Clothes dryer

Abstract

To provide a clothes dryer that is simple, requires no electricity, and can suppress the effects of static electricity on the drying detection unit. [Means] The clothes dryer 13 comprises a rotating drum 15 for holding clothes and a drying detection unit 1A for detecting the degree of dryness of the clothes inside the rotating drum 15. The drying detection unit 1A is connected to an electronic unit 50 and comprises a first conductive member 4 for detecting the electrical resistance value when clothes come into contact with it, and a base 3 made of an insulating material that holds the first conductive member 4. The base 3 is provided with a second conductive member 2 that is connected to ground, and the second conductive member 2 is arranged so that when the rotating drum 15 rotates, the clothes come into contact with the second conductive member 2 before the first conductive member 4.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a clothes dryer provided with a drying detection unit.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a clothes dryer, there is a clothes dryer provided with a static eliminator for removing static electricity of clothes in a rotating drum in order to make an electrode sensor for detecting the degree of drying of clothes less affected by static electricity charged in the clothes (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the conventional clothes dryer, the static eliminator is configured to remove static electricity of clothes in the rotating drum by plasma-discharging water molecules with a needle-shaped discharge electrode. In this case, it is necessary to install the static eliminator in the rotating drum, which complicates the configuration of the clothes dryer due to the addition of the static eliminator and requires power to operate the static eliminator. Also, it is not easy to completely remove static electricity of all the clothes in the rotating drum by the static eliminator.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a clothes dryer that can suppress the influence of static electricity on a drying detection unit with a simple configuration that does not require power.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A clothes dryer according to Aspect 1 of the present invention is a clothes dryer including a rotating drum for accommodating clothes and a drying detection unit for detecting the degree of drying of the clothes in the rotating drum. The drying detection unit is connected to an electronic unit and comprises a first conductive member for detecting the electrical resistance value when clothing comes into contact with it, and a base made of an insulating member for holding the first conductive member. The base is provided with a second conductive member that is connected to ground. The second conductive member is positioned so that, when the rotating drum is rotating, the clothing comes into contact with the second conductive member before the first conductive member.

[0007] Here, the "first conductive member" is the control side electrode connected to the electronic unit among a pair of electrodes for detecting the electrical resistance value of clothing, and the "second conductive member" can be composed of a conductive part provided separately from the pair of electrodes and connected to earth, or a ground side electrode connected to earth that is paired with the control side electrode among the pair of electrodes.

[0008] According to the above configuration, static electricity is discharged to the ground when statically charged clothing comes into contact with the second conductive member which is connected to the ground. Therefore, static electricity is more easily discharged from clothing near the drying detection unit via the second conductive member before it comes into contact with the first conductive member of the drying detection unit, thereby suppressing the effect of static electricity on the drying detection unit and preventing malfunction of the drying detection unit due to static electricity charged on clothing. Thus, with a simple and power-free configuration, the effect of static electricity charged on clothing can be suppressed, and the drying detection unit can correctly detect the degree of dryness of the clothing.

[0009] A clothes dryer according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in aspect 1, The base has a configuration that protrudes into the rotating drum. The first conductive member is positioned on a portion that protrudes into the rotating drum of the base. The second conductive member can be configured such that at least a portion of it is positioned on a part of the base that protrudes into the rotating drum, and thus protrudes further into the rotating drum than the first conductive member.

[0010] With this configuration, when the rotating drum rotates, the clothes can come into contact with the second conductive member before the first conductive member, making it easier to remove static electricity, and thus suppressing the effect of static electricity on the drying detection unit.

[0011] A clothes dryer according to embodiment 3 of the present invention, in embodiment 1, The base has an inclined surface and protrudes into the rotating drum. The first conductive member is disposed on the inclined surface of the base, The second conductive member can be configured such that at least a portion of it is positioned on a part of the base that protrudes into the rotating drum, and thus protrudes further into the rotating drum than the first conductive member.

[0012] With this configuration, even if the first conductive member is arranged on the inclined surface of the base, when the rotating drum rotates, the clothes can come into contact with the second conductive member before the first conductive member, making it easier to remove static electricity, and thus suppressing the effect of static electricity on the drying detection unit.

[0013] A clothes dryer according to embodiment 4 of the present invention is, in any one of embodiments 1 to 3 above, The second conductive member can be configured to be arranged on both sides of the first conductive member, sandwiching the first conductive member between them.

[0014] With this configuration, the second conductive members on either side of the first conductive member make it easier to remove static electricity by causing the clothing to come into contact with the second conductive members before the first conductive member, even when the rotating drum rotates in two directions, clockwise and counterclockwise. Therefore, even when the rotating drum rotates in two directions, clockwise and counterclockwise, the effect of static electricity charged on the clothing on the drying detection unit can be suppressed with a simple and power-free configuration.

[0015] A clothes dryer according to embodiment 5 of the present invention is, in any one of embodiments 1 to 4 above, The second conductive member can be configured such that its width extending in the diametrical direction of the rotating drum or its width extending in the rotational direction of the rotating drum is longer than that of the first conductive member.

[0016] According to this configuration, when the rotary drum rotates, it is possible to more reliably bring the clothing into contact with the second conductive member before the first conductive member, making it easier to remove static electricity.

[0017] The clothes dryer according to aspect 6 of the present invention is any one of aspects 1 to 5 above, The second conductive member can be configured to be disposed on the outer side in the diameter direction of the rotary drum than the first conductive member.

[0018] According to this configuration, since the clothing gathers a lot on the inner wall of the rotary drum due to the rotation of the rotary drum, when the rotary drum rotates, it is possible to more reliably bring the clothing into contact with the second conductive member before the first conductive member, making it easier to remove static electricity.

[0019] The clothes dryer according to aspect 7 of the present invention is any one of aspects 1 to 6 above, The drying detection unit is disposed on a metal plate member facing the inside of the rotary drum, <9000087>The second conductive member can be configured to be in contact with the plate member and grounded.

[0020] According to this configuration, since the drying detection unit is attached to a metal plate member facing the inside of the rotary drum, the second conductive member can be grounded, so that the grounding of the second conductive member can be realized with a simple configuration.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the clothes dryer according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram of the state of viewing the drum support at the front end of the rotary drum from the inside of the rotary drum. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing the drying detection unit in Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] It is a view showing the drying detection unit in Embodiment 1, where (a) of the figure is a front view and (b) of the figure is a side view. [Figure 5]This is a perspective view showing the drying detection unit in Embodiment 2. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the drying detection unit in Embodiment 3. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the drying detection unit in Embodiment 4. [Figure 8] This figure shows the drying detection unit in Embodiment 5, where Figure (a) is a front view and Figure (b) is a cross-sectional view. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. (Embodiment 1) As shown in Figure 1, the clothes dryer 13 of Embodiment 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped body 14 inside which a rotating drum 15 for storing clothes is provided. A cylindrical clothes outlet 16 for loading and unloading clothes into the rotating drum 15 is provided on the front of the body 14, and a door 17 is provided to open and close this clothes outlet 16. Below the clothes outlet 16, a hot air outlet 18 is provided for discharging hot air from inside the rotating drum 15, and a filter 19 for collecting lint and the like is removablely attached to the hot air outlet 18. The hot air outlet 18 is connected to a communication duct 20 located below the rotating drum 15.

[0023] A burner 21 that generates hot air is provided at the upper rear of the main body 14. A gas supply passage 22 that supplies fuel gas is connected to the burner 21. A valve unit 23, which is located at the lower rear of the main body 14, is connected to the gas supply passage 22, and a main gas pipe 24 is connected to the valve unit 23. Between the burner 21 and the rotating drum 15, a hot air duct 25 is provided to guide the hot air heated by the burner 21 into the rotating drum 15. The hot air duct 25 is equipped with an outlet temperature sensor 26 that detects the temperature of the hot air sent out from the burner 21. A back plate 27, which is a metal plate member facing the inside of the rotating drum 15, is provided on the back of the rotating drum 15, and a clothing temperature sensor 28 is provided on this back plate 27. An exhaust duct 29 is provided at the rear of the main body 14 to discharge the hot air discharged from inside the rotating drum 15 to the outside. The downstream end of the exhaust duct 29 is connected to an exhaust port 30 provided on the upper wall of the main body 14, and the upstream end of the exhaust duct 29 is connected to a connecting duct 20 that communicates with the hot air outlet 18. Near the exhaust port 30 of the exhaust duct 29, an exhaust temperature sensor 31 is provided to detect the temperature of the hot air discharged to the outside.

[0024] A fan 32 is provided at the rear of the main body 14 to supply and discharge hot air into the rotating drum 15. A motor 33 is provided at the bottom of the main body 14 to rotate the rotating drum 15 and the fan 32. Two pulleys 34a and 34b are attached to the output shaft of the motor 33. A drum belt 35 that rotates the rotating drum 15 is stretched over one pulley 34a, and a fan belt 36 that rotates the fan 32 is stretched over the other pulley 34b.

[0025] A drum support 37, which is a metal plate member facing the inside of the rotating drum 15, is provided at the front end of the rotating drum 15, and the front end of the rotating drum 15 is rotatably supported by this drum support 37. The rear end of the rotating drum 15 is rotatably supported by a support plate 38. A support shaft 41 is inserted through the rear center of the rotating drum 15 and is rotatably supported. Lifters 39a and 39b are provided on the inner wall of the rotating drum 15 to lift the clothes upward when the rotating drum 15 rotates. The lifters 39a and 39b are provided at two locations on the inner wall of the rotating drum 15 that are opposite each other in the diametrical direction, with one lifter 39a located at the front of the rotating drum 15 and the other lifter 39b located at the rear of the rotating drum 15.

[0026] The drying operation of the clothes dryer 13 involves driving the motor 33 to rotate the fan 32 and the rotating drum 15, and igniting the burner 21. The rotation of the fan 32 draws outside air into the main body 14 through an air intake 40 located at the bottom of the side wall of the main body 14, where it is heated by the burner 21 to become hot air, which is then sent into the rotating drum 15 through the hot air duct 25. The hot air sent into the rotating drum 15 absorbs moisture from the clothes and is discharged from the hot air outlet 18, then through the connecting duct 20 and the exhaust duct 29 to the outside through the exhaust port 30. In addition, the rotation of the rotating drum 15 loosens the clothes that have accumulated at the bottom of the drum 15, and they are lifted upward by the lifters 39a and 39b, promoting drying with hot air.

[0027] The clothes dryer 13 is equipped with an electronic unit 50, which is a control unit that controls the operation of the drying cycle. The electronic unit 50 controls the operation of each part of the clothes dryer 13 based on the output from each sensor. When the drying cycle is finished, the electronic unit 50 makes a decision based on the degree of dryness of the clothes detected by the drying detection unit 1A. In this embodiment 1, the drying detection unit 1A is provided on a drum support 37, which is a metal plate member disposed at the front end of the rotating drum 15 and facing the inside of the rotating drum 15. The drying detection unit 1A is provided so that the clothes inside the rotating drum 15 come into contact with it as the rotating drum 15 rotates. The drying detection unit 1A includes a pair of electrodes 4, 5 (see Figure 2) that detect the electrical resistance of the clothes by contacting the clothes inside the rotating drum 15. The drying detection unit 1A detects the degree of dryness of the clothes based on the detection of a higher electrical resistance value as the clothes in contact with the pair of electrodes 4, 5 become less moist.

[0028] Figure 2 is a view of the drum support 37 at the front end of the rotating drum 15, seen from inside the rotating drum 15. As shown in Figure 2, the drying detection unit 1A is positioned at the lower part of the drum support 37, offset from the center of the drum support 37 in the direction of rotation of the rotating drum 15. For example, in a clothes dryer 13 where the rotating drum 15 rotates clockwise when viewed from the front, the drying detection unit 1A is located at the lower left position of the drum support 37 (see Figure 2. Note that Figure 2 is a view of the inner surface of the drum support 37 seen from inside the rotating drum 15, so the drying detection unit 1A is shown at the lower right position).

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4(a) and 4(b), the drying detection unit 1A comprises a pair of electrodes 4 and 5 made of a conductive material such as metal, and a base 3 that holds the pair of electrodes 4 and 5. The base 3 is made of an insulating material such as resin.

[0030] The pair of electrodes 4 and 5 consists of a control-side electrode (first conductive member) 4 connected to the electronic unit 50 and a ground-side electrode 5 that is paired with the control-side electrode 4. When clothing comes into contact with this pair of electrodes 4 and 5, the electrical resistance of the clothing is detected, and the electronic unit 50 determines the degree of dryness of the clothing based on this electrical resistance. Each electrode 4 and 5 is formed in a rectangular shape and has the same shape and size. An elliptical projection 8 is formed in the center of each electrode 4 and 5 to facilitate contact with clothing. The projection 8 has a smooth shape with rounded corners to prevent damage to clothing.

[0031] The base 3 has a projection 10 that protrudes into the rotating drum 15 and has an inclined surface 9, and mounting pieces 11a and 11b that extend from both sides of the projection 10. Each mounting piece 11a and 11b is provided with a mounting hole b for screw fixing to a hole a (see Figure 2) in the drum support 37. The projection 10 has a smooth shape with rounded corners to prevent damage to clothing if it comes into contact with it. A pair of electrodes 4 and 5 are arranged on the inclined surface 9 of the projection 10. Each electrode 4 and 5 is arranged in two rows such that its long side is aligned with the inclination direction of the inclined surface 9. The electrodes 4 and 5 arranged in the two rows are aligned at their ends in the direction of their long sides and spaced apart in the direction of their short sides. The connection terminals 6 and 7 of each electrode 4 and 5 (see Figure 4(b)) are drawn out from the back side of the base 3. The wiring connected to one connection terminal 6 is connected to the electronic unit 50, and the wiring connected to the other connection terminal 7 is connected to ground. The electrode connected to the electronic unit 50 becomes the control side electrode 4, and the electrode connected to ground becomes the ground side electrode 5. In this embodiment 1, the arrangement of the pair of electrodes on the base 3 is arbitrary, with no choice between which side is the control side electrode 4 and which is the ground side electrode 5. The inclined surface 9 of the protrusion 10 on which the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 are arranged is positioned diagonally opposite to the rotation direction of the rotating drum 15. This makes it easier for clothing moving due to the rotation of the rotating drum 15 to come into contact with the inclined surface 9 of the protrusion 10.

[0032] As clothes dry during the drying cycle, they rub against each other, generating static electricity. This static electricity worsens the accuracy of the pair of electrodes in detecting the electrical resistance of the clothes. In this embodiment 1, a conductive part (second conductive member) 2 is provided, which acts as a lightning rod to remove static electricity charged on the clothes. Specifically, the base 3 of the drying detection unit 1A is provided with a conductive part 2 connected to earth. The conductive part 2 is made of a conductive material such as metal. The conductive part 2 is provided on the base 3, which is made of an insulating material, spaced apart from the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 so as not to come into contact with them. When clothes charged with static electricity come into contact with the conductive part 2, the conductive part 2 discharges the static electricity to earth, thereby removing the static electricity from the clothes. This conductive part 2 does not have a configuration that detects the degree of dryness of the clothes in relation to the control side electrode 4. At least a portion of the conductive part 2 is disposed at the part of the base 3 that protrudes most into the rotating drum 15. In other words, the conductive part 2 has a clothing contact portion 200 for facilitating contact with clothing, which is located at the upper end of the protrusion 10, which is the highest point on the base 3. As a result, the clothing contact portion 200 of the conductive part 2 is positioned higher than the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 on the base 3, so the clothing contact portion 200 of the conductive part 2 protrudes further into the rotating drum 15 than the pair of electrodes 4 and 5.

[0033] Furthermore, the width w of the conductive portion 2 is formed to be longer than the pitch width p of the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 (see Figure 3). Here, the width w of the conductive portion 2 refers to the length of the conductive portion 2 extending in the diametrical direction of the rotating drum 15, and the pitch width p of the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 refers to the distance from one outer end to the other outer end in the direction of alignment of the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 (diametrical direction of the rotating drum 15). Note that the width w of the conductive portion 2 may be the same as or less than the pitch width p of the pair of electrodes 4 and 5.

[0034] The conductive part 2 has an extension 12 that extends from the clothing contact part 200, and this extension 12 is positioned on the surface of one mounting piece 11a of the base 3, along the rear side surface of the inclined surface 9 from the upper end of the protrusion 10. The extension 12 of the conductive part 2 is provided with a hole c that coincides with the mounting hole b of the mounting piece 11a. To attach the drying detection unit 1A to the drum support 37, the protrusion 10 of the drying detection unit 1A is fitted into the sensor mounting hole d (see Figure 2) of the drum support 37 from the front side of the drum support 37, the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 provided on the protrusion 10 and the conductive part 2 are placed inside the rotating drum 15, and the respective mounting pieces 11a and 11b are screw-fixed to the drum support 37. In this case, the extension 12 of the conductive part 2 comes into contact with the drum support 37 by screwing it through the mounting hole b of one mounting piece 11a of the base 3 and the hole c of the extension 12 of the conductive part 2 into the hole a of the drum support 37. As a result, the conductive part 2 is grounded by the drum support 37, which is a metal plate member, and the grounding of the conductive part 2 can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0035] According to Embodiment 1 described above, by providing a conductive part 2 connected to ground in the drying detection unit 1A, static electricity is discharged to ground when statically charged clothing comes into contact with the conductive part 2. In this case, the conductive part 2 is configured such that when the rotating drum 15 rotates, the clothing comes into contact with the conductive part 2 before the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 (especially the control side electrode 4). That is, the upper clothing contact part 200 of the conductive part 2 is positioned to protrude into the rotating drum 15 more than the pair of electrodes 4 and 5. Therefore, when the rotating drum 15 rotates, clothing near the drying detection unit 1A is more likely to come into contact with the conductive part 2 and have static electricity discharged before coming into contact with the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 (especially the control side electrode 4) of the drying detection unit 1A, thereby suppressing the effect of static electricity on the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 and preventing malfunction of the drying detection unit 1A due to static electricity charged on the clothing. Furthermore, since the conductive part 2 is formed with a width w extending in the diametrical direction of the rotating drum 15 that is longer than the pitch width p of the pair of electrodes 4 and 5, when the rotating drum 15 rotates, it is possible to more reliably bring the clothes into contact with the conductive part 2 before the pair of electrodes 4 and 5, making it easier to remove static electricity. Therefore, the drying detection unit 1A can accurately detect the degree of dryness of the clothes by suppressing the influence of static electricity charged on the clothes with a simple and power-free configuration.

[0036] Furthermore, the lifters 39a and 39b provided on the inner wall of the rotating drum 15 are made of resin. Therefore, the lifters 39a and 39b become electrostatically charged when they rub against the clothes during the drying operation. In the drying detection unit 1A of Embodiment 1, the conductive part 2 is positioned so that the clothing contact part 200 is the part that protrudes most into the rotating drum 15 from the base 3 and protrudes further into the rotating drum 15 than the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 (especially the control side electrode 4). That is, when the rotating drum 15 is rotating and the lifter 39a provided at the front of the rotating drum 15 is facing the drying detection unit 1A in a straight line in the front-rear direction, the clothing contact part 200 of the conductive part 2 is positioned closer to the lifter 39a than the pair of electrodes 4 and 5. Therefore, the electrostatic charge on the lifter 39a is removed when the clothes that come into contact with it come into contact with the conductive part 2. Therefore, when the lifter 39a approaches the drying detection unit 1A while the rotating drum 15 is rotating, the static electricity charged on the lifter 39a is easily removed by the conductive part 2 without being discharged to the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 of the drying detection unit 1A, thereby suppressing the effect of static electricity on the drying detection unit 1A.

[0037] Embodiments 2 to 5 are shown below. These Embodiments 2 to 5 differ from Embodiment 1 in that, in the drying detection unit 1A, a conductive part 2 is not provided separately from the pair of electrodes. Instead, the grounded electrode 5 of the pair of electrodes is used as the second conductive member and functions as a conductive part 2 for removing static electricity from clothing. Note that, other than the descriptions provided for Embodiments 2 to 5, the details are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 1.

[0038] (Embodiment 2) As shown in Figure 5, in the drying detection unit 1B of Embodiment 2, the positional relationship between the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 is defined as the arrangement of the control electrode 4 and the ground electrode 5. Specifically, of the pair of electrodes 4 and 5, the electrode positioned on the outer circumference side of the drum support 37 (outside the diametrically opposed side of the rotating drum 15) is the ground electrode 5, which is connected to earth as a second conductive member, and the electrode positioned on the inner circumference side of the drum support 37 (inside the diametrically opposed side of the rotating drum 15) is the control electrode 4, which is connected to the electronic unit 50 as a first conductive member. In this case, the ground electrode 5 positioned on the outer circumference side of the drum support 37 also serves as a conductive part (second conductive member) 2 for removing static electricity from clothing.

[0039] As the rotating drum 15 rotates, the clothing tends to accumulate on the inner wall of the drum 15, and in relation to the drum support 37, the clothing tends to accumulate on the outer circumference of the drum support 37. According to Embodiment 2, the clothing that accumulates on the inner wall of the rotating drum 15 when the drum 15 rotates is more likely to come into contact with the ground electrode 5 (conductive part 2) located on the outer circumference of the drum support 37 before the control electrode 4 located on the inner circumference of the drum support 37. Therefore, static electricity charged on the clothing can be easily removed by contacting the ground electrode 5, which is the conductive part 2. As a result, when the clothing comes into contact with the pair of electrodes, the effect of static electricity is suppressed, and the electrical resistance value of the clothing can be accurately detected.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the ground electrode 5, which is the conductive part 2, is formed with a longer long side than the control electrode 4, and the width (length of the electrode) extending inclined in the direction of rotation of the rotating drum 15 is longer than that of the control electrode 4. In this case, it is preferable that the longitudinal end of the ground electrode 5 is positioned higher than the longitudinal end of the control electrode 4 on the inclined surface 9 of the convex part 10, and is arranged to protrude further into the rotating drum 15 than the control electrode 4. This makes it easier to remove static electricity by ensuring that clothing comes into contact with the ground electrode 5 (conductive part 2) before the control electrode 4 when the rotating drum 15 is rotating.

[0041] As described above, according to Embodiment 2, in the drying detection unit 1B, the ground electrode 5 of the pair of electrodes also functions effectively as a conductive part 2 that removes static electricity from the clothing. Therefore, the degree of dryness of the clothing can be accurately detected by suppressing the influence of static electricity charged on the clothing in a simpler and power-free configuration.

[0042] (Embodiment 3) As shown in Figure 6, in the drying detection unit 1C of Embodiment 3, the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 provided on the inclined surface 9 of the protrusion 10 of the base 3 are installed so that their longitudinal direction extends along the diametrical direction of the rotating drum 15. The electrode positioned at the higher position of the inclined surface 9 is a grounding electrode 5 connected to earth as a second conductive member, and the electrode positioned at the lower position of the inclined surface 9 is a control electrode 4 connected to the electronic unit 50 as a first conductive member. Therefore, the grounding electrode 5 protrudes further into the rotating drum 15 than the control electrode 4. In this case, the grounding electrode 5 positioned at the higher position of the inclined surface 9 also serves as a conductive part (second conductive member) 2 for removing static electricity from clothing.

[0043] According to Embodiment 3, the ground electrode 5, which is positioned at a higher position on the inclined surface 9 of the protrusion 10, protrudes further into the rotating drum 15 than the control electrode 4, which is positioned lower. Therefore, when the rotating drum 15 rotates, it is easier to remove static electricity by bringing the clothing into contact with the ground electrode 5 (conductive part 2) before the control electrode 4. Also, as shown in Figure 6, the ground electrode 5, which is the conductive part 2, is formed with a longer long side than the control electrode 4, and the width (length of the electrode) extending in the diametrical direction of the rotating drum 15 is longer than that of the control electrode 4. This makes it easier to remove static electricity by bringing the clothing into contact with the ground electrode 5 before the control electrode 4 when the rotating drum 15 rotates. As a result, according to Embodiment 3, in the drying detection unit 1C, the ground electrode 5 of the pair of electrodes also functions effectively as a conductive part 2 that removes static electricity from the clothing. Therefore, the drying detection unit 1C can correctly detect the degree of dryness of the clothing by suppressing the effect of static electricity charged on the clothing in a simpler and power-free configuration.

[0044] (Embodiment 4) As shown in Figure 7, in the drying detection unit 1D of Embodiment 4, the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 provided on the inclined surface 9 of the protrusion 10 of the base 3 consist of a central electrode and an annular electrode surrounding the entire outer circumference of the central electrode. The annular electrode is a ground-side electrode 5 connected to earth as a second conductive member, and the central electrode is a control-side electrode 4 connected to the electronic unit 50 as a first conductive member. In this case, the ground-side electrode 5 of the annular electrode also serves as a conductive part (second conductive member) 2 for removing static electricity from clothing. The annular ground-side electrode 5 is formed in a rectangular annular shape, but it may also be an annular shape such as a polygon, circle, or ellipse.

[0045] According to Embodiment 4, by configuring the ground electrode 5 as an annular electrode surrounding the entire outer circumference of the control electrode 4, clothing approaching the pair of electrodes 4 and 5 from any direction is more likely to come into contact with the ground electrode 5 (conductive part 2) before the control electrode 4. Furthermore, the area of ​​the ground electrode 5 is also increased, making it easier for clothing to more reliably come into contact with the ground electrode 5 before the control electrode 4. Therefore, when the rotating drum 15 rotates, it is possible to more reliably make the clothing come into contact with the ground electrode 5 before the control electrode 4 to remove static electricity. Thus, according to Embodiment 4, in the drying detection unit 1D, the ground electrode 5 of the pair of electrodes also functions effectively as a conductive part 2 that removes static electricity from the clothing. As a result, the drying detection unit 1D can accurately detect the degree of dryness of the clothing by suppressing the effect of static electricity charged on the clothing with a simpler and power-free configuration.

[0046] (Embodiment 5) As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the drying detection unit 1E in Embodiment 5 is equipped with three electrodes on the protrusion 10 of the base 3, with electrodes 5, 5 positioned above and below a central electrode 4. The central electrode is a control-side electrode 4 connected to the electronic unit 50 as a first conductive member, and the upper and lower electrodes flanking this control-side electrode 4 are ground-side electrodes 5 connected to earth as second conductive members. In this case, the upper and lower ground-side electrodes 5, 5 also serve as conductive parts (second conductive members) 2 for removing static electricity from clothing. Furthermore, when detecting the electrical resistance value of clothing as an electrode sensor, the central control-side electrode 4 and the upper ground-side electrode 5 form a pair of electrodes for detecting the electrical resistance value, and the central control-side electrode 4 and the lower ground-side electrode 5 form a pair of electrodes for detecting the electrical resistance value.

[0047] The protrusion 10 of the base 3 that holds electrodes 4 and 5 is formed in a mountain shape and has two inclined surfaces 9A and 9B, and the three electrodes 4, 5, and 5 are arranged across the two inclined surfaces 9A and 9B. The upper and lower ground electrodes 5, 5 that sandwich the control electrode 4 are formed so that both ends on the longitudinal side are longer than the control electrode 4, and the ends of the ground electrodes 5, 5 are positioned outward from the control electrode 4. The drying detection unit 1E is provided at the central position (on the center line) of the lower part of the drum support 37, and the two inclined surfaces 9A and 9B of the protrusion 10 are arranged to be inclined and facing in the direction of rotation of the rotating drum 15.

[0048] According to Embodiment 5, the drying detection unit 1E is positioned in the center of the lower part of the drum support 37, two inclined surfaces 9A and 9B are provided on the protrusion 10 that holds the electrodes 4, 5, 5, and the grounding electrodes 5, 5 are arranged so as to sandwich the control electrode 4 above and below. This makes it easier to remove static electricity by making clothes come into contact with at least one of the upper and lower grounding electrodes 5 (conductive parts 2) before the control electrode 4, even when the rotating drum 15 rotates in two directions, clockwise and counterclockwise (forward / reverse rotation). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8(b), the inclined surfaces 9A and 9B of the protrusion 10 are formed such that the portion 90 where the upper and lower grounding electrodes 5, 5 (conductive parts 2) are arranged is higher than other portions, and the upper and lower grounding electrodes 5, 5 are configured to protrude further into the rotating drum 15 than the control electrode 4. This makes it easier to remove static electricity by making clothes come into contact with at least one of the upper and lower grounding electrodes 5 (conductive parts 2) before the control electrode 4 when the rotating drum 15 is rotating. Therefore, according to Embodiment 5, in the drying detection unit 1E, the two upper and lower ground-side electrodes 5, 5 also function effectively as conductive parts 2 that remove static electricity from clothing. As a result, even when the rotating drum 15 rotates in two directions, clockwise and counterclockwise, the effect of static electricity charged on clothing can be suppressed and the degree of dryness of the clothing can be accurately detected with a simple and power-free configuration.

[0049] In Embodiment 5, the ground electrodes 5, 5 are arranged vertically on either side of the central control electrode 4, but they may also be arranged horizontally (in the direction of rotation of the rotating drum 15) on either side of the central control electrode 4.

[0050] Although each embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, the drying detection units 1A to 1E may be provided on a back plate 27, which is a metal plate member located on the back of the rotating drum 15 and facing the inside of the rotating drum 15. In this case, in the drying detection unit 1A shown in Figure 3, the conductive part (second conductive member) 2, which is provided separately from the pair of electrodes 4 and 5, can be configured to be in contact with the back plate 27 and connected to ground. Furthermore, the inclined surface 9 of the protrusion 10 on the base 3 of the drying detection unit 1A to 1D (see Figures 3, 5 to 7) may be configured to face the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the rotating drum 15 (configured to face the direction of rotation of the rotating drum 15) and provided on the base 3, or it may be configured to face a direction perpendicular to the direction of rotation of the rotating drum 15 or a direction intersecting it at a predetermined angle and provided on the base 3. Furthermore, the two inclined surfaces 9A and 9B of the protrusion 10 on the base 3 of the drying detection unit 1E (see Figure 8) may be configured to face in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the rotating drum 15 or in a direction intersecting it at a predetermined angle, and may be provided on the base 3. Furthermore, the protruding components (for example, the convex portion 10) of the base 3 of the drying detection units 1A to 1E within the rotating drum 15 may be configured in various shapes, such as curved shapes or shapes composed of vertical surfaces. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1A~1E Dryness detection section 2 Conductive part 3 bases 4. Control side electrode 5 Ground side electrode 6,7 Connection terminals 8 Protrusion 9 Slope 10 Convex part 11a, 11b Mounting piece 12 Extension 13 Clothes dryer 15 RPM drum 37 Drum Support 38 Support plate 39a, 39b Lifters 50 Electronic Units 200 Clothing contact area

Claims

1. A clothes dryer comprising a rotating drum for holding clothes and a drying detection unit for detecting the degree of dryness of the clothes inside the rotating drum, The drying detection unit is connected to an electronic unit and comprises a first conductive member for detecting the electrical resistance value when clothing comes into contact with it, and a base made of an insulating member for holding the first conductive member. The base is provided with a second conductive member that is connected to ground. A clothes dryer in which the second conductive member is arranged such that, when the rotating drum is rotating, the clothes come into contact with the second conductive member before the first conductive member.

2. In the clothes dryer according to claim 1, The base has a configuration that protrudes into the rotating drum. The first conductive member is positioned on a portion that protrudes into the rotating drum of the base. A clothes dryer in which at least a portion of the second conductive member is positioned on a part of the base that protrudes into the rotating drum and protrudes further into the rotating drum than the first conductive member.

3. In the clothes dryer according to claim 1, The base has an inclined surface and protrudes into the rotating drum. The first conductive member is disposed on the inclined surface of the base, A clothes dryer in which at least a portion of the second conductive member is positioned on a part of the base that protrudes into the rotating drum and protrudes further into the rotating drum than the first conductive member.

4. In a clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A clothes dryer in which the second conductive member is arranged on both sides of the first conductive member so as to sandwich it.

5. In a clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A clothes dryer in which the second conductive member has a longer width in the diametrical direction of the rotating drum or in the rotational direction of the rotating drum than the first conductive member.

6. In a clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A clothes dryer in which the second conductive member is positioned diametrically outward from the first conductive member of the rotating drum.

7. In a clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The drying detection unit is mounted on a metal plate member facing the inside of the rotating drum. A clothes dryer in which the second conductive member is configured to be in contact with the plate member and connected to ground.

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