Dryer

Abstract

This disclosure aims to provide a dryer that can reduce the environmental impact on the surrounding environment and dry materials efficiently and at low cost. [Solution] A dryer according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a drying chamber in which an object to be dried is placed, and a drying unit that supplies dehumidified air to the drying chamber, wherein the drying unit has an air intake port for drawing in air from the drying chamber, a cooling unit including a compressor for cooling the drawn-in air, a filter through which the cooled air passes, a differential pressure gauge for measuring the pressure difference between the air before and after passing through the filter, and an exhaust port for exhausting the air that has passed through the filter into the drying chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dryer.

Background Art

[0002] Clothes and the like containing moisture due to washing or the like may be dried in a dryer. A dryer has been proposed that efficiently dries clothes by recycling the exhaust from the drying chamber (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-130877).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the dryer of Patent Document 1, air heated by a heater is supplied to the drying chamber, and part of the air discharged from the drying chamber is circulated to the drying chamber, so that the efficiency of drying clothes can be improved. In the dryer, the remainder of the air discharged from the drying chamber is discharged. Since the air discharged from the drying chamber is at a high temperature, it may not be preferable for the surrounding environment. The heater generates high-temperature air by heating the air taken in from the outside using electricity, gas, kerosene, or the like as a heat source. Since the temperature and humidity of the outside air are not constant, for example, due to seasonal changes, the temperature of the high-temperature air generated by the heater may not be stable. Alternatively, in order to set the high-temperature air to a desired temperature and stabilize it, the fuel consumption of the heater may increase.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a dryer that can reduce the environmental load on the surroundings and can dry a drying object efficiently and at low cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A dryer according to one aspect of the present disclosure, made to solve the above problems, comprises a drying chamber in which an object to be dried is placed, and a drying unit that supplies dehumidified air to the drying chamber, wherein the drying unit has an air intake port for drawing in air from the drying chamber, a cooling unit including a compressor for cooling the drawn-in air, a filter through which the cooled air passes, a differential pressure gauge for measuring the pressure difference between the air before and after passing through the filter, and an exhaust port for exhausting the air that has passed through the filter into the drying chamber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] A dryer according to one aspect of this disclosure can reduce the environmental impact on the surroundings and can dry objects efficiently and at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing a dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing the dryer in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic front view showing the drying unit of the dryer shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic transmission front view showing the drying unit in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic side view showing the drying unit in Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] (1) A dryer according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a drying chamber in which an object to be dried is placed, and a drying unit that supplies dehumidified air to the drying chamber, wherein the drying unit has an air intake port for drawing in air from the drying chamber, a cooling unit including a compressor for cooling the drawn-in air, a filter through which the cooled air passes, a differential pressure gauge for measuring the pressure difference between the air before and after passing through the filter, and an exhaust port for exhausting the air that has passed through the filter into the drying chamber.

[0011] The dryer comprises a drying chamber in which the object to be dried is placed, and a drying unit that takes in air from the drying chamber, cools it, and supplies it back to the drying chamber. The dryer can dry the object by circulating the air in the drying chamber and does not discharge dry air to the outside, thus reducing the environmental burden on the surroundings. The drying unit of the dryer includes a compressor and has a cooling section that cools the air drawn in from the drying chamber. In other words, since the object to be dried is dried by circulating low-temperature air rather than high-temperature air, the object can be dried efficiently and at low cost.

[0012] (2) In the above (1), the drying unit may further have an outside air inlet for introducing outside air to be mixed with the intake air. By introducing outside air through the outside air inlet and mixing it with the air intake from the drying chamber, it becomes easier to bring the air circulating in the cooling unit to the desired temperature, and the efficiency of cooling the air supplied to the drying chamber can be improved.

[0013] (3) In the case of (1) or (2) above, the drying chamber may have a flow section provided at the top through which air exhausted from the drying unit flows, and a duct that exhausts the air in the flow section downward. By having a flow section through which air exhausted (supplied) from the drying unit flows, and a duct that exhausts the air in the flow section downward, air can be uniformly supplied to the object to be dried placed in the drying chamber, thereby improving the efficiency of drying.

[0014] (4) In the above (3), the dryer may further include a first thermometer for measuring the temperature of the air exhausted from the duct, a second thermometer for measuring the temperature of the air drawn into the drying unit, and a control unit for controlling the drying unit based on the difference between the measurement value of the first thermometer and the measurement value of the second thermometer. By measuring the temperature of the air exhausted from the duct and the temperature of the air drawn into the drying unit, the degree of drying of the object to be dried placed in the drying chamber can be estimated from the temperature difference. By controlling the operation of the drying unit based on the temperature difference, the object to be dried can be dried more efficiently and at a lower cost.

[0015] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the filter may be configured in a roll shape, and the dryer may further have a winding means that winds up the roll-shaped filter to a predetermined length when the measurement value of the differential pressure gauge exceeds a preset value. By measuring the difference in air pressure before and after the air passes through the roll-shaped filter using the differential pressure gauge, the degree of contamination (clogging) of the filter can be estimated. By winding up the roll-shaped film using a winding means that winds up the filter to a predetermined length when the measurement value of the differential pressure gauge exceeds a preset value, the frequency of filter replacement by the operator can be reduced, and the workability of the dryer can be improved.

[0016] [Details of the embodiment for carrying out the invention] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0017] <Dryer> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the dryer 1 comprises a drying chamber 100 in which an object to be dried (not shown) is placed, and a drying unit 200 that supplies dehumidified air to the drying chamber 100. The drying unit 200 has an air intake port for drawing in air from the drying chamber 100, a cooling unit including a compressor for cooling the intake air, a filter through which the cooled air passes, a differential pressure gauge for measuring the pressure difference between the air before and after passing through the filter, and an exhaust port for exhausting the air that has passed through the filter into the drying chamber.

[0018] 〔Object to be dried〕 The object to be dried is not particularly limited, and may be clothing, footwear, etc., or may be food ingredients for making dried foods such as dried fish and dried fruits, or may be plants for making dried flowers. The clothing and the footwear may be for work. The work clothing and footwear (work uniforms, work boots) include those whose wearing is defined by laws or regulations of specific organizations such as companies, such as uniforms, medical use, clean room use, etc.

[0019] 〔Drying chamber〕 The object to be dried is placed in the drying chamber 100. The objects to be dried may be arranged in an aligned manner in the drying chamber 100. Specifically, if it is clothing or the like, it may be hung using a hanger or the like, and if it is other objects (objects that cannot be hung), the objects to be dried may be arranged by arranging them on shelves prepared in the drying chamber 100. By arranging the objects to be dried in an aligned manner, efficient drying can be achieved. The lower limit value of the temperature in the drying chamber 200 during the operation of the dryer may be 20 °C, or may be 40 °C or 60 °C.

[0020] It is preferable that the drying chamber 100 is provided with a circulation part 101 at the upper part through which the air exhausted from the drying unit 200 circulates. That is, the drying chamber 100 preferably has a two-layer structure having the circulation part 101 through which the cooled air circulates above and a drying part 102 for drying the arranged object to be dried below the circulation part 101.

[0021] The drying part 102 has a passage (not shown) through which the operator placing the object to be dried passes and a door (not shown) for the operator to enter and exit.

[0022] The dimensions (external dimensions) of the drying chamber 100 are not particularly limited. For example, the upper limit of the height may be 4m, 3m, or 2.5m. The lower limit of the height may be 1m or 1.5m. The upper limit of the length and width (vertical and horizontal) may be 5m or 4m. The lower limit of the length and width (vertical and horizontal) may be 1m or 2m.

[0023] The drying chamber 100 may have a duct 103 that exhausts the air in the circulation section 101 downwards. The duct 103 is located at the bottom of the circulation section 101 (the top of the drying section 102). The number of ducts 103 provided is not particularly limited and may be one or more depending on the size (indoor volume) of the circulation section 101 and the drying section 102. In this embodiment, 10 ducts 103 are provided (see Figure 1).

[0024] In a plan view, it is not necessary to provide the duct 103 in close proximity to the drying unit 200. That is, in a plan view, it is better to provide the duct 103 far from the drying unit 200 and not provide the duct 103 near the drying unit 200. By not providing the duct 103 near the drying unit 200, the efficiency of exhaust from the distant duct 103 is improved, and consequently, the cooled air can be efficiently exhausted throughout the drying section 102, thereby improving the efficiency of drying the object to be dried.

[0025] The air exhausted from the drying unit 200 is cooled, which increases its density and makes it relatively heavier. Furthermore, the continuous or intermittent exhaust from the drying unit 200 increases the pressure within the flow section 100. Therefore, without the need for a blower or other means, the air in the flow section 101 is exhausted through the duct 103 to the drying section 102 below.

[0026] [Drying Unit] The drying unit 200 draws in air from the drying chamber 100, cools it, and exhausts it back into the drying chamber 100. Specifically, the drying unit 200 takes in air from the drying section 102, cools it in the cooling section, and supplies it to the circulation section 101. The dryer 1 circulates air to dry the object being dried and does not exhaust air to the outside, thus reducing the environmental burden on the surroundings. Although Figures 1 and 2 show one drying unit 200, the number of drying units is not particularly limited, and multiple drying units may be arranged depending on the size of the drying chamber.

[0027] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the drying unit 200 has an intake port 201 (first intake port) at the bottom for drawing in air from the drying section 102, and an exhaust port 202 (first exhaust port) at the top for exhausting cooled air into the circulation section 101. That is, the drying chamber 100 has a second exhaust port (not shown) for exhausting the air inside to the drying unit 200, and a second intake port (not shown) for drawing in air from the drying unit 200. The dryer 1 has a first circulation pipe P1 connecting the intake port 201 and the second exhaust port, and a second circulation pipe P2 connecting the exhaust port 202 and the second intake port.

[0028] The drying unit 200 has a cooling unit 203, a blower unit 204, and a filter 205 inside, in the order in which the intake air flows.

[0029] The cooling unit 203 includes a compressor (not shown) and is located upstream of the blowing unit 204. The cooling unit 203 is not particularly limited and may be a heat exchanger such as a known condenser. By cooling the air drawn in from the drying unit 102, the absolute humidity of the air can be reduced. In other words, the cooling unit 203 dehumidifies the circulating air.

[0030] The drying unit 200 may have a drain (not shown) at its bottom for discharging moisture generated in the cooling unit 203.

[0031] The drying unit 200 may have an outside air inlet 206 for introducing outside air to be mixed with the intake air. The outside air inlet 206 is located downstream of the intake port 201 and upstream of the cooling unit 203. For example, in winter, the temperature of the outside air may be lower than the temperature of the air inside the drying unit 102. In such cases, introducing outside air through the outside air inlet 206 and mixing it with the air taken in from the intake port 201 can improve the cooling efficiency of the cooling unit 203, and consequently improve the drying efficiency of the dryer 1.

[0032] The blower unit 204 blows air from the intake port 201 to the exhaust port 202. The drying unit 200 having the blower unit 204 allows for air circulation within the dryer 1. The blower unit 204 is not particularly limited and may be a known fan or the like.

[0033] The filter 205 is positioned downstream of the blower 204, and the air that has passed through the filter 205 is exhausted from the exhaust port 202. By passing the cooled air through the filter 205, dust in the air can be removed, and clean air can be supplied to the drying chamber 100. The filter 205 is not particularly limited and may be a known HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter).

[0034] The drying unit 200 has a differential pressure gauge (not shown) that measures the pressure difference between the air before and after passing through the filter 205. The differential pressure gauge measures the difference between the air pressure upstream of the filter 205 (between the filter 205 and the blower 204) and the air pressure downstream (between the filter 205 and the exhaust port 202). The measured pressure difference allows for the determination of whether the filter 205 is clogged, and the operator is notified to replace the filter 205, thereby preventing a decrease in the efficiency of drying the object to be dried due to the operator replacing the filter 205. The means of notifying the operator are not particularly limited and may include visual information such as a display panel or lamp (warning light), or auditory information such as sound.

[0035] The drying unit 200 may have a heater (not shown) positioned between the air blower 204 and the filter 205. The heater heats the air that has been excessively cooled by the cooling unit 203, thereby suppressing condensation from forming on the filter 205, exhaust port 202, etc.

[0036] The filter is configured in a roll shape, and the drying unit 200 may have a winding mechanism that winds the roll-shaped filter to a predetermined length when the measurement value of the differential pressure gauge exceeds a preset value. That is, the filter is configured in a roll shape, with a portion placed in the air passage, and when this portion becomes clogged, the winding mechanism automatically winds the filter to a predetermined length, so that the unused portion of the filter is placed in the air passage.

[0037] The dryer may include a first thermometer (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the air exhausted from the duct 103, a second thermometer (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the air drawn into the drying unit 200, and a control unit (not shown) that controls the drying unit based on the difference between the readings of the first and second thermometers. In other words, the operation of the drying unit 200 may be controlled by the temperature difference between the air exhausted from the duct 103 and the air drawn in from the intake port 201.

[0038] One way to stop the operation of the drying unit 200 is to use a timer that sets the operating time so that it stops after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. However, the object to be dried may not be sufficiently dry, or it may be sufficiently dry before the unit stops operating. By measuring the temperature difference between the air exhausted from the duct 103 and the air drawn in from the intake port 201, the drying state (degree of dryness) of the object to be dried can be predicted. Therefore, if the temperature difference is greater than or equal to a preset value, the drying unit 200 will continue to operate, and if it is less than the preset value, the drying unit 200 will stop operating, thereby improving the reliability of efficiently drying the object.

[0039] If the drying chamber 100 has multiple ducts 103, the first thermometer is preferably installed in the duct 103 furthest from the drying unit 200. By placing the first thermometer in the duct 103 furthest from the drying unit 200, it becomes easier to calculate the difference in the measured values, and the ease of control by the control unit is improved. The second thermometer may be installed in the second outlet of the drying chamber 100, or in the first circulation pipe P1 or the intake port 201.

[0040] The drying unit 200 should ideally be able to be stopped by the operator either by the control unit or by the timer.

[0041] Since the dryer 1 does not use heaters that use gas, kerosene, or other fuels, it can dry materials at a low cost. In addition, the air supplied to the drying chamber 100 is circulated and reused without being exhausted, thus reducing the environmental impact on the surrounding area.

[0042] [Other embodiments] The above embodiments do not limit the configuration of the present invention. Accordingly, the above embodiments allow for the omission, substitution, or addition of components of each part of the above embodiments based on the description herein and common technical knowledge, and all such omissions, substitutions, or additions should be interpreted as falling within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0043] The dryer of this disclosure can reduce the environmental impact on the surroundings and can dry objects efficiently and at low cost, making it suitable for drying clothes, producing dried goods and dried flowers, and other applications. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1 Dryer 100 Drying room 101 Distribution Department 102 Drying section 103 Duct 200 drying units 201 Air intake 202 Exhaust port 203 Cooling section 204 Air blower 205 Filter 206 Outside air intake P1 Intake pipe P2 Exhaust Pipe

Claims

1. A drying chamber in which the objects to be dried are placed, A drying unit that supplies dehumidified air to the above drying chamber and Equipped with, The above drying unit, An air intake port for drawing in air from the above drying chamber, It includes a compressor and a cooling unit that cools the intake air, A filter through which cooled air passes, A differential pressure gauge measures the pressure difference of the air before and after it passes through the filter, An exhaust port that exhausts the air that has passed through the filter into the drying chamber mentioned above. A dryer having

2. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the drying unit further comprises an outside air inlet for introducing outside air to be mixed with the intake air.

3. The above drying room, A circulation section is provided at the top through which the air exhausted from the drying unit flows, A duct that exhausts the air in the above-mentioned circulation section downwards. A dryer according to claim 2, having the following features.

4. A first thermometer measures the temperature of the air being exhausted from the duct mentioned above, A second thermometer measures the temperature of the air being drawn into the drying unit, A control unit controls the drying unit based on the difference between the measurement value of the first thermometer and the measurement value of the second thermometer. The dryer according to claim 3, further comprising:

5. The above filter is configured in a roll shape, The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a winding means for winding the roll-shaped filter to a predetermined length when the measurement value of the differential pressure gauge exceeds a preset value.

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