Dehumidifier

Abstract

To provide a dehumidifier which can prevent deterioration of efficiency of drying clothes.SOLUTION: When a normal mode is conducted in a clothing dry operation, a control unit 55 compares a temperature of an evaporator 46a detected by a heat exchange temperature sensor 64 and a dew point temperature calculated by a calculation unit 63. If the control unit 55 determines that the temperature of the evaporator 46a is higher than or equal to the dew point temperature, the control unit 55 changes the mode to a concentration mode and drives a shaft 38 to operate louvers 36 in a direction such that an air outlet 31 is closed. The louvers 36 are operated in the direction such that the air outlet 31 is closed at a timing when dew condensation becomes unlikely to occur in the evaporator 46a, and thus the quantity of air that passes through the evaporator 46a is reduced to lower a temperature of the evaporator 46a. A dew condensation amount is increased in the evaporator 46a and reduction of dehumidification efficiency is prevented to prevent reduction of efficiency of the clothing dry operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, in this type of dehumidifier, air is sucked into the housing by a blower fan and passes through the cooling fins, causing condensation on the surface of the cooling fins to reduce the humidity of the indoor air. When the dew point temperature drops as the humidity drops, there is a dehumidifier that reduces the air volume of the blower fan to reduce the amount of air passing through the cooling fins, thereby preventing a decrease in dehumidification efficiency (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-76719 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with this conventional system, when considering clothes drying in which reduced-humidity air is blown onto clothes to promote drying, if the airflow of the blower fan is reduced due to a drop in dew point temperature accompanying a drop in humidity, while the dehumidification efficiency in the room increases, the airflow hitting the clothes decreases, reducing the efficiency of drying the clothes, leaving room for improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a housing and a refrigeration cycle housed in the housing and connected by refrigerant piping so that a refrigerant flows through a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device, and an evaporator in that order; A heat exchange temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the evaporator; a blower fan that blows air drawn into the housing out through an outlet; a louver that is installed at the air outlet and that can adjust the blowing direction of air blown out from the air outlet by driving a shaft; a dew point temperature calculation means for calculating a dew point temperature in a room in which the housing is installed; a control unit that drives the compressor, the blower fan, and the shaft to operate the louver and open the air outlet to control a clothes drying operation to dry clothes; The control unit compares the temperature of the evaporator detected by the heat exchange temperature sensor during the clothes drying operation with the dew point temperature calculated by the dew point temperature calculation means, and when it determines that the temperature of the evaporator is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature, drives the shaft to operate the louver in a direction to close the air outlet. However, the state where the air outlet is completely closed is excluded. It was characterized by the following:

[0006] In claim 2, the louvers are comprised of a main louver and an auxiliary louver that operate in a double-door manner by driving the shaft, The control unit compares the temperature of the evaporator detected by the heat exchange temperature sensor during the clothes drying operation with the dew point temperature calculated by the dew point temperature calculation means, and if it determines that the temperature of the evaporator is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature, it drives the shaft to move the tips of the main louver and the auxiliary louver closer to each other.

[0007] In addition, claim 3 is characterized in that after the shaft is driven to operate the louvers in a direction to close the air outlet, if it is determined that the temperature of the evaporator detected by the heat exchanger temperature sensor is less than a value that is lower than the dew point temperature by a predetermined temperature A, the shaft is driven to operate the louvers in a direction to open the air outlet. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to this invention, by operating the louvers in the direction of closing the air outlet, the amount of air passing through the evaporator is reduced and the temperature of the evaporator drops, thereby preventing a decrease in dehumidification efficiency, and since air is blown out from the air outlet in a limited range onto the clothes, a decrease in the efficiency of drying the clothes is prevented. [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 left 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] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the louvers when the clothes drying operation starts in the embodiment; [Figure 7] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the louvers in the normal mode of the clothes drying operation in the embodiment. [Figure 8] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the louvers in the intensive mode of the clothes drying operation in the embodiment. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a clothes drying operation in the present embodiment. 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 left 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 cover 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 a louver 36 and a louver motor 37 that operates the louver 36 by being driven by a shaft 38. The air outlet 31 is formed by dividing it into a main air outlet 31a and an auxiliary air outlet 31b, and the louver 36 is composed of two louvers, a main louver 36a and an auxiliary louver 36b. The main louver 36a is installed in the main air outlet 31a, and the auxiliary louver 36b is installed in the auxiliary air outlet 31b. The main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b are supported by a main shaft 38a and an auxiliary shaft 38b, respectively, and are operated by driving the respective shafts, thereby making it possible to adjust the direction of air blowing from each air outlet 31.

[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 rotates by the rotation of blower motor 43, drawing air in through suction port 21 and forming a flow of air that is blown out through 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-rear direction.

[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 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 are connected by a refrigerant pipe to 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 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 the case 56 and disposed to the left of the fan case 41. The control unit 55 electrically controls 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 or a program stored in advance, thereby controlling the operation of the dehumidifier 1 in an integrated manner. As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 55 has a memory unit 57, a timer 58, and a calculation unit 63. The memory unit 57 stores operation programs for each unit. The timer 58 measures time for timer operation of the dehumidifier 1, etc. The calculation unit 63, which serves as a dew point temperature calculation means, calculates the dew point temperature using a predetermined formula based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 59 and the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 60.

[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 measure 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 to notify the user of the situation based on an instruction from the control unit 55. The control unit 55 also has a heat exchanger temperature sensor 64. The heat exchanger temperature sensor 64 is provided at a predetermined position on the evaporator 46a, and measures the temperature of the evaporator 46a.

[0035] Next, the operation of each part during the clothes drying operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0036] When the control unit 55 determines that the normal mode has been selected by a clothes drying switch (not shown) on the operation unit 32, it drives the compressor 45 and the blower motor 43 so that air dehumidified by the evaporator 46a is blown out from the air outlet 31. When clothes to be dried are hung out to dry above the air outlet 31, the clothes are dried efficiently by blowing dehumidified air out of the air outlet 31. Furthermore, when the control unit 55 determines that the detected value of the temperature sensor 59 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, it drives the heater 44. In an environment where the indoor temperature is low and the efficiency of drying clothes is low, the efficiency of drying clothes can be improved by driving the heater 44 to blow out warm air.

[0037] Please refer to FIG. 6. When the control unit 55 determines that the normal mode is selected by the clothes drying switch (not shown) on the operation unit 32 and that an instruction to start the clothes drying operation has been given, the control unit 55 drives the louver motor 37 to rotate the main shaft 38a and the auxiliary shaft 38b. As shown in (1), the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b rotate from a state in which the main air outlet 31a and the auxiliary air outlet 31b are closed by the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b. As shown by the arrows in (2), the louvers 36 rotate with the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b facing each other, and operate like double doors. When the rotation of each louver 36 progresses and the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b become perpendicular to the air outlet 31 as shown in (3), the control unit 55 stops the louver motor 37 as it has reached a predetermined positioning position.

[0038] After the state of Fig. 6(3) is reached with the normal mode selected, the control unit 55 controls the main louvers 36a and auxiliary louvers 36b to move in the front-rear direction in a substantially parallel state as shown in Fig. 7(a), (b), and (c). Because the main louvers 36a and auxiliary louvers 36b operate in a substantially parallel state, a uniform volume of air can be sent to the clothes, enabling efficient clothes drying.

[0039] When the control unit 55 determines that the intensive mode has been selected by the clothes drying switch (not shown) on the operation unit 32, the control unit 55 drives the main shaft 38a and the auxiliary shaft 38b by the louver motor 37 so that the tips of the main louver 36a and the auxiliary louver 36b approach each other after the state of (3) in FIG. 6 is reached. Then, as shown in (a), (b), and (c) in FIG. 8, the main louver 36a and the auxiliary louver 36b are operated in the front-rear direction in a positional relationship in which the tips of the main louver 36a and the auxiliary louver 36b are closer than in the normal mode. By operating in a positional relationship in which the tips of the main louver 36a and the auxiliary louver 36b are closer than in the normal mode, the air outlet 31 is closed more than in the normal mode. As a result, the amount of air blown from the air outlet 31 is reduced compared to the normal mode, but the narrowing of the air blowing range allows air to be blown at a faster wind speed than in the normal mode. The faster the air speed, the higher the air pressure, and the louvers 36 operate in the front-rear direction in a state where the air can be blown farther, so the clothes to be dried can be dried without a decrease in drying efficiency compared to the normal mode.

[0040] In the normal mode and the concentrated mode, the compressor 45 and the blower motor 43 are driven at a constant rotation speed. If the air volume is manually changed using an air volume switch (not shown) in the operation unit 32, the rotation speed of the blower motor 43 is changed, but the rotation speed of the blower motor 43 is not changed automatically.

[0041] Next, the operation of the louvers 36 based on the dew point temperature during the clothes drying operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0042] When the normal mode is selected by a clothes drying switch (not shown) on the operation unit 32 and the clothes drying operation in the normal mode is started, the control unit 55 starts counting the execution time of the clothes drying operation with the timer 58, and calculates the dew point temperature with the calculation unit 63 based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 59 and the detection value of the humidity sensor 60 (step S101). After calculating the dew point temperature in the step S101, the control unit 55 compares the temperature of the evaporator 46a detected by the heat exchanger temperature sensor 64 with the dew point temperature and judges whether the temperature of the evaporator 46a is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature (step S102). If the control unit 55 judges in the step S102 that the temperature of the evaporator 46a is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature, it changes the mode setting of the clothes drying operation to the intensive mode and operates the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b with their tips close to each other (step S103).

[0043] When the intensive mode is set in step S103, the control unit 55 calculates the dew point temperature based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 59 and the detection value of the humidity sensor 60 in the calculation unit 63 (step S104). After calculating the dew point temperature in step S104, the control unit 55 compares the temperature of the evaporator 46a detected by the heat exchanger temperature sensor 64 with a value lower than the dew point temperature by a predetermined temperature A, and determines whether the temperature of the evaporator 46a is less than the value lower than the dew point temperature by the predetermined temperature A (step S105). When the control unit 55 determines in step S105 that the temperature of the evaporator 46a is less than the value lower than the dew point temperature by the predetermined temperature A, it changes the mode setting of the clothes drying operation to the normal mode, and operates the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b in a substantially parallel positional relationship (step S106).

[0044] After control unit 55 has determined in step S102 that the temperature of evaporator 46a is below the dew point temperature, or in step S105 that the temperature of evaporator 46a is equal to or higher than a value lower than the dew point temperature by a predetermined temperature A, or has completed the process of step S106, control unit 55 determines whether a preset time for the clothes drying operation has elapsed based on the count value of timer 58 (step S107), and if it has determined that the set time has elapsed, it stops driving blower motor 43 and compressor 45, operates louver 36 to a position that closes air outlet 31, and then stops louver motor 37 to end the clothes drying operation. If control unit 55 determines in step S107 that the set time has not elapsed, it repeats the process of step S101.

[0045] Next, the operation and effect of the control of the louvers 36 based on the dew point temperature during the clothes drying operation will be described.

[0046] If it is determined in step S102 that the temperature of the evaporator 46a is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature, the mode is changed from the normal mode to the intensive mode. As the clothes drying operation continues, the dehumidification action of the evaporator 46a reduces the humidity in the room, and the dew point temperature decreases. In the normal mode, the rotation speed of the compressor 45 and the blower motor 43 is constant, and the temperature of the evaporator 46a is equal to or lower than the temperature of the indoor air, so that the temperature of the evaporator 46a increases over time. When the temperature of the evaporator 46a reaches or exceeds the dew point temperature, condensation cannot be expected in the evaporator 46a, so that the dehumidification efficiency decreases, and the efficiency of the clothes drying decreases accordingly. If it is determined that this state has occurred, the clothes drying operation is changed from the normal mode to the intensive mode, so that the amount of air blown from the air outlet 31 decreases compared to the normal mode. As the amount of air blown from the air outlet 31 decreases, the amount of air passing through the evaporator 46a decreases, and the temperature of the evaporator 46a decreases over time.

[0047] By executing the intensive mode, the temperature of the evaporator 46a decreases over time, so that the amount of condensation on the evaporator 46a increases, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in the dehumidification efficiency. Also, since the angle of each louver 36 is changed so that the tips of the main louver 36a and the auxiliary louver 36b approach each other without changing the rotation speed of the blower motor 43, and the air speed from the air outlet 31 increases, clothes drying is performed with the air pressure of the air blown toward the clothes increased. It is possible to prevent a decrease in the efficiency of the clothes drying operation.

[0048] After changing to the intensive mode in step S103, if it is determined in step S105 that the temperature of the evaporator 46a is less than a value lower than the dew point temperature by a predetermined temperature A, the mode is changed to the normal mode in step S106. If the temperature of the evaporator 46a drops excessively due to the implementation of the intensive mode, and the dew water adhering to the evaporator 46a freezes, which may reduce the dehumidification efficiency, the normal mode is implemented in which the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b move back and forth in a substantially parallel position. The implementation of the normal mode increases the amount of air passing through the evaporator 46a and raises the temperature of the evaporator 46a, so that the dew water can be prevented from freezing, thereby preventing a decrease in the dehumidification efficiency, and since the amount of air blown from the air outlet 31 is increased compared to the intensive mode, clothes can be dried efficiently.

[0049] Next, the effects of the present invention will be described.

[0050] When the clothes drying operation is performed in the normal mode, the control unit 55 compares the temperature of the evaporator 46a detected by the heat exchanger temperature sensor 64 with the dew point temperature calculated by the calculation unit 63, and if it determines that the temperature of the evaporator 46a is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature, it changes to the concentrated mode and drives the shaft 38 to operate the louvers 36 in a direction to close the air outlet 31. Since the louvers 36 are operated in a direction to close the air outlet 31 at a timing when condensation is no longer expected at the evaporator 46a, the amount of air passing through the evaporator 46a decreases and the temperature of the evaporator 46a decreases. The amount of condensation at the evaporator 46a is increased to prevent a decrease in the dehumidification efficiency, and the air is blown from the air outlet 31 in a narrow range, thereby preventing a decrease in the efficiency of the clothes drying operation.

[0051] In addition, when the control unit 55 determines that the temperature of the evaporator 46a is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature during normal mode operation of the clothes drying operation, it compares the clothes drying operation mode with the normal mode and changes it to a concentrated mode in which the tips of the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b are brought closer to each other. When the tips of the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b are brought closer to each other, the air blown from the air outlet 31 is narrowed, and the amount of air blown from the air outlet 31 is reduced. As a result, the amount of air passing through the evaporator 46a is reduced, and the temperature of the evaporator 46a is reduced over time, improving the dehumidification efficiency. In addition, by blowing air with the tips of the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b brought closer to each other, air with an increased air speed can be sent to the clothes, so the clothes drying operation can be continued without reducing the efficiency of the clothes drying.

[0052] In addition, when the control unit 55 determines that the temperature of the evaporator 46a is above the dew point temperature and operates the louvers 36, if the control unit 55 determines that the temperature of the evaporator 46a is less than a value that is a predetermined temperature A lower than the dew point temperature, it drives the shaft 38 to operate each louver 36 in a direction to open the air outlet 31, and switches to the normal mode in which the main louvers 36a and auxiliary louvers 36b operate in a substantially parallel state and the amount of air blown is large, thereby preventing a decrease in dehumidification efficiency due to freezing of condensation water adhering to the evaporator 46a, and improving the efficiency of the clothes drying operation by increasing the amount of air blown.

[0053] In this embodiment, the air outlet 31 is divided into the main air outlet 31a and the auxiliary air outlet 31b, and the main louvers 36a and the auxiliary louvers 36b are provided for each air outlet 31. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a dehumidifier in which one louver 36 is provided for one air outlet 31. When the temperature of the evaporator 46a is detected by the heat exchanger temperature sensor 64 to be equal to or higher than the dew point temperature, the louvers 36 are operated in a direction to close the air outlet 31, and the amount of air passing through the evaporator 46a is reduced by reducing the amount of air sent from the air outlet 31. As a result, the temperature of the evaporator 46a decreases over time, and the dehumidification efficiency is prevented from decreasing, thereby preventing the efficiency of the clothes drying operation from decreasing.

[0054] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 dehumidifier 10. Chassis 31 Air outlet 36 Louver 36a Main Louver 36b Auxiliary louver 38 Axis 42 Sirocco fan (blower fan) 43 Blower motor 45 Compressor 45b Pressure reducing device 46 Heat exchanger 46a Evaporator 46b Condenser 47 Refrigerant pipe 55 Control section 63 Calculation unit (dew point temperature calculation means) 64 Heat exchanger temperature sensor

Claims

1. A housing and a refrigeration cycle housed in the housing and connected by refrigerant piping so that a refrigerant flows through a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device, and an evaporator in that order; A heat exchange temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the evaporator; a blower fan that blows air drawn into the housing out through an outlet; a louver that is installed at the air outlet and that can adjust the blowing direction of air blown out from the air outlet by driving a shaft; a dew point temperature calculation means for calculating a dew point temperature in a room in which the housing is installed; a control unit that drives the compressor, the blower fan, and the shaft to operate the louver and open the air outlet to control a clothes drying operation to dry clothes; The control unit compares the temperature of the evaporator detected by the heat exchanger temperature sensor during the clothes drying operation with the dew point temperature calculated by the dew point temperature calculation means, and if it determines that the temperature of the evaporator is higher than or equal to the dew point temperature, drives the shaft to operate the louvers in a direction to close the air outlet, except for a state in which the air outlet is completely closed.

2. The louvers are comprised of a main louver and an auxiliary louver that operate in a double-door manner by driving the shaft, The dehumidifier described in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit compares the temperature of the evaporator detected by the heat exchanger temperature sensor during the clothes drying operation with the dew point temperature calculated by the dew point temperature calculation means, and if it determines that the temperature of the evaporator is higher than or equal to the dew point temperature, drives the shaft to operate the main louver and auxiliary louver so that their tips approach each other.

3. The dehumidifier described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that after the control unit drives the shaft to operate the louvers in a direction to close the air outlet, if it determines that the temperature of the evaporator detected by the heat exchanger temperature sensor is less than a value that is a predetermined temperature A lower than the dew point temperature, the control unit drives the shaft to operate the louvers in a direction to open the air outlet.

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