Clothes dryer

Abstract

To provide a constitution in which improvement of drying efficiency of clothes can be achieved even in a period when a damper is closed and an exhaust port is being switched to a closed state, regarding a clothes dryer which includes an exhaust port for exhausting part of the air flowing in a circulation air passage and the damper for opening / closing the exhaust port.SOLUTION: In a clothes dryer, in a control part for controlling a drying step for drying clothes in a drying chamber, a temperature increase period for executing control for increasing the temperature of the air flowing in a circulation air passage in the drying step, and a temperature maintaining period for executing control for maintaining the temperature of the air flowing in the circulation air passage after the temperature increase period in the drying step are provided. In the temperature increase period, a damper is closed and an exhaust port is switched to a closed state, and in the temperature maintaining period, the damper is opened and the exhaust port is switched to an open state. The rotational speed of a circulation blower in the temperature increase period is set to be lower than the rotational speed of the circulation blower in the temperature maintaining period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a clothes dryer. [Background technology]

[0002] In a drum-type washer-dryer, which is an example of a clothes dryer that dries clothes, a configuration is considered in which an exhaust port and a damper that opens and closes the exhaust port are provided in the middle of the circulation air duct, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. With a washer-dryer configured in this way, a part of the moist air flowing in the circulation air duct is discharged from the exhaust port to the outside of the circulation air duct, and accordingly, dry air outside the circulation air duct can be introduced into the circulation air duct. This allows the drying process to proceed while replacing the moist air flowing in the circulation air duct with the dry air outside the circulation air duct, thereby improving the efficiency of drying clothes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-168275 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the conventional configuration, while the damper is open and the exhaust port is switched to the open state, the efficiency of drying the clothes can be improved as described above. However, while the damper is closed and the exhaust port is switched to the closed state, the drying process cannot proceed while exchanging air between the inside and outside of the circulating air passage, and the efficiency of drying the clothes cannot be improved.

[0005] Therefore, this embodiment provides a configuration for a clothes dryer that has an exhaust port that discharges a portion of the air flowing through a circulating air duct and a damper that opens and closes this exhaust port, which enables the efficiency of drying clothes to be improved even during the period when the damper is closed and the exhaust port is switched to a blocked state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The clothes dryer of this embodiment includes a drying chamber in which clothes are stored, a circulation air duct that circulates air within the drying chamber, a circulation fan that circulates the air within the drying chamber through the circulation air duct, a heater that heats the air flowing within the circulation air duct, an exhaust port that discharges a portion of the air flowing within the circulation air duct, a damper that opens and closes the exhaust port, and a control unit that controls a drying process to dry clothes within the drying chamber, and the control unit provides a temperature rise period in the drying process in which control is performed to increase the temperature of the air flowing within the circulation air duct, and a temperature maintenance period after the temperature rise period in the drying process in which control is performed to maintain the temperature of the air flowing within the circulation air duct, and during the temperature rise period, the control unit closes the damper to switch the exhaust port to a closed state, and during the temperature maintenance period, the control unit opens the damper to switch the exhaust port to an open state, and sets the rotation speed of the circulation fan during the temperature rise period to be lower than the rotation speed of the circulation fan during the temperature maintenance period. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view showing a schematic configuration example of a washing / drying machine according to the present embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a circulating air passage according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control system of a washing and drying machine according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of control performed by a washing and drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] An embodiment of a clothes dryer will be described below with reference to the drawings. The washer-dryer 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is an example of a clothes processing device capable of performing a predetermined process on clothes, in this case at least a washing process for washing clothes, a rinsing process for rinsing clothes, and a dehydration process for dehydrating clothes. The washer-dryer 1 is a so-called drum-type washer-dryer in which the rotation center axis of the rotating tub extends horizontally or in a direction inclined relative to the horizontal. The washer-dryer 1 is also an example of a clothes dryer capable of performing a drying process for drying clothes.

[0009] The washer / dryer 1 includes a clothes treatment tub 3 inside a rectangular box-shaped outer casing 2 that forms the outer shell of the washer / dryer. The clothes treatment tub 3 is configured to be capable of accommodating clothes (not shown) that are to be subjected to various processes, such as washing, rinsing, and spin-drying. In the present disclosure, the clothes treatment tub 3 includes a cylindrical water tub with a bottom and a rotatable cylindrical drum with a bottom. The peripheral wall of the drum is provided with a large number of small holes (not shown), and the inner peripheral surface of the drum is provided with a plurality of baffles (not shown) for stirring up the clothes.

[0010] The front opening 3c of the clothing treatment tub 3 can be opened and closed by a door 4 provided on the front of the outer box 2. By opening the door 4, a user can put clothing into and take clothing out of the clothing treatment tub 3 through the front opening 3c of the clothing treatment tub 3. The clothing treatment tub 3 also functions as a drying chamber in which clothing is stored during the drying process in which the clothing is dried.

[0011] The washer / dryer 1 also includes a water supply unit 5 for supplying water into the clothes treatment tub 3, and a drainage unit 6 for draining the water in the clothes treatment tub 3 to the outside of the machine. The water supply unit 5 includes a well-known water supply valve 8 and a water injection case 9 in a water supply path 7 extending from a water source (not shown), such as a water main, to the clothes treatment tub 3. The drainage unit 6 also includes a well-known drainage valve 11 in a drainage path 10 extending from the bottom of the clothes treatment tub 3 to the outside of the machine. When the drainage valve 11 is closed, water is supplied from the water supply unit 5 to the clothes treatment tub 3, so that a predetermined amount of water is stored in the clothes treatment tub 3. When the drainage valve 11 is opened, the water in the clothes treatment tub 3 is drained to the outside of the machine via the drainage path 10.

[0012] A well-known drain filter unit 12 is provided in the drain path 10, upstream of the drain valve 11. The drain filter unit 12 captures foreign matter such as lint and dust contained in the water discharged from the clothes treatment tub 3 through the drain path 10 by the drain unit 6 to the outside of the machine.

[0013] The washer / dryer 1 also includes a circulation air duct 13. The circulation air duct 13 connects the air outlet 3a and air inlet 3b of the clothing treating tub 3 outside the clothing treating tub 3. In this case, the air outlet 3a is provided at the front of the top surface of the clothing treating tub 3. The air inlet 3b is provided at the top of the back surface of the clothing treating tub 3. The positions of the air outlet 3a and the air inlet 3b in the clothing treating tub 3 can be changed as appropriate.

[0014] A heat exchange duct 14 is provided in the middle of the circulation air duct 13. In this case, the heat exchange duct 14 is provided in the rear part of the lower part inside the outer casing 2 so as to extend along the left-right direction of the outer casing 2. A well-known drying filter 15 is provided in the middle of the circulation air duct 13, upstream of the heat exchange duct 14. The drying filter 15 captures foreign matter such as lint and dust contained in the air flowing through the circulation air duct 13.

[0015] 2, the washer / dryer 1 includes a heat pump mechanism 16. The heat pump mechanism 16 configures a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor 17, a condenser 18, a throttle 19, and an evaporator 20 are connected in a cycle by a refrigerant pipe 21. Of these, the condenser 18 and the evaporator 20, which configure a heat exchanger, are disposed inside a heat exchange duct 14 which configures a part of the circulation air passage 13.

[0016] The circulation air passage 13 is also provided with a circulation blower 22. The circulation blower 22 is an example of a circulation section, and circulates the air in the clothing treatment tub 3 through the circulation air passage 13. When the circulation blower 22 is driven, the air in the clothing treatment tub 3 is introduced into the circulation air passage 13 from the air outlet 3a, flows from the upwind side, which is the air outlet 3a side, to the downwind side, which is the air inlet 3b side, and is returned to the clothing treatment tub 3 from the air inlet 3b, as shown by the arrow W in Fig. 2. That is, when the circulation blower 22 is driven, the air in the clothing treatment tub 3 is circulated through the circulation air passage 13.

[0017] The evaporator 20 is disposed in the heat exchange duct 14 on the air outlet 3a side of the clothing treatment tub 3, i.e., on the upwind side of the circulation air duct 13. On the other hand, the condenser 18 is disposed in the heat exchange duct 14 on the air inlet 3b side of the clothing treatment tub 3, i.e., on the downwind side of the circulation air duct 13. That is, in the circulation air duct 13, more specifically in the heat exchange duct 14, the evaporator 20 is disposed on the upwind side of the condenser 18. In other words, in the circulation air duct 13, more specifically in the heat exchange duct 14, the condenser 18 is disposed on the downwind side of the evaporator 20.

[0018] The evaporator 20 is an example of a dehumidifier, and functions as a dehumidifying means for cooling and dehumidifying the air flowing in the circulating air passage 13 from the air outlet 3a side to the air inlet 3b side, that is, from the windward side to the downwind side. On the other hand, the condenser 18 is an example of a heater, and functions as a heating means for heating the air flowing in the circulating air passage 13 from the air outlet 3a side to the air inlet 3b side, that is, from the windward side to the downwind side.

[0019] By providing the evaporator 20 and the condenser 18 in the air circulation duct 13, the air flowing from the windward side to the leeward side in the air circulation duct 13 is dehumidified by the evaporator 20 and heated by the condenser 18, and returned to the clothing treatment tub 3 as hot air at a predetermined temperature. This allows the clothing contained in the clothing treatment tub 3 to be dried by the hot air.

[0020] The washer / dryer 1 also includes an air outlet 31 and an air inlet 32 ​​in the circulation air duct 13. The air outlet 31 is an example of an exhaust port, and in this case, is provided in a portion of the circulation air duct 13 that is on the downwind side of the drying filter 15. The air outlet 31 is provided at a position on the upwind side of the evaporator 20. The air outlet 31 may also include a filter that captures foreign matter contained in the air discharged through the air outlet 31.

[0021] On the other hand, the air inlet 32 ​​is provided in a portion between the evaporator 20 and the condenser 18 on the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14 that constitutes a part of the circulating air passage 13. In other words, the air inlet 32 ​​is provided at a position on the downwind side of the evaporator 20 and on the upwind side of the condenser 18.

[0022] Moreover, the air outlet 31 is provided with a damper 33 that opens and closes the air outlet 31. On the other hand, the air inlet 32 ​​is not provided with a damper that opens and closes the air inlet 32. The air inlet 32 ​​may be configured to include a damper that opens and closes the air inlet 32. The air inlet 32 ​​may be configured to include a filter that captures foreign matter contained in the air introduced through the air inlet 32.

[0023] In the washer / dryer 1 configured as described above, when the damper 33 is opened to switch the air outlet 31 to an open state during the drying process in which the air in the clothing treatment tub 3 is circulated through the circulation air duct 13, a portion of the air flowing through the circulation air duct 13, in this case, a portion of the moist air before being dehumidified by the evaporator 20, is discharged from the air outlet 31 to the outside of the circulation air duct 13, as shown by the dashed arrow C1 in Fig. 2. As the air is discharged from the air outlet 31, the amount of air and the air pressure in the circulation air duct 13 decrease. Therefore, as shown by the dashed arrow C2 in Fig. 2, the dry air outside the circulation air duct 13 is introduced into the circulation air duct 13, in this case, into the heat exchange duct 14 constituting a part of the circulation air duct 13, through the air inlet 32.

[0024] In the washer / dryer 1 configured as described above, by opening the damper 33 and switching the air outlet port 31 to an open state, the drying process can be carried out while replacing the moist air flowing in the circulating air duct 13 with the dry air outside the circulating air duct 13. This can improve the efficiency of drying the clothes in the clothes treating tub 3.

[0025] In addition, in the washer / dryer 1, when the damper 33 is closed and the air outlet 31 is switched to the closed state during the drying process in which the air in the clothing treating tub 3 is circulated through the circulation air duct 13, the air flowing in the circulation air duct 13 flows downwind and is returned to the clothing treating tub 3 without being discharged from the air outlet 31 to the outside of the circulation air duct 13. In addition, since air is not discharged from the air outlet 31 to the outside of the circulation air duct 13, air is not introduced from the air inlet 32 ​​into the circulation air duct 13. In other words, in the washer / dryer 1, by closing the damper 33 and switching the air outlet 31 to the closed state, the drying process can be carried out without replacing the air flowing in the circulation air duct 13 with outside air.

[0026] Next, an example of the configuration of the control system of the washer-dryer 1 will be described. The control device 41 shown in Fig. 3 is mainly composed of, for example, a microcomputer, and is configured to be able to control the overall operation of the washer-dryer 1. That is, the control device 41 is connected to various drive system components of the washer-dryer 1, such as the water supply valve 8, the drain valve 11, the compressor 17, the circulation blower 22, the damper 33, and a drum motor 42 that rotates the drum. The control device 41 controls the overall operation of the washer-dryer 1 by controlling the operation of these various drive system components.

[0027] The control device 41 is configured to be capable of controlling various processes such as a wash process for washing the clothes in the clothing treatment tub 3, a rinse process for rinsing the clothes in the clothing treatment tub 3, a dehydration process for dehydrating the clothes in the clothing treatment tub 3, and a drying process for drying the clothes in the clothing treatment tub 3. Next, an example of control of the dehydration process and drying process among the various processes controlled by the control device 41 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0028] 4 shows an example of a change in temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 17 to the condenser 18 in the refrigeration cycle. The temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 17 to the condenser 18 in the refrigeration cycle can be detected by, for example, a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in a portion of the refrigerant pipe 21 that constitutes the refrigeration cycle that connects the compressor 17 and the condenser 18.

[0029] 4 shows an example of a change in the drive frequency of the compressor 17. The drive frequency of the compressor 17 can be determined based on the value of a drive control signal output from the control device 41 to the compressor 17, for example.

[0030] 4 shows an example of a change in temperature of the condenser 18. The temperature of the condenser 18 can be detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in the condenser 18, for example.

[0031] 4 shows an example of a change in temperature of the air passing through the air inlet 3b of the clothing treatment tub 3. The temperature of the air passing through the air inlet 3b of the clothing treatment tub 3 can be detected, for example, by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided at or near the air inlet 3b of the clothing treatment tub 3.

[0032] 4 shows an example of the change in temperature of the air passing through the air outlet 3a of the clothing treatment tub 3. The temperature of the air passing through the air outlet 3a of the clothing treatment tub 3 can be detected, for example, by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided at or near the air outlet 3a of the clothing treatment tub 3.

[0033] 4 shows an example of a change in the rotation state of the drum in the clothing treatment tub 3. The rotation state of the drum in the clothing treatment tub 3 can be determined, for example, based on the value of a drive control signal output by the control device 41 to the drum motor 42. In the drying process, the control device 41 rotates the drum alternately in the forward direction and the reverse direction at a rotation speed that is at least lower than that in the spin-drying process, that is, at a rotation speed at which clothing scooped up by a baffle (not shown) falls from near the upper end of the drum.

[0034] 4 shows an example of a change in the operating state, i.e., the open / closed state, of the damper 33. The operating state of the damper 33 can be determined based on the value of a drive control signal output from the control device 41 to the damper 33, for example.

[0035] 4 shows an example of a change in the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22. The rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 can be determined based on the value of a drive control signal output from the control device 41 to the circulation blower 22, for example.

[0036] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the control device 41 provides a temperature rise period T1 and a temperature maintenance period T2 in the drying process. The temperature rise period T1 is the initial stage of the drying process, that is, the period from the start of the drying process until a predetermined time has elapsed. The length of the temperature rise period T1 can be changed as appropriate. The temperature rise period T1 may be the period from the start of the drying process until the temperature of the air flowing through the circulation air duct 13 reaches a predetermined temperature. The temperature of the air flowing through the circulation air duct 13 may be, for example, a temperature determined based on the temperature of the condenser 18, the temperature of the air passing through the air inlet 3b of the clothing treatment tub 3, the temperature of the air passing through the air outlet 3a of the clothing treatment tub 3, or the average value of the temperature of the air passing through the air inlet 3b of the clothing treatment tub 3 and the temperature of the air passing through the air outlet 3a of the clothing treatment tub 3. The temperature of the air flowing through the circulation air duct 13 may be the temperature of the air detected by a temperature sensor provided at any position in the circulation air duct 13.

[0037] On the other hand, the temperature maintenance period T2 is a period from the middle to the latter part of the drying process, that is, a period from after the temperature increase period T1 to the end of the drying process. Note that the length of the temperature maintenance period T2 can be appropriately changed depending on the length of the temperature increase period T1 and the time required for the entire drying process.

[0038] During the temperature rise period T1, the control device 41 executes control to raise the temperature of the air flowing through the circulation air passage 13. That is, during the temperature rise period T1, the control device 41 executes control to set the drive frequency of the compressor 17 to the maximum output. This causes the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 17 to the condenser 18 in the refrigeration cycle to rise, and accordingly, the temperature of the condenser 18 also rises.

[0039] Furthermore, the control device 41 sets the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 in the temperature rise period T1 to be lower than the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 in the temperature maintenance period T2. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 in the temperature rise period T1 is, for example, 5500 rpm, and the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 in the temperature maintenance period T2 is, for example, 6000 rpm. Furthermore, in the temperature rise period T1, the control device 41 closes the damper 33 to switch the air outlet 31 to a closed state.

[0040] During the temperature rise period T1 in which such control is performed, the compressor 17 is driven at maximum output, so that the temperature of the condenser 18 rises rapidly in a relatively short time. The circulation blower 22 is driven at a low rotation speed, in this case at least a rotation speed lower than that of the temperature maintenance period T2, so that the air flowing in the circulation air duct 13 comes into contact with the condenser 18 whose temperature has risen at a relatively slow speed. This allows the air flowing in the circulation air duct 13 to come into contact with the high-temperature condenser 18 for as long a time as possible. In addition, it is possible to prevent the condenser 18 from being cooled by the air flowing in the circulation air duct 13. Therefore, the thermal energy generated by the condenser 18 can be efficiently and reliably transferred to the air flowing in the circulation air duct 13 and supplied to the clothing treatment tub 3. That is, it is possible to supply high-temperature hot air to the clothing treatment tub 3 from the early stage of the drying process.

[0041] During the temperature rise period T1, the damper 33 is closed and the air outlet 31 is blocked, so that no air is exchanged between the inside and outside of the circulation air duct 13. Therefore, the drying process can be carried out while confining the thermal energy generated by the condenser 18 within the circulation system consisting of the clothing treatment tub 3 and the circulation air duct 13. This allows the drying process to proceed while repeatedly circulating high-temperature air within the circulation system consisting of the clothing treatment tub 3 and the circulation air duct 13, improving the efficiency of drying the clothing in the clothing treatment tub 3.

[0042] As described above, the temperature rise period T1 is a period in which the temperature of the condenser 18 is rapidly raised in a relatively short time to promote the heating of the air. Therefore, the temperature rise period T1 can also be defined as a heating promotion period in which the heating of the air circulated through the circulation air passage 13 is promoted.

[0043] On the other hand, in a temperature maintenance period T2 that follows the temperature increase period T1, the control device 41 executes control to maintain the temperature of the air flowing in the circulation air passage 13. That is, in the temperature maintenance period T2, the control device 41 executes control to set the drive frequency of the compressor 17 to a value lower than the maximum output. This suppresses the rise in temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 17 to the condenser 18 in the refrigeration cycle, and accordingly, the rise in temperature of the condenser 18 is also suppressed.

[0044] Moreover, the control device 41 executes control to maintain the temperature of the condenser 18 at a predetermined temperature during the temperature maintenance period T2. That is, in this case, the control device 41 sets a predetermined temperature range including the temperature of the condenser 18 at the end of the temperature increase period T1. Then, when the temperature of the condenser 18 falls below the lower limit of the predetermined temperature range, the control device 41 increases the output of the compressor 17 to increase the temperature of the condenser 18. Also, when the temperature of the condenser 18 rises above the upper limit of the predetermined temperature range, the control device 41 decreases the output of the compressor 17 to decrease the temperature of the condenser 18. In this way, the control device 41 maintains the temperature of the condenser 18 within a predetermined temperature range including the temperature of the condenser 18 at the end of the temperature increase period T1. The upper limit and lower limit of this temperature range can be appropriately changed and set.

[0045] Furthermore, the control device 41 makes the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 in the temperature maintenance period T2 higher than the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 in the temperature increase period T1. Furthermore, in the temperature maintenance period T2, the control device 41 opens the damper 33 to switch the air outlet port 31 to an open state.

[0046] During the temperature maintenance period T2 in which such control is performed, as described above, the temperature of the condenser 18 is maintained within a predetermined temperature range including the temperature of the condenser 18 at the end of the temperature rise period T1. That is, the condenser 18 is maintained in a high temperature state. Since the circulation blower 22 is driven at a high rotation speed, in this case at least a rotation speed higher than that of the temperature rise period T1, the air flowing in the circulation air duct 13 contacts the condenser 18 maintained in such a high temperature state at a relatively high speed. As a result, the thermal energy generated by the condenser 18, which continues to be maintained in a high temperature state, can be efficiently transferred to the air flowing in the circulation air duct 13 and continuously supplied to the clothing treatment tub 3. That is, it is possible to continuously supply high-temperature hot air to the clothing treatment tub 3 even during the period from the middle to the end of the drying process.

[0047] During the temperature maintenance period T2, the damper 33 is opened and the air outlet 31 is open, so that air is exchanged between the inside and outside of the circulation air duct 13. Therefore, the drying process can be carried out while exchanging the moist air flowing inside the circulation air duct 13 with the dry air outside the circulation air duct 13. This allows the drying process to be carried out while discharging moisture, improving the efficiency of drying the clothes in the clothes treating tub 3.

[0048] As described above, the temperature maintenance period T2 is a period in which dehumidification of clothes is promoted by drying the clothes while discharging moisture. Therefore, the temperature maintenance period T2 can also be defined as a dehumidification promotion period in which dehumidification of clothes is promoted.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 41 can execute a heating dehydration process as a dehydration process executed before the drying process. The heating dehydration process is a process for dehydrating the clothes while supplying hot air into the clothes treatment tub 3. That is, when the control device 41 starts the heating dehydration process, it starts driving the circulation blower 22. In this case, the control device 41 makes the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 in the heating dehydration process lower than the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 in the temperature rise period T1, which is the initial stage of the drying process. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 in the heating dehydration process is, for example, 1500 rpm.

[0050] Furthermore, when the heating and dehydration process starts, the control device 41 starts driving the compressor 17, in other words, heating the condenser 18. In this case, the control device 41 makes the output of the compressor 17 in the heating and dehydration process lower than the output of the compressor 17 in the temperature rise period T1, which is the initial stage of the drying process.

[0051] According to the heating and dehydration process controlled in this manner, hot air at a temperature lower than that of the temperature rise period T1 in the initial stage of the drying process is supplied into the clothes treating tub 3 at a slower speed than that of the temperature rise period T1 in the initial stage of the drying process. This allows clothes to be dehydrated while warm air is slowly supplied into the clothes treating tub 3. By performing this heating and dehydration process before the drying process, the water contained in the clothes can be warmed before moving on to the drying process, and the drying efficiency in the drying process can be further improved. In addition, by warming the water contained in the clothes during the dehydration process, the viscosity of the water can be reduced, and the efficiency of dehydrating the clothes can be improved.

[0052] In the washer / dryer 1 according to the present embodiment illustrated above, the control device 41 sets the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 in the temperature rise period T1 to be lower than the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 in the temperature maintenance period T2. According to this configuration example, in the temperature rise period T1, the thermal energy generated in the condenser 18 can be efficiently and reliably transferred to the air flowing in the circulation air passage 13 and supplied to the clothes treatment tub 3. Therefore, even in the temperature rise period T1, that is, the period when the damper 33 is closed and the air outlet 31 is switched to the closed state, the clothes drying efficiency can be improved.

[0053] Furthermore, in the washer / dryer 1, the control device 41 executes control to maintain the temperature of the condenser 18 at a predetermined temperature during the temperature maintenance period T2. According to this configuration example, the condenser 18 can be kept in a high temperature state during the temperature maintenance period T2, in this case, at the temperature at the end of the temperature increase period T1 or within a predetermined temperature range including that temperature. Therefore, even during the temperature maintenance period T2, high-temperature hot air can be continued to be supplied into the clothes treatment tub 3, and the clothes drying efficiency can be improved even during the temperature maintenance period T2, that is, the period during which the damper 33 is opened and the air outlet 31 is switched to the open state.

[0054] Furthermore, in the washer / dryer 1, the control device 41 sets the output of the compressor 17 to the maximum output during the temperature rise period T1. With this configuration example, the temperature of the condenser 18, in other words the temperature of the air supplied to the clothes treatment tub 3, can be sufficiently increased during the temperature rise period T1, i.e., from the initial stage of the drying process. This makes it possible to sufficiently improve the clothes drying efficiency from the initial stage of the drying process.

[0055] Furthermore, in the washer / dryer 1, the controller 41 sets the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 in the heating / dehydration process to be lower than the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 in the temperature increase period T1. Furthermore, in the washer / dryer 1, the controller 41 sets the output of the compressor 17 in the heating / dehydration process to be lower than the output of the compressor 17 in the temperature increase period T1.

[0056] Here, in the heating dehydration process, the drum is rotated at high speed, so the power consumption of the drum motor 42 is high. Therefore, the control device 41 reduces the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 in the heating dehydration process to avoid a shortage of power supplied to the drum motor 42. The control device 41 also reduces the output of the compressor 17 in the heating dehydration process to avoid a shortage of power supplied to the drum motor 42. That is, the control device 41 is configured to distribute power in the heating dehydration process by prioritizing the driving of the drum motor 42, i.e., rotating the drum at high speed, over the driving of the circulation blower 22 and the compressor 17. This makes it possible to carry out the heating dehydration process while effectively utilizing limited power.

[0057] This embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be modified or expanded as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 during the temperature increase period T1 can be modified as appropriate as long as it is lower than the rotation speed of the circulation fan 22 during the temperature maintenance period T2.

[0058] In addition, the control device 41 may increase the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the damper 33 is opened, instead of increasing the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 at the same time as the damper 33 is opened. In the control of increasing the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 at the same time as the damper 33 is opened, there is a concern that the temperature in the clothing treatment tub 3 may suddenly drop. Therefore, by increasing the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the damper 33 is opened, it is possible to prevent the temperature in the clothing treatment tub 3 from suddenly dropping, and the temperature in the clothing treatment tub 3 can be maintained at a high temperature. Note that the predetermined time from opening the damper 33 to increasing the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 can be appropriately changed and set, but it is preferable to set it to a time that is not too long but as short as possible, for example, a time of about several seconds. In other words, it is preferable to increase the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 following the completion of the operation of opening the damper 33.

[0059] Furthermore, when the temperature of the condenser 18 is maintained at a predetermined temperature during the temperature maintenance period T2, the predetermined temperature is not limited to the temperature of the condenser 18 at the end of the temperature increase period T1 or within a predetermined temperature range including that temperature, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0060] Furthermore, the control device 41 may be configured to control the output of the compressor 17 to be lower than the maximum output during the temperature rise period T1. The rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 during the thermal dehydration process can be appropriately changed as long as it is lower than the rotation speed of the circulation blower 22 during the temperature rise period T1. The output of the compressor 17 during the thermal dehydration process can be appropriately changed as long as it is lower than the output of the compressor 17 during the temperature rise period T1.

[0061] The control device 41 may also be configured to execute a normal dehydration process in which the clothes are dehydrated without supplying hot air into the clothes treating tub 3, instead of the heating dehydration process.

[0062] In addition, the present embodiment is not limited to a so-called drum type washer-dryer in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub extends horizontally or in an inclined direction, but can also be applied to a so-called vertical axis type washer-dryer in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub extends vertically. In addition, the present embodiment can also be applied to a pure clothes dryer that does not have a washing function.

[0063] It should be noted that the present embodiment is presented merely as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The present embodiment and its 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]

[0064] In the drawing, 1 indicates a washer / dryer (clothes dryer), 3 indicates a clothes treatment tub (drying chamber), 13 indicates a circulation air duct, 16 indicates a heat pump mechanism, 17 indicates a compressor, 18 indicates a condenser (heater), 22 indicates a circulation fan, 31 indicates an air outlet (exhaust port), 33 indicates a damper, and 41 indicates a control device (control unit).

Claims

1. a drying chamber in which the clothes are stored; A circulation air duct for circulating air within the drying chamber; a circulation fan that circulates air in the drying chamber through the circulation air path; A heater that heats the air flowing through the circulating air passage; an exhaust port for discharging a portion of the air flowing through the circulating air passage; A damper that opens and closes the exhaust port; A control unit that controls a drying process for drying the clothes in the drying chamber; Equipped with The control unit is A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of air flowing through the air circulation duct, a temperature rise period during which control is performed to raise the temperature of the air flowing through the circulating air passage in the drying process; a temperature maintenance period in which control is performed to maintain the temperature of the air flowing through the circulating air passage after the temperature increase period in the drying process; Established During the temperature rise period, the damper is closed to switch the exhaust port to a closed state and maintain the closed state; During the temperature maintenance period, the damper is opened to switch the exhaust port to an open state and maintain the open state; The clothes dryer, wherein the rotation speed of the circulation fan during the temperature increasing period is set to be lower than the rotation speed of the circulation fan during the temperature maintaining period.

2. A clothes dryer as described in claim 1, wherein the control unit increases the rotational speed of the circulation blower when the damper is opened.

3. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit executes control to maintain the temperature of the heater at a predetermined temperature during the temperature maintenance period.

4. A compressor that configures a heat pump mechanism together with the heater is provided, The clothes dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit executes control to maximize an output of the compressor during the temperature rise period.

5. The control unit is capable of executing a dehydration process to dehydrate the clothes in the drying chamber before the drying process, 5. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein a rotation speed of the circulation fan in the dehydration step is set to be lower than a rotation speed of the circulation fan in the temperature increase period.

6. A compressor that configures a heat pump mechanism together with the heater is provided, The control unit is capable of executing a dehydration process to dehydrate the clothes in the drying chamber before the drying process, 5. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein an output of the compressor in the dehydration step is set to be lower than an output of the compressor in the temperature increase period.

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