which air flows in, an outlet 146 through which the air that has passed through the adsorbent 139 flows out, and a downward-facing outlet 147 that allows the liquid seeping out from the adsorbent 139 to flow down.

[0162] In the configuration described above, air enters the containment case 140 through the inlet 145 and exits the containment case 140 through the outlet 146. During this time, when the adsorbent 139 reaches the release temperature range due to the heat of the air, water seeps out of the adsorbent 139, but this water flows down through the outlet 147. As a result, the return of water to the treatment chamber 112 along with the air exiting from the outlet 146 of the containment case 140 is suppressed.

[0163] In the above configuration, the outlet 146 may be open upward.

[0164] In the above configuration, since the outlet 146 opens upward, heated air is easily discharged from the containment case 140 through the outlet 146. On the other hand, since liquid water tends to flow downward due to gravity, separation of liquid water and air in the containment case 140 is promoted.

[0165] In the above configuration, the dryer 100 may further include a gas-liquid separation unit 159 that allows the passage of air flowing out from the outlet 146, while restricting the passage of moisture contained in this air.

[0166] In the configuration described above, the flow of moisture contained in the air discharged from the outlet 146 into the processing chamber 112 is restricted by the gas-liquid separation unit 159.

[0167] In the above configuration, the storage case 140 may be formed using an insulating material that suppresses heat transfer to the adsorbent material 139 inside the storage case 140.

[0168] In the above configuration, if the housing case 140 is located near the heating unit 153, the housing case 140 may receive heat from the heating unit 153. However, since the housing case 140 is made using an insulating material, the transfer of heat from the heating unit 153 to the adsorbent material 139 inside the housing case 140 is suppressed.

[0169] As described above, the first to third embodiments have been explained as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited thereto and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted. Furthermore, it is possible to create new embodiments by combining the components described in the first to third embodiments above.

[0170] (Effects, etc.) The dryer 100 according to the above embodiment has the following features and provides the following effects.

[0171] (Technology 1) A dryer according to one aspect of the above-described embodiment is configured to dry an object to be dried. The dryer includes a heating unit that heats air toward a predetermined target temperature for drying the object to be dried, a processing chamber for drying the object to be dried, a circulating air passage connected to the processing chamber so that air flowing out of the processing chamber returns to the processing chamber, an airflow generation unit that generates a circulating airflow of air circulating through the processing chamber and the circulating air passage, an adsorbent that has the characteristic of adsorbing moisture in an adsorption temperature range lower than the target temperature while releasing moisture in a release temperature range including the target temperature, and is positioned upstream of the heating unit in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage, a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the adsorbent or the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent, and a temperature adjustment unit that, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit exceeds the adsorption temperature range during the execution of the drying process for drying the object to be dried, performs a cooling process to cool the adsorbent or the air passing through the adsorbent so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit falls within the adsorption temperature range. The temperature control unit, provided that predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process are met, performs a temperature increase process that utilizes the residual heat from heating in the heating unit during the drying process to allow the adsorbent to rise in temperature to the release temperature range.

[0172] In the configuration described above, when the dryer is in operation, air is circulated through the processing chamber and the circulating air passage by the airflow generation unit. During this time, the air is heated by the heating unit, and the air temperature gradually rises toward the target temperature for drying the object to be dried. If the air heated by the heating unit flows through the circulating air passage without temperature control by the temperature control unit, the adsorbent will be exposed to the heated air and may reach the temperature within the release temperature range. In this case, moisture will be released from the adsorbent, and this moisture may hinder the drying of the object to be dried in the processing chamber. To avoid this situation, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit exceeds the adsorption temperature range during the drying process, the temperature control unit performs a cooling process to cool the adsorbent or the air passing through the adsorbent so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit falls within the adsorption temperature range. As a result, the adsorbent can continue to exhibit its adsorption capacity to adsorb moisture throughout the drying process.

[0173] After the drying process is complete, it is desirable for the adsorbent to regain its ability to adsorb moisture. Therefore, when the predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process are met, the temperature control unit performs a temperature-raising process to allow the adsorbent to rise in temperature. This temperature increase utilizes the residual heat from heating the heating unit during the drying process, thus reducing the power consumption of the dryer. Furthermore, since the release temperature range of the adsorbent includes the target temperature for drying the object to be dried, the adsorbent can reach the temperature range of the release temperature range due to the residual heat from heating the heating unit during the drying process. Under these temperature conditions, moisture is released from the adsorbent. By releasing moisture from the adsorbent, the adsorbent recovers its adsorption capacity and can exhibit its adsorption capacity in the next drying process.

[0174] (Technology 2) In the configuration described in Technical 1, the temperature control unit may include a dehumidification unit that dehumidifies the air by cooling the air upstream of the adsorbent in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage to cause condensation, and a cooling control unit that, when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit during the drying process exceeds the adsorption temperature range, lowers the temperature of the dehumidification unit to keep the temperature of the air passing through the adsorbent within the adsorption temperature range.

[0175] In the above configuration, the dehumidifier cools the air to the point of causing condensation, thus suppressing the temperature rise of the adsorbent, which is located downstream of the dehumidifier and upstream of the heating unit. Furthermore, since the air is dehumidified by the dehumidifier before passing through the adsorbent, the adsorbent adsorbs the moisture contained in the air that has been dehumidified by the dehumidifier. For this reason, the amount of moisture adsorbed by the adsorbent does not easily reach the maximum amount of moisture that the adsorbent can adsorb.

[0176] The air dehumidified by the dehumidifying unit and adsorbent is heated by the heating unit before flowing into the processing chamber. This air removes moisture from the object to be dried, allowing the object to be dried in a short time.

[0177] If the air temperature exceeds the adsorption temperature range after passing through the dehumidification section, the temperature detection unit may detect a temperature above the adsorption temperature range from the adsorbent or the air surrounding the adsorbent. In this case, the cooling control unit controls the dehumidification section to lower its temperature. As a result, the temperature of the air after passing through the dehumidification section, and consequently the temperature of the adsorbent, decreases. Then, due to the cooling of the adsorbent, its temperature is brought within the adsorption temperature range.

[0178] (Technology 3) In the configuration described in Technical 2, the dryer may further include a heating control unit that stops heating by the heating unit when the termination conditions are met. The temperature control unit may have a circulation control unit that controls the airflow generation unit so that the generation of circulating airflow by the airflow generation unit is maintained even when the termination conditions are met. The cooling control unit may be configured to stop the dehumidification unit when the termination conditions are met.

[0179] In the above configuration, when the drying process completion conditions are met, the heating unit stops heating, but the generation of circulating airflow by the airflow generation unit is maintained. The temperature of this circulating airflow is at or close to the target temperature due to the heating by the heating unit before the completion conditions are met. As this air flows through the circulating air passage, the dehumidification unit is stopped, so the adsorbent is heated by the air and can reach the release temperature range. At this temperature, the adsorbent releases moisture, and its adsorption capacity is restored. In other words, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent can be restored by utilizing the residual heat of the air after the completion conditions are met. Therefore, it is not necessary to generate additional heat to restore the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent in addition to the heat required to dry the object to be dried, and power saving of the dryer can be achieved.

[0180] (Technology 4) In the configuration described in Technical 2, the dryer may further include a heating control unit that stops heating by the heating unit when the termination conditions are met. The temperature control unit may have a circulation control unit that controls the airflow generation unit so that the direction of air circulation switches from a forward direction, passing sequentially through the dehumidifying unit, adsorbent, and heating unit, to a reverse direction, passing sequentially through the heating unit, adsorbent, and dehumidifying unit, when the termination conditions are met.

[0181] In the above configuration, the heating unit stops when the drying process completion conditions are met. However, due to heating before the completion conditions are met, the heating unit itself is at a high temperature, and the air temperature is also high. At this time, the direction of the circulating airflow is switched to the opposite direction, so the adsorbent is exposed to the high-temperature air and can reach the release temperature range. When the adsorbent reaches the release temperature range, moisture is released from the adsorbent, and the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent is restored. In other words, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent can be restored by utilizing the residual heat from the heating unit after the completion conditions are met. Therefore, it is not necessary to generate additional heat to restore the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent in addition to the heat required to dry the object to be dried, and power saving of the dryer can be achieved.

[0182] (Technology 5) In the configuration described in Technical 4, the cooling control unit may be configured to stop the dehumidification unit when the termination conditions are met.

[0183] In the above configuration, after the termination conditions are met, the air passes through the adsorbent and then the dehumidifier. However, since the dehumidifier is stopped at this time, the cooling of the air by the dehumidifier can be suppressed. As a result, the air can pass through the heating unit, adsorbent, and dehumidifier again sequentially while maintaining a relatively high temperature. Therefore, the adsorbent can maintain a temperature within the release temperature range for a certain period of time.

[0184] (Technology 6) In the configuration described in any of Technical 3 to 5, the circulation control unit may be configured to stop the airflow generation unit on the condition that the temperature detection unit detects that the air temperature has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature equal to or greater than the lower limit of the discharge temperature range after the termination condition has been met.

[0185] In the configuration described above, when the heating unit is stopped, the air temperature gradually decreases. When the air temperature falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, the temperature of the adsorbent also falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, and no moisture is released from the adsorbent. In this state, even if air passes through the adsorbent, it does not contribute to the recovery of the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent. For this reason, the circulation control unit stops the airflow generation unit when the air temperature falls below a threshold temperature set to be above the lower limit of the release temperature range. If the threshold temperature is set to a value greater than the lower limit of the release temperature range, the airflow generation unit will stop earlier, and power consumption in the airflow generation unit will be suppressed.

[0186] (Technology 7) In the configuration described in Technical 4, the cooling control unit may be configured to stop the dehumidification unit on the condition that the temperature detection unit detects that the air temperature has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature equal to or greater than the lower limit of the discharge temperature range after the termination conditions have been met.

[0187] In the above configuration, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent can be restored by using the residual heat of the air after the termination conditions have been met to release moisture from the adsorbent. Therefore, it is not necessary to generate additional heat to restore the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent in addition to the heat required to dry the object to be dried, and power saving of the dryer can be achieved.

[0188] The adsorbent can continue to release moisture until the air temperature falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range after the drying process completion conditions are met. This moisture can then flow into the dehumidifier along with the air that flows from the adsorbent to the dehumidifier after the completion conditions are met. To remove this moisture, the dehumidifier continues to operate after the drying process completion conditions are met and until the temperature detection unit detects that the air temperature has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature that is above the lower limit of the release temperature range. If the threshold temperature is set to a value greater than the lower limit of the release temperature range, the dehumidifier will stop earlier, and power consumption in the dehumidifier will be suppressed.

[0189] (Technology 8) In the configuration described in Technical 7, the circulation control unit may be configured to stop the airflow generation unit in synchronization with the cooling control unit stopping the dehumidification unit.

[0190] In the configuration described above, for a period after the termination conditions are met, the heating unit remains stopped while the dehumidifying unit continues to cool the air. As a result, the air temperature drops after the termination conditions are met, falling below the lower limit of the release temperature range. As the air temperature decreases, the temperature of the adsorbent also falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, and no moisture is released from the adsorbent. In this state, even if the airflow generation unit circulates the air, it does not contribute to the recovery of the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent. Therefore, the circulation control unit stops the airflow generation unit when the air temperature falls below a threshold temperature set to be above the lower limit of the release temperature range. If the threshold temperature is set to a value greater than the lower limit of the release temperature range, the airflow generation unit will stop earlier, and power consumption in the airflow generation unit will be suppressed.

[0191] When the airflow generation unit stops, air does not pass through the dehumidification unit. Since the operation of the dehumidification unit is wasted in this state, the dehumidification unit and the airflow generation unit are stopped in sync with each other.

[0192] (Technology 9) In the configuration described in any of Technical 2 to 5, 7, and 8, the adsorbent may be arranged in the circulating air passage such that the distance from the adsorbent to the heating section is greater than the distance from the dehumidifying section to the adsorbent.

[0193] In the configuration described above, the distance from the adsorbent to the heating element is greater than the distance from the dehumidifying element to the adsorbent, so the heat transferred from the heating element to the adsorbent may be small. As a result, the temperature of the adsorbent is less likely to exceed the adsorption temperature range.

[0194] (Technology 10) In the configuration described in Technical 1, the temperature control unit may include a cooler that cools the adsorbent while in contact with it, and a cooling control unit that controls the cooler to bring the temperature of the adsorbent within the adsorption temperature range by lowering the temperature of the cooler when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit exceeds the adsorption temperature range. The temperature detection unit may be configured to detect the temperature of the adsorbent.

[0195] In the above configuration, if the temperature of the adsorbent detected by the temperature detection unit exceeds the adsorption temperature range, the cooling control unit controls the cooler to lower its temperature. Since this cooler is in contact with the adsorbent, the adsorbent can be cooled in a shorter time compared to when the cooler is cooled via air flowing through the circulating air passage.

[0196] As the temperature of the cooler decreases, the temperature of the adsorbent also decreases and can fall within the adsorption temperature range. As a result, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent is maintained. Furthermore, since the temperature detection unit detects the temperature of the adsorbent itself, the cooling of the adsorbent by the cooler can be controlled more precisely by the cooling control unit compared to when the temperature detection unit detects the temperature of the surrounding area of ​​the adsorbent.

[0197] (Technology 11) In the configuration described in Technical 10, the dryer may further include a heating control unit that stops heating by the heating unit when termination conditions are met. The temperature control unit may have a circulation control unit that controls the airflow generation unit so that the generation of circulating airflow by the airflow generation unit is maintained even when termination conditions are met. The cooling control unit may be configured to stop the cooler when termination conditions are met.

[0198] In the above configuration, when predetermined termination conditions for ending the drying process for drying the object to be dried are met, the heating unit stops heating, while the airflow generation unit continues to generate a circulating airflow for the air circulating through the processing chamber and the circulating air passage. This air is at or near the target temperature due to heating by the heating unit before the termination conditions are met. As this air flows through the circulating air passage, the cooler is stopped, so the adsorbent is heated by the air and can reach a temperature within the release temperature range. At this temperature, the adsorbent releases moisture, and its adsorption capacity is restored. In other words, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent can be restored by utilizing the residual heat of the air after the termination conditions have been met.

[0199] (Technology 12) In the configuration described in Technical 11, the circulation control unit may be configured to control the airflow generation unit so that, when the termination condition is met, the direction of air circulation changes from a forward direction, passing sequentially through the adsorbent and the heating unit, to a reverse direction, passing sequentially through the heating unit and the adsorbent.

[0200] Even after the termination conditions are met, it is assumed that moisture remains in the material being dried. When this moisture evaporates into the air passing through the processing chamber, the air temperature decreases. When this cooled air passes through the adsorbent, it takes time for the adsorbent to reach the release temperature range. To avoid this situation, once the termination conditions are met, the direction of air circulation is switched from forward to reverse. In this case, the air comes into contact with the adsorbent before passing through the processing chamber. Therefore, the adsorbent can reach the release temperature range in a short time.

[0201] (Technology 13) In the configuration described in Technical 11 or 12, the circulation control unit may be configured to stop the airflow generation unit on the condition that the temperature of the adsorbent has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature equal to or greater than the lower limit of the discharge temperature range after the termination conditions have been met, as detected by the temperature detection unit.

[0202] In the configuration described above, when the heating unit is stopped, the air temperature gradually decreases. When the air temperature falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, the temperature of the adsorbent also falls below the lower limit of the release temperature range, and no moisture is released from the adsorbent. In this state, even if air passes through the adsorbent, it does not contribute to the recovery of the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent. For this reason, the circulation control unit stops the airflow generation unit when the temperature of the adsorbent falls below a threshold temperature set to be above the lower limit of the release temperature range. If the threshold temperature is set to a value greater than the lower limit of the release temperature range, the airflow generation unit will stop earlier, and power consumption in the airflow generation unit will be suppressed.

[0203] (Technology 14) In the configuration described in any of Technical 1 to 5, 7, 8, or 10 to 12, the adsorbent may be configured such that when it reaches the temperature in the release temperature range, water, which is moisture in a liquid phase, seeps out from the adsorbent.

[0204] If moisture is released from the adsorbent in a gaseous state, it may return to the treatment chamber on the air circulating through the circulating air passage and treatment chamber after the termination conditions are met. To suppress such moisture, the above configuration is designed so that when the temperature reaches the release temperature range, liquid water seeps out of the adsorbent.

[0205] (Technology 15) In the configuration described in Technical 14, the dryer may further include a containment case configured to house an adsorbent. The containment case may have an inlet for air to enter, an outlet for air that has passed through the adsorbent to exit, and a downward-opening outlet to allow liquid seeping from the adsorbent to flow down.

[0206] In the configuration described above, air enters the containment case through the inlet and exits the containment case through the outlet. During this time, when the adsorbent reaches the release temperature range due to the heat of the air, water seeps out of the adsorbent, but this water flows down through the outlet. Therefore, the return of the water to the processing chamber along with the air exiting from the outlet of the containment case is suppressed.

[0207] (Technology 16) In the configuration described in Technical 15, the outlet may be open upward.

[0208] In the configuration described above, since the outlet opens upward, heated air is easily discharged from the containment case through the outlet. On the other hand, liquid tends to flow downward due to gravity, thus promoting the separation of liquid and air within the containment case.

[0209] (Technology 17) In the configuration described in Technical 15, the dryer may further include a gas-liquid separation unit that allows the passage of air flowing out from the outlet while restricting the passage of moisture contained in this air.

[0210] In the configuration described above, the flow of moisture contained in the air discharged from the outlet into the processing chamber is restricted by the gas-liquid separation unit.

[0211] (Technology 18) In the configuration described in Technical 15, the containment case may be formed using an insulating material that suppresses heat transfer to the adsorbent inside the containment case.

[0212] In the above configuration, if the containment case is placed near the heating element, the containment case may receive heat from the heating element. However, since this containment case is made using insulating material, the transfer of heat from the heating element to the adsorbent inside the containment case is suppressed.

[0213] Since the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only, various modifications, substitutions, additions, and omissions can be made within the claims or their equivalents. [Industrial applicability]

[0214] The dryer of the above-described embodiment is suitable for drying items such as clothing, bedding, and tableware after washing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0215] 100... Dryer 112···········Processing Room 131...Circulating air duct 139············Adsorbent 140···········Storage case 145·····················Inlet 146... Outlet 147... 152············Airflow generation section 153... Heating section 154············Circulation Control 156...Dehumidification section 159············Gas-liquid separation section 161············Temperature detection unit 162············Cooling control unit 163...Temperature adjustment section 164... Chiller 165············Heating Control Section

Claims

1. A dryer for drying objects, A heating unit that heats the air to a predetermined target temperature for drying the object to be dried, A processing room for drying the material to be dried, A circulating air passage connected to the processing chamber is provided so that the air that flows out of the processing chamber returns to the processing chamber. An airflow generation unit that generates a circulating airflow of air circulating in the processing chamber and the circulating air passage, The adsorbent has the characteristic of adsorbing moisture in an adsorption temperature range lower than the target temperature, while recovering its adsorption capacity by releasing moisture in a release temperature range that includes the target temperature, and is positioned upstream of the heating section in the direction of airflow through the circulating air passage. A temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the adsorbent or the temperature of the air surrounding the adsorbent, The system includes a temperature adjustment unit that, when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit exceeds the adsorption temperature range during the drying process for drying an object to be dried, performs a cooling process to cool the adsorbent or the air passing through the adsorbent so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit falls within the adsorption temperature range, The temperature control unit, on the condition that predetermined termination conditions for completing the drying process are met, performs a temperature-raising process to allow the adsorbent to rise in temperature to reach the release temperature range by utilizing the residual heat from the heating unit during the drying process.

2. The temperature control unit is A dehumidifying unit that dehumidifies the air by cooling the air upstream of the adsorbent in the direction of airflow through the aforementioned circulating air passage, thereby causing condensation, The dryer according to claim 1, further comprising: a cooling control unit that, when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit exceeds the adsorption temperature range during the execution of the drying process, controls the dehumidifier to lower the temperature of the dehumidifier so that the temperature of the air passing through the adsorbent is within the adsorption temperature range.

3. The system further includes a heating control unit that stops heating by the heating unit when the aforementioned termination conditions are met. The temperature control unit includes a circulation control unit that controls the airflow generation unit so that the generation of circulating airflow by the airflow generation unit is maintained even when the termination condition is met. The dryer according to claim 2, wherein the cooling control unit is configured to stop the dehumidifying unit when the termination condition is met.

4. The system further includes a heating control unit that stops heating by the heating unit when the aforementioned termination conditions are met. The dryer according to claim 2, wherein the temperature control unit has a circulation control unit that controls the airflow generation unit so that, provided that the termination condition is met, the direction of air circulation is switched from a forward direction, passing sequentially through the dehumidifying unit, the adsorbent, and the heating unit, to a reverse direction, passing sequentially through the heating unit, the adsorbent, and the dehumidifying unit.

5. The dryer according to claim 4, wherein the cooling control unit is configured to stop the dehumidifying unit when the termination condition is met.

6. The dryer according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the circulation control unit is configured to stop the airflow generation unit on the condition that the temperature detection unit detects that the air temperature has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature equal to or greater than the lower limit of the discharge temperature range after the termination condition has been met.

7. The dryer according to claim 4, wherein the cooling control unit is configured to stop the dehumidifying unit on the condition that the temperature detection unit detects that the air temperature has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature equal to or greater than the lower limit of the discharge temperature range after the termination condition has been met.

8. The dryer according to claim 7, wherein the circulation control unit is configured to stop the airflow generation unit in synchronization with the cooling control unit stopping the dehumidification unit.

9. The dryer according to any one of claims 2 to 5, 7, and 8, wherein the adsorbent is arranged in the circulating air passage such that the distance from the adsorbent to the heating section is greater than the distance from the dehumidifying section to the adsorbent.

10. The temperature control unit is A cooler that cools the adsorbent while in contact with it, The system includes a cooling control unit that, when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit exceeds the adsorption temperature range, controls the cooler to lower the temperature of the cooler so that the temperature of the adsorbent is brought within the adsorption temperature range. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection unit is configured to detect the temperature of the adsorbent.

11. The system further includes a heating control unit that stops heating by the heating unit when the aforementioned termination conditions are met. The temperature control unit includes a circulation control unit that controls the airflow generation unit so that the generation of circulating airflow by the airflow generation unit is maintained even when the termination condition is met. The dryer according to claim 10, wherein the cooling control unit is configured to stop the cooler when the termination condition is met.

12. The dryer according to claim 11, wherein the circulation control unit is configured to control the airflow generation unit so that, on the condition that the termination condition is met, the direction of air circulation changes from a forward direction in which the air passes sequentially through the adsorbent and the heating unit to a reverse direction in which the air passes sequentially through the heating unit and the adsorbent.

13. The dryer according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the circulation control unit is configured to stop the airflow generation unit on the condition that the temperature of the adsorbent has fallen below a predetermined threshold temperature equal to or greater than the lower limit of the discharge temperature range after the termination condition has been met, as detected by the temperature detection unit.

14. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 7, 8, 10 to 12, wherein the adsorbent is configured such that when it reaches the temperature of the release temperature range, water, which is moisture in a liquid phase, seeps out from the adsorbent.

15. The collection case further comprises a housing case configured to accommodate the aforementioned adsorbent material, The dryer according to claim 14, wherein the containment case is formed with an inlet for air to flow in, an outlet for air that has passed through the adsorbent to flow out, and a downward-opening outlet to allow water seeping from the adsorbent to flow down.

16. The dryer according to claim 15, wherein the outlet is open upward.

17. The dryer according to claim 15, further comprising a gas-liquid separation unit that allows the passage of air flowing out from the outlet while restricting the passage of moisture contained in this air.

18. The dryer according to claim 15, wherein the storage case is formed using an insulating material that suppresses heat transfer to the adsorbent inside the storage case.

Images