Clothes dryer

Abstract

To secure air volume of the air exhausted from a circulation air passage while suppressing increase in size of an opening / closing mechanism.SOLUTION: An exhaust part is provided further on a based end part side than a center between a base end part which is an end part on the rotary shaft part side and a tip part which is an end part on the opposite side from the rotary shaft part, and is not provided on the tip part side, out of an opposing region which is a region in which an opening / closing member opposes to an outer surface of a circulation air passage, in the case where the opening / closing member is closed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present embodiment relates to a clothes dryer. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a clothes dryer that heats the air in a drying chamber by a heating device provided in a circulation air passage, and returns the warm air generated by the heating to the drying chamber and circulates it to dry the clothes in the drying chamber. In such a configuration, there is a configuration that aims to promote start-up of the heating device by providing an opening and closing mechanism that actively exhausts part of the air in the circulation air passage. The opening and closing mechanism is configured to have, for example, an exhaust part that communicates the inside and outside of the circulation air passage, a damper that can actively open and close the exhaust part, a motor that drives the damper, etc.

[0003] Here, in order to further improve the drying efficiency and further shorten the operation time, it is effective to increase the volume of hot air supplied to the drying chamber. However, when the volume of air is increased, the wind pressure applied to the damper increases, and there is a risk that the damper opens due to the wind pressure, creating a gap. Then, the hot air in the circulating air passage escapes unintentionally through the gap, and as a result, the temperature of the air in the circulating air passage drops, and the drying efficiency decreases. Therefore, in the past, in order to increase the volume of air, it was necessary to make the damper and the motor larger, and to hold the damper with a larger force against the increased wind pressure so that the damper does not open unintentionally. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, when an attempt is made to increase the volume of air, the damper and the motor become larger, which may lead to an increase in the size of the entire clothes dryer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-10959 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In view of the above, a clothes dryer is provided that can ensure the volume of air exhausted from the circulating air passage while preventing an increase in size of the opening / closing mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The clothes dryer of one embodiment comprises a drying chamber capable of storing clothes, a circulation air duct provided outside the drying chamber and configured to circulate air within the drying chamber, a heating device for heating the air within the circulation air duct, an exhaust section provided midway through the circulation air duct and capable of exhausting a portion of the air flowing within the circulation air duct to the outside of the circulation air duct, an opening / closing member capable of opening and closing the exhaust section by rotating, a pivot portion that serves as a fulcrum for the rotation of the opening / closing member, and an opening / closing mechanism having a pivot portion that serves as a fulcrum for the rotation of the opening / closing member, and a drive portion that rotates the opening / closing member around the pivot portion.

[0007] The exhaust section is provided on the base end side of the opposing area, which is the area where the opening / closing member faces the outer surface of the circulating air passage when the opening / closing member is closed, and is not provided on the tip end side of the center between the base end, which is the end on the rotating shaft side, and the tip end, which is the end opposite the rotating shaft.

[0008] Alternatively, the area of ​​the exhaust section becomes smaller from the base end, which is the end on the rotating shaft side, to the tip end, which is the end opposite the rotating shaft, in the opposing region, which is the region where the opening / closing member faces the outer surface of the circulating air passage when the opening / closing member is closed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration of a clothes dryer according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a circulating air passage and its surroundings in a clothes dryer according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration of an exhaust unit and its surroundings in a clothes dryer according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a configuration of an exhaust unit and its surroundings in a clothes dryer according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing an example of a configuration of an exhaust unit and its surroundings in a clothes dryer according to a second embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a first example of a configuration of the periphery of an exhaust unit of a clothes dryer according to a third embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a second example of the configuration of the exhaust unit and its surroundings in the clothes dryer according to the third embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a third example of the configuration of the exhaust unit and its surroundings in the clothes dryer according to the third embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a fourth example of the configuration of the exhaust unit and its surroundings in the clothes dryer according to the third embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a first example of a configuration around an exhaust unit of a clothes dryer according to a fourth embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a second example of the configuration of the exhaust unit and its surroundings in the clothes dryer according to the fourth embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, a clothes dryer according to a number of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, in the respective embodiments, substantially the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0011] (First embodiment) First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. A washer / dryer 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is an application example of the clothes dryer of this embodiment. The washer / dryer 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is a horizontal-axis or diagonal-axis drum-type washing machine with a washing function and a drying function. The clothes dryer of this embodiment can also be applied to a vertical-axis type so-called fully automatic washing machine with a washing function and a drying function. The clothes dryer of this embodiment can also be applied to a configuration that does not have a washing function, for example, a drying-only configuration.

[0012] 1 and 2, the washer-dryer 10 includes an outer box 11, a door 12, an outer tub 13, a rotating tub 14, a motor 15, a drainage mechanism 16, a blower 17, a circulating air passage 20, and a heater 30. In this embodiment, the door 12 side of the outer box 11, i.e., the left side of the paper in FIG. 1, is the front side of the washer-dryer 10. The outer box 11 is formed into a rectangular hollow box shape using, for example, a stainless steel plate, and constitutes the outer shell of the washer-dryer 10. The outer box 11 has a clothes entrance 111 at the front part, which communicates between the inside and outside of the outer box 11.

[0013] The door 12 is provided at the front of the outer box 11 and is configured to be able to open and close the clothing entrance 111. With the door 12 open, a user can put clothes into or take clothes out of the spin tub 14 through the clothing entrance 111.

[0014] The outer tub 13 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open front side. In this embodiment, the outer tub 13 can store water inside, and in this case, functions as a water tank. The outer tub 13 has a circulation outlet 131 and a circulation inlet 132. The circulation outlet 131 is provided, for example, in the upper front part of the peripheral wall constituting the cylindrical part of the outer tub 13, and is provided at a position separated in the left-right direction from the center of the outer tub 13 in the left-right direction, that is, the top of the cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the outer tub 13. The circulation inlet 132 is provided, for example, in a part of the bottom of the outer tub 13 slightly above the center in the up-down direction of the bottom. The circulation outlet 131 and the circulation inlet 132 communicate the inside and outside of the outer tub 13.

[0015] The spin tub 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that can accommodate clothes, and is rotatably accommodated inside the outer tub 13. The rotation axis of the spin tub 14 overlaps with the central axis of the outer tub 13. The spin tub 14 has a plurality of communication holes 141. The communication holes 141 communicate the inside and outside of the spin tub 14. The communication holes 141 are formed in the entire area of ​​the peripheral wall constituting the cylindrical part of the spin tub 14 and the bottom of the spin tub 14. The communication holes 141 mainly function as water holes through which water enters and exits during the washing operation and the spin-drying operation, and function as ventilation holes through which air enters and exits during the drying operation. The spin tub 14, together with the outer tub 13, constitute a drying chamber in which clothes are accommodated and dried during the drying operation.

[0016] The motor 15 is provided, for example, on the outside of the bottom of the outer tub 13. The tip side of the rotation shaft 151 of the motor 15 protrudes into the outer tub 13 and is connected to the rotation tank 14. For example, an outer rotor type direct drive motor can be used as the motor 15. The motor 15 rotates the rotation tank 14 relative to the outer tub 13. In this case, the rotation shaft 151 of the motor 15, the central axis of the outer tub 13, and the rotation axis of the rotation tank 14 are all aligned.

[0017] Drainage mechanism 16 has a function of discharging water stored inside outer tub 13 to the outside of washer-dryer 10. Drainage mechanism 16 includes a drainage valve 161 and a drainage pipe 162. Drainage valve 161 is an electromagnetically driven on-off valve for liquid. Drainage valve 161 opens and closes a drainage path that leads from inside outer tub 13 to the outside of the machine via drainage mechanism 16. Although not shown in detail, washer-dryer 10 also includes a water supply mechanism. The water supply mechanism (not shown) is connected to an external water supply source, such as a water supply, and has a function of supplying water supplied from the external water supply source to outer tub 13.

[0018] The circulation air duct 20 is provided outside the outer tub 13 and the rotating tub 14, which are drying chambers, and is configured to be able to circulate air within the outer tub 13 and the rotating tub 14. The circulation air duct 20 connects a circulation outlet 131 and a circulation inlet 132. The circulation air duct 20 has a function of taking in air within the outer tub 13 from the circulation outlet 131 into the circulation air duct 20, turning the taken-in air into hot air by the action of the heating device 30, and then supplying the hot air from the circulation inlet 132 into the outer tub 13.

[0019] The circulation air duct 20 can be configured to include, for example, an exhaust duct 21, a filter box 22, a connection duct 23, a heat exchanger 24, and an air supply duct 25. The exhaust duct 21, the filter box 22, the connection duct 23, the heat exchanger 24, and the air supply duct 25 are arranged in order along the flow of air flowing through the circulation air duct 20.

[0020] The exhaust duct 21 is a duct that connects the circulation outlet 131 of the outer tank 13 and the filter box 22. The exhaust duct 21 can be formed, for example, of a flexible hose. As shown in FIG. 3, the filter box 22 can be formed, for example, of a resin-made, rigid container-shaped member that is long in one direction, for example, in the front-rear direction. Inside the filter box 22, for example, two filter members 261 and 262 having different mesh sizes are detachably provided. The two filter members 261 and 262 collect lint and foreign matter contained in the air flowing through the circulation air passage 20. In this case, if the upstream side of the two filter members 261 and 262 is the first filter member 261 and the downstream side is the second filter member 262, the downstream second filter member 262 has a finer mesh than the upstream first filter member 261.

[0021] The filter box 22 has an opening at a part of its box-shaped upper surface so that, for example, two filter members 261, 262 can be inserted into and removed from the filter box 22. In this case, an attachment / detachment opening 112 is formed in the outer box 11. The attachment / detachment opening 112 is formed through the outer box 11 and communicates with the inside of the filter box 22. The two filter members 261, 262 are inserted into and removed from the filter box 22 through the attachment / detachment opening 112.

[0022] In this case, the washer / dryer 10 may further include a lid 18. A first filter member 261 is attached to the lid 18, and the lid 18 is configured to be detachable from the filter box 22 together with the first filter member 261. The lid 18 closes the attachment / detachment opening 112 when attached to the filter box 22, and is disposed on the same plane as the surrounding surface of the lid 18 on the upper surface of the outer box 11, thereby forming the upper surface of the outer box 11, i.e., the upper surface of the washer / dryer 10.

[0023] The connection duct 23 is a duct that connects the filter box 22 and the heat exchanger 24. The heat exchanger 24 is provided on the inside lower part of the outer box 11 and below the outer tub 13 and the rotating tub 14. The air taken into the circulation air duct 20 from the outer tub 13 is dehumidified and heated as it passes through the heat exchanger 24, becoming dry warm air. The supply air duct 25 is a duct that connects the heat exchanger 24 and the circulation inlet 132 of the outer tub 13.

[0024] The heating device 30 has a function of generating hot air by dehumidifying and heating the air in the circulating air passage 20. In the present embodiment, the heating device 30 can be configured as a heat pump unit equipped with a refrigeration cycle. In the present embodiment, the heating device 30 may be referred to as a heat pump unit 30. The heat pump unit 30 can generate hot air at about 60°C to 70°C, which is lower than that of the heater type.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2 etc., the heat pump unit 30 has an evaporator 31, a condenser 32, a compressor 33, an expansion valve 34, etc. The evaporator 31 and the condenser 32 are provided in the heat exchange section 24. The evaporator 31 is provided upstream of the condenser 32 with respect to the air flow in the heat exchange section 24 during drying operation. The evaporator 31 and the condenser 32, together with the compressor 33 provided outside the heat exchange section 24, constitute a heat pump mechanism, i.e., a refrigeration cycle. The air passing through the heat exchange section 24 is cooled by the evaporator 31 and thereby dehumidified. The air dehumidified by the evaporator 31 is then heated by the condenser 32 to become warm air.

[0026] The downstream side of the heat exchanger 24 is connected to the circulation inlet 132 of the outer tub 13 by the air supply duct 25. The blower 17 can be provided, for example, at the connection between the heat exchanger 24 and the air supply duct 25. In the present embodiment, the blower 17 is provided downstream of the condenser 32 and upstream of the circulation inlet 132. The blower 17 can be configured, for example, with a sirocco fan. The blower 17 sucks in air in the heat exchanger 24 and discharges it to the air supply duct 25. As a result, the warm air dehumidified and heated in the heat exchanger 24 is supplied from the circulation inlet 132 to the outer tub 13 and further to the rotating tub 14 by the blowing action of the blower 17.

[0027] The blower 17 can be configured to be capable of blowing air at a volume of 5 m^3 or more per minute. In this case, the washer-dryer 10 can perform a drying operation having a period during which the washer-dryer 10 blows air at a volume of 5 m^3 or more per minute, for example, at least after the start-up of the heat pump unit 30 has finished.

[0028] 2 to 4, the washer / dryer 10 further includes an exhaust section 41 and an opening / closing mechanism 50. The exhaust section 41 is provided in the middle of the circulation air duct 20, and has a function of exhausting a part of the air flowing in the circulation air duct 20 to the outside of the circulation air duct 20. In each drawing, an example of the flow of air circulating in the circulation air duct 20 is indicated by an outline arrow, and an example of the flow of air discharged from the exhaust section 41 to the outside of the circulation air duct 20 is indicated by a solid arrow.

[0029] An opening 113 is provided in the outer box 11. The opening 113 is formed by penetrating a portion of the outer box 11 corresponding to the exhaust section 41, for example, a portion of the outer box 11 closest to the exhaust section 41, and connects the inside and outside of the outer box 11. The air exhausted from the exhaust section 41 to the outside of the circulating air passage 20 is exhausted from the opening 113 to the outside of the machine, i.e., to the outside of the outer box 11.

[0030] The exhaust part 41 can be provided, for example, in the filter box 22. The exhaust part 41 is formed, for example, penetrating a flat surface portion of the upper surface of the filter box 22, and communicates between the inside and the outside of the filter box 22. In other words, the surface surrounding the exhaust part 41 is formed into a flat surface.

[0031] The opening / closing mechanism 50 has a function of actively opening and closing the exhaust section 41. The opening / closing mechanism 50 can be provided in, for example, the filter box 22. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the opening / closing mechanism 50 can be configured to have an opening / closing member 51, a rotating shaft section 52, and a drive section 53. The opening / closing member 51 can be configured, for example, as a rectangular flat plate-like member made of a resin having rigidity. The opening / closing member 51 can cover the entire exhaust section 41 by rotating toward the exhaust section 41 side, thereby closing the entire exhaust section 41. In addition, the opening / closing member 51 can open the entire exhaust section 41 by rotating in a direction away from the exhaust section 41.

[0032] The opening / closing member 51 can be provided on, for example, the outer surface of the filter box 22, and configured to open outward. In this case, the opening / closing member 51 opens the exhaust section 41 by rotating in a direction away from the filter box 22. The opening / closing member 51 also closes the exhaust section 41 by rotating in a direction toward the filter box 22 and contacting the outer surface of the filter box 22. Although not shown in detail, the opening / closing member 51 may be configured to have a flexible rubber material, cushioning material, or the like, in a portion that comes into contact with the filter box 22 when the exhaust section 41 is closed. This can improve the adhesion between the opening / closing member 51 and the filter box 22 when it is closed.

[0033] The pivot shaft 52 is a part that serves as a pivot for the opening / closing member 51, and is provided, for example, at one end of the opening / closing member 51, i.e., along one side of the rectangular opening / closing member 51. In the following description, the end of the opening / closing member 51 on the pivot shaft 52 side, i.e., the end on the side where the pivot shaft 52 is provided, may be referred to as a base end P1, and the end on the opposite side to the pivot shaft 52, i.e., the end on the side where the pivot shaft 52 is not provided, may be referred to as a tip end P2. In addition, the axial direction of the pivot shaft 52 in the opening / closing member 51 may be referred to as the width direction of the opening / closing member 51, and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the pivot shaft 52 in the opening / closing member 51 may be referred to as the length direction of the opening / closing member 51.

[0034] The rotating shaft portion 52 can be configured integrally with the opening / closing member 51, or can be configured separately. When the rotating shaft portion 52 and the opening / closing member 51 are configured integrally, the rotating shaft portion 52 can be configured, for example, as portions protruding outward from both ends of the opening / closing member 51. When the rotating shaft portion 52 and the opening / closing member 51 are configured as separate members, the rotating shaft portion 52 can be configured, for example, as a cylindrical member. Both ends of the rotating shaft portion 52 are attached, for example, to the filter box 22. In this way, the rotating shaft portion 52 connects the opening / closing member 51 to the filter box 22 in a rotatable manner.

[0035] 4, the rotating shaft portion 52 can be arranged so as to extend, for example, in a direction in which air flows in the circulating air passage 20, in this case, in a direction in which air flows in the filter box 22. That is, in this case, the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion 52 extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which air flows in the filter box 22. Also, the rotating shaft portion 52 can be arranged on the upstream side of the end portion of the opening / closing member 51 opposite to the rotating shaft portion 52. That is, in this embodiment, the base end portion P1 of the opening / closing member 51 is arranged on the upstream side of the tip portion P2 of the opening / closing member 51.

[0036] The driving unit 53 has a function of rotating the opening / closing member 51 around the rotating shaft 52 as a fulcrum. The driving unit 53 is an electrically driven actuator, and can be configured, for example, with a motor or a solenoid. The driving unit 53 is connected, for example, to one end of the rotating shaft 52, and rotates the opening / closing member 51 via the rotating shaft 52. The driving unit 53 is driven under the control of, for example, a control device (not shown) provided in the washer / dryer 10.

[0037] Next, the specific shape of the exhaust section 41 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the exhaust section 41 is shown with oblique lines to easily distinguish the exhaust section 41 from the other areas. The area where the open / close member 51 faces the outer surface of the circulating air passage 20 when the open / close member 51 is closed, that is, the area covered by the open / close member 51, is called the facing area A. The facing area A is, for example, the inner area shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4. The lengthwise dimension of the open / close member 51, that is, the dimension from the base end P1 to the tip end P2 in the facing area A, is defined as L. The lengthwise and widthwise directions of the facing area A are the same as the lengthwise and widthwise directions of the open / close member 51 when it is closed.

[0038] In the present embodiment, the exhaust section 41 is provided in a region on the base end P1 side of the center O between the base end P1 and the tip end P2. That is, the exhaust section 41 is provided in a region of L / 2 from the base end P1 side toward the tip end P2 side in the facing region A. In other words, the exhaust section 41 is provided on the base end P1 side of the center O in the length direction of the facing region A, and is not provided on the tip end P2 side.

[0039] The exhaust section 41 can be configured with a plurality of rectangular or elliptical holes 411, i.e., slits 411, extending along the air flow direction, i.e., along the length direction of the facing area A. In this case, the length dimension of each hole 411 is set to L / 2 or less. In addition, in the width direction of the facing area A, each hole 411 is provided up to the vicinity of the end of the facing area A in the width direction. Note that in this specification, the vicinity of the end of the width direction of the facing area A means that the distance between the hole 411 on both ends of the width direction of each hole 411 and the end of the width direction of the facing area A is smaller than the dimension of each hole 411 in the width direction.

[0040] According to the embodiment described above, the washer / dryer 10 includes the outer tub 13, the rotatable tub 14, the circulation air duct 20, the heating device 30, the exhaust section 41, and the opening / closing mechanism 50. The outer tub 13 and the rotatable tub 14 form a drying chamber capable of accommodating clothes. The circulation air duct 20 is provided outside the outer tub 13 and the rotatable tub 14 which form the drying chamber, and is configured to be able to circulate air within the outer tub 13 and the rotatable tub 14. The heating device 30 has a function of heating the air within the circulation air duct 20.

[0041] The opening / closing mechanism 50 has an opening / closing member 51, a rotating shaft 52, and a drive unit 53. The opening / closing member 51 is configured to be able to open and close the exhaust unit 41 by rotating. The rotating shaft 52 functions as a fulcrum for the rotation of the opening / closing member 51. The drive unit 53 has a function of rotating the opening / closing member 51 around the rotating shaft 52 as a fulcrum.

[0042] The exhaust section 41 is provided on the base end P1 side of the center O between the base end P1, which is the end on the rotating shaft portion 52 side, and the tip end P2, which is the end on the opposite side of the rotating shaft portion 52, in the opposing region A, and is not provided on the tip end P2 side.

[0043] According to this, the exhaust section 41, from which part of the air in the circulation air passage 20 is exhausted, is not provided on the tip end P2 side in the facing region A, but is provided concentrated on the base end P1 side, i.e., the rotating shaft section 52 side, so that it is possible to suppress the wind pressure from acting on the tip end P2 side of the opening / closing member 51. This makes it unnecessary to make the opening / closing member 51 heavier or increase the output of the drive section 53 in order to counter the wind pressure of the air exhausted from the exhaust section 41, i.e., to prevent the opening / closing member 51 from floating up. As a result, it is possible to ensure the volume of air exhausted from the circulation air passage 20 while suppressing the increase in size of the opening / closing mechanism 50.

[0044] Furthermore, by configuring exhaust section 41 with a plurality of small holes 411, even if a small item such as a hairpin placed on the top surface of washer-dryer 10 accidentally falls into outer box 11 through opening 113, the small item can be prevented from entering circulating air duct 20 through exhaust section 41.

[0045] The configuration of the exhaust section 41 and the opening / closing mechanism 50 described in this embodiment is more suitable for a clothes dryer that employs a heat pump system as a system for generating hot air. That is, the system for generating hot air for drying in a clothes dryer includes a heat pump system using a heat pump unit and a heater system using a heater. The heat pump system clothes dryer 10 of this embodiment circulates the air in the outer tub 13 and the rotating tub 14 through an evaporator 31 and a condenser 32 provided in the circulation air passage 20, thereby dehumidifying and heating the air in the outer tub 13 and the rotating tub 14 to generate hot air. The generated hot air warms the clothes in the outer tub 13 and the rotating tub 14 and removes moisture from the clothes, thereby drying the clothes.

[0046] This type of heat pump system has a slower start-up time and a more gradual rise in air temperature than the heater system. Therefore, by providing an exhaust section 42 capable of exhausting part of the air in the circulating air passage 20 and an opening / closing mechanism 50 capable of actively opening and closing the exhaust section 42, the start-up of the heat pump unit 30 can be promoted more effectively.

[0047] That is, in the clothes dryer 10 of this embodiment, at the beginning of the drying operation, i.e., when the heat pump unit 30 is starting up, the exhaust section 42 is opened to discharge part of the air in the circulation air duct 20 to the outside. As a result, at the beginning of the drying operation, the air that has removed a lot of moisture from the clothes is discharged to the outside from the exhaust section 42, accelerating the start-up of the heat pump unit 30. Then, from the middle of the drying operation, i.e., after the heat pump unit 30 has started up, the exhaust section 42 is closed to circulate almost all of the air in the outer tub 13 and the rotating tub 14. As a result, from the middle of the drying operation onwards, the air that has become high temperature and circulates through the circulation air duct 20 is heated by the condenser 32 without being discharged to the outside, so that the temperature of the air is maintained and the temperature rise is accelerated.

[0048] Here, the hot air generated by the heat pump system is about 60°C to 70°C, not over 100°C as seen in the heater system, so the hot air generated by the heat pump unit 30 takes in less moisture per unit volume than the hot air generated by the heater. Therefore, in the heat pump type clothes dryer 10 of this embodiment, in order to further increase the drying efficiency and further shorten the operation time, it is effective to increase the air volume.

[0049] However, when the air volume is increased, the wind pressure applied to the opening / closing member 51 increases. In this case, if the exhaust section 42 has a conventional configuration, the opening / closing member 51 may be lifted open by the wind pressure, causing a gap. Then, the warm air in the circulation air passage 20 may unintentionally escape from the gap, and as a result, the temperature of the air in the circulation air passage 20 may drop, causing a decrease in drying efficiency. In this case, in order to suppress the opening / closing member 51 from lifting due to the increased wind pressure, it is common to increase the size of the opening / closing member 51 and the drive section 53, etc., and hold the opening / closing member 51 with a greater force against the increased wind pressure. However, in this case, the opening / closing mechanism 50 may become larger, which may lead to an increase in the size of the entire clothes dryer 10, etc.

[0050] In contrast, according to this embodiment, as described above, by devising the shape of exhaust section 42, it is possible to counter the wind pressure of the air exhausted from exhaust section 41, that is, to prevent opening / closing member 51 from floating up, without making opening / closing member 51 heavier or increasing the output of drive section 53. For these reasons, the configuration of exhaust section 41 and opening / closing mechanism 50 described in this embodiment is more suitable for a clothes dryer that employs a heat pump system for generating hot air.

[0051] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In this embodiment, the washer / dryer 10 has an exhaust section 42 instead of the exhaust section 41 of the first embodiment, and other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. Also, in Fig. 5, the area of ​​the exhaust section 42 is shown with diagonal lines so that the area of ​​the exhaust section 42 can be easily distinguished from the area other than the exhaust section 42.

[0052] The exhaust section 42 of this embodiment is provided within a range of L / 3 from the base end P1 side toward the tip end P2 side of the facing region A. In this case, the exhaust section 42 can be configured to have a plurality of rectangular or elliptical holes 421, i.e., slits 421, extending along the length direction of the facing region A, similar to the exhaust section 41. The length dimension of each hole 421 is set to L / 3 or less. Also, when viewed in the width direction of the facing region A, each hole 421 is provided up to the vicinity of the end in the width direction of the facing region A, similar to the holes 421 of the first embodiment.

[0053] This also provides the same effects as those of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the exhaust section 42 of this embodiment is provided within a range of L / 3 from the base end P1 side toward the tip end P2 side of the facing region A. In other words, the exhaust section 42 is not provided within a range of 2L / 3 from the tip end P2 side toward the base end P1 side of the facing region A. This reliably prevents the wind pressure of the air exhausted from the exhaust section 42 from acting on the tip end P2 side of the opening / closing member 51, thereby more reliably preventing the opening / closing member 51 from floating up. As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent the opening / closing mechanism 50 from becoming larger while ensuring the volume of air exhausted from the circulation air passage 20.

[0054] Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6 to Fig. 9. In this embodiment, the washer / dryer 10 has, for example, one of exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, 46 instead of the exhaust sections 41, 42 of the above-mentioned embodiments, and the other configurations are common to the above-mentioned embodiments. Note that in Fig. 6 to Fig. 9, the areas of the exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, 46 are shown with diagonal lines to easily distinguish the areas of the exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, 46 from the areas other than the exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, 46.

[0055] Unlike the first and second embodiments, the exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, and 46 of this embodiment are provided over substantially the entire opposing region A. In this case, the exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, and 46 are set so that their areas become smaller stepwise or continuously from the base end P1 toward the tip end P2 side in the opposing region A. For example, the total area of ​​the exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, and 46 provided on the tip end P2 side with respect to the center O is set smaller than the total area of ​​the exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, and 46 provided on the base end P1 side.

[0056] In the example shown in FIG. 6, the exhaust section 43 is configured with holes 431 and 432 in a so-called comb-tooth shape. In this case, the exhaust section 43 has, for example, one root section 431 and a plurality of teeth sections 432. The root section 431 is provided on the base end section P1 side with respect to the teeth section 432, and can be formed, for example, in a rectangular shape or an elongated hole shape that is long in the width direction of the facing region A. The teeth section 432 is provided on the tip end section P2 side with respect to the root section 431, and can be formed, for example, in a rectangular shape or an elongated hole shape that is long in the length direction of the facing region A. The teeth sections 432 are arranged at a predetermined interval along the width direction of the facing region A, in this case, the longitudinal direction of the root section 431. The root section 431 and the teeth section 432 are mutually communicated.

[0057] The example shown in Fig. 7 is a configuration in which the width dimension of the tooth portions 432 of the exhaust portion 43 in Fig. 6 is increased, the number of the tooth portions 432 is reduced, and each tooth portion 432 is trapezoidal. That is, in the example shown in Fig. 7, the exhaust portion 44 is configured with trapezoidal holes 441. The exhaust portion 44 has a plurality of trapezoidal tooth portions 441. Each trapezoidal tooth portion 441 is formed in a shape that narrows from the base end portion P1 side of the facing region A toward the tip end portion P2 side. Each trapezoidal tooth portion 441 is arranged at a predetermined interval along the width direction of the facing region A, and communicates with each other on the lower bottom side of the trapezoidal tooth portion 441, i.e., the base end portion P1 side.

[0058] 8 is an example in which the exhaust section 45 is configured with a plurality of circular holes 451. The diameter of each hole 451 can be set to an equal value. In this case, the arrangement density of the holes 451 varies depending on the location in the facing region A. That is, in the facing region A, the plurality of holes 451 are densely arranged on the base end P1 side from the center O, and the plurality of holes 451 are sparsely arranged on the tip end P2 side from the center O. That is, the number of holes 451 provided on the tip end P2 side from the center O in the facing region A is smaller than the number of holes 451 provided on the base end P1 side.

[0059] 9 is an example in which the exhaust section 46 is configured with a plurality of holes 461, 462 of different diameters. In this case, the exhaust section 46 is configured to include two holes 461, 462 of different inner diameters. Of the two holes 461, 462, the hole with the larger inner diameter is referred to as the large diameter hole 461, and the hole with the smaller inner diameter is referred to as the small diameter hole 462. In the facing region A, a plurality of large diameter holes 461 are provided on the base end portion P1 side of the center O, and a plurality of small diameter holes 462 are provided on the tip end portion P2 side.

[0060] These configurations also provide the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments. That is, the exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, and 46 of the present embodiment are set so that the area of ​​the opposing region A decreases from the base end P1 toward the tip end P2. This makes it possible to prevent the wind pressure of the air exhausted from the exhaust section 42 from acting on the tip end P2 side of the opening / closing member 51, and therefore to prevent the opening / closing member 51 from floating up. As a result, it is possible to ensure the volume of air exhausted from the circulation air passage 20 while preventing the opening / closing mechanism 50 from becoming large.

[0061] In this embodiment, the exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, and 46 are also provided on the tip end P2 side of the center O of the facing area A, or in a region of 2L / 3 from the tip end P2 side toward the base end P1 side. This makes it possible to minimize the effect of wind pressure on the tip end P2 side of the opening / closing member 51 while ensuring the largest possible area for the exhaust sections 43, 44, 45, and 46.

[0062] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. In this embodiment, the washer / dryer 10 has, for example, an exhaust section 47 shown in Fig. 10 or an exhaust section 48 shown in Fig. 11 instead of the exhaust sections 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46 of the above embodiments, and the other configurations are common to the above embodiments.

[0063] Here, the drive unit 53 in each embodiment is provided on one end side of the rotating shaft unit 52. And the exhaust units 47, 48 in this embodiment are not provided within a predetermined range W from the end of the opposing area A on the opposite side to the drive unit 53 side in the axial direction of the rotating shaft unit 52. The exhaust units 47, 48 can be configured to have a plurality of rectangular or elliptical holes 471, 481, i.e., slits 471, 481, extending along the air flow direction, i.e., along the length direction of the opposing area A, similar to the hole 411 in the first embodiment or the hole 421 in the second embodiment. In this case, the predetermined range W is set to a dimension that allows two or more slits 471, 481 to be arranged.

[0064] 10 is an example in which the shape of holes 471 is the same as that of holes 411 in the first embodiment. That is, the length dimension of each hole 471 constituting exhaust section 47 is set to L / 2 or less, similar to holes 411 in the first embodiment. In this case, each hole 471 is provided on the base end portion P1 side of the center O in facing region A, similar to the first embodiment, and is not provided on the tip end portion P2 side of the center O.

[0065] 11 is an example in which the shape of the hole 481 is the same as that of the hole 421 in the second embodiment. That is, the length dimension of each hole 481 constituting the exhaust section 48 is set to L / 3 or less, similar to the hole 421 in the second embodiment. In this case, each hole 481 is provided within the range of L / 3 from the base end P1 side toward the tip end P2 side in the facing region A, similar to the second embodiment, and is not provided within the range of 2L / 3 from the tip end P2 side toward the base end P1 side.

[0066] With these configurations, the same effects as those of the above embodiments can be obtained. When the opening / closing member 51 is about to rise due to the wind pressure of the air discharged from the circulating air passage 20, different forces act on the drive unit 53 side of the rotating shaft 52 and the opposite side of the rotating shaft 52 from the drive unit 53. That is, the force restricting the rotation of the rotating shaft 52 and the opening / closing member 51 is large because, for example, the holding force and static torque of the drive unit 53 act on the driving shaft 52 side of the rotating shaft 52. On the other hand, the force restricting the rotation of the rotating shaft 52 and the opening / closing member 51 is small because the holding force and static torque of the drive unit 53 do not act on the opposite side of the rotating shaft 52 from the drive unit 53 or only act on it. Then, a torsional force acts on the opening / closing member 51 on the opposite side to the drive unit 53 side. If the torsional force acts repeatedly on the opening / closing member 51 and the rotating shaft 52, the opening / closing member 51 and the rotating shaft 52 may be deformed.

[0067] In contrast, the exhaust sections 47, 48 in this embodiment are not provided within a predetermined range W from the end of the opposing region A on the drive section 53 side in the axial direction of the rotating shaft section 52. This makes it possible to suppress the force acting on the opening / closing member 51 and the rotating shaft section 52 opposite the drive section 53 to cause them to lift up due to wind pressure. This makes it possible to suppress the force acting in the torsional direction on the opening / closing member 51 and the rotating shaft section 52, and as a result, makes it possible to suppress the opening / closing member 51 and the rotating shaft section 52 from being deformed.

[0068] The embodiments may be applied in combination with one another. The size and specific shape of exhaust parts 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 in each embodiment can be appropriately set depending on the amount of air flowing through circulating air passage 20, the amount of exhaust air from circulating air passage 20, and the like. In addition, in each of the above embodiments, a heat pump unit has been described as an example of one aspect of the heating device 30 for heating the air in the circulating air passage 20 to generate warm air, but the heating device 30 may be, for example, a heater type.

[0069] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10... washer / dryer, clothes dryer, 13... outer tub, drying chamber, 14... rotating tub, drying chamber, 17... blower, 20... circulation air duct, 30... heat pump unit, 31... evaporator, 32... condenser, 33... compressor, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48... exhaust section, 50... opening / closing mechanism, 51... opening / closing member, 52... rotating shaft section, 53... drive section

Claims

1. A drying room capable of storing clothes; a circulation air duct provided outside the drying chamber and configured to circulate air within the drying chamber; A heating device that heats the air in the circulating air duct; an exhaust section provided in the middle of the circulation air duct and capable of exhausting a portion of the air flowing through the circulation air duct to the outside of the circulation air duct; an opening / closing mechanism including an opening / closing member capable of opening and closing the exhaust unit by rotation, a rotation shaft portion serving as a fulcrum for the rotation of the opening / closing member, and a drive portion for rotating the opening / closing member about the rotation shaft portion; the exhaust section is provided on the base end side of the center between a base end which is an end portion on the side of the rotating shaft section and a tip end which is an end portion on the opposite side of the rotating shaft section in an opposing region which is an area where the opening / closing member faces an outer surface of the circulating air passage when the opening / closing member is closed, and is not provided on the tip end side; The drive unit is provided on one end side of the rotation shaft unit, the exhaust section is not provided within a predetermined range from an end of the opposing region opposite to the drive section in the axial direction of the rotation shaft section. Clothes dryer.

2. A drying room capable of storing clothes; a circulation air duct provided outside the drying chamber and configured to circulate air within the drying chamber; A heating device that heats the air in the circulating air duct; an exhaust section provided in the middle of the circulation air duct and capable of exhausting a portion of the air flowing through the circulation air duct to the outside of the circulation air duct; an opening / closing mechanism including an opening / closing member capable of opening and closing the exhaust unit by rotation, a rotation shaft portion serving as a fulcrum for the rotation of the opening / closing member, and a drive portion for rotating the opening / closing member about the rotation shaft portion; the exhaust section is provided on the base end side of the center between a base end which is an end portion on the side of the rotating shaft section and a tip end which is an end portion on the opposite side of the rotating shaft section in an opposing region which is an area where the opening / closing member faces an outer surface of the circulating air passage when the opening / closing member is closed, and is not provided on the tip end side; A plurality of holes constituting the exhaust portion are provided in the opposing region such that a distance between the holes located on both ends and an end of the opposing region in a direction along the rotation shaft portion is smaller than a dimension of each of the holes in the direction. Clothes dryer.

3. The exhaust portion is provided within a range of ⅓ of the facing region from the base end side toward the tip end side. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A drying room capable of storing clothes; a circulation air duct provided outside the drying chamber and configured to circulate air within the drying chamber; A heating device that heats the air in the circulating air duct; an exhaust section provided in the middle of the circulation air duct and capable of exhausting a portion of the air flowing through the circulation air duct to the outside of the circulation air duct; an opening / closing mechanism including an opening / closing member capable of opening and closing the exhaust unit by rotation, a rotation shaft portion serving as a fulcrum for the rotation of the opening / closing member, and a drive portion for rotating the opening / closing member about the rotation shaft portion; The exhaust section has an area that becomes smaller from a base end, which is an end on the rotating shaft side, to a tip end, which is an end on the opposite side to the rotating shaft, in a facing area, which is an area where the opening / closing member faces the outer surface of the circulating air passage when the opening / closing member is closed. Clothes dryer.

5. The air conditioner further includes a blower configured to blow air at a volume of 5 m^3 or more per minute and blow air through the circulating air duct. The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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