Dryer and control method

Abstract

In a cleaning factory with multiple dryers that separate and dry items requiring long and short processing times, the goal is to perform the processing at each of the multiple dryers' processing stages in the shortest possible time. [Solution] Each of the multiple dryers includes a drum 13 for drying the material to be processed, tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b for tilting the drum 13 to discharge the material after drying, a tilt detector 17 that detects the tilt and transmits a tilt detection signal, a material residue detector 18 that detects the empty state of the material to be processed in the drum 13 and transmits an empty state detection signal, and a control circuit 22b configured to transmit a discharge completion signal to the dryer when it receives an unload signal, a tilt detection signal, and an empty state detection signal.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dryer and a method for controlling the dryer, and more particularly to a commercial dryer used in a cleaning factory that processes a large amount of laundry, and a method for controlling the processing at the discharge stage of a commercial dryer. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a commercial dryer that rotates a drum (inner cylinder) having an input opening for inputting the material to be dried (the material to be dried) and an output opening for dischargering the material. In the commercial dryer described in Patent Document 1, the rotation axis of the drum is tilted downward toward the output opening to discharge the material after the drying process is complete. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the type and size of the material to be dried that is input into the commercial dryer are sorted and dried, but the discharge time required for the discharge stage after the material has been dried is uniformly fixed by a timer.

[0003] In other words, in dry cleaning plants that handle large quantities of laundry, multiple commercial dryers are arranged along a conveyor belt, and these dryers perform parallel sorting and drying of different types of laundry sorted by drying time. However, despite the varying discharge settings for the laundry discharged from each drum of the multiple commercial dryers, the overall discharge setting for the dry cleaning plant was a uniform, fixed time based on the laundry with the longest discharge setting. This meant that, for a long time, excessive discharge settings were being used for certain types of laundry, resulting in wasted electricity costs, a fact that had not been taken into consideration for a long time.

[0004] Depending on the cleaning factory and the customer's circumstances, bath towels may be fully dried, while sheets may be partially dried. While the type of dryer and usage conditions must be considered, in the case of partial drying, according to the inventors' empirical rules, for example, when 60 kg of items to be dried are placed in a 100 kg dryer, the drying times shown in Table 1 can be exemplified. [Table 1] The drying time required for full drying also varies depending on the season and ambient temperature, but is approximately 15 to 23 minutes. Here, the series of processes performed by the dryer requires technical consideration to be scheduled over time, consisting of four unit operations (JIS Z 8141-5109): the loading stage where the material to be dried is placed into the inner drum, the hot air drying stage where the material to be dried is dried with hot air, the cooling stage where the material to be dried is cooled, and the discharge stage where the material to be dried is discharged from the inner drum. On the other hand, when handling partially dried material, there is no cooling stage, so technical consideration is required to be scheduled over time, consisting of three unit operations: the loading stage, the hot air drying stage, and the discharge stage. Regarding the processing of the hot air drying stage, one of the 3 to 4 unit operations scheduled over time, it is possible to monitor the drying endpoint, and the time in the hot air drying stage can be adjusted by classification drying that takes into account the characteristics of the material to be dried. However, for a long time, the processing time of the unit operation in the discharge stage, one of the 3 to 4 unit operations scheduled over time, has not been considered. Specifically, at the discharge stage, despite the existence of items requiring long discharge times and items requiring short discharge times, the discharge time was conventionally standardized to a uniform, fixed value (maximum value) for all dryers in the line, based on the time required for the item requiring the longest discharge time. For items requiring short discharge times, this results in wasted time and electricity of, for example, about 15 seconds compared to items requiring long discharge times. Standardizing the discharge time to the maximum value, as in conventional technology, not only increases the overall operating time of dryers in the cleaning factory but also increases the frequency of replacement of dryer consumables (belts, etc.), affecting the power consumption and lifespan of related equipment such as belt conveyors. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-112287 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to focus on the discharge stage, which has long been overlooked among the 3 to 4 unit operations scheduled over time as part of the drying process in a dryer, and to provide a dryer and a control method for the discharge stage of this dryer that can efficiently discharge the material to be dried from the dryer in the shortest possible time, thereby contributing to energy saving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The gist of the present invention is a dryer characterized by comprising (a) a drum for drying a workpiece, (b) a tilting mechanism for tilting the drum in order to discharge the workpiece from the drum after drying, (c) a tilt detector that detects the tilt and transmits a tilt detection signal, (d) a workpiece residue detector that detects the empty state of the workpiece in the drum and transmits an empty state detection signal, and (e) a control circuit configured to transmit a discharge completion signal to the dryer when it receives an unload signal, a tilt detection signal, and an empty state detection signal.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is a control method comprising: (a) tilting a drum for drying a workpiece to discharge the workpiece after drying and transmitting an unload signal; (b) detecting the tilt and transmitting a tilt detection signal; (c) detecting the empty state of the workpiece in the drum and transmitting an empty state detection signal; and (d) releasing the tilt when the unload signal, tilt detection signal, and empty state detection signal are received. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a dryer that can efficiently perform the discharge stage of the material to be processed from the dryer in the shortest possible time, thereby contributing to energy saving, and a control method for the discharge stage of this dryer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the general structure of a drying line in which multiple drying machines according to the first embodiment of the present invention are arranged. [Figure 2A] This figure shows an example of flow shop scheduling for a multi-stage work system in a cleaning factory equipped with a dryer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2B] This figure shows another example of flow shop scheduling for the multi-stage work system illustrated in Figure 2A. [Figure 3A] This is a schematic rear view illustrating the general structure of a specific dryer, focusing on one of the multiple dryers shown as an example in Figure 1. [Figure 3B] Figure 3A is a schematic front view illustrating the general structure of the dryer. [Figure 3C] Figure 3A is a schematic bird's-eye view illustrating the drum of the dryer and the four drive rollers that drive this drum. [Figure 3D] Figure 3A is a schematic bird's-eye view focusing on the drive roller of the dryer. [Figure 4] This is a schematic rear view focusing on the discharge stage of the dryer according to the first embodiment, and specifically on the control device related to the processing of the discharge stage. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a schematic top view focusing on the control device of the dryer according to the first embodiment, as illustrated in the example. [Figure 6] This is a schematic side view focusing on the control device of the dryer illustrated in Figure 4. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing an example of a control device for a dryer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram showing a control device for a dryer according to a reference example of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 7 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a switch. [Figure 10] Figure 7 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the sensor section. [Figure 11A]This is a schematic side view showing the contents of the dryer inside the dryer as seen through, before the tilting of the inclined moving part begins during the discharge stage in the control method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11B] This is a side view showing the contents to be processed inside the dryer in the discharge stage according to the control method of the first embodiment, before the tilting of the tilting moving part begins and the tilting angle reaches its maximum. [Figure 11C] This is an internal perspective side view showing the transient state of the discharge stage, where, at a point in time when the discharge process has progressed further from the state shown in Figure 11B, the inclination angle is at its maximum and a portion of the material to be processed is protruding from the drum, but the discharge of the material to be processed is not yet complete and some material remains in the inner tank of the drum. [Figure 11D] This is a side view showing the state at a later time from the state shown in Figure 11C, where the discharge of the processed material has been completed and the inner drum is empty. [Figure 12] Figures 12(a) to (e) are timing charts showing the changes in each signal during the discharge stage processing in the control method according to the first embodiment when the empty state detection signal is earlier than the time-up signal. [Figure 13] Figures 13(a) to (e) are timing charts showing the changes in each signal during the discharge stage processing when the empty state detection signal is slower than the time-up signal. [Figure 14] This is an elemental work flow diagram showing the processing procedure of unit operations in the discharge stage in the control method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a schematic rear view illustrating the general outline of a dryer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a schematic rear view illustrating the general outline of a dryer according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Next, the first to third embodiments of the present invention will be described as representative examples with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, the ratio of the thickness of each member, and the like differ from actual ones. Therefore, specific thicknesses and dimensions should be determined in consideration of the following description. Also, it goes without saying that the relationships and ratios of dimensions between the drawings may differ from each other.

[0012] In addition, the first to third embodiments described below exemplify devices and methods for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the technical idea of the present invention does not limit the material, shape, structure, arrangement, etc. of constituent components to those described below. Various changes can be added to the technical idea of the present invention within the technical scope defined by the claims set forth in the claims. Furthermore, in the following description, "up-down", "left-right", and "front-back" are definitions for convenience of description, and do not limit the technical idea of the present invention.

[0013] (First Embodiment) --Schematic configuration of essential parts of the dryer-- As illustrated in Figure 1, the plurality of dryers X according to the first embodiment of the present invention i1 , X i2 , ……, X i(j-1) , X ij , X i(j+1) , …… are arranged along the conveyor belt 91 of a belt conveyor to form the i-th line, and the present invention is suitable for an embodiment of a cleaning plant (however, the belt conveyor shown in Figure 1 is merely an example). The conveyor belt 91 is held by a head pulley 93a, a tail pulley 93b, a tension pulley 93d, a first vent pulley 93c, and a second vent pulley 93e, and the dryer X i1 , X i2 , ……, X i(j-1) , X ij , X i(j+1)It is configured to transport the material to be processed (dried material) W discharged from the conveyor belt 91. The tension pulley 93d is integrated with the transmission pulley 94a to form a two-stage pulley. The driving force from the drive pulley 94c provided on the motor 92 side is transmitted via the belt 95 through the snub pulley 94b. The tension pulley 93d, the first vent pulley 93c, the second vent pulley 93e, the transmission pulley 94a, the motor 92, the drive pulley 94c, and the snub pulley 94b are housed in the pit 96 below the conveyor belt 91.

[0014] Dryer X according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1 i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) ...for example, this can be applied as a component of the process in the dryer line 34 of a cleaning factory, which consists of a washing machine line 32, a dehydrator line 33, a dryer line 34, a loading machine line 35, a rolling machine line 36, and a folding machine line 37 as shown in Figure 2A. Considering the differences in drying time required due to the characteristics of the materials to be processed, as shown in Table 1, and the difference between full drying and partial drying, multiple dryers for each type are arranged in the dryer line 34 so that a separate drying process for each type is possible. That is, multiple dryers X are arranged in the dryer line 34 so that a separate drying process for each type is possible. i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) ...are arranged (see Figure 1). Following the dryer line 34, the input line 35 leads to the roll machine line 36, where one or more ironers are arranged, and following the roll machine line 36, the folding machine line 37 leads to the folding machine line 36, where one or more folding machines are arranged.

[0015] The washing machine line 32 shown in Figure 2A or Figure 2B is a continuous washing machine with multiple tubs in a row, which processes sorted cleaning items by type in a predetermined cycle. To enable sorted washing using a continuous washing machine, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2A, there is a sorting area in front of the washing machine line 32 in the cleaning factory, where items to be cleaned (items to be washed) are sorted by type. Items to be cleaned include a variety of types such as sheets, towels, pillowcases, blankets, duvet covers, yukata, mats, and uniforms. The items sorted by type are loaded onto a conveyor or transport bag and placed into designated washing machines on the washing machine line 32, where they are sorted and washed. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2B, an automatic sorter 31b using AI-based image recognition or the like may be used to sort the items, including a variety of types, by type and load them into designated washing machines on the washing machine line 32 for sorted washing. Dry cleaning is a method of washing (cleaning) items using dry cleaning solvents such as petroleum-based solvents, chlorine-based solvents, and fluorine-based solvents. Dry cleaning allows you to wash items without contact with water, preventing swelling or shrinkage of the material and thus preventing clothes from losing their shape.

[0016] The dewatering line 33 process involves dewatering the workpieces after the completion of the continuous washing process, including the rinsing stage, and after they have absorbed a large amount of rinse water, sorting them according to the type of workpiece. For the dewatering stage of the dry cleaning solvent, for example, a compression dewatering machine or a centrifugal dewatering machine may be used. Dry cleaning solvent may contain water, but it is desirable to minimize the amount of water in the dry cleaning solvent. However, if there is no water, the cleaning power will decrease. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the amount of water in the solvent and allow moisture to be absorbed into the soiled areas. Since the dry cleaning solvent contains surfactants and comes into contact with air, the amount of water will change depending on the humidity. For example, a two-bath machine with a water washing tank and a dry cleaning tank in a continuous sequence can be used, and attention can be paid to the finish by performing double cleaning, which combines the water washing and dry cleaning processes. After dewatering and dewatering in the dewatering line 33 process, the workpieces are automatically transported to each of the multiple dryers arranged in the dryer line 34, sorted according to the type of workpiece, via a conveyor or transport bag.

[0017] Multiple dryers X arranged in the dryer line 34 i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) Each of these performs sorting and drying by type in parallel. Multiple dryers X i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) Each of these should have approximately the same (uniform) functions necessary for sorting and drying, so they can have the same structure. Multiple dryers X i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) Each of these may have multiple timers on which drying settings can be set for classifying and drying the type of material being processed. In the case of partial drying, multiple dryers X may be used, taking into consideration the data in Table 1, etc. i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1)... are pre-classified into several groups: a first group of dryers with timers set to drying time 1, a second group of dryers with timers set to drying time 2, a third group of dryers with timers set to drying time 3, etc. For partial drying, the drying time 1 of the timer is set to match the unprocessed material with the longest drying time in Table 1, so that the drying time settings are: drying time 1 > drying time 2 > drying time 3 > ... Each dryer independently performs the series of unit operations for fully dried materials: loading into the drum, hot air drying, cooling, and discharge. On the other hand, for partially dried materials, each dryer independently performs the series of unit operations: loading into the drum, hot air drying, and discharge. By classifying the drying process, the hot air drying stage within the series of unit operations can be shortened for unprocessed materials with short drying times. Dryer X of Dryer Line 34 i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) After the sorting and drying of each of the multiple types of materials has been completed, they are sorted by the conveyor belt 91 and automatically transported to the roll machine line 36. Note that Figure 1 is an example, and instead of the conveyor belt 91, the materials may be sorted and stored in conveyor bags according to type and automatically transported to the roll machine line 36.

[0018] One or more ironers in the roll ironing line 36 iron the wrinkled workpieces after drying to finish them in a wrinkle-free, flat state. For example, a roll ironing line can be used, which uses a roll (rotating roller) and a heating plate to press the workpieces. The workpieces that have been ironed are then transferred to the folding line 37 as the final job. One or more folding machines that make up the folding line 37 automatically fold the wrinkle-free workpieces according to type to make them cleaned and ready for shipment. The folding line 37 can employ various methods, such as an air blow method that folds the workpieces using air pressure, a roller method that folds the workpieces using rotating rollers, or a conveyor method that folds the workpieces in multiple stages while they are fed by a conveyor. In addition, a detector for measuring the size of the workpieces may be provided to select the appropriate folding method according to the size of the workpieces.

[0019] Multiple dryers X arranged in the dryer line 34 i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) ... have the same structure. Therefore, dryer X i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) It is possible to arbitrarily decide which of the following belong to the first group of multiple dryers, which belong to the second group of multiple dryers, which belong to the third group of multiple dryers, etc., and the classification can also be changed. Dryer X i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) Each of these includes a stationary section 72 that is L-shaped when viewed from the front, and an inclined moving section 71 housed in the inverted L-shaped recess of the stationary section 72. As shown in Figure 3A, an operation panel 83 and a control panel 84 below the operation panel 83 are provided on the rising section (vertical bar) of the inverted L-shape. Depending on the model, an inlet thermometer 81 and an outlet thermometer 82 are positioned above the operation panel 83.

[0020] The following description describes multiple dryers X arranged in the dryer line 34. i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) ... are generally able to have the same structure, so each can be called "Dryer X" ij The comprehensive expression "[...]" should be used as appropriate depending on the situation. Dryer X ij The stationary part 72 has a first tilting mechanism 16a and a second tilting mechanism 16b for tilting the tilting moving part 71. Dryer X ij The first tilting mechanism 16a and the second tilting mechanism 16b can, for example, be an air cylinder using pneumatic pressure, a fluid pressure cylinder using hydraulic or other fluid pressure, or an electric cylinder using mechanical drive powered by electricity. The two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b have the function of tilting the tilting movement section 71 forward by their own extension and retraction, with the hinges at the corners of the front and bottom surfaces of the tilting movement section 71 as pivot points. Each of the tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b can, for example, be an air cylinder using pneumatic pressure, a fluid pressure cylinder using hydraulic pressure, or an electric cylinder using mechanical drive powered by electricity. Figures 3A and 3B schematically show the state in which the rod has descended into the cylinder tube.

[0021] Dryer X according to the first embodiment ij Inside the inclined moving section 71, a drum (inner drum) 13 is arranged, which consists of a partially double structure with a non-rotating outer tank and a rotating inner tank. The inner tank of the drum 13 houses the material to be processed inside the outer tank and rotates in close proximity to the outer tank. As shown in Figure 3C, the edges at both ends of the inner tank of the drum 13 are exposed from the outer tank, forming a partially double structure, and the outer circumference of these edges is driven and rotated by four drive rollers 86a to 86d. As shown in Figure 3C, the first drive roller 86a and the second drive roller 86b are driven by a motor 88. Note that Figures 3C and 3D are illustrative examples, and the position of the motor 88 is not limited to the illustrated structure and can be arbitrarily modified in the design. Dryer X according to the first embodiment ij As shown in Figure 3B, a rear door 85 is provided on the rear side of the drum 13 to discharge the material to be processed from the inside.

[0022] Although not shown in the rear view of Figure 3A, a front door is provided on the front side of the drum 13 for loading the material to be processed into the inner tank. Two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b tilt the tilting movement section 71 so that the thrust direction along the rotation axis of the inner tank of the drum 13 slopes downward toward the rear door 85. When the tilting movement section 71 is tilted, the inner tank of the drum 13 rotates in forward and reverse directions repeatedly, and the material that has completed the drying process is discharged from inside the inner tank through the rear door 85. The material discharged from inside the inner tank is loaded onto the conveyor belt 91 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3C, when the tilting movement section 71 is tilted, the thrust position of the drum 13 is controlled by four thrust rollers 86a to 86d so that the inner tank of the drum 13 does not move in the thrust direction. The thrust rollers 86a to 86d also play a role in controlling the position of the drum 13 so that it does not shift position even when the drum 13 is horizontal.

[0023] Dryer X according to the first embodiment ijA hot air generating unit 61 is installed above the stationary section 72 on the left side of the outer tank of the drum 13, which generates hot air using a heat source such as a gas burner or steam heater. A felt packing is provided between the hot air generating unit 61 and the tilting section 71, and the structure is such that the tilting section 71 can be separated from the stationary section 72 when it tilts via the felt packing. Alternatively, instead of using a felt packing, a flexible structure such as a bellows may be used to ensure the distance when the tilting section 71 tilts and the fluid passage between the tilting section 71 and the stationary section 72. Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 4, the hot air generating unit 61 and the hot air supply duct 62 may be provided on the tilting section 71, and the hot air generating unit 61, etc. may be tilted and moved together with the drum 13. In addition, an exhaust duct 64 is connected below the hot air supply duct 62 on the stationary section 72 on the left side of the outer tank of the drum 13. A filter 63 is installed along the path of the exhaust duct 64 to filter out fibrous debris and other contaminants contained in the exhaust. When the inclined moving section 71 is tilted, it is designed to be separable from the exhaust duct 64 via a felt packing. However, instead of using a felt packing, the inclined moving section 71 and the exhaust duct 64 may be prevented from separating by extending a flexible structure. Furthermore, an exhaust fan 65 is installed at the tip of the exhaust duct 64.

[0024] Dryer X according to the first embodiment ijThe inner and outer tanks of the drum 13 are each cylindrical in shape and made of metal material such as stainless steel plate. The inner tank of the drum 13 has a large number of gas flow holes arranged all over its surface to circulate hot air that promotes the drying of the material to be processed. The gas flow holes penetrate almost the entire inner wall of the cylinder that makes up the inner tank to the inside of the outer tank. Therefore, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 3B, the hot air generated in the hot air generation unit 61 passes through the hot air supply duct 62, through the outer tank of the drum 13, and is supplied to the material to be processed through the gas flow holes in the inner tank. Furthermore, after passing through the outer tank via the gas flow holes in the inner tank of the drum 13, it is discharged to the outside via the exhaust duct 64. The filter 63 is configured to be detachable from the exhaust duct 64, and the fibrous debris filtered by this filter 63 can be removed as needed. The hot air supply means is configured by the hot air generation unit 61 and the hot air supply duct 62 shown in Figure 3B. The hot air exhaust means is comprised of the exhaust duct 64, filter 63, and exhaust fan 65 shown in Figure 3B. Note that Figure 3B is an example, and the hot air supply means and hot air exhaust means may also be provided on the tilting moving section 71 so that they tilt together with the drum 13.

[0025] --Configuration of the control device for the discharge stage-- As already mentioned, each dryer arranged in the dryer line according to the first embodiment independently performs a series of scheduled unit operations—the stage of loading the material into the drum, the hot air drying stage, the cooling stage, and the discharge stage—in chronological order. On the other hand, in the case of a material to be partially dried, the series of scheduled unit operations—the stage of loading the material into the drum, the hot air drying stage, and the discharge stage—are performed independently of each other in chronological order. Although the multiple dryers have the same structure, the general structure of each dryer is shown in Figures 4 to 6, and includes a control mechanism related to the discharge stage during the series of operations. Since we are focusing on the discharge stage and the control mechanism related to the discharge stage, the dryer X according to the first embodiment shown in Figures 3A to 3D ij Figures 4 to 6 are schematic diagrams that omit the display of the control panel 83 and other elements on the inverted L-shaped vertical bar section. However, Figures 4 to 6 show multiple dryers X arranged in the dryer line 34 with the same structure as those arranged in Figure 1.i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) Since it means one of the following, it is equivalent (same) to the structure shown in Figures 3A to 3D. Therefore, dryer X schematically shown in Figures 4 to 6 ij The mounting base 10 corresponds to the stationary section 72 shown in Figures 3A to 3D, and the housing frame 12 corresponds to the inclined moving section 71 shown in Figures 3A to 3D.

[0026] As illustrated in Figure 6, the frame 10 has a recess 11 at its rear. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b are positioned in the recess 11 of the frame 10 to support the lower rear surface of the housing frame 12, which corresponds to the tilting movement section 71. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the lower front part of the housing frame 12 is connected to the frame 10 by a hinge 21, allowing the housing frame 12 to rotate around the hinge 21 during the discharge stage. The two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b are cylinders capable of extending and retracting their own lengths, and have the function of tilting the housing frame 12, which corresponds to the tilting movement section 71 shown in Figure 3A, etc., by rotational movement around the hinge 21. As the housing frame 12 tilts, the rotation axis AX of the inner tank of the drum 13 also tilts forward around the hinge 21 (see Figures 5 and 6).

[0027] As explained in Figures 3A to 3D, the housing frame 12 incorporates a drum 13 consisting of a double-layered structure with an outer tub and an inner tub housed adjacent to the outer tub, but the outer tub of the drum 13 does not rotate. On the other hand, the inner tub of the drum 13 is rotatable inside the outer tub around the rotation axis AX shown in Figures 5 and 6. The inner tub of the drum 13 is a porous material through which hot air flows in order to promote the drying of the workpiece by hot air during the hot air drying stage. In an automated system in a cleaning factory, for example, after the workpiece has been washed and dewatered in the washing machine line 32 shown in Figure 2, it is transported by a conveyor or transport bag, and then an internal loading stage is performed in which it is automatically loaded into the inner tub of the drum 13 through a front door (not shown in Figure 3A).

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, on the back of the housing frame 12, in the left-right direction of the drum 13, side plates 20a are provided, each having a curved surface that follows the circumference of the drum 13, taking into consideration the discharge stage processing, and serving as a guide for the discharge of the workpiece from the drum 13. Furthermore, on the back of the housing frame 12, in the downward direction of the drum 13, as shown in Figures 4 to 6, an underplate 20b is provided, which serves as a guide for the discharge of the workpiece from the drum 13, taking into consideration the discharge stage processing. Below this underplate 20b, a conveyor belt 91 is arranged in the same manner as shown in Figure 1, for the automatic transport of the workpiece W to the next job in the discharge stage. Instead of the conveyor belt 91, a conveyor bag for the automatic transport of the workpiece W to the next job may be provided.

[0029] Inside the housing frame 12, as schematically shown in Figure 4, a motor 88 is provided to rotate the inner tank of the drum 13. However, the motor 88 may be located in the stationary section 72, as shown in Figures 3C and 3D. The motor 88 is driven when drying the material to be processed placed in the inner tank of the drum 13, and when discharging the material to be processed from the drum 13, respectively, and rotates the inner tank of the drum 13 via the four drive rollers 86a to 86d shown in Figures 3C and 3D. For example, when drying the material to be processed in the drum 13, the rotation is controlled by a predetermined set rotation speed, drying set time, and rotation direction. The set rotation speed may be a constant speed during the hot air drying stage, or it may be a variable speed in which the speed changes in steps during the hot air drying stage.

[0030] Focusing on the hot air drying stage, the predetermined drying time can be appropriately set for each of the dryers in the first group, the second group, the third group, and so on, by adjusting the timer 25 shown in Figure 7. Furthermore, the rotation direction of the inner chamber of the drum 13 may be unidirectional during the hot air drying stage, or a combination of forward and reverse rotation may be used. Similarly, during the discharge stage, when the processed material is discharged from the inner chamber of the drum 13, the rotation is controlled according to predetermined set rotation speed, discharge time, and rotation direction. As with the hot air drying stage, the set rotation speed during the discharge stage may be constant during the discharge stage, or it may be variable, changing in steps during the discharge stage. Also, the rotation direction may be unidirectional during the discharge stage, or a combination of forward and reverse rotation may be used.

[0031] Figure 3A shows an example of a structure in which the hot air generating unit 61 and the hot air supply duct 62 are located in the stationary unit 72, but this is merely an example. Figure 4 shows a structure in which the hot air generating unit 61 and the hot air supply duct 62 are located in the inclined moving unit 71. That is, as shown in Figure 4, the hot air generating unit 61 that generates hot air and supplies it to the drum 13, and the temperature sensor 67 that detects the temperature (outlet temperature) of the gas (hot air) discharged from inside the drum 13 are located inside the housing frame 12. Also, Figure 4 illustrates a case in which a drive circuit 22a that controls the operation of the motor 88, the hot air generating unit 61, and the temperature sensor 67 is located inside the housing frame 12. The drive circuit 22a may have all or part of its function located outside the housing frame 12, for example, in a control circuit 22b located in the stationary unit 72, instead of being located inside the housing frame 12 as illustrated in Figure 4, and multiple dryers X i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) ... may be installed in a central control system that controls or oversees the entire factory. Furthermore, the control circuit 22b may be composed of a processor such as the CPU unit 24 shown in Figure 7.

[0032] The hot air generator 61 generates hot air during the hot air drying stage and supplies it to the inner tank of the drum 13 to dry the workpiece inside the inner tank of the drum 13. For example, the hot air generator 61 is equipped with a steam heating mechanism and generates hot air by heating the outside air. The hot air generated by the hot air generator 61 is sent into the inner tank of the drum 13 as drying air to dry the workpiece inside the inner tank of the drum 13 (see Figure 3B). The hot air that has absorbed the liquid from the workpiece inside the inner tank of the drum 13 is then sent to the dryer X via the exhaust duct 64. ij The exhaust is discharged to the outside (see Figure 3B). An exhaust fan 65 is attached to the exhaust duct 64, which allows for a smooth flow of gas from "outside air (intake) → hot air generation unit 61 → drum 13 → exhaust".

[0033] The temperature sensor 67 can be attached, for example, to a part of the exhaust duct 64 to detect the temperature (outlet temperature) of the gas (hot air) exhausted from inside the drum 13 during the hot air drying process, and can be used as a monitor for the endpoint of drying of the workpiece inside the inner chamber of the drum 13. That is, in the hot air drying stage, when the workpiece inside the inner chamber of the drum 13 has not dried sufficiently (when the workpiece contains a lot of liquid), the hot air from the hot air generator 61 absorbs the liquid inside the drum 13. Therefore, if the temperature of the hot air generated by the hot air generator 61 in the hot air drying stage is T1, the temperature T2 of the gas flowing from the drum 13 into the exhaust duct 64 will be lower than T1. On the other hand, in the hot air drying stage, when the workpiece inside the inner chamber of the drum 13 has dried sufficiently (when the workpiece contains almost no liquid), the hot air from the hot air generator 61 does not absorb the liquid inside the drum 13. For example, if the temperature of the hot air generated in the hot air generation unit 61 is T1 = 150-160°C, the temperature T2 of the gas flowing from the drum 13 into the exhaust duct 64 will be around 60-70°C when not dry, but around 83°C when dry. In other words, by detecting the outlet temperature with the temperature sensor 67 during the hot air drying stage, the end point of the hot air drying process can be determined, and the drying time can be set. The drying time can be fixed (set time), so the temperature sensor 67 can be omitted, or the set time and the temperature sensor can be used in combination.

[0034] The drive circuit 22a controls the dryer X ij The motor 88 controls the operation of each unit operation in the dryer X, specifically in the stages of loading the material to be processed into the drum, hot air drying, cooling, and discharge. Furthermore, the drive circuit 22a controls the operation of the motor 88 in the dryer X. ij The control circuit 22b, which sends a drive signal to the drive circuit 22a, controls the operation of the hot air generator 61 and the temperature sensor 67 during the hot air drying stage of the workpiece in the dryer X, as shown in Figure 4. ijIt can be operated by input / output from the control panel 83 located in the stationary section 72. As already mentioned, Figure 4 is merely an example, so the control circuit 22b may be composed of a processor such as the CPU unit in Figure 7. Therefore, the control device 22 shown in Figure 7 may be placed in a central control device that oversees the entire washing machine line 32, dryer line 34, roll machine line 36, and folding machine line 37 shown in Figure 2A, etc., to constitute a production information system equivalent to a flexible structure manufacturing system (FMS).

[0035] (i) The stage of putting the product into the body The processing in the drum loading stage, which is a unit operation performed by the control circuit 22b and drive circuit 22a shown in Figure 4, involves, for example, automatically transporting multiple types of materials to be processed from individual dewatering machines that have undergone sorting and washing via a conveyor or transport bag, separating them into groups 1, 2, 3, ... for each dryer, and then placing them in a predetermined dryer X ij This is the stage where the material is loaded into the inner chamber of the drum 13. In the drum loading stage, which is a unit operation of the drying process, the drive circuit 22a drives the front door actuator (not shown) to open the front door of the drum 13 (not shown), and closes it once the material to be processed is loaded into the inner chamber of the drum 13. This control is performed for each dryer in the first, second, third, and subsequent groups. Regardless of the type of material to be processed, the drum loading stage is completed in about 10 seconds.

[0036] (b) Hot air drying stage The hot air drying stage, a unit operation performed by the control circuit 22b and drive circuit 22a shown in Figure 4, is a process in which the materials to be processed, which contain liquid and are placed in the inner tank of the drum 13, are dried in separate dryers for each of the first, second, third, and so on. In the hot air drying stage of the drying job, the drive circuit 22a controls the motor 88 to rotate the drum 13 in a predetermined pattern, and also controls the operation of the hot air generating unit 61 and the exhaust fan 65 attached to the exhaust duct 64 to blow hot air into the inner tank of the drum 13. Time management in the hot air drying stage can be performed using timers. As already mentioned, the dryers in the first group are set to the drying time of the first timer, the dryers in the second group are set to the drying time of the second timer, the dryers in the third group are set to the drying time of the third timer, and so on, thus pre-classified. By classifying and drying the materials, the drying time for materials with short drying requirements can be shortened, thereby reducing energy consumption such as power consumption. Alternatively, the drying endpoint of the materials can be monitored using a temperature sensor 67 attached to a portion of the exhaust duct 64, or the temperature sensor 67 can be used in conjunction with the timer 25.

[0037] (h) Cooling stage The unit time for the cooling stage is set to 0 seconds when handling semi-dried materials. The cooling stage is a process in which outside air is introduced into the inner chamber of the drum 13 to cool multiple types of materials that have been dried by sorting and drying, for each dryer in groups 1, 2, 3, ... The drive circuit 22a shown in Figure 4 controls the operation of taking in outside air for each dryer in groups 1, 2, 3, ... by rotating the inner chamber of the drum 13 and driving the fan of the exhaust duct 64, for example. Time management in the cooling stage can be performed with a timer, similar to the hot air drying stage. At this time, the drive circuit 22a can supply outside air to the inner chamber of the drum 13 by not activating the hot air generator 61 and allowing the outside air to pass directly through the hot air generator 61. Alternatively, if a separate path that avoids the hot air generator 61 is provided, the drive circuit 22a can select this alternative path to directly supply outside air to the inner chamber of the drum 13.

[0038] (ii) Discharge stage The discharge stage is a unit operation in which multiple types of dried or cooled materials inside the inner tank of the drum 13 are discharged to the outside for each dryer, group 1, group 2, group 3, ... The procedure for the unit operation of the discharge stage for each dryer, group 1, group 2, group 3, ... is executed according to the elemental workflow diagram shown in Figure 14. When the control procedure for the discharge stage processing according to the elemental workflow diagram shown in Figure 14 is performed automatically, it is done by the CPU unit 24 shown in Figure 7. Although not shown in Figure 7, the CPU unit 24 can be connected to a program storage device or data storage device, just like a normal computer system. The control program that defines the execution procedure according to the elemental workflow diagram shown in Figure 14 may be stored as computer software in an externally connected program storage device, or it may be stored as computer software in the ROM of the CPU unit 24. Alternatively, the control program may be installed as computer software from an external medium, such as via the internet. The start of the control procedure according to the elemental workflow diagram shown in Figure 14 is synchronized with the end of the processing stage preceding the discharge stage. For full drying, the process is synchronized with the end of the cooling stage; for partial drying, it is synchronized with the end of the hot air drying stage.

[0039] In the case of complete drying, since the time management in the cooling stage process is performed by a timer, when the cooling stage ends, step S11 of the elemental work flowchart shown in FIG. 14 is automatically started by a signal from the timer used for time management in the cooling stage. In the case of semi-drying without a cooling stage, since the time management in the hot air drying stage process is performed by a timer, when the hot air drying stage ends, step S11 of the elemental work flowchart shown in FIG. 14 is automatically started by a signal from the timer used for time management in the hot air drying stage. In step S11, simultaneously with the start of the tilting movement operation, as shown in the timing chart of FIG. 12(a), an unload signal Rb (time t1: "L" → "H") is output from the drive circuit 22a, and the discharge stage process is started. In step S11, the drive circuit 22a opens the back door on the rear surface of the drum 13, drives the two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b, and issues an instruction to tilt the rotation axis AX by rotating the housing frame 12 around the hinge 21 as a fulcrum. This instruction is transmitted to each of the dryers of the first group, second group, third group, ..., and controls each of the dryers of the first group, second group, third group, ... individually. FIG. 11A shows the relationship between the housing frame 12 constituting the tilting moving part 71 and the stationary part 72 in the stage immediately after the end of the cooling stage or hot air drying stage process. In the state immediately after the end of the hot air drying stage process shown in FIG. 11A, the respective rods of the two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b shown in FIG. 11A are lowered into the cylinder tubes, and the rotation axis AX of the inner tub of the drum 13 housed in the housing frame 12 is in the horizontal direction. In FIG. 11A, although the drum 13 is shown by hidden lines (broken lines), the workpiece W is shown by a solid line, providing a perspective side view of the workpiece W. When the rotation axis AX shown in FIG. 11A is in the horizontal direction, the workpiece W is distributed centered around the vicinity of the center of the inner tub of the drum 13. Then, the dryer X ij When the drive circuit 22a transmits a command signal to open the back door of the drum 13 and a command signal to cause the housing frame 12 to perform a tilting movement operation with the hinge 21 as a fulcrum using the two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b, as shown in FIG. 11B, the tilting movement operation of the housing frame 12 is started. When the command signal for the tilting movement operation is received, as schematically shown in FIG. 11B, a part of each rod of the two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b is pushed out from the cylinder tubes.

[0040] It is preferable that the power supply 28 of the sensor unit 29 shown in Fig. 7 is turned on in advance, or set to be turned on in response to receiving an unload signal Rb, and the tilt detector 17 is activated in advance. In the example shown in Fig. 10, in the sensor unit 29, when power supplies Vdd and Vss are supplied to the tilt detector 17, the tilt detector 17 is activated. At the start of the discharge step processing, the workpiece W is located at the lower part of the drum 13. As shown in Fig. 11B, when part of each rod of the two tilt mechanisms 16a, 16b starts to be pushed out from the cylinder tube, the tilting of the housing frame 12 progresses from the parallel state of the rotating shaft AX shown in Fig. 11A. The respective rods of the two tilt mechanisms 16a, 16b are further pushed out from the cylinder tubes, and the tilt angle θ shown in Fig. 11B and the like reaches the critical tilt angle θ shown in the following formula (1) th , the tilt detector 17 detects the tilted state of the housing frame 12 and outputs a tilt detection signal Ra.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 11B and Fig. 11C, let d2 be the vertical distance defined as the height of the tilt detector 17 from the upper surface of the frame 10. The dryer X according to the first embodiment ij defines the critical tilt angle θ from the relationship between the horizontal distance d1 and the vertical distance d2 th by the following formula (1). tanθ th =d1 / d2 ……(1) The vertical distance d2 in formula (1) is the height of the tilt detector 17 from the upper surface of the frame 10. With respect to the tilt angle θ defined in Fig. 11B and Fig. 11C, which is formed by the lower surface of the housing frame 12 before tilting and the lower surface of the housing frame 12 after tilting, the specific tilt angle θ that satisfies formula (1) is the critical tilt angle θ th as defined.

[0042] The tilting state of the housing frame 12 during the discharge step processing satisfies the following formula (2): θ max ≧θ th , and 30°≦θ max ≦50° ……(2) It is preferable to set it to the following. That is, the inclination of the housing frame 12 during the discharge stage processing is the critical inclination angle θ defined by equation (1). th The maximum inclination angle θ is defined by equation (2). max It is classified into states that can be represented by the following. The enclosure frame 12 has a maximum tilt angle θ. max When this happens, the material to be processed is dropped from the rear door on the back of the housing frame 12, via the underplate 20b, onto the conveyor belt 91 located below it. Alternatively, the material to be processed is moved from the rear door via the underplate 20b to a conveyor bag. When the material to be processed is discharged from the inner tank of the drum 13, the drive circuit 22a drives the motor 88 to rotate the inner tank of the drum 13, thereby controlling the operation to ensure smooth discharge of the material to be processed.

[0043] In step S11 of the elemental work flow diagram that constitutes the unit work of the discharge stage shown in Figure 14, dryer X ijWhen the unload signal (discharge start signal) Rb is received from the drive circuit 22a, the discharge stage proceeds to step S12. Element work is an element that constitutes a unit work, as defined in JIS Z 8141-5110. As shown in Figure 7, the control device 22 includes an I / O unit 23, a CPU unit (central processing unit) 24, a timer 25, a switch 26, and a power supply 27 that drives them. The timer 25 may be a common hardware resource used for time management for the hot air drying stage or the cooling stage, or it may be a hardware resource dedicated to the discharge stage. In any case, the CPU unit 24 shown in Figure 7 can perform equivalent (equal) functions to the control circuit 22b shown in Figure 4. When the CPU unit 24 is the control circuit 22b, the CPU unit 24 receives the unload signal (discharge start signal) Rb from the drive circuit 22a via the I / O unit 23. In step S12, a command is issued to the timer 25 shown in Figure 7 to start counting the discharge set time. In response to the instruction in step S12, at the "start of discharge stage" timing at time t1 in the timing chart of Figure 12(a), the timer 25 starts counting the discharge setting time as shown in Figure 12(b) and starts processing the discharge stage. Similarly, at the "start of discharge stage" timing at time t1 in the timing chart of Figure 13(a), the timer 25 starts counting the discharge setting time as shown in Figure 13(b) and starts processing the discharge stage.

[0044] The CPU unit 24 notifies the timer 25 and the switch 26, respectively, that it has received an unload signal Rb or an unload signal Rb. In step S12, when the timer 25 receives from the CPU unit 24 that it has received an unload signal Rb or an unload signal Rb, it turns on the dryer X ijFor each of these, the countdown of the pre-set discharge time is started. This discharge time can be determined by the user according to the type, size, weight, etc. of the object to be processed. Next, in step S13, which is an element of the element work flow diagram shown in Figure 14, it is checked whether or not a tilt detection signal Ra has been received from the tilt detector 17 shown in Figures 4 to 6. The tilt detector 17 is attached, for example, to the arm portion 15a shown in the top view of Figure 5 and the side view of Figure 6, at a predetermined distance (horizontal distance) d1 away from the back of the housing frame 12 before tilting.

[0045] Due to the need to provide an arm portion 15a for positioning the tilt detector 17, the stand 10 constituting the stationary unit 72 is provided with a stationary column 15 extending upward, with its lower end fixed to the upper surface of the stand 10, as shown in Figures 4 to 6. The stationary column 15 faces one of the left and right sides of the housing frame 12 constituting the tilting unit 71. The design allows for the attachment of an arm portion 15a extending horizontally, perpendicular to the back surface of the housing frame 12, to the upper end of the stationary column 15 in the orientation of the tilting unit 71 before tilting. The arm portion 15a can be made of the same material as the stationary column 15, for example. However, using the same material is merely an example, and the arm portion 15a may be made of a different material than the stationary column 15. On the other hand, support columns 14 constituting the unit are attached to the left and right sides of the back surface of the housing frame 12. Considering the reflective function, it is desirable that each of the two support columns 14 be a rectangular prism made of metal such as iron, stainless steel, or aluminum. In other words, if the tilt detector 17 is a reflective proximity detector that uses optical effects such as laser light, it is desirable that one of the faces of the rectangular prism intended to reflect the transmitted wave has the characteristics of a reflective surface close to a mirror surface. If the tilt detector 17 is an intensity change measuring type that detects the tilt of the housing frame 12 by the change in the intensity of the reflected light, the tilt can be detected when the optical path of the tilt detector 17 deviates from the intended reflective surface. If the tilt detector 17 is a distance measuring type detector, it is necessary to consider the change in the relative positional relationship between the tilt detector 17 and the reflective surface due to the tilt of the housing frame 12, and a mechanism for adjusting the optical path, such as tracking the reflective surface, is required. Therefore, the distance measuring type has a more complex configuration than the intensity change measuring type. Even with a reflective proximity detector, if the tilt detector 17 uses ultrasound or electromagnetic waves, the reflective surface does not necessarily need to be a mirror surface as long as it has irregularities that are sufficiently smaller than half the wavelength of the ultrasound or electromagnetic wave.

[0046] Furthermore, even if a wave reflection function is required, the support column 14 can be omitted. For example, if the housing frame 12 is made of a material that reflects waves transmitted from the tilt detector 17, the support column 14 can be omitted. Alternatively, it is sufficient to provide a reflector that reflects waves transmitted from the tilt detector 17 on one of the left and right sides of the housing frame 12, on the side where the tilt detector 17 is located. Moreover, if the tilt detector 17 is an imaging device such as a CCD camera or CMOS image sensor, and the tilt state is detected by processing such as image recognition, the support column 14 can also be omitted. Furthermore, if the tilt detector 17 is an acceleration sensor or gyro sensor, the support column 14 can also be omitted. Also, if the arm 15a and the tilt detector 17 can be fixed to another support member and replaced with another structure in which the value of the vertical distance d2 is fixed, the stationary column 15 can be omitted. Furthermore, the structures in Figures 4 to 6 are illustrative examples, and the tilt detector 17 may be provided on the front side of the housing frame 12, etc.

[0047] The tilt detector 17 detects whether or not the housing frame 12 is tilted, and when it detects the tilt state of the housing frame 12, it outputs a tilt detection signal Ra as shown in Figures 12(c) and 13(c). Since the tilt detector 17 is provided for the purpose of detecting the tilt movement of the housing frame 12, any type of detector that can detect the tilt state of the housing frame 12 is acceptable. In step S13, which is an element of the element work flow diagram shown in Figure 14, when the control circuit 22b or CPU unit 24 receives the tilt detection signal Ra, the item residue detector 18 is set to a state where it can output the empty state detection signal Ta shown in Figures 12(d) and 13(d). In the example shown in Figure 10, when power supply Vdd,Vss is supplied to the item residue detector 18 in the sensor unit 29, the item residue detector 18 is activated. Furthermore, in the circuit configuration example shown in Figure 10, when the CPU unit 24 receives the tilt detection signal Ra, it controls the output enable switch SW31 so that the item residue detector 18 can output the empty state detection signal Ta.

[0048] In the structural examples shown in Figures 4 to 6, an example is shown in which the item residue detector 18 is mounted on one side (left side) of the lower rear of the housing frame 12. During the discharge stage, the item residue detector 18 detects whether the drum 13 is in a transient state of discharge (in the middle of discharge) with processed items remaining inside the inner tank, or whether discharge is complete and the inner tank is empty. When the item residue detector 18 detects that all items (processed items) have been discharged from the inner tank of the drum 13 and the inner tank is empty, it outputs the empty state detection signal Ta shown in Figures 12(d) and 13(d). That is, as shown in the timing charts in Figures 12(c) and 13(c), the item residue detector 18 becomes ready to output the empty state detection signal Ta after receiving the tilt detection signal Ra ("L" → "H") output from the tilt detector 17. At this time, as shown in Figure 11C, the tilt angle θ of the housing frame 12 is the maximum tilt angle θ max In Figure 11C, the discharge of the material to be processed W from the drum 13 has already begun, so the material residue detector 18 detects that the material to be processed is in the process of being discharged, and the empty state detection signal Ta is at the transient discharge level "L", as shown in the timing charts in Figures 12(d) and 13(d).

[0049] The item residue detector 18 can be any type of detector, similar to the tilt detector 17, as long as it can determine whether the discharge of the processed material is in a transient state or whether the discharge is complete and the inner tank is empty. For example, a photoelectric sensor or laser detector can be used that emits a transmission wave and detects the reflected wave (received wave) reflected by a reflector to determine whether or not the processed material (item) is present in its path. Alternatively, an imaging device such as a CCD camera or CMOS image sensor can be used as the item residue detector 18, and image recognition or other processing can be performed based on the image obtained by the item residue detector 18 to determine whether the discharge of the processed material from the drum 13 is in a transient state or whether the discharge is complete and the inner tank is empty. For example, if the item residue detector 18 is a sensor that uses optical effects, a configuration can be adopted in which the item residue detector 18 is placed on one side (left side) in the left-right direction and the reflector 19 is provided on the other side (right side) in the left-right direction at the lower rear of the housing frame 12, as shown in the examples in Figures 4 and 5. In the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5, the dryer according to the first embodiment is configured such that the transmission and reception wave paths between the left-side material residue detector 18 and the right-side reflector 19 intersect with the discharge path of the material to be processed from the drum 13. In the dryer according to the first embodiment, the relative positions of the material residue detector 18 and the reflector 19 are set such that the transmission and reception wave paths are located within a distance d3 from the upper surface of the underplate 20b to the lower end of the side plate 20a (see Figure 4).

[0050] Next, in step S14, which is an element of the elemental work flow diagram shown in Figure 14, it is checked whether or not an empty state detection signal Ta has been received from the item residue detector 18. If the control circuit 22b or CPU unit 24 receives the empty state detection signal Ta in step S14 as shown in the timing chart in Figure 12(d), the process proceeds to step S16, and the discharge completion signal Rc is sent to the dryer X ijThis is transmitted to the drive circuit 22a. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that no empty state detection signal Ta has been received from the item residue detector 18, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the control circuit 22b or CPU unit 24 checks whether or not a time-up signal T3 has been received from the timer 25 indicating that the count for the discharge setting time has ended. The timing chart in Figure 12(d) is an example where the empty state detection signal Ta is received before the time-up signal T3 is received, and the timing chart in Figure 13(d) is an example where the empty state detection signal Ta is received after the time-up signal T3 is received.

[0051] The procedure and configuration for outputting the time-up signal T3 to switch 26 are the same as those for the control device in the reference example shown in Figure 8, which is the premise for the dryer according to the first embodiment. That is, in the control device in the reference example, as shown in Figure 8, switch 26a (corresponding to switch 26 in Figure 7) detects the completion of discharge based only on the uniform time-up signal T3 from timer 25. When switch 26a detects the completion of discharge of the material to be processed, CPU unit 24 outputs a discharge completion signal Rc to drive circuit 22a via I / O unit 23. Therefore, if the discharge setting time of timer 25 is set in advance is short, a problem arises in which the discharge stage processing is completed before the material to be processed is completely discharged from drum 13 (the tilt of the inner tub of drum 13 is released and returns to its original position). Conversely, if the discharge setting time of timer 25 is set in advance is long, a problem arises in which the discharge stage processing continues even though the material to be processed has already been discharged from drum 13 (the tilt of the housing frame 12 and the rotation of drum 13 continue). In the control system used as a reference example, where the discharge setting time was uniformly standardized, problems arose such as a decrease in the processing capacity (efficiency) of the dryer, an increase in electricity costs, and an increase in the frequency of replacement of consumables such as belts.

[0052] The dryer according to the first embodiment solves the problem of the control device in the reference example that uniformly standardizes the discharge setting time, simply by adding a sensor unit 29 and improving the switch 26, as shown in Figure 7. The sensor unit 29 in the block diagram shown in Figure 7 is represented electronically as a tilt detector 17 and a residual item detector 18, which are physically represented in Figures 4 to 6. The block diagram shown in Figure 7 shows an example in which the control device 22 is automatically started by an unload signal Rb from the drive circuit 22a. Instead of the configuration in the block diagram shown in Figure 7, the tilt detector 17 and residual item detector 18 may be started by the user turning on a separately provided start switch, such as the operation panel 83 in Figure 3A.

[0053] At the start of the discharge stage, the tilting of the housing frame 12 has not yet begun, or even if the tilting has begun, the maximum tilt angle θ shown in equation (2) max Up to this point, the drum is considered not to be tilted. Therefore, no material to be processed is discharged from the inner tank of the drum 13, and the output of the material residue detector 18 does not detect any material to be processed. Consequently, at the start of the discharge stage, as shown in Figures 12(d) and 13(d), the output signal level is equivalent to that of an empty inner tank (a state where the discharge of material to be processed is complete). Therefore, if the signal level of an empty inner tank is output, the tilt detector 17 will detect the tilt state of the housing frame 12 and output the tilt detection signal Ra, which may cause the CPU unit 24 to output the discharge completion signal Rc due to a malfunction. To address this, as shown in Figure 10, the empty state detection signal Ta output from the material residue detector 18 is designed not to be output until the tilt detection signal Ra is output and the output enable switch SW31 is turned on. With the circuit configuration shown in Figure 10, the empty state detection signal Ta from the product residue detector 18 is always output to the discharge detection switch SW13 of the switch 26 shown in Figure 9, only after the tilting of the housing frame 12 is complete and the product to be processed is actually discharged from the drum 13.

[0054] The sensor unit 29 shown in the upper right of Figure 7 conceptually represents the tilt detector 17 and item residue detector 18, which were shown as physical configurations in Figures 4 to 6, as an electronic circuit representation in the form of a block diagram. The power supply 28 for driving the tilt detector 17 and item residue detector 18 is also schematically shown in the sensor unit 29 as a conceptual electronic circuit representation. The power supply 28 may be provided independently, or other power supplies may be used if they can be shared with other power supplies. The tilt detection signal Ra from the tilt detector 17 and the empty state detection signal Ta from the item residue detector 18 are output to the switch 26 of the control device 22, respectively. In addition to the time-up signal T3 from the timer 25, the switch 26 detects the completion of discharge based on these tilt detection signals Ra and empty state detection signals Ta, and the CPU unit 24 outputs a discharge completion signal Rc to the drive circuit 22a via the I / O unit 23 when the switch 26 detects the completion of discharge of the processed items.

[0055] In step S15, which is an element of the elemental work flow diagram shown in Figure 14, if the control circuit 22b or CPU unit 24 determines that it has received the time-up signal T3 shown in Figure 13(b), the process proceeds to step S16, and the discharge completion signal Rc shown in Figure 13(e) is sent to the dryer X ijThe signal is sent to the drive circuit 22a. As shown in the timing chart in Figure 12(b), if it is determined in step S15 that the time-up signal T3 has not been received, the process returns to step S14. In step S14, it is again checked whether or not the empty state detection signal Ta has been received from the item residue detector 18. The switch 26 shown in Figure 7 is configured so that the CPU unit 24 can send the discharge completion signal Rc to the drive circuit 22a at the earlier of the reception of all of the unload signal (discharge start signal) Rb, tilt detection signal Ra, and empty state detection signal Ta, or the reception of the time-up signal T3. That is, when all of the unload signal Rb, tilt detection signal Ra, and empty state detection signal Ta have been received, the system is configured to send the discharge completion signal Rc even before the discharge setting time of the timer 25 has elapsed. Also, when the discharge setting time of the timer 25 has elapsed, the system is configured to send the discharge completion signal Rc even before all of the unload signal Rb, tilt detection signal Ra, and empty state detection signal Ta have been received.

[0056] For example, as shown in Figure 9, switch 26 has a time-up switch SW21 that transmits to the CPU unit 24 when the discharge setting time of timer 25 has elapsed. The time-up switch SW21 turns on when it receives the time-up signal T3 and transmits to the CPU unit 24 that the discharge setting time has elapsed (time-up) by creating a current path from power supply Vdd to power supply Vss. Also, as shown in Figure 9, switch 26 has discharge detection switches SW11, SW12, and SW13 connected in parallel with the time-up switch SW21 and transmit to the CPU unit 24 all received signals: the unload signal Rb, the tilt detection signal Ra, and the empty state detection signal Ta. Discharge detection switch SW11 turns on when it receives the tilt detection signal Ra, discharge detection switch SW12 turns on when it receives the unload signal Rb, and discharge detection switch SW13 turns on when it receives the empty state detection signal Ta. When all switches SW11, SW12, and SW13 are turned on, they transmit to the CPU unit 24 that discharge is complete by creating a current path from power supply Vdd to power supply Vss. The CPU unit 24 transmits an evacuation completion signal Rc to the drive circuit 22a at the earlier of the following timings: turning on the time-up switch SW21 or turning on the evacuation detection switches SW11, SW12, or SW13.

[0057] The control circuit 22b shown in Figure 4 or the CPU unit 24 shown in Figure 7 receives the unload signal Rb from the drive circuit 22a, followed by the tilt detection signal Ra from the tilt detector 17 and the empty state detection signal Ta from the item residue detector 18. Based on these unload signal Rb, tilt detection signal Ra, and empty state detection signal Ta, the control circuit 22b or CPU unit 24 determines the endpoint (completion) of the discharge of the workpiece from the drum 13 in step S16. That is, as shown in Figure 11D, when all the workpiece W has been discharged from the drum 13 and it is empty, the item residue detector 18 detects that the inner tank is empty (discharge complete). The empty state detection signal Ta from the item residue detector 18 then changes to the empty state level "H", as shown in the timing charts in Figures 12(d) and 13(d).

[0058] When the empty state detection signal Ta reaches the empty state level "H", the unload signal Rb, the tilt detection signal Ra, and the empty state detection signal Ta all reach the "H" level. As a result, all of the discharge detection switches SW11, SW12, and SW13 shown in Figure 9 turn on, and even if the discharge setting time set by the timer 25 has not elapsed (even if the time-up switch SW21 is not on), the CPU unit 24 is notified that discharge is complete. In response, the CPU unit 24 outputs a discharge completion signal Rc (= "H") as shown in the timing chart in Figure 12(e). When the drive circuit 22a receives the discharge completion signal Rc (= "H"), it changes the unload signal Rb from "H" to "L" as shown in Figure 12(a) as "Discharge stage end", indicating the end of the discharge stage processing (time t2).

[0059] When the control circuit 22b or CPU unit 24 determines that discharge is complete, it sends a discharge completion signal Rc to the drive circuit 22a. Then, in step S16 of Figure 14, the discharge completion signal Rc is sent to the dryer X ij When a signal is transmitted to the drive circuit 22a, the drive circuit 22a drives the two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b to return the tilt of the housing frame 12 to its original position. Then, with the housing frame 12 returned to its original position, the unit work processing of the discharge stage shown in the element work flow diagram of Figure 14 is completed. The work to be processed moves via the underplate 20b to the conveyor or transport bag located below it and is transported to the line of the next job as shown in Figure 2A, etc. That is, when the control circuit 22b or CPU unit 24 receives the discharge completion signal Rc, the tilt of the housing frame 12 is returned to its original position, the processing of the discharge stage is completed, and the system enters a standby state.

[0060] In the discharge step of the control method according to the first embodiment described above, once the empty state of the inner drum 13 is confirmed, as shown in the timing chart in Figure 12(e), even if the discharge setting time set by the timer 25 has not elapsed, the dryer X ijThe discharge stage processing can be completed. Conventionally, as shown in the timing chart in Figure 13, the timer 25 of all dryers was uniformly set to match the 40 seconds required for the pillowcase, which had the longest discharge time, as exemplified in Table 2 below. Therefore, in the case of sheets, which had the shortest discharge time in Table 2, 15 seconds of time was wasted, and energy was wasted.

[0061] For example, let's assume from Table 1 that the drying time for sheets is 3 minutes. In this case, a reduction of 15 seconds can be achieved by repeating the series of time-scheduled cycles of loading, drying, and unloading the dryer 12 to 13 times, which, if we do not consider interference with the time required by other dryers, will create the time required for the time-scheduled cycle of one specific dryer. Therefore, by using the dryer and control method for this dryer according to the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the time required for unloading, thereby eliminating the need to add additional dryers. When the processing of the unloading stage of multiple dryers is performed in parallel and interferes with the time of other dryers, the calculation of the time margin becomes complex. That is, if we consider cases where a dryer with a reduced unloading time needs to wait until the processing of the unloading stage of other dryers is completed, or until the unloading of other dryers with longer unloading times is finished, then the 12 to 13 repetitions described above cannot be said to correspond to the time-scheduled cycle of one dryer, and the calculation becomes complex. [Table 2]

[0062] The timing chart shown in Figure 13(a) indicates that the time (t3-t1) from the unload signal "H" (start of counting for discharge setting time: time t1) to the end of the count (time t3) indicated as "end of discharge stage" is required for the discharge stage processing. Similar to Figure 13(a), the discharge time required for the discharge stage processing in the conventional technology is Ty = t3-t1. According to the dryer of the first embodiment, as shown in the timing chart in Figure 12(a), the discharge stage processing can be shortened to the discharge time required Tx = t2-t1 from the unload signal "H" (time t1) to the discharge completion signal "H" (time t2).

[0063] That is, the dryer X according to the first embodiment ij According to this, the time required for discharge processing at the discharge stage is shortened by time Ts = Ty - Tx, so dryer X ij This can result in improved processing capacity (efficiency), reduced electricity costs, and reduced frequency of replacement of consumables such as belts. Dryer X according to the first embodiment ij According to the data, since the discharge of processed materials is detected by the material residue detector 18, in a cleaning factory equipped with a dryer line 34 in which multiple dryers are arranged in a mixed manner to process materials with long discharge times and materials with short discharge times, as shown in Table 2, even when a job at the discharge stage is performed, each dryer X in the dryer line 34 ij By efficiently controlling each individual unit, it becomes possible to manage the time required for each discharge to reduce the overall discharge time.

[0064] Furthermore, when the tilt of the enclosure frame 12 is released and returned to its original position, the dryer X ij The rotating shaft AX maintains a standby state with the rotating shaft horizontal until preparations are complete for the unit operation of the drum loading stage in which the next material to be processed is loaded. In the dryer according to the first embodiment, when the empty state of the inner drum of the drum 13 is confirmed, the dryer X ij The discharge stage processing in dryer X is determined to be complete. ij The unit automatically enters standby mode. That is, the timer 25 may continue counting the discharge setting time even after the discharge stage processing is completed, as shown in Figure 12(b). However, even in that case, as is clear from the circuit diagram shown in Figure 9, when the discharge setting time has elapsed, a time-up signal T3 is simply output and the time-up switch SW21 is turned on. Therefore, even if the time-up switch SW21 is turned on, the status of the discharge stage processing does not change in any way. That is, the input to the CPU unit 24 is the same as the input from the discharge detection switches SW11, SW12, SW13 connected in parallel with the time-up switch SW21, and there is no inconvenience in the operation of the control device 22.

[0065] As explained above, according to the dryer of the first embodiment, multiple dryers X in a cleaning factory ij Therefore, when processing is carried out in stages where there is a mix of materials requiring long and short discharge times, the discharge time of each material can be efficiently managed. Also, since the processing in the discharge stage does not always need to be carried out until the set time set by timer 25 has elapsed, dryer X ij This can result in improved processing capacity (efficiency), reduced power consumption of the motor 88 of the drum 13, and reduced frequency of replacement of the V-belt, rollers, and other consumables used to rotate the drum 13. In particular, the improvement in processing capacity means that the number of operations required for production in a cleaning factory per day (total number of products) will increase.

[0066] According to conventional technology, in order to increase the total number of cycles in a cleaning factory, dryer X ij The only option was to increase the number of units. However, there are cases where increasing the number of units is impossible due to factory space limitations, etc. Furthermore, even if increasing the number of units is possible, it becomes a serious problem if it incurs enormous costs due to layout changes, factory renovations, etc. According to the dryer of the first embodiment, in addition to the effects of reducing wasted time and wasted energy, the dryer X ij This will resolve issues such as increasing the number of units, changing the factory layout, and remodeling the factory. Moreover, according to the dryer of the first embodiment, dryer X ij Without making any changes to the functions necessary for the hot air drying stage, significant improvements can be achieved by making only minor modifications to the software of the control circuit 22b or the CPU unit 24. In other words, according to the dryer and control method of the first embodiment, by adding the sensor unit 29, changing the configuration of the switch 26, and changing the control program of the CPU unit 24, it is possible to reduce wasted time and efficiently discharge the processed material in a short time.

[0067] (Second Embodiment) Dryer X according to the second embodiment of the present invention, shown in Figure 15 ij This is the dryer X according to the first embodiment. ijThe part relating to the tilt detector 30 is different. As shown in Figure 15, the dryer X according to the second embodiment ij The tilt detector 30 detects the tilt state of the housing frame 12 by detecting the movement (extension and retraction) of the two tilt mechanisms 16a and 16b. Therefore, the tilt detector 30 is positioned near the two tilt mechanisms 16a and 16b. Consequently, the stationary column 15 and arm 15a required for mounting the tilt detector in the first embodiment are unnecessary (see Figures 4 to 6). The tilt detector 30 can be, for example, a photoelectric sensor, a laser detector, or an imaging device such as a CCD camera or a CMOS image sensor. ij Other configurations and functions, such as the configuration of the control circuit 22b or the CPU unit 24, are as described in the dryer X according to the first embodiment. ij Since it is the same as [the previous example], the explanation for the parts with the same symbol will be omitted.

[0068] Dryer X according to the second embodiment ij According to the first embodiment, the dryer X ij It can achieve a similar effect. That is, in a cleaning factory where multiple dryers are used to classify and dry materials that require long discharge times and materials that require short discharge times, it becomes possible to reduce wasted discharge time. Therefore, the dryer X according to the second embodiment ij According to the first embodiment, the dryer X offers improved processing capacity (efficiency) in the discharge stage, reduced power consumption, and reduced frequency of replacement of consumables. ij It can produce a similar effect.

[0069] (Third embodiment) Dryer X according to the third embodiment of the present invention, shown in Figure 16. ij This is the dryer X according to the first embodiment, illustrated in Figures 4 to 6. ijIn this case, tilt detection by the tilt detector 17 is omitted, and when the unload signal Rb is output, the system electronically determines that tilt has been detected. Since the tilt detector 17 shown in Figure 4 does not exist, the stationary column 15 and arm 15a for mounting the tilt detector 17 also do not exist. Since the tilt detector 17 does not exist, the discharge detection switch SW11 shown in Figures 7 and 9 is unnecessary for the CPU unit 24. Therefore, dryer X ij Regarding the control method of the dryer X, the part concerning the tilt detector 17 can be omitted in the explanation of Figures 11A to 11D, and the part concerning the tilt detection signal Rb can be omitted in the explanation of Figures 12 and 13. ij Regarding the control procedure, step S13 can be omitted in the explanation of Figure 14.

[0070] Dryer X according to the third embodiment ij According to the first embodiment, the dryer X ij The configuration of the control circuit 22b or CPU unit 24 described above, and the dryer X ij This has the effect of simplifying the control method and control procedure for dryer X. ij If an unload signal Rb is output due to some problem, but the tilting of the housing frame 12 is not performed, this cannot be addressed. Therefore, the dryer X according to the first and second embodiments ij Regarding safety and reliability in detecting the actual tilt state of the housing frame 12, the dryer X according to the third embodiment ij It is superior to [another].

[0071] Dryer X according to the third embodiment ij In this case, the dryer X according to the first embodiment ij It can achieve a similar effect. That is, in a cleaning factory where multiple dryers are used to classify and dry materials that require long discharge times and materials that require short discharge times, it becomes possible to reduce wasted discharge time. Therefore, the dryer X according to the third embodiment ij According to the first embodiment, the dryer X offers improved processing capacity (efficiency) in the discharge stage, reduced power consumption, and reduced frequency of replacement of consumables. ijIt can produce a similar effect.

[0072] (Other embodiments) As described above, the present invention has been described by the first to third embodiments, but the descriptions and drawings that constitute part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the present invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operational techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. For example, the dryers according to the first to third embodiments may be equipped with a device for automatically feeding in materials to be processed, such as linen, or a hopper for temporarily storing materials to be processed before automatic feeding. Also, although omitted in the description of the first to third embodiments, an automatic feeding port (feeder) may be provided separately to automatically feed materials to be processed into the drum of the dryer, and materials to be processed may be fed in by air pressure, rollers, arms, etc. Furthermore, in addition to the tilt detector 17 and material residue detector 18 described in the dryers according to the first to third embodiments, a weight sensor for measuring the weight of materials to be processed, an optical sensor for detecting the flow and blockage of materials to be processed, etc. may be provided. Furthermore, the dryers according to the first to third embodiments may be linked with a separate monitoring device and IoT (Internet of Things) to monitor the flow of the automated cleaning system, enabling real-time monitoring of the current processing status and any malfunctions. Artificial intelligence (AI) may be used in the IoT integration to instruct the user on tasks to be performed (e.g., safety: none in particular, dryer malfunction, etc.).

[0073] As described above, the present invention includes various embodiments, modifications, and operational techniques not described herein and in the drawings, and the technical scope of the present invention is defined solely by the inventive features relating to the claims that are reasonable from the above description. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 12...Housing frame, 13...Drum, 14...Support column, 15...Standing column, 15a...Arm section, 16a...First tilting mechanism, 16b...Second tilting mechanism, 17...Tilt detector, 18...Item residue detector, 19...Reflector, 20a...Side plate, 20b...Under plate, 21...Hinge, 22...Control device, 22a...Drive circuit, 22b...Control circuit, 23...I / O unit, 24...CPU unit, 25...Timer, 26,26a...Switch, 27,28...Power supply, 29...Sensor section, 30...Tilt detector, 31a...Sorting area, 31b...Automatic sorter, 32...Washing machine line, 33...Dehydrator line, 34...Dryer line, 35...Feeding machine line, 36...Rolling machine line, 37...Folding machine Folding machine line, 61...Hot air generation unit, 62...Hot air supply duct, 63a, 63b...Bellows, 64...Exhaust duct, 65...Exhaust fan, 67...Temperature sensor, 71...Inclined movement unit, 72...Stationary unit, 81...Inlet thermometer, 82...Outlet thermometer, 83...Operation panel, 84...Control panel, 85...Front door, 86a~86d...Thrust rollers, 86a~86d...Drive rollers, 88, 92...Motors, 91...Conveyor belt, 93a...Head pulley, 93b...Tail pulley, 93c...First vent pulley, 93d...Tension pulley, 93e...Second vent pulley, 94a...Transmission pulley, 94b...Snub pulley, 94c...Drive pulley, 95...Belt, 96...Pit

Claims

1. A drum for drying the material to be processed, After the drying process, a tilting mechanism is provided to tilt the drum in order to discharge the material to be processed from the drum. A tilt detector that detects the aforementioned tilt and transmits a tilt detection signal, A product residue detector that detects the empty state of the workpiece in the drum and transmits an empty state detection signal, A control circuit is configured to transmit a discharge completion signal to the dryer when it receives the unload signal, the tilt detection signal, and the empty state detection signal. A dryer characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The steps include: tilting the drum used for drying the material to discharge the material after drying, and transmitting an unload signal; The steps include detecting the aforementioned inclination and transmitting an inclination detection signal, The steps include detecting the empty state of the workpiece in the drum and transmitting an empty state detection signal, When the unload signal, the tilt detection signal, and the empty state detection signal are received, the steps include releasing the tilt and A control method characterized by including

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