Dehumidifier

Abstract

To provide a dehumidifier that can execute a laundry-drying operation in an adequate time.SOLUTION: A control part 55 counts a time elapsed until a sensed humidity H by a humidity sensor 60 becomes 60% or less when executing a laundry-drying operation, calculates, when the counted time is three hours or more, a first after-run time on the basis of a value calculated by a predetermined calculation formula at a value sensed by a temperature sensor 59 during the time until the humidity becomes 60% or less and the counted time, counts, when the counted time is less than three hours, a time elapsed until the value sensed by the humidity sensor 60 becomes 50% or less, calculates a second after-run time on the basis of a value calculated by a predetermined calculation formula at the value sensed by the temperature sensor 59 during the time until the value sensed by the humidity sensor 60 becomes 50% or less and the counted time, and stops the laundry-drying operation when determining that the first after-run time or the second after-run time is elapsed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dehumidifier having a clothes drying function. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a dehumidifier of this type that includes a blower fan that blows out air, a dehumidifying means that dehumidifies the air sucked into the housing, and a heater that heats the air that is blown out, and that calculates an after-run time after a preset humidity is reached based on a value calculated using a predetermined formula from the time until a preset humidity is reached and the value detected by a temperature sensor during the time until the preset humidity is reached, after starting a clothes drying operation that dries clothes, and automatically stops when the after-run time has elapsed (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6182083 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with this conventional system, if the time taken to reach the specified humidity during the clothes drying operation is short, the humidity in the room will not decrease sufficiently, causing moisture to return to the clothes, and there is a risk that the clothes will not be sufficiently dry after the clothes drying operation is completed.Also, if the time taken to reach the specified humidity is long, the clothes will be damaged by over-drying due to air blowing for a long period of time, and there is a risk that the finished condition of the clothes will be poor after the clothes drying operation is completed, so there was room for improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a ventilation fan that blows air drawn into the housing through an air outlet, a dehumidifying means accommodated in the housing and configured to dehumidify air drawn into the housing; a heater housed in the housing and configured to heat air drawn into the housing; a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the air drawn into the housing; a humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the air drawn into the housing; a control unit that drives the dehumidifying means, the blower fan, and the heater to control a clothes drying operation for drying clothes, The control unit counts a time until a detected humidity value by the humidity sensor becomes equal to or less than a first predetermined humidity during the clothes drying operation, If the counted time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, the detection value of the temperature sensor detected during the time until the humidity becomes equal to or lower than the first predetermined humidity is the number of dehumidification units K1 to K4 calculated by applying the above to each room temperature range preset to be divided into a predetermined temperature range, and the dehumidification amount coefficients A1 to A4 preset for each room temperature range, and the counted time t Based on According to the given formulas (1) and (2), First after-run time ARt Calculate If the counted time is less than the predetermined time, the time until the detection value of the humidity sensor becomes equal to or less than a second predetermined humidity that is lower than the first predetermined humidity is counted, and the detection value of the temperature sensor detected during the time until the detection value becomes equal to or less than the second predetermined humidity is the dehumidification amount coefficients A1 to A4 preset in each of the room temperature ranges; and the counted time t Based on According to the above-mentioned formulas (1) and (2), Second After-Run Time ARt Calculate The dehumidifier is characterized in that, when it is determined that the first after-run time or the second after-run time has elapsed, the clothes drying operation is stopped. (1)K=(K1×A1+K2×A2+K3×A3+K4×A4)÷(K1+K2+K3+K4) However, A1 <A2<A3<A4 (2) ARt = t × K

[0006] In addition, in claim 2, when the control unit determines that the time counted until the humidity becomes equal to or less than the second predetermined humidity is less than a predetermined minimum time, the control unit continues operation until the time counted is equal to or more than the predetermined minimum time, and then detects the detected value of the temperature sensor during the time until the predetermined minimum time is reached. the dehumidification amount coefficients A1 to A4 preset in each of the room temperature ranges; and the counted predetermined minimum time t Based on According to the above-mentioned formulas (1) and (2), Third After-Run Time ARt and when it is determined that the third after-run time has elapsed, the clothes drying operation is stopped.

[0007] In addition, in claim 3, the control unit may, if the detection value of the humidity sensor does not become equal to or lower than the first predetermined humidity during the counting of the predetermined maximum time, detect the detection value of the temperature sensor during the counting of the predetermined maximum time. the dehumidification amount coefficients A1 to A4 preset in each of the room temperature ranges; and the predetermined maximum time counted t Based on According to the above-mentioned formulas (1) and (2), 4th After-Run Time ARt and when it is determined that the fourth after-run time has elapsed, the clothes drying operation is stopped. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to this invention, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the finish of clothes due to insufficient drying of clothes after the completion of the clothes drying operation and damage to clothes due to over-drying. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view of a dehumidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a right side view of the dehumidifier with the front and rear frames removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the dehumidifier as viewed from the right side. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the dehumidifier. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the clothes drying operation in the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining elements for calculating an after-run time in the embodiment. [Figure 8] 6 is a diagram illustrating a change in humidity over time during a clothes drying operation in the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An embodiment of an air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the air conditioner according to the present invention will be described as being applied to a dehumidifier 1 that uses a vapor compression refrigeration cycle to condense moisture contained in the air and dehumidify it.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a dehumidifier 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the dehumidifier 1 with the front frame 11 and rear frame 12 removed.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the dehumidifier 1 as viewed from the right side.

[0014] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the dehumidifier 1. As shown in FIG.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the dehumidifier 1. As shown in FIG.

[0016] In the following description, the definitions of front, back, up, down, left and right will be used in accordance with the drawings. Note that the vertical direction is the up-down direction, and the horizontal direction is a direction included in the plane directions including the front, back, left and right directions.

[0017] The dehumidifier 1 has a housing 10 that forms the exterior of the dehumidifier 1. The housing 10 has a front frame 11, a rear frame 12, a rear frame decorative plate 13, an upper panel 14, and a base 15.

[0018] The front frame 11 and the rear frame 12 are combined with each other to form a housing 10 that faces in the front-rear direction of the dehumidifier 1.

[0019] The rear frame 12 has an intake port 21, a tank insertion port 22, a water inlet 23, and a lever support port 24. The intake port 21 has a plurality of slits 26, and has a filter 27 and a filter case 28 on its outer surface. The filter 27 is made of a resin net or nonwoven fabric, and removes dust and odor components mixed into the intake air. The filter case 28 fixes the filter 27 to the intake port 21. The tank insertion port 22 is disposed below the intake port 21, and the drain tank 51 is inserted and removed from here. The water inlet 23 and the lever support port 24 are disposed above the intake port 21. The rear frame decorative plate 13 is attached to the upper part of the rear frame 12 to conceal the parts of the rear frame 12 that should not be seen.

[0020] The top panel 14 is disposed above the combined front frame 11 and rear frame 12, forming the housing 10 facing upward. The top panel 14 has an air outlet 31, an operation unit 32, and an LED display unit 33. The air outlet 31 is disposed on the surface of the top panel 14 facing upward. The air outlet 31 has a louver unit 35 that can control the blowing direction of the dry air from diagonally above to the horizontal direction. The louver unit 35 has louvers 36 and a louver motor 37 that drives the louvers 36.

[0021] The operation unit 32 and the LED display unit 33 are disposed on a surface that slopes diagonally downward from the top surface. The operation unit 32 is a touch panel that realizes, for example, an operation switch, a timer switch, an operation mode selection switch, etc. The LED display unit 33 displays the operation state of the dehumidifier 1, etc., by the lighting state of an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

[0022] The base 15 is disposed below the combined front frame 11 and rear frame 12, and serves as a foundation for the dehumidifier 1.

[0023] The dehumidifier 1 has, as its main internal components housed in the housing 10, a fan case 41, a sirocco fan 42, a blower motor 43, a heater 44, a compressor 45, a heat exchanger 46, a drain pan 49, a drain tank 51, and a control unit 55.

[0024] The fan case 41 is disposed on the base 15 and mainly supports and positions a sirocco fan 42 serving as a blower fan, a blower motor 43, and a drain tank 51.

[0025] Sirocco fan 42, which serves as a blower fan, rotates as blower motor 43 rotates, drawing in air from suction port 21 and creating a flow of air that is blown out from air outlet 31. Sirocco fan 42 and blower motor 43 are attached to fan case 41 so that their rotation axes are aligned in the front-to-rear direction. Blower motor 43 can be set to a number of different rotation speeds, and is set to a predetermined rotation speed according to the operating mode and the temperature and humidity in the room to rotate sirocco fan 42.

[0026] The heater 44 is disposed in the air passage between the heat exchanger 46 and the air outlet 31, and is driven by energization to raise the temperature of the air passing through the air passage. In particular, during a clothes drying operation in which washed clothes are hung to dry above the air outlet 31 of the dehumidifier 1, the heater 44 is driven so that high-temperature hot air is blown out from the air outlet 31 to quickly dry the clothes, thereby improving the efficiency of the clothes drying operation.

[0027] The compressor 45 is fixed on the base 15, and is connected to the heat exchanger 46 via a pipe 45a and a pressure reducing device 45b.

[0028] The heat exchanger 46 exchanges heat with the air sucked through the suction port 21. The heat exchanger 46 has an evaporator 46a as a dehumidifying means arranged in a position close to the suction port 21, and a condenser 46b arranged forward of the evaporator 46a. The evaporator 46a and the condenser 46b are fin-tube type heat exchangers in which fins 48 are attached to a U-shaped refrigerant tube 47. As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant tube 47 has a plurality of straight portions 47a extending horizontally (left-right direction) and a bent portion 47b that bends in the up-down direction and connects the two straight portions 47a, and the straight portions 47a and the bent portions 47b appear continuously along the length of the refrigerant tube 47.

[0029] The compressor 45, the pipe 45a, the pressure reducing device 45b, and the heat exchanger 46 form a refrigeration cycle through which the refrigerant flows. The refrigeration cycle includes the compressor 45, the condenser 46b, the pressure reducing device 45b, and the evaporator 46a in the order in which the refrigerant flows. When the refrigerant flows through the evaporator 46a, it absorbs heat from the air passing through the evaporator 46a and evaporates. When the refrigerant flows through the condenser 46b, it reheats and condenses the air passing through the condenser 46b. As a result, the air sucked in from the suction port 21 is cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 46a after dust and odor components are removed by the filter 27, and then heated by the condenser 46b and discharged from the air outlet 31 as low-humidity air.

[0030] The drain pan 49 supports and fixes the heat exchanger 46 from below on the front-to-rear direction opposite to the side of the fan case 41 on which the sirocco fan 42 is arranged. The drain pan 49 supports the heat exchanger 46 in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions by engaging with the refrigerant pipes 47 and fins 48 located below the heat exchanger 46. The drain pan 49 has a drain outlet, and receives drain water generated and falling from the evaporator 46a and washing water used to wash the evaporator 46a, and discharges them from this drain outlet.

[0031] The drain tank 51 stores drain water discharged from the drain port of the drain pan 49. The drain tank 51 is attached to and detached from the housing 10 by sliding in the front-rear direction from the tank insertion port 22. The drain tank 51 inserted into the housing 10 is disposed in a tank chamber 41b formed by the fan case 41.

[0032] The drain tank 51 has a tank lid 54 and a float housing 52. The tank lid 54 allows drain water and the like from the drain outlet of the drain pan 49 to fall into the drain tank 51. The float housing 52 houses a float 53 having, for example, a magnet, for detecting the water level in the drain tank 51. The magnetic field of the magnet corresponding to the water level is detected by an AMR sensor (Anisotropic-Magneto-Resistance) 62 mounted on the control unit 55 or the like, and notifies the user that the drain tank 51 is full.

[0033] The control unit 55 is supported by a case 56 and disposed to the left of the fan case 41. The control unit 55 comprehensively controls the operation of the dehumidifier 1 by electrically controlling each unit, such as the louver motor 37, the blower motor 43, the heater 44, the compressor 45, and the LED display unit 33, based on instructions from the operation unit 32 and prestored programs. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 55 has a memory unit 57 and a timer 58. The memory unit 57 stores operation programs for each unit, etc. The timer 58 measures time for timer operation of the dehumidifier 1, etc.

[0034] The control unit 55 has a temperature sensor 59 and a humidity sensor 60. The temperature sensor 59 and the humidity sensor 60 are provided at predetermined positions on the main body of the dehumidifier 1 and detect the ambient temperature and humidity of the dehumidifier 1. The control unit 55 uses the temperature and humidity as necessary to control each unit. The notification unit 61 outputs an alarm sound based on an instruction from the control unit 55 to notify the user of the situation.

[0035] Next, the clothes drying operation of the dehumidifier 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0036] When control unit 55 determines that a clothes drying operation start switch (not shown) on operation unit 32 has been pressed to instruct the start of the clothes drying operation, it drives blower motor 43, compressor 45, and heater 44, dehumidifies the air drawn into housing 10 by the air blown by sirocco fan 42 in evaporator 46a, heats the dehumidified air in heater 44, and blows it out from air outlet 31 onto the clothes, thereby starting a clothes drying operation to dry the clothes. Control unit 55 counts time t that has elapsed since the start of the clothes drying operation with timer 58, and stores the detected values ​​of temperature sensor 59 and humidity sensor 60 detected at predetermined time intervals in memory unit 57 (step S101).

[0037] After completing the process of step S101, the control unit 55 judges whether the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 is equal to or lower than 60%, which is a first predetermined humidity (step S102), and if the detected humidity H is equal to or lower than 60%, judges whether the time t counted by the timer 58 is equal to or higher than 3 hours, which is a predetermined time (step S103), and if it is judged that the time t counted by the timer 58 is equal to or higher than 3 hours, calculates a first after-run time by a predetermined calculation formula described later (step S104). If the control unit 55 judges in step S102 that the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 is higher than 60%, it repeats the judgment of step S102.

[0038] If the control unit 55 determines in step S103 that the count time t of the timer 58 is less than 3 hours, it determines whether the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 is equal to or less than 50%, which is a second predetermined humidity (step S105), and if it determines that the detected humidity is equal to or less than 50%, it calculates a second after-run time by a predetermined calculation formula described later (step S106). If the control unit 55 determines in step S105 that the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 is greater than 50%, it repeats the determination of step S105.

[0039] After calculating the first and second after-run times in step S104 or step S106, control unit 55 determines whether the calculated first and second after-run times have elapsed (step S107), and if it determines that the first and second after-run times have elapsed, stops driving blower motor 43, heater 44, and compressor 45, and stops the clothes drying operation. If control unit 55 determines in step S107 that the first and second after-run times have not elapsed, it repeats the determination in step S107.

[0040] Here, a predetermined calculation formula for calculating the first and second after-run times will be described with reference to FIG.

[0041] The control unit 55 assigns the room temperature detection value T detected by the temperature sensor 59 at a predetermined time interval (e.g., 10-minute intervals) stored in the memory unit 57 to any of the preset room temperature ranges during the time leading up to step S104 or step S106, and then calculates the numbers of occurrences K1 to K4 for each room temperature range. The control unit 55 calculates the K value by the following formula (1) based on the calculated numbers of occurrences K1 to K4 and the dehumidification amount coefficients preset for each room temperature range. (1)K=(K1×0.5+K2×0.7+K3×0.9+K4×1)÷(K1+K2+K3+K4)

[0042] After calculating the K value by the above formula, the control unit 55 calculates the after-run time ARt by multiplying the K value by the time t counted by the timer 58 according to the following formula (2). (2) ARt = t × K

[0043] For example, when calculating the first after-run time, if the time counted by timer 58 at the time of reaching step S104 is 200 minutes, and the numbers of occurrences K1 to K4 calculated by applying the room temperature detection value T at 10-minute intervals within 200 minutes to each room temperature range are K1 = 2, K2 = 10, K3 = 6, and K4 = 2, respectively, control unit 55 determines the K value using the above formula (1) and calculates the first after-run time to be 154 minutes using formula (2).

[0044] In addition, when calculating the second after-run time, if the time counted by timer 58 at the time of reaching step S106 is 90 minutes, and the numbers of occurrences K1 to K4 calculated by applying the room temperature detection value T at 10-minute intervals within 90 minutes to each room temperature range are K1 = 1, K2 = 5, K3 = 3, and K4 = 0, respectively, the control unit 55 determines the K value using the above formula (1) and calculates the second after-run time to be 67 minutes using formula (2).

[0045] As described above, the first and second after-run times can be calculated by using equation (1) for calculating the K value and equation (2) for multiplying the K value by the time t counted by timer 58 as predetermined calculation formulas.

[0046] Next, the change in humidity H over time and the degree of dryness of the clothes when the clothes drying operation is performed will be described with reference to FIG.

[0047] When the clothes drying operation starts, the moisture contained in the clothes is diffused into the room by air being blown onto the clothes, and the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 temporarily rises. After that, the humidity in the room gradually decreases as the evaporator 46a dehumidifies, and the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 decreases. The rate at which the humidity decreases varies depending on the size of the room, the type of clothes to be dried, etc. The larger the room in which the dehumidifier 1 is installed, the more gradual the humidity decrease, and the thicker the clothes to be dried, the more gradual the humidity decrease tends to be.

[0048] FIG. 8(a) shows the change in humidity H detected by humidity sensor 60 over time when dehumidifier 1 is installed in a relatively large room and / or thick clothes are to be dried. In this case, since humidity H in the room in which dehumidifier 1 is installed is difficult to decrease, it takes more than three hours for humidity sensor 60 to detect the first predetermined humidity of 60% or less. If humidity sensor 60 detects 60% or less after more than three hours have passed since the start of the clothes drying operation, the first after-run time is calculated using predetermined calculation formulas (1) and (2) and the clothes drying operation continues. The first after-run time ends about six hours after the start of the clothes drying operation, and the clothes drying operation is stopped.

[0049] Therefore, when the clothes drying operation is performed in an environment where clothes are difficult to dry, by continuing the clothes drying operation for a sufficient period of time, the humidity in the room in which the dehumidifier 1 is installed can be reduced, thereby preventing the clothes from being insufficiently dried due to moisture returning.

[0050] FIG. 8(b) shows the change in humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 over time when the dehumidifier 1 is installed in a relatively small room and / or thin clothes are to be dried. In this case, since the humidity H of the room in which the dehumidifier 1 is installed is likely to drop, it takes about 30 minutes for the humidity sensor 60 to detect the first predetermined humidity of 60% or less, and a little after one hour, the humidity sensor 60 detects the second predetermined humidity of 50% or less. When the humidity sensor 60 detects 50% or less a little after one hour from the start of the clothes drying operation, the second after-run time is calculated using a predetermined formula, and the clothes drying operation is continued. When about 2 hours and 30 minutes have passed since the start of the clothes drying operation, the second after-run time ends and the clothes drying operation is stopped.

[0051] Therefore, when the clothes drying operation is performed in an environment where clothes dry easily, the clothes drying operation can be completed in a short time, thereby ensuring that the clothes are dried reliably, and preventing poor finished quality at the completion of the clothes drying process due to damage to the clothes caused by over-drying caused by blowing air for a long period of time.

[0052] In this embodiment, if the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 in step S105 is 50% or less, the process proceeds to step S106, where the second after-run time is calculated using a predetermined formula, but this is not limited to this. If control unit 55 determines in step S105 that the time counted by timer 58 when humidity H detected by humidity sensor 60 falls to 50% or less is less than the predetermined minimum time of 60 minutes, it continues the clothes drying operation until timer 58 counts 60 minutes or more, and when it has counted 60 minutes or more, it calculates a third after-run time from predetermined equations (1) and (2) based on room temperature detection value T by temperature sensor 59 and the counted 60 minutes. When control unit 55 determines that the third after-run time has elapsed, it ends the clothes drying operation.

[0053] If the humidity in the room in which the dehumidifier 1 is installed is low and thin clothes are to be dried, the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 may fall below 50% in a short time after the clothes drying operation starts. In this case, the clothes drying operation continues for only a short time, even including the after-run time, and there is a concern that the clothes may not be sufficiently dried. If the time from the start of the clothes drying operation until the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 falls below 50% is less than the specified minimum time of 60 minutes, the clothes drying operation continues until 60 minutes or more have been counted, thereby preventing the clothes drying time, including the after-run time, from ending in a short time and preventing the clothes from being sufficiently dried.

[0054] In this embodiment, if the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 in step S102 exceeds 60%, the determination in step S102 is repeated, but the present invention is not limited to this. When control unit 55 determines in step S102 that humidity H detected by humidity sensor 60 exceeds 60%, if it determines that the time counted by timer 58 since the start of the clothes drying operation is equal to or greater than 10 hours, which is a predetermined maximum time, it calculates a fourth after-run time from predetermined formulas (1) and (2) based on room temperature detection value T of temperature sensor 59 at the counted 10 hours and the counted 10 hours. When control unit 55 determines that the fourth after-run time has elapsed, it ends the clothes drying operation.

[0055] If the humidity in the room in which the dehumidifier 1 is installed is high and thick clothes are to be dried, the value detected by the humidity sensor 60 may not become 60% or less even if the clothes drying operation is continued for a long time. In this case, the clothes drying operation time including the after-run time becomes long, and the clothes after the clothes drying operation ends will be over-dried and the finished state will be poor. If the humidity H detected by the humidity sensor 60 does not become 60% or less even after 10 hours or more have passed since the start of the clothes drying operation, the after-run time is calculated when the 10 hours are counted, preventing the clothes drying operation from being performed for a long time and preventing the clothes to be dried from being over-dried and the finished state will be poor.

[0056] Next, the effects of the present invention will be described.

[0057] Control unit 55 counts the time until humidity H detected by humidity sensor 60 becomes 60% or less using timer 58 when the clothes drying operation is performed, and if the time counted by timer 58 is 3 hours or more, calculates a first after-run time based on a value calculated by a predetermined calculation formula using the detection value of temperature sensor 59 detected during the time until humidity H becomes 60% or less and the time counted by timer 58; if the time counted by timer 58 is less than 3 hours, counts the time until the detection value of humidity sensor 60 becomes 50% or less using timer 58, and calculates a second after-run time based on the value calculated by a predetermined calculation formula using the detection value of temperature sensor 59 detected during the time until humidity sensor 60 becomes 50% or less and the time counted by timer 58; and stops the clothes drying operation when it is determined that the first after-run time or the second after-run time has elapsed. When the detected humidity value of the humidity sensor 60 falls below a predetermined humidity level, a predetermined calculation formula is used to carry out the clothes drying operation for an appropriate after-run time and then the operation is stopped, thereby preventing insufficient drying of the clothes due to humidity in the room returning to the clothes after the clothes drying operation is completed due to a short drying time, and preventing damage to the clothes and poor finishing quality of the clothes due to over-drying due to a long drying time.

[0058] In addition, if the control unit 55 determines that it will take less than 60 minutes for the detection value of the humidity sensor 60 to fall below 50%, it continues the clothes drying operation until the timer 58 counts out 60 minutes or more, and then calculates a third after-run time based on the value calculated using a predetermined formula using the detection value of the temperature sensor 59 detected during the time until the timer 58 counts out 60 minutes and the 60 minutes counted, and when it determines that the third after-run time has elapsed, it stops the clothes drying operation, thereby preventing clothes from being insufficiently dried due to the clothes drying operation being completed in a short time.

[0059] In addition, if the detection value of humidity sensor 60 does not fall below 60% within 10 hours of counting from the start of the clothes drying operation, control unit 55 calculates a fourth after-run time based on the value calculated using a predetermined formula using the detection value of temperature sensor 59 detected within 10 hours of counting from the start of the clothes drying operation and the counted 10 hours, and stops the clothes drying operation when it determines that the fourth after-run time has elapsed, thereby preventing damage to clothes and poor finishing quality due to over-drying caused by continuing the clothes drying operation for a long period of time.

[0060] In this embodiment, the control of the clothes drying operation is the same before and after the start of the after-run time, but is not limited to this. For example, after the start of the after-run time, the output of the heater 44 may be reduced or the rotation speed of the sirocco fan 42 may be reduced to reduce the clothes drying capacity, compared to before the start of the after-run time. Since the clothes drying operation before the start of the after-run time has completed a certain degree of drying of the clothes, reducing the clothes drying capacity in the clothes drying operation after the start of the after-run time can prevent the clothes from being over-dried, improving the finished quality of the clothes drying.

[0061] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, 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.

[0062] For example, in this embodiment, a compressor-type dehumidifier is described in which the dehumidifying means is an evaporator 46a, but the present invention can also be applied to a desiccant-type dehumidifier in which moisture is adsorbed by zeolite and air heated by a heater is blown out. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1 dehumidifier 10. Chassis 31 Air outlet 42 Sirocco fan (blower fan) 43 Blower motor 44 Heater 46 Heat exchanger 46a Evaporator (dehumidification means) 55 Control section 59 Temperature Sensor 60 Humidity Sensor

Claims

1. A housing and a blower fan that blows air drawn into the housing out through an outlet; a dehumidifying means accommodated in the housing and configured to dehumidify air drawn into the housing; a heater housed in the housing and configured to heat air drawn into the housing; a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the air drawn into the housing; a humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the air drawn into the housing; a control unit that drives the dehumidifying means, the blower fan, and the heater to control a clothes drying operation for drying clothes, The control unit counts a time until a detected humidity value by the humidity sensor becomes equal to or lower than a first predetermined humidity during the clothes drying operation, If the counted time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, a first after-run time ARt is calculated by applying the detected values ​​of the temperature sensor detected during the time until the humidity becomes equal to or lower than the first predetermined humidity to each of the room temperature ranges set in advance so as to be divided into predetermined temperature ranges, the dehumidification amount coefficients A1 to A4 set in advance for each of the room temperature ranges, and the counted time t, using predetermined calculation formulas (1) and (2); If the counted time is less than the predetermined time, the time until the detection value of the humidity sensor becomes equal to or less than a second predetermined humidity lower than the first predetermined humidity is counted, and a second after-run time ARt is calculated by applying the detection value of the temperature sensor detected during the time until the humidity becomes equal to or less than the second predetermined humidity to each of the room temperature ranges to calculate the number of occurrences K1 to K4, the dehumidification amount coefficients A1 to A4 preset for each of the room temperature ranges, and the counted time t, using the predetermined calculation formulas (1) and (2); The dehumidifier is characterized in that, when it is determined that the first after-run time or the second after-run time has elapsed, the clothes drying operation is stopped. (1) K=(K1×A1+K2×A2+K3×A3+K4×A4)÷(K1+K2+K3+K4) However, A1<A2<A3<A4 (2) ARt = t × K

2. 2. The dehumidifier according to claim 1, wherein, when the control unit determines that the time counted until the humidity becomes equal to or less than the second specified humidity is less than a specified minimum time, it continues operation until the counted time is equal to or greater than the specified minimum time, and then calculates a third after-run time ARt using the specified calculation formulas (1) and (2) based on the numbers of occurrences K1 to K4 calculated by applying the detection values ​​of the temperature sensor detected during the period until the specified minimum time is reached to each of the room temperature ranges, the dehumidification amount coefficients A1 to A4 preset for each of the room temperature ranges, and the counted specified minimum time t, and stops the clothes drying operation when it determines that the third after-run time has elapsed.

3. 3. The dehumidifier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein if the detection value of the humidity sensor does not become equal to or lower than the first specified humidity before the specified maximum time is counted, the control unit calculates a fourth after-run time ARt using the specified calculation formulas (1) and (2) based on the numbers of occurrences K1 to K4 calculated by applying the detection values ​​of the temperature sensor detected before the specified maximum time is reached to each of the room temperature ranges, the dehumidification amount coefficients A1 to A4 preset for each of the room temperature ranges, and the counted specified maximum time t, and stops the clothes drying operation when it determines that the fourth after-run time has elapsed.

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