washing machine

Abstract

To provide a washing machine capable of improving drying efficiency.SOLUTION: The invention includes a case 1, an outer drum 10 that is contained in the case 1 and includes an outlet 54 and a water / air vent 10b, an inner drum 9 that is contained in the outer drum 10, a drive mechanism 12 that drives the rotation of the inner drum 9, a drying mechanism D1 that is contained in the case 1 and blows drying air 51 into the inner drum 9, and an air-sending passage R1 that is located between the outer drum 10 and the inner drum 9 and connects the outlet 54 and the water / air vent 10b. A subsidiary drying passage 70A which is an air passage different from the air-sending passage R1 is included. From an outlet of the subsidiary drying passage 70A, air is discharged at an angle equal to or greater than a right angle to the flow in the flow direction of the air-sending passage R1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, the drying process of a washer-dryer involves blowing dry air into the inner tub (rotary tub) to warm the clothes stored inside and promote evaporation of moisture, thereby allowing the clothes to dry. The blown dry air flows out to the outer tub (water tub) through dehydration and ventilation holes on the sides and bottom of the inner tub, and then passes through the gap between the inner and outer tubs, is collected in a duct on the outer tub, and is dehumidified in the duct before being exhausted outside the housing or blown back into the inner tub via a dry air supply device. If the blown dry air flows out to the outer tub without touching the clothes, the heat of the dry air is not used to dry the clothes, resulting in a decrease in drying efficiency.

[0003] In order to prevent such a decrease in drying efficiency, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a washer-dryer in which a secondary air circulation path is provided in the outer tub, air that flows out from the inner tub to the outer tub is returned to the inner tub again, and a circulation fan is provided in the secondary air circulation path. Patent Document 2 discloses a washer-dryer in which an elastically deformable wall member is provided at the end of the spin tub where the opening is provided, and the tip of the wall member moves away from the water tub when the spin tub rotates at high speed during the spin-drying process, and moves close to the water tub when the spin tub rotates at low speed such as in the drying process, thereby reducing the amount of drying air flowing toward the gap between the spin tub and the water tub. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-55191 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2004-8683 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the washer / dryer described in Patent Document 1 has a circulation fan at the outer bottom of the inner tub, and the washer / dryer described in Patent Document 2 has a wall member at the end of the inner tub. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient clearance to prevent the inner tub from coming into contact with the outer tub when the inner tub rotates at high speed. In addition, there are concerns that the additional parts will increase costs and the number of assembly steps.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and has an object to provide a washing machine capable of improving drying efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention comprises a housing, an outer tub housed in the housing and having an outlet section and an intake section, an inner tub housed in the outer tub, a drive section for rotating the inner tub, an air blowing section housed in the housing and blowing dry air into the inner tub, and an air supply duct formed between the outer tub and the inner tub and communicating the outlet section and the intake section, and is characterized in that it has a secondary passage which is an air passage different from the air supply duct, and the discharge section of the secondary passage is connected so as to discharge air at an angle greater than perpendicular to the flow in the flow path direction of the air supply duct. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a washing machine capable of improving drying efficiency can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view showing a washing / drying machine according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] 2 is a vertical sectional view of the washing / drying machine shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a rotor blade according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the tank cover according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a control process of the washer / dryer of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a control process during a drying operation of the washer / dryer of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-path according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-channel according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-path according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-channel according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-channel according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-channel according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view of a washing / drying machine according to an eighth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a tub cover provided with a drying sub-path in accordance with the eighth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications and application examples within the technical concept of the present invention are also included in its scope. (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a washing / drying machine, and FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the washing / drying machine. As shown in FIG. 1, a washer / dryer (washing machine) 100 includes a housing 1 that constitutes an outer shell, and a top cover 2 on the top of the housing 1. The housing 1 also includes a power switch 5 and a detergent / fabric softener container 28 (see FIG. 2) on the front side of the top cover 2. The housing 1 also includes components related to water supply and drying, such as a water supply solenoid valve 4, a heater 20 (see FIG. 2), and a blower fan 19 (see FIG. 2), on the rear side of the top cover 2. The housing 1 also includes an outer lid 3 that covers a clothes insertion port 2a (see FIG. 2). The front side of the outer lid 3 includes a handle 3a and an operation panel 8 that includes operation switches 6, 6a, and a display 25. The outer lid 3 is designed to be folded in the center and opened as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 when the handle 3a is pulled upward. The operation panel 8 is electrically connected to a control device 14 (see FIG. 2) provided on the bottom of the housing 1.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 2, the washer / dryer 100 includes an outer tub (water tub) 10 housed in the housing 1. The outer tub 10 is supported approximately at the center of the housing 1 by engaging and supporting the outer tub 10 evenly in all four directions via shock absorbers (not shown). A drive mechanism 12 is attached to the lower part of the outer tub 10.

[0012] The outer tub 10 contains the inner tub 9, which is a washing and spin-drying tub for storing laundry (clothes) 56. The inner tub 9 is configured with a cylindrical body plate 9p made of stainless steel, a bottom plate 9q made of synthetic resin provided at the bottom end of the body plate 9p, and a fluid balancer 9c made of synthetic resin provided at the upper edge of the body plate 9p. The body plate 9p is formed with a large number of small through holes 9a (only some of which are shown) for water passage and ventilation. The bottom plate 9q is formed with a large number of small through holes 9b (only some of which are shown) for water passage and ventilation. The inner tub 9 also has a rotor 11 rotatably installed inside the bottom for agitating the laundry 56.

[0013] The fluid balancer 9c is formed in a ring shape and is provided at the upper end of the body plate 9p of the inner tub 9. The fluid balancer 9c is disposed so as to protrude radially inward from the body plate 9p of the inner tub 9, and is configured so that the inner diameter of the fluid balancer 9c is shorter (smaller) than the inner diameter of the body plate 9p of the inner tub 9. The fluid balancer 9c is configured by sealing a fluid with a high specific gravity inside, and has the function of canceling out the eccentricity by the movement of the fluid inside the fluid balancer 9c when eccentricity occurs due to unevenness of laundry during rotation of the inner tub 9, thereby maintaining the balance of the rotation.

[0014] FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the rotor blade. As shown in Fig. 3, the rotor 11 has a gently sloping surface 11h and raised portions 11a that repeatedly apply an upward component force to laundry 56 (see Fig. 2) placed on the rotor 11 as it rotates, and the sloping surface 11h has a large number of small through holes 11c for water and ventilation. The inner tub 9 and the rotor 11 are rotated independently or together by a drive mechanism 12 (drive unit) consisting of a clutch mechanism 12a (see Fig. 2) and a washing and spin-drying drive motor 12b (see Fig. 2).

[0015] Returning to Fig. 2, the drive mechanism 12 incorporates a washing / drying drive motor 12b using an inverter drive motor or a reversible rotation type capacitor split-phase single-phase induction motor, a clutch mechanism 12a, and a planetary gear reduction mechanism (not shown).The drive mechanism has a drive function of controlling the washing / drying drive motor 12b and the clutch mechanism 12a to execute a washing drive mode in which the rotor 11 is repeatedly rotated forward and backward while the inner tub 9 is stationary or released so that it can rotate freely, and a dehydration drive mode in which the inner tub 9 and the rotor 11 are rotated integrally in the same direction.

[0016] A vibration sensor 27 is provided on the outside of the side surface of the outer tub 10 to detect vibrations of the outer tub 10 during washing and spin-drying. An air trap 21a is provided on the bottom surface of the outer tub 10. The pressure inside the air trap 21a is transmitted to a water level sensor 21 via a tube 21b, which detects the water level of the water stored in the outer tub 10. A water / air vent (air intake) 10b is provided at the bottom of the outer tub 10 as an intake section.

[0017] The outer tub 10 is provided with a tub cover 31 made of synthetic resin on the top surface. This tub cover 31 has a clothes insertion opening 31a in about 2 / 3 of the front, and a water supply inlet (not shown) and a circulating water inlet 33 on the rear surface 31b. A detergent / fabric softener inlet 28a is provided in the front of the tub cover 31. An inner lid 23 is attached by a hinge 23b so as to be able to open and close so as to cover the clothes insertion opening 31a. By lifting the handle 23a upward, the lock (not shown) of the inner lid 23 is released and it opens as shown by the dashed line in the figure, and by pressing the handle 23a downward, it is locked.

[0018] The rear surface 31b of the tub cover 31 is provided with a blowing section 54 that guides the dry air 51 into the inner tub 9. The upstream side of this blowing section 54 is connected to the heater 20 via a bellows tube 29b. To facilitate the loading and unloading of laundry 56, it is desirable to make the clothes insertion opening 31a wide. For this reason, the blowing section 54 is provided on the outer periphery side of the inner tub 9. The downstream end of the blowing section 54 is provided toward the outer periphery bottom of the inner tub 9, so that the dry air 51 is blown toward the outer periphery bottom of the inner tub 9.

[0019] In addition, a drying sub-path 70A (described later) is provided inside the tub cover 31 to suppress the flow rate of the dry air 51 flowing between the fluid balancer 9c and the bottom surface of the tub cover 31. That is, the outer tub 10 has a blowing section 54 on the upper surface side and a water vent 10b (air intake section) as an air intake section on the lower surface, and the space between the inner tub 9 and the rotor 11 becomes the air supply path R1 through which the dry air 51 flows. The air passage R1 refers to a flow path that passes between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31, between the outer peripheral surface of the inner tank 9 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tank 10, and between the bottom wall of the inner tank 9 and the bottom wall of the outer tank 10; a flow path that passes inside the inner tank 9, through the through hole 9a toward the outer tank 10, between the outer peripheral surface of the inner tank 9 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tank 10, and between the bottom wall of the inner tank 9 and the bottom wall of the outer tank 10; and a flow path that passes inside the inner tank 9, through the through hole 9b toward the outer tank 10, and between the bottom wall of the inner tank 9 and the bottom wall of the outer tank 10.

[0020] The drying mechanism (air blowing section) D1 for drying laundry 56 is composed of an air blowing fan 19, a heater 20, a drying duct 22, and a dehumidifying mechanism 22a. The drying duct 22 connects between the water passage vent 10b and the blowing section 54. The dehumidifying mechanism 22a, a lint filter (not shown), an air blowing fan 19, a heater 20, and a temperature sensor 26 are provided in the middle of the drying duct 22. When the air blowing fan 19 is operated and the heater 20 is energized, the drying air 51 is blown into the inner tub 9 from the blowing section 54 through the bellows tube 29b, warms the laundry 56, and the moisture evaporates. The hot and humid air passes through the through holes 9a and 9b and exits into the outer tub 10, is sucked into the drying duct 22 through the water and air vent 10b, is cooled and dehumidified by the cooling water flowing down the dehumidifying mechanism 22a, becomes dry, low-temperature air, is heated again by the heater 20, and circulates to be blown into the inner tub 9. The air cooled and dehumidified in the drying duct 22 passes through a lint filter (not shown) to collect lint. During drying, the drain valve 15 is opened, and the cooling water flowing down the dehumidifying mechanism 22a and the dehumidified water are discharged to the outside through the drain hose 24.

[0021] Rubber bellows tubes 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, and 29e are used to connect the outer tank 10 and tank cover 31, which are subject to vibration and displacement, to the drying duct 22, water supply solenoid valve 4, circulation pump 16, etc., which are provided on the fixed side (such as the housing 1 and top cover 2).

[0022] In this embodiment, the water supply solenoid valve 4 uses a four-way valve so that water can be supplied in four directions. The first is a wash water supply solenoid valve, which is connected to the water supply inlet and supplies water into the inner tub 9. The second is a detergent water supply solenoid valve, which is connected to the detergent input chamber of the detergent / fabric finish container 28. The third is a finishing agent water supply solenoid valve, which is connected to the finishing agent input chamber of the detergent / fabric finish container 28. The detergent / fabric finish container 28 is connected to the detergent / fabric finish inlet 28a and supplies detergent and finishing agent into the outer tub 10. The fourth is connected to the dehumidification mechanism 22a.

[0023] The wash water circulation pipe 17 connects the water and air vent 10b provided at the bottom of the outer tub 10 to the circulation water inlet 33. The circulation pipe 17 is provided with the circulation pump 16 and the foreign object trap 18 provided at the bottom of the machine, and the foreign object trap 18 is connected to a drain hose 24 via a drain valve 15. When the circulation pump 16 is operated, the wash water in the outer tub 10 passes through the water and air vent 10b provided at the bottom of the outer tub 10, passes through the circulation pipe 17, and is carried to the top of the outer tub 10, enters the circulation water cover 30 installed on the inner tub 9 side of the rear surface 31b through the circulation water inlet 33 on the rear surface of the tub cover 31, and is sprayed into the inner tub 9 from the nozzles 34.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a top view of the tank cover. 4, the tub cover 31 has a water supply inlet 32, a circulating water inlet 33, and an outlet section 54 on the rear surface. The tub cover 31 also has a clothes insertion opening 31a in the center and a detergent / fabric softener inlet 28a on the front surface.

[0025] In addition, the tank cover 31 is provided with a drying sub-path 70A as shown by the broken line. The drying sub-path 70A is arranged in a substantially circular ring shape. Note that the drying sub-path 70A is not a complete ring, but has appropriate breaks.

[0026] The tank cover 31 is made of resin, but high-temperature drying air flows through the integral blowing section 54 and drying sub-path 70A. Therefore, it is preferable to make the tank cover 31 from a material that can withstand temperatures of 80 degrees or higher (for example, resin containing glass fiber) to prevent deformation due to temperature.

[0027] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 4. In Fig. 5, the fluid balancer 9c, the inner tank 9, and the outer tank 10 are also shown. As shown in Fig. 5, the washer / dryer 100 (see Fig. 1) is provided with an air passage R1 that is formed between the outer tub 10 and the inner tub 9 and connects the blowing section 54 (see Fig. 2) and the water passage vent 10b (see Fig. 2). The washer / dryer 100 has a drying sub-path (sub-path) 70A that is different from the air passage R1. The drying sub-path 70A is provided in the tub cover 31.

[0028] The tank cover 31 is made of two plates, a tank cover upper plate 31c and a tank cover lower plate 31d, which are stacked together to give it a relatively thick structure. This not only makes it easier to provide the drying sub-path 70A inside the tank cover 31, but also allows the walls of the flow path to be divided and molded from resin, making molding easier. In addition, packings 75a and 75b (see FIG. 8), which are elastic members, are provided between the tank cover upper plate 31c and the tank cover lower plate 31d, making the tank cover 31 more airtight.

[0029] In addition, the drying sub-path 70A is composed of an inlet section (inlet) 71A through which air (dry air) flows in from the gap 74 between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31, an outlet section (outlet) 72A through which the air (dry air) is discharged back into the gap 74, and a flow path 73A that connects the inlet section 71A and the outlet section 72A.

[0030] The drying sub-path 70A is formed in a substantially U-shape in cross section when cut in the axial direction. By forming the flow path 73A short like a U-shape, pressure loss can be reduced. The inlet 71A and the outlet 72A are formed in a position facing the upper surface of the fluid balancer 9c (gap 74 between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31), in other words, in a position facing the gap 74 (air passage R1) between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31. The position of the inlet 71A is arbitrary and is not limited to a configuration facing the gap 74.

[0031] The discharge section 72A of the drying sub-path 70A is connected to the flow in the flow path direction S2 of the gap (air blowing path) 74 at an angle α that is equal to or greater than perpendicular to the flow (flow from the upstream side to the downstream side). That is, the angle α between the flow path direction S1 of the discharge section 72A and the flow path direction S2 of the gap 74 is set to 90° or more. The angle α is an angle that rotates toward the tank cover 31 side with respect to the flow path direction S2 to reach the flow path direction S1. The dry air discharged from the discharge section 72A faces the flow of the dry air flowing through the gap 74. The upper limit of the angle α is set to 180° or less.

[0032] Furthermore, the dry air 51a flowing into the gap 74 is divided at the inlet 71A of the drying sub-path 70A into dry air 51b flowing through the gap 74 as it is and dry air 51c flowing into the flow path 73A. The dry air 51c flows through the flow path 73A as it is into the discharge part 72A and is returned to the gap 74. At this time, the dry air 51d blown out from the discharge part 72A is blown out in a direction opposite to the dry air 51b flowing through the gap 74, disturbing the flow around the discharge part 72A and generating a vortex, thereby increasing the ventilation resistance of the gap 74. That is, the angle α between the flow direction of the dry air 51d blown out from the discharge part 72A and the flow direction of the dry air 51b flowing from the upstream to the downstream in the gap 74 is 90° or more. This reduces the amount of dry air 51a flowing into gap 74 and increases the amount of dry air blown onto laundry 56 (see FIG. 2) in inner tub 9, improving the efficiency of drying the clothes.

[0033] Incidentally, as the amount of dry air 51d blown out from the discharge portion 72A increases, the flow around the discharge portion 72A becomes more turbulent, increasing the ventilation resistance of the gap 74. In this embodiment, therefore, the flow path cross-sectional area C1 of the inlet portion 71A is larger than the flow path cross-sectional area C2 of the gap 74. This further promotes the division of the dry air 51a, making it easier for the dry air to flow into the inlet portion 71A.

[0034] In this embodiment, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the drying sub-path 70A becomes smaller from the inlet portion 71A toward the outlet portion 72A. That is, the flow path cross-sectional area C4 of the outlet portion 72A is smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area C3 of the flow path 73A. The drying sub-path 70A is configured such that the flow path cross-sectional area C4 of the outlet portion 72A is narrower (smaller) than the flow path cross-sectional area C1 of the inlet portion 71A. As a result, the flow speed of the dry air 51c, 51d flowing through the drying sub-path 70A gradually increases, and the pressure around the outlet portion 72A becomes smaller than the pressure around the inlet portion 71A, so that the air flows more easily through the drying sub-path 70A. As a result, the air volume of the dry air 51c, 51d flowing through the drying sub-path 70A further increases, and the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 further increases.

[0035] In the washer / dryer 100 having such a configuration, a series of operations from washing to drying are performed automatically. The details of these operations are described below. Figure 6 is a block diagram of the control unit of the washer / dryer. As shown in Fig. 6, microcomputer (control device) 40 is connected to operation button input circuit 41, water level sensor 21, temperature sensor 26, and vibration sensor 27, which are connected to switches 6 and 6a, and receives various information signals from the user's button operations and the washing and drying processes. In addition, the output from microcomputer 40 is connected to drive circuit 42, which is connected to water supply solenoid valve 4, clutch mechanism 12a (abbreviated as clutch in Fig. 6), drain valve 15, circulation pump 16, washing and dehydration drive motor 12b (abbreviated as motor in Fig. 6), blower fan 19, heater 20, etc., and controls the opening / closing, rotation, and power supply of these. In addition, microcomputer 40 is connected to 7-segment light-emitting diode display 25, light-emitting diode 7, and buzzer 43, which inform the user of the operating state of washer / dryer 100.

[0036] When the power switch 5 is pressed to turn on the power, the microcomputer 40 starts up and executes a basic control processing program for washing and drying as shown in Figures 7 and 8. The control flow by the microcomputer 40 (control device) will be described below. First, the washing and spin-drying process will be described.

[0037] <Step S101> Check the status of the washer / dryer and perform initial settings.

[0038] <Step S102> The display 25 of the operation panel 8 is turned on, and the washing course is set according to the instruction input from the operation switch 6. If no instruction is input, the standard washing course or the washing course used previously is automatically set.

[0039] <Step S103> An instruction input from the start switch 6a of the operation switch 6 of the operation panel 8 is monitored to branch the processing.

[0040] <Step S104> A detergent amount detection process is executed. This detergent amount detection is performed by controlling the washing and dehydration driving motor 12b and the clutch mechanism 12a in the drive mechanism 12 so that when the rotor 11 is rotated in one direction while the inner tub 9 is stationary in the dry fabric state before the washing water is supplied, the amount of laundry of the laundry 56 is detected based on the rotation load acting on the rotor 11, and the appropriate amount of detergent (detergent amount) is calculated based on the detected amount of laundry.

[0041] The amount of detergent is determined by referring to a preset comparison table of the amount of laundry and the amount of detergent. Specifically, in a configuration in which an inverter-driven motor is used as the washing / spin-drying driving motor 12b, the amount of laundry is detected by detecting the rotation speed reached when power is supplied for a predetermined time to rotate the washing / spin-drying driving motor 12b. In a configuration in which a capacitor-split-phase single-phase induction motor is used as the washing / spin-drying driving motor 12b, the amount of laundry is detected by detecting the inertial rotation deceleration characteristic after power is cut off while power is supplied to increase the washing / spin-drying driving motor 12b to a saturated rotation speed. The preferred amount of detergent is then determined by referring to a preset comparison table of the amount of laundry and the amount of detergent.

[0042] The amount of washing water is set so that when the amount of laundry is within a predetermined range (appropriate amount), the water level does not exceed the rotor 11 and accumulates at the bottom of the outer tub 10. The washing time is calculated and set based on the detection result (amount of laundry). When the amount of laundry is not detected, the standard washing time is set.

[0043] <Step S105> The determined amount of detergent is displayed on the display 25 of the operation panel 8.

[0044] <Step S106> The detergent water supply solenoid valve is opened to supply detergent water to the detergent input chamber of the detergent / fabric softener container 28. The user inputs the indicated amount of powder detergent or liquid detergent into the detergent input chamber of the detergent / fabric softener container 28, and then closes the outer lid 3. The powder detergent or liquid detergent input into the detergent input chamber through which the detergent water flows falls to the bottom of the outer tub 10 through the detergent / fabric softener inlet 28a together with the detergent water supply.

[0045] <Step S107> Water supply is stopped when the detergent dissolving water level is reached. The detergent dissolving water level is set so that when the inner tub 9 is rotated in the subsequent detergent dissolving process (step S108), the amount of water is sufficient to agitate the water and detergent supplied at the bottom of the inner tub 9, and the water level is lower than the height of the lower surface of the rotor 11 (so that the laundry 56 does not get wet before the detergent is dissolved).

[0046] <Step S108> The inner tub 9 and the rotor 11 are rotated integrally in one direction at a slow speed, whereby the detergent-dissolving water and the powder detergent or liquid detergent put into the bottom of the outer tub 10 are stirred at the bottom of the inner tub 9 to dissolve the detergent and generate washing water with a high detergent concentration.

[0047] <Step S109> A pre-wash is performed. In this pre-wash, the inner tub 9 is kept stationary and the rotor 11 is rotated forward and backward to intermittently mix the laundry 56. The circulation pump 16 is operated while the rotor 11 is rotating forward and backward, so that the detergent water at the bottom of the outer tub 10 is sprayed onto the laundry 56 from the nozzle 34. At this time, the high-concentration detergent water is sprayed onto the laundry 56, so that the detergent penetrates the laundry 56 evenly. The high-concentration detergent water that penetrates the laundry 56 has a high oil dissolving ability, dissolves oily and grease stains such as sebum stains, and has a very large effect of lifting the stains from the laundry 56, so that a high cleaning power is obtained. Next, while the rotor 11 and the circulation pump 16 are stopped, the detergent water supply solenoid valve and the washing water supply solenoid valve are opened while referring to the detection signal of the water level sensor 21, and water is supplied so that the water level does not exceed the set water level. This operation is repeated several times to make the laundry 56 familiar with the washing water and to disperse it on the rotor 11.

[0048] <Step S110> The main wash is performed. In this main wash, first, the amount of laundry is detected in the same manner as described above, and the set washing time is corrected and set. After that, the inner tub 9 is stopped, and the circulation pump 16 is operated while rotating the rotor 11 forward and backward to circulate the washing water collected at the bottom of the outer tub 10 and spray it onto the laundry 56 from the nozzle 34, and the circulation pump 16 is stopped to stop the circulation of the washing water and the rotor 11 is rotated forward and backward to repeat the cloth loosening agitation. The forward and reverse rotation of the rotor 11 causes the laundry 56 to be replaced in the circumferential and radial directions in the inner tub 9, and the laundry is washed evenly. Finally, the circulation pump 16 is stopped to stop the circulation of the washing water and the rotor 11 is rotated forward and backward to perform uniform agitation, thereby completing the main wash time.

[0049] <Step S111> The first pool rinse is performed. In this pool rinse, first, the drain valve 15 is opened to drain the wash water pooled at the bottom of the outer tub 10, and then the inner tub 9 and the rotor 11 are rotated integrally in one direction to centrifugally spin-dry the wash water contained in the laundry 56. The rotation speed of the inner tub 9 and the rotor 11 during this wash water spin-drying is set to the same rotation speed (approximately 1100 r / min) as the final spin-drying described later, and spin-drying is performed to achieve a high spin-drying rate.

[0050] Thereafter, the drain valve 15 is closed and the inner tub 9 and the rotor 11 are rotated together in one direction at a slow speed, while the washing water supply solenoid valve is opened to supply tap water from the water sprinkler nozzle so as to spray it onto the laundry 56 on the rotor 11.

[0051] Next, with the rotation of the inner tub 9 and the rotor 11 stopped, rinse water is supplied so that the water level at the bottom of the outer tub 10 does not exceed the set water level. Then, as in the push-wash agitation in the main wash, the inner tub 9 is kept stationary and the rotor 11 is rotated forward and backward, while the circulation pump 16 is operated to circulate the rinse water accumulated at the bottom of the outer tub 10 so that it is sprayed from the nozzle 34 onto the laundry 56 on the rotor 11, thereby executing rinse water circulation agitation rinsing. Then, with the rotation of the rotor 11 and the operation of the circulation pump 16 stopped, water is supplied while detecting the water level of the rinse water accumulated at the bottom of the outer tub 10 so that the water level does not exceed the set water level. Then, with the inner tub 9 kept stationary and the rotor 11 rotated forward and backward, the circulation pump 16 is operated to circulate the rinse water accumulated at the bottom of the outer tub 10 so that it is sprayed from the nozzle 34 onto the laundry 56 on the rotor 11, thereby executing rinse water circulation agitation rinsing. As in the case of washing, laundry 56 in inner tub 9 is exchanged between the circumferential and radial directions, so that the rinse water falls evenly on laundry 56, diluting the detergent. After that, with circulation pump 16 stopped to stop the circulation of rinse water, rotor 11 continues to rotate forward and backward to perform uniform agitation.

[0052] <Step S112> A second pool rinse is performed. In this second pool rinse, a control is added to open the fabric softener water supply solenoid valve to supply water to the fabric softener supply chamber in the detergent / fabric softener container 28, thereby introducing the fabric softener in the fabric softener supply chamber into the bottom of the outer tub 10. The other operations are performed in the same way as the first pool rinse.

[0053] <Step S113> A final spin-dry process is executed. The final spin-dry process is carried out by operating the drive mechanism to rotate the inner tub 9 and the rotor 11 integrally in one direction at high speed with the drain valve 15 open, so as to centrifugally spin-dry the laundry 56 in the inner tub 9. The operation time for this final spin-dry process is set to a time that will provide a desired spin-dry rate.

[0054] <Step S114> The process branches based on whether the wash / dry course is selected. If the wash / dry course is not selected, the washing is complete and the control flow ends. On the other hand, if the wash / dry course is selected, the drying process begins.

[0055] After the washing process is completed, the drying process is carried out. Figure 8 shows the control flow for this drying process. This control flow will be explained below. <Step S200> As shown in Fig. 8, in the drying step, the inner tub 9 is rotated at high speed to further dehydrate the laundry 56. Note that this step can be omitted if sufficient dehydration has been performed in the previous washing step.

[0056] <Step S201> This is a process for performing step S200 for a predetermined time, and the spin-drying process is performed until a predetermined specified time has elapsed. This step can also be omitted if sufficient spin-drying has been performed in the previous washing process.

[0057] <Step S202> The blower fan 19 and the heater 20 are operated to blow dry air from the blowing portion 54 onto the laundry 56 in the inner tub 9.

[0058] <Step S203> The inner tub 9 and the rotor 11 are rotated together at a slow speed, and the rotor 11 is rotated forward and backward while the inner tub 9 is kept stationary, whereby the laundry 56 is heated and dried while being agitated throughout.

[0059] <Step S204> The drying is performed while monitoring the temperature of the drying air 51 by the temperature sensor 26, and when the rate of temperature change reaches a predetermined value, it is determined that the drying is completed. If the laundry 56 is not dry, the inner tub 9 or the rotor 11 is rotated in step S203, and the determination in step S204 is performed again.

[0060] <Step S205> After the heater 20 is turned off, the blower fan 19 is also turned off, and the rotation of the inner tank 9 and the rotor 11 is stopped, thereby completing the drying process.

[0061] Although the heater 20 is used as the heat source in this embodiment, the same effect can be obtained even if the heat source is a heat pump.

[0062] During drying, the dry air 51 (see FIG. 2) blown out from the blowing section 54 is blown onto the laundry 56 in the inner tub 9, warms the laundry 56, and then flows out to the outer tub 10 through the through holes 9a provided in the wall surface (body plate) of the inner tub 9 and the through holes 9b provided in the rotor 11 (see FIG. 2). At this time, since there is a ventilation resistance in the through holes 9a and 9b provided in the inner tub 9 and the rotor 11, most of the dry air 51 is blown into the inner tub 9, but a part of the dry air does not enter the inner tub 9 and is diverted into the gap 74 between the inner tub 9 and the outer tub 10. The diverted dry air 51a (see FIG. 5) goes around the outside of the inner tub 9 and is not blown onto the laundry 56, which leads to a decrease in drying efficiency. In particular, when the amount of laundry 56 put in is large compared to the volume of the inner tub 9, the laundry 56 blocks the through holes 9a provided in the tub wall surface of the inner tub 9 and the through holes 9b provided in the rotor 11, increasing the ventilation resistance of the inner tub 9 and making it easier for the dry air to escape through the gap 74 where the ventilation resistance is relatively small.

[0063] Also, by shortening the distance between the tank cover 31 provided on the outer tank 10 and the fluid balancer 9c provided on the inner tank 9, it is possible to increase the ventilation resistance of the gap 74. However, when the inner tank 9 rotates at high speed during dehydration, the inner tank 9 may come into contact with the outer tank 10, resulting in a trade-off. In this embodiment, by providing the drying sub-path 70A on the tank cover 31, it is possible to increase the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 without shortening the distance between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31, making it easy to achieve compatibility with the clearance.

[0064] The washer / dryer 100 of the first embodiment thus configured includes a housing 1, an outer tub 10 housed in the housing 1 and equipped with a blowing section 54 and a water passage vent 10b, an inner tub 9 housed in the outer tub 10, a drive mechanism 12 for rotating the inner tub 9, a drying mechanism D1 housed in the housing 1 for blowing dry air into the inner tub 9, and an air passage R1 formed between the outer tub 10 and the inner tub 9 and communicating between the blowing section 54 and the water passage vent 10b (see FIG. 5). The washer / dryer 100 also includes a drying sub-passage 70A which is an air passage different from the air passage R1. An outlet 72A of the drying sub-passage 70A is at an angle equal to or greater than perpendicular to a flow path direction S2 of a gap 74 of the air passage R1. According to this, by increasing the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 and suppressing the amount of dry air 51b flowing through the gap 74, the amount of dry air 51 blown into the inner tub 9 increases, and the drying efficiency of the laundry 56 is improved.

[0065] In the first embodiment, the flow path cross-sectional areas C1, C3, and C4 of the drying sub-path 70A become smaller from the inlet 71A to the outlet 72A of the drying sub-path 70A (see FIG. 5). As a result, the flow speed of the drying airflows 51c and 51d flowing through the drying sub-path 70A gradually increases, and the pressure around the outlet 72A becomes smaller than the pressure around the inlet 71A, so that the airflow easily flows through the drying sub-path 70A. As a result, the air volume of the drying airflows 51c and 51d flowing through the drying sub-path 70A further increases, and the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 further increases.

[0066] In the first embodiment, the drying sub-path 70A has a flow path cross-sectional area C1 of the inflow section 71A larger than the flow path cross-sectional area C2 of the gap 74. This makes it easier for the drying air 51a that has flowed into the gap 74 to flow into the drying sub-path 70A, and the amount of the drying air 51c flowing through the drying sub-path 70A increases, further increasing the ventilation resistance of the gap 74.

[0067] In the first embodiment, the outer tub 10 is provided with a tub cover 31, and the discharge portion 72A is provided on the tub cover 31 (see FIG. 5). This makes it easy to create the drying sub-path 70A by simply combining the tub cover upper plate 31c and the tub cover lower plate 31d.

[0068] Second embodiment 9 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-path according to the second embodiment. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted. 9, in the second embodiment, a drying sub-path 70B is provided in a fluid balancer 9c instead of the first embodiment in which the drying sub-path 70A is provided in the tank cover 31. This drying sub-path 70B has a shape obtained by turning the drying sub-path 70A upside down, and is composed of an inlet section 71B into which wind (dry wind) flows in from the gap 74, a discharge section 72B that discharges the wind (dry wind) back into the gap 74, and a flow path 73B that communicates between the inlet section 71B and the discharge section 72B.

[0069] The drying sub-path 70B is formed in a substantially U-shape in cross section when cut in the axial direction. The inlet 71B and the outlet 72B are formed in a position facing the lower surface of the tank cover 31 (gap 74 between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31), in other words, in a position facing the gap 74 (air passage R1) between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31. The position of the inlet 71B is arbitrary and is not limited to a configuration facing the gap 74.

[0070] The discharge section 72B of the drying sub-path 70B is connected at an angle β that is perpendicular or greater to the flow in the flow path direction S4 of the gap (air blowing path) 74. The angle β between the flow path direction S3 of the discharge section 72B and the flow path direction S4 of the gap 74 is set to 90° or greater, as in the first embodiment. The angle β is an angle that rotates toward the fluid balancer 9c with respect to the flow path direction S4 to reach the flow path direction S3. The dry air discharged from the discharge section 72B faces the flow of the dry air flowing through the gap 74. The upper limit of the angle β is set to 180° or less.

[0071] In the second embodiment, the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 increases, similarly to the first embodiment in which the drying sub-path 70A is provided in the tub cover 31, and the efficiency of drying the clothes improves.

[0072] In the second embodiment, the inner tub 9 includes a fluid balancer 9c, and the discharge part 72B is provided in the fluid balancer 9c (see FIG. 9). This makes it easier to create the drying sub-path 70B, as in the case where the discharge part 72A is provided in the tub cover 31.

[0073] Third embodiment FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-channel according to the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, in the third embodiment, instead of the first embodiment having a single drying sub-path 70A, a plurality of drying sub-paths 70A are provided within the tank cover 31, centered around the rotation axis O (see Fig. 2) of the inner tank 9. All three drying sub-paths 70A have the same shape, and each includes an inlet section 71A, a discharge section 72A, and a flow path 73A.

[0074] In the third embodiment, the flow is disturbed around each discharge portion 72A, so that the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 increases more than when there is one drying sub-path 70A, and the efficiency of drying the clothes is further improved.

[0075] In this way, in the third embodiment, a plurality of drying sub-paths 70A are provided at positions with different distances from the rotation axis O of the inner tub 9. This increases the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 compared to when a single drying sub-path 70A is provided, further improving the laundry drying efficiency.

[0076] (Fourth embodiment) FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-channel according to the fourth embodiment. 11, in the fourth embodiment, a convex member 75 (convex portion) is added to the drying sub-path 70A of the first embodiment. Although not shown, similarly to the first embodiment, the discharge portion 72A of the drying sub-path 70A is connected at an angle α that is equal to or greater than perpendicular to the flow path direction S2 of the gap (air passage) 74.

[0077] The convex member 75 is provided on the fluid balancer 9c, which is the opposing surface of the inlet portion 71A. The drying sub-path 70A is only used in the drying process, and the inner tank 9 only rotates at a low speed. Therefore, if the convex member 75 is in a position opposing the inlet portion 71A when the inner tank 9 stops rotating, the convex member 75 will not move out of the position opposing the inlet portion 71A during drying.

[0078] In the fourth embodiment, the direction of the main flow of the dry air 51 flowing through the gap 74 changes to the inlet section 71 side, so that the dry air 51a is easily diverted to the drying sub-path 70A. As a result, the amount of dry air 51b flowing through the drying sub-path 70A increases, so that the flow around the discharge section 72A is easily disturbed, and the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 increases compared to when the convex member 75 is not provided, so that the efficiency of drying the clothes is further improved.

[0079] In this manner, in the fourth embodiment, the convex member 75 is formed on the opposing surface (the upper surface of the fluid balancer 9c) of the inlet portion 71A of the drying sub-path 70A. This makes it easier to introduce the drying air 51a that has flowed into the gap 74 into the drying sub-path 70A, and the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 can be increased compared to when the convex member 75 is not provided, thereby further improving the laundry drying efficiency.

[0080] Fifth embodiment FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-channel according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, the fifth embodiment is a combination of the drying sub-path 70A of the first embodiment and the drying sub-path 70B of the second embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the drying sub-path 70A and the drying sub-path 70B are configured to be vertically symmetrical. The inlet 71A of the drying sub-path 70A and the inlet 71B of the drying sub-path 70B face each other, and the outlet 72A of the drying sub-path 70A and the outlet 72B of the drying sub-path 70B face each other. In the fifth embodiment, the inlet 71A and the outlet 72A of the drying sub-path 70A and the inlet 71B and the outlet 72B of the drying sub-path 70B are aligned with each other in the flow direction of the drying air 51b in the gap 74, but they may be arranged offset from each other in the flow direction.

[0081] In the fifth embodiment, the flow is disturbed around the discharge portions 72A, 72B, so that the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 is increased more than when there is one drying sub-path 70A (or one drying sub-path 70B), and the clothes drying efficiency is further improved.

[0082] In the fifth embodiment, an example was given in which a single drying sub-path 70A is provided in the tank cover 31 and a single drying sub-path 70B is provided in the fluid balancer 9c, but multiple drying sub-paths 70A may be provided in the tank cover 31 and multiple drying sub-paths 70B may be provided in the fluid balancer 9c.

[0083] Sixth embodiment FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a drying sub-channel according to the sixth embodiment. 13, the sixth embodiment includes a drying sub-path 70C instead of the drying sub-path 70A of the first embodiment. Note that the sixth embodiment is an embodiment showing that the inflow portion is not limited to facing the gap 74.

[0084] The drying sub-path 70C is configured such that the inflow section 71C faces the clothes insertion opening 31a (inner peripheral wall) formed in the tub cover 31. The drying sub-path 70C also includes an outlet section 72C at a position facing the gap 74 between the fluid balancer 9c and the tub cover 31, and a flow path 73C that connects the inflow section 71C and the outlet section 72C.

[0085] In the sixth embodiment, even if the inflow portion 71C is provided on the side of the tub cover 31 facing the clothing insertion opening 31a, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0086] In the sixth embodiment, the inlet 71C is provided on the side of the tub cover 31 facing the clothes inlet 31a, but in the drying sub-path 70B of the second embodiment, the inlet 71B may be formed on the side facing the opening 9c1 (see FIG. 9) of the fluid balancer 9c. In this case, the same effects as in the second embodiment can be obtained.

[0087] Seventh embodiment 14 is a cross-sectional view of the drying sub-path according to the seventh embodiment. In the first to sixth embodiments, the discharge sections 72A, 72B, and 72C are connected to face the gap 74 between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31. In the seventh embodiment, however, a drying sub-path 70D is provided, which is an air path different from the air path R1 that connects the blowing section 54 and the water vent 10b.

[0088] The drying sub-path 70D is composed of an inlet section (inlet) 71D through which air (dry air) flows in from the gap 74A between the fluid balancer 9c and the outer tank 10, an outlet section (outlet) 72D that discharges the air (dry air) back into the gap 74, and a flow path 73D that connects the inlet section 71D and the outlet section 72D.

[0089] The drying sub-path 70D is formed in a substantially U-shape in cross section when cut in the axial direction. The inlet portion 71D and the outlet portion 72D are formed in a position facing the gap 74A between the outer peripheral surface of the fluid balancer 9c and the outer tank 10. The position of the inlet portion 71A is arbitrary and is not limited to a configuration facing the gap 74A.

[0090] The discharge section 72D of the drying sub-path 70D is connected to the flow path direction S6 of the gap (air blowing path) 74A at an angle γ that is perpendicular or greater. The angle γ between the flow path direction S5 of the discharge section 72D and the flow path direction S6 of the gap 74A is set to 90° or greater, similar to the angle α of the first embodiment and the angle β of the second embodiment. The angle γ is an angle that rotates toward the outer tub 10 with respect to the flow path direction S6 to reach the flow path direction S5. The dry air discharged from the discharge section 72D faces the flow of the dry air flowing through the gap 74. The upper limit of the angle γ is set to 180° or less.

[0091] Eighth embodiment Fig. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a drum type washer-dryer according to the eighth embodiment. Fig. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a tub cover provided with a drying sub-path according to the eighth embodiment. Note that, although the first to seventh embodiments have been described using a vertical type washer-dryer as an example, they can also be applied to a drum type washer-dryer (washing machine).

[0092] Next, the schematic structure of the washer / dryer 200 (washing machine) will be briefly described. 15, an outer tub 202 is provided inside a housing 201. The outer tub 202 is supported by a plurality of suspensions 206 at its bottom.

[0093] Inside the outer tub 202, an inner tub 203, which is a rotating drum, is provided. The inner tub 203 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and is supported rotatably inside the outer tub 202. The inner tub 203 is designed so that laundry 56 can be put in by opening a door 204. The inner tub 203 has a number of through holes 203a (only some of which are shown) for centrifugal dehydration and ventilation in the cylindrical part, which is the side wall (circumferential wall). A fluid balancer 205 is provided on the outer periphery of the opening of the inner tub 203 to reduce vibration caused by imbalance of the laundry 56 during dehydration. Inside the inner tub 203, a number of lifters 207 for lifting the laundry 56 are provided.

[0094] The inner tub 203 is directly connected to a driving motor 210 (drive unit) via a main shaft 209 connected to a flange 208. The method for driving the inner tub 203 is not limited to this embodiment, and may be a so-called belt drive type in which a pulley fixed to the main shaft and a motor fixed to the outer tub are connected via a belt to drive the inner tub 203.

[0095] A tub cover 231 equipped with a drying sub-path 170 is provided at the front of the outer tub 202. A rubber packing 211 made of an elastic body is attached to the opening of the outer tub 202. This packing 211 plays a role in maintaining the airtightness and watertightness between the inside of the outer tub 202 and the door 204. This prevents water leakage during washing, rinsing and spin-drying. The inner tub 203 has a number of through holes 203a (only some of which are shown) on the side wall for centrifugal spin-drying and ventilation. In addition, a drain port 216 provided in the water receiving part 212 of the outer tub 202 is connected to a drain hose 214 via a drain valve 213. In addition, an overflow hose 215 is attached to the lower part of a drying duct 217 on the back of the drum, and is joined to a hose from the drain port 216 just before the drain valve 213. In other words, when the drain valve 213 is opened, it is connected to the drain hose 214.

[0096] A washing water circulation pump 218 is provided at the bottom of the outer tub 202. When the circulation pump 218 is driven, the water in the water receiving section 212 flows into the circulation pump 218 from the drain outlet 216 via the lint filter 225. The washing water pressurized by the circulation pump 218 is pumped up to a watering nozzle (not shown) provided at the top of the outer tub 202 and sprayed onto the laundry 56 in the inner tub 203. The washing water is returned to the water receiving section 212 after passing through the laundry 56, and by repeating this circulation, the laundry 56 can be moistened with less water and the detergent can be permeated into it.

[0097] The drying mechanism (air blowing section) D2 that dries the laundry 56 in the inner tub 203 is composed of an air blowing fan 219, a heater 220, a drying duct 217, and a dehumidifying mechanism 217a. The air blowing fan 219 is fixed to the housing 1 away from the outer tub 202. A flexible bellows 222 is connected between the outlet of the heater 220 and the blowing section 221. The drying duct 217 connects between an air vent 223 (air intake section) provided in the outer tub 202 and the air blowing fan 219 via a bellows tube 224. The drying duct 217 is fixed (not shown) to the back surface of the housing 201 away from the outer tub 202, and the dehumidifying mechanism 217a is provided midway.

[0098] The washer / dryer 200 configured in this manner includes an air passage R2 formed between the outer tub 202 and the inner tub 203, and connecting the blowing section 221 and the vent hole 223. The air passage R2 refers to a flow passage that passes between the fluid balancer 205 and the tub cover 231, and between the outer peripheral surface of the inner tub 203 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tub 202, and a flow passage that passes inside the inner tub 203, passes through the through-hole 203a toward the outer tub 202, and between the outer peripheral surface of the inner tub 203 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tub 202.

[0099] In the washer / dryer 200 configured as described above, when the blower fan 219 is operated and the heater 220 is energized, dry air 51 is blown into the inner tub 203 from the blowing section 221, warming the laundry 56 and evaporating moisture. The hot and humid air passes through the through holes 203a, exits to the outer tub 202, and is sucked into the drying duct 217 through the ventilation opening 223. At this time, as in the first embodiment, since there is a ventilation resistance in the inner tub 203, part of the dry air 51 flows into the gap 174 (ventilation path) between the outer tub 202 and the inner tub 203.

[0100] 16, the tank cover 231 is composed of two plates, a tank cover upper plate 231a and a tank cover lower plate 231b, and has a drying bypass 170 (sub-path) inside. In addition, a packing 232b, which is an elastic member, is provided between the tank cover upper plate 231a and the tank cover lower plate 231b, and the tank cover 31 is structured to have high airtightness.

[0101] The drying sub-path 170 is composed of an inlet section (inlet) 171 through which air (dry air) flows in from a gap 174 between the fluid balancer 205 and the tank cover 231, an outlet section (outlet) 172 through which the air (dry air) is discharged back into the gap 174, and a flow path 173 connecting the inlet section 171 and the outlet section 172.

[0102] Moreover, the drying sub-path 170 is formed in a substantially U-shape in cross section when cut in the axial direction of the outer tub 202. Moreover, the inlet portion 171 and the outlet portion 172 are formed at a position facing the front surface of the fluid balancer 205 (a gap 174 between the fluid balancer 205 and the tub cover 231, in other words, at a position facing the gap 174 (airflow path R2) between the fluid balancer 205 and the tub cover 231. The position of the inlet portion 171 is arbitrary, and it is not necessary for it to face the gap 174.

[0103] Moreover, the discharge part 172 of the drying sub-path 170 is connected at an angle δ that is perpendicular or more to the flow in the flow path direction S20 of the gap (air blowing path) 174 (flow from the upstream side to the downstream side). That is, the angle δ between the flow path direction S10 of the discharge part 172 and the flow path direction S20 of the gap 174 is set to 90° or more. Moreover, the angle δ is an angle that rotates toward the tank cover 231 side with respect to the flow path direction S20 to reach the flow path direction S10. Moreover, the dry air discharged from the discharge part 172 faces the flow of the dry air flowing through the gap 174. The upper limit of the angle δ is set to 180° or less.

[0104] The washer-dryer 200 thus configured includes a housing 201, an outer tub 202 housed in the housing 201 and equipped with a blowing section 221 and a vent 223, an inner tub 203 housed in the outer tub 202, a drive motor 210 for rotating the inner tub 203, an airflow passage R2 housed in the housing 201 for blowing dry air 51 into the inner tub 203, and an airflow passage R2 formed between the outer tub 202 and the inner tub 203 for communicating the blowing section 221 and the vent 223. The washer-dryer 200 also includes a drying sub-passage 170 which is an air passage different from the airflow passage R2. An outlet section 172 of the drying sub-passage 170 is connected so as to be discharged at an angle δ greater than or equal to the vertical with respect to the flow path direction S20 of the gap 174. As a result, the dry air 151a flowing in from the gap 174 is separated at the inlet portion 171 to become dry air 151c, which passes through the flow path 173 and is returned to the gap 174 from the outlet portion 172. Since the angle δ between the flow path direction S20 and the flow path direction S10 is set to 90° or more, the direction in which the dry air 151d is discharged from the outlet portion 172 is substantially opposite to the direction of the dry air 151b flowing in the gap 141, and therefore the ventilation resistance of the gap 174 increases. As a result, as in the first embodiment, the amount of dry air 51 blown into the inner tub 203 increases, and the drying efficiency of the laundry 56 improves.

[0105] In the eighth embodiment, the drying sub-path 170 is provided in the tank cover 231, but the first to seventh embodiments may be combined as appropriate. For example, the drying sub-path may be provided in the fluid balancer 205 as in the second embodiment, or the drying sub-path may be provided in both the tank cover 231 and the fluid balancer 205. A plurality of drying sub-paths may be provided at positions with different distances from the rotation axis of the inner tank 203.

[0106] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. For example, the above description mainly uses an example in which a drying sub-path is provided in the ventilation path R1 (gap 74) between the tank cover 31 and the fluid balancer 9c, but a drying sub-path may be provided in the ventilation path R1 between the bottom of the inner tank 9 and the bottom of the outer tank 10.

[0107] Moreover, the washer / dryer 100 can be configured by appropriately combining the first to seventh embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1 Case 9 Inner tank 9a, 9b through hole 9c Fluid balancer (balancing ring) 10 Outer tank 10b Water / air vent (air intake) 12 Drive mechanism (drive unit) 19 Blower fan 20 Heater 22 Drying duct 22a Dehumidification mechanism 31 Tank cover 31c Tank cover top plate 31d Tank cover bottom plate 51, 51a, 51b, 51c dry wind 54 Air outlet 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D Dry side road (side road) 71 Inlet 72 Discharge part 73 Flow Path 74 Air gap (ventilation path) 75 Convex parts (convex parts) 170 Dry side road (side road) 171 Inlet 172 Discharge part 173 Flow Path 174 Air gap (ventilation path) 200 Washer / dryer (washing machine) 201 Case 202 Outer tank 203 Inner tank 203a Through hole 205 Fluid balancer (balance ring) 210 Drive motor (drive unit) 217 Drying Duct 217a Dehumidification mechanism 219 Blower Fan 220 Heater 221 Outlet 223 Vent (intake) 231 Tank cover 231a Tank cover top plate 231b Tank cover bottom plate D1, D2 Drying mechanism (ventilation part) R1, R2 air passage

Claims

1. A housing and An outer tank accommodated in the housing and including a blowing section and an intake section; An inner tank accommodated in the outer tank; A drive unit that rotates the inner tank; a blower section that is housed in the housing and blows dry air into the inner tank; An air passage formed between the outer tub and the inner tub, the air passage communicating the blowing section and the intake section; Equipped with A sub-path is provided which is a different air path from the air blowing path, The washing machine, wherein the discharge portion of the sub-channel is connected so as to discharge air at an angle equal to or greater than perpendicular to the flow direction of the air passage of the air supply channel.

2. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, The washing machine, wherein a flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the sub-path decreases from an inlet portion of the sub-path toward the discharge portion.

3. The washing machine according to claim 2, The washing machine is characterized in that the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet portion of the sub-path is larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the air blowing path.

4. The washing machine according to claim 2 or 3, The washing machine is characterized in that a convex portion is formed on a surface of the air passage facing the inlet portion.

5. A washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The outer tank includes a tank cover, The washing machine is characterized in that the discharge portion is provided on the tub cover.

6. A washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The inner tank is provided with a balance ring, The washing machine is characterized in that the discharge portion is provided on the balance ring.

7. A washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The washing machine is characterized in that the sub-path is provided in a plurality of positions at different distances from the rotation axis of the inner tub.

Images