Clothes dryer

Abstract

To provide a clothes dryer which has suppressed wrinkles formed on clothes due to a drying step.SOLUTION: A clothes dryer includes: an outer tub elastically supported in a housing; an inner tub provided so as to rotate around a rotary shaft passing a bottom part of the outer tub, inside the outer tub; a circulation flow passage connected to an outflow port provided at the bottom part of the outer tub; heating means for heating air supplied to the outer tub through the circulation flow passage; blower means for generating an airflow going toward a bottom part of the inner tub from the heating means passing through the outflow port of the outer tub, in the circulation flow passage; and guide means arranged in the outer tub, and for deflecting the flow direction of the air going toward the bottom part of the inner tub from the outflow port of the outer tub into the direction being separated from the rotary shaft.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a clothes dryer.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a clothes dryer having a dehumidifying means for dehumidifying air for drying clothes, a circulation air passage for circulating the drying air, and a back filter having an air outlet for blowing the drying air into a rotating drum.

[0003] In the clothes dryer described in Patent Document 1, the back filter blows the drying air downward into the rotating drum.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the clothes dryer described in Patent Document 1, when drying a small amount of clothes, wrinkles remained on the clothes after the drying process. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in terms of suppressing wrinkles formed on the clothes during the drying operation.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to solve the above problems and provide a clothes dryer that suppresses wrinkles formed on the clothes during the drying process.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A clothes dryer according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an outer tub elastically supported within a housing, an inner tub rotatably provided within the outer tub around a rotating shaft passing through the bottom of the outer tub, a circulation flow path connected to an outlet provided at the bottom of the outer tub, heating means for heating air supplied to the outer tub through the circulation flow path, blowing means for generating a flow of air from the heating means through the outlet of the outer tub and toward the bottom of the inner tub in the circulation flow path, and guide means disposed within the outer tub for deflecting the flow direction of the air from the outlet of the outer tub toward the bottom of the inner tub in a direction away from the rotating shaft.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a clothes dryer that suppresses wrinkles formed on clothes during the drying process.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6

Figure 7A

Figure 7B

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10A

Figure 10B

Figure 10C

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14A

Figure 14B

Figure 15

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] (Embodiment) The clothes dryer according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0011] [Overall Configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a clothes dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the clothes dryer 1. In FIGS. 2 and 3, for convenience, the housing 2 is omitted.

[0012] The clothes dryer 1 of the present embodiment is a washing and drying machine (so-called drum washing machine) having a washing function. As shown in FIG. 1, the clothes dryer 1 includes a housing 2, an outer tub 3, an inner tub 4, a drive unit 5, a heat pump device 6, a circulation flow path 8, a blowing means 9, a water supply valve 10, a drain valve 11, and a control unit 12.

[0013] [Housing] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 2 is a member that forms the appearance of the clothes dryer 1. An opening 20 and an openable and closable door 21 that covers the opening 20 are provided on the front surface of the housing 2.

[0014] [Outer Tub] The outer tub 3 is a substantially cylindrical member provided inside the housing 2 and having the function of storing washing water. The outer tub 3 is elastically supported by the suspension 30, and the suspension 30 absorbs vibrations during washing and dehydration. The outer tub 3 has an opening 31 at a position facing the opening 20 of the housing 2, and is hermetically connected to the opening 20 of the housing 2 by the bellows 32. The outer tub 3 is further provided with a plurality of openings 33, 34, 35. The openings 33, 34 are openings connected to the circulation flow path 8, and the opening 35 is a drain port for draining the water in the outer tub 3 to the outside.

[0015] <Inner tub> The inner tub 4 is a substantially cylindrical member rotatably provided inside the outer tub 3 and accommodating laundry 15 such as clothes. The inner tub 4 rotates around the rotary shaft V0 passing through the bottom 42. As shown in FIG. 2, a guide means 45 in which a large number of through holes 40 are formed is provided at the bottom 42 of the inner tub 4. The guide means 45 is a member that deflects the direction of air flowing into the inner tub 4 through the through holes 40. The inner tub 4 has an opening 41 facing the opening 20 and the opening 31 of the housing 2. The structure of the inner tub 4 will be described in detail later.

[0016] <Drive unit> Returning to FIG. 1, the drive unit 5 is a member that rotationally drives the inner tub 4 around the rotary shaft V0. The drive unit 5 has, for example, a motor that rotates the inner tub 4.

[0017] <Heat pump device> The heat pump device 6 is a device for dehumidifying and heating the air flowing through the circulation flow path 8. The heat pump device 6 is provided at the upper part of the housing 2. The heat pump device 6 forms an air inlet 60 into which air from the outer tub 3 flows and an air outlet 61 for discharging the dehumidified and heated air. The air inlet 60 is connected to the opening 33 of the outer tub 3 on the upstream side, and the air outlet 61 is connected to the opening 34 of the outer tub 3 on the downstream side.

[0018] The heat pump device 6 includes a case 62, a compressor 63, a throttling mechanism 64, a first heat exchanger 65, a second heat exchanger 66, a filter 67, and a refrigerant pipe 69.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the heat pump device 6. As shown in FIG. 4, inside the case 62, a compressor 63, a throttling mechanism 64, a first heat exchanger 65, a second heat exchanger 66, a filter 67, and a refrigerant pipe 69 are accommodated. In the case 62, an air inlet 60 and an air outlet 61 shown in FIG. 1 are formed, and an air flow path R0 through which air A0 flows is formed between the air inlet 60 and the air outlet 61. The compressor 63 is a member for compressing the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 69, and the throttling mechanism 64 is a member for decompressing the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 69. The first heat exchanger 65 is a heat exchanger (dehumidifying heat exchanger) for dehumidifying the air A0. The second heat exchanger 66 is provided on the downstream side of the first heat exchanger 65 and is a heat exchanger (heating heat exchanger) for heating the air A0. The filter 67 is a member for capturing and removing foreign substances such as lint, dust, and hair from the air A0 flowing from the air inlet 60 into the air flow path R0.

[0020] <Circulation flow path> The circulation flow path 8 is provided inside the housing 2 and is a flow path for circulating air between the outer tank 3 and the heat pump device 6. The circulation flow path 8 includes a first circulation flow path 81 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and a second circulation flow path 82 (FIGS. 1 and 3) as flow paths connecting the outer tank 3 and the heat pump device 6. The first circulation flow path 81 is a flow path connecting the opening 33 of the outer tank 3 and the air inlet 60. The second circulation flow path 82 is a flow path connecting the air outlet 61 and the opening 34 of the outer tank 3. The circulation flow path 8 also communicates with the inner tank 4 through a plurality of through holes 40.

[0021] <Air blowing means> The air blowing means 9 is a mechanism such as a fan that generates an air flow in the circulation flow path 8. By operating the air blowing means 9, an air flow that circulates through the circulation flow path 8 is generated (see arrow A).

[0022] <Water supply valve> The water supply valve 10 is a valve for supplying water to the outer tank 3. The water supply valve 10 is provided at the upper part of the housing 2.

[0023] <Drain valve> The drain valve 11 is a valve for selectively draining the water stored in the outer tub 3 through the opening 35 of the outer tub 3. The drain valve 11 is provided at the lower part of the housing 2.

[0024] <Control unit> The control unit 12 is a member that controls the operation of the clothes dryer 1. The control unit 12 controls the components of the clothes dryer 1 such as the drive unit 5, the compressor 63 of the heat pump device 6, the blowing means 9, the water supply valve 10, and the drain valve 11. The control unit 12 may include, for example, a memory (not shown) storing a program and a processing circuit (not shown) corresponding to a processor such as a CPU, and function as these elements when the processor executes the program.

[0025] Subsequently, the components of the inner tub 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 5A. FIG. 5A is an exploded view of the inner tub 4. The first axial direction M1 shown in FIG. 5A is a direction along the rotation axis V0 of the inner tub 4 from the bottom 42 toward the opening 41.

[0026] The inner tub 4 has a bottom 42 and a cylindrical portion 44. The bottom 42 is attached to the cylindrical portion 44 so as to close one end portion 43 of the cylindrical portion 44. The bottom 42 and the cylindrical portion 44 together define a space for accommodating the laundry 15. The bottom 42 and the cylindrical portion 44 are rotatably accommodated in the outer tub 3 (FIG. 1).

[0027] The cylindrical portion 44 forms the inner peripheral surface S1 of the inner tub 4 and is a cylindrical member extending along the first axial direction M1 between the end portion 43 and the opening 41. A through hole 49 penetrating in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 44 is formed in the cylindrical portion 44. The through hole 49 communicates with the outer tub 3, and washing water can flow from the outer tub 3 into the inner tub 4 through the through hole 49.

[0028] The bottom 42 is a disk-shaped member disposed to face the first axial direction M1. The bottom 42 has a guide means 45, a support portion 46, and a rear balancer 47.

[0029] A number of through-holes 40 are formed in the guide means 45. The through-holes 40 open along the first axial direction M1 of the cylindrical portion 44, and air flows from the outer tank 3 into the cylindrical portion 44 through the through-holes 40. The air flow passing through the guide means 45 will be described later. The guide means 45 is attached to the end portion 43 of the cylindrical portion 44 via the support portion 46. The support portion 46 is fixed to the end portion 43 of the cylindrical portion 44 while gripping the guide means 45. The support portion 46 is, for example, screwed to the cylindrical portion 44. With such a configuration, the support portion 46 indirectly fixes the guide means 45 to the cylindrical portion 44 and improves the strength of the bottom portion 42. The rear balancer 47 contains liquid inside and suppresses the vibration of the rotating inner tank 4.

[0030] Figure 5B is an exploded view of the guide means 45 and the support portion 46, showing the positional relationship between the guide means 45 and the support portion 46. As shown in Figure 5B, the support portion 46 forms an opening 50, and the opening 50 faces a mesh portion 54 (to be described later) of the guide means 45 and communicates with the through-holes 40.

[0031] With reference to FIGS. 6, 7A and 7B, the structure of the guide means 45 will be described in more detail. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the guide means 45. FIG. 7A is an enlarged view of the guide means 45. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the guide means 45 taken along line V-V of FIG. 7A. FIGS. 6, 7A and 7B show the central direction K1 (first radial direction), the outer peripheral direction K2 (second radial direction) and the second axial direction M2. The central direction K1 is the direction from the outer periphery of the guide means 45 toward the rotation axis V0 of the inner tank 4. The outer peripheral direction K2 is opposite to the central direction K1 and is the direction away from the rotation axis V0 of the inner tank 4. Also, a position advanced along the central direction K1 may be referred to as the central side, and a position advanced along the outer peripheral direction K2 may be referred to as the outer side. In the present embodiment, the central direction K1 and the outer peripheral direction K2 are horizontal directions, but are not limited thereto and may be inclined downward or upward. The second axial direction M2 is opposite to the first axial direction M1.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A, the guide means 45 has a central portion 51, an annular outer peripheral portion 52, a rod-shaped portion 53, and a mesh portion 54. The rotation axis V0 of the inner tank 4 passes through the central portion 51. The rod-shaped portion 53 extends radially between the central portion 51 and the outer peripheral portion 52. The mesh portion 54 is defined by the rod-shaped portion 53 into a plurality of regions, and a plurality of through holes 40 are formed in each region. The central portion 51, the outer peripheral portion 52, and the rod-shaped portion 53 face the support portion 46 (FIG. 5B). On the other hand, the mesh portion 54 overlaps with the opening 50 defined by the support portion 46.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 7B, on the outer peripheral portion 52, on the second axis direction M2 side, there is a rotary guide 55. The rotary guide 55 is a member having an annular groove and is loosely fitted with a groove (not shown) of the outer tank 3. Due to the structure in which the grooves fit together with each other, a pressure loss occurs, and the outflow of the dry air into the space between the inner tank 4 and the outer tank 3 can be suppressed.

[0034] Here, the mesh portion 54 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 7B, the mesh portion 54 extends between the central portion 51 and the outer peripheral portion 52 and has, in order along the outer peripheral direction K2, an inclined portion 54A, a flat portion 54B, and an inclined portion 54C.

[0035] The inclined portion 54A is inclined toward the second axis direction M2 as it advances in the outer peripheral direction K2. The flat portion 54B is formed along the outer peripheral direction K2 from the outer end of the inclined portion 54A. The inclined portion 54C is inclined toward the first axis direction M1 as it advances in the outer peripheral direction K2 from the outer end of the flat portion 54B. The inclination of the inclined portion 54C is opposite to the inclination of the inclined portion 54A. With such a configuration, the mesh portion 54 protrudes in the direction opposite to the flow of the air A0. Also, the inclination of the inclined portion 54A may be steeper than the inclination of the inclined portion 54C. In the present embodiment, the inclined portions 54A and 54C are linearly inclined, but they may be inclined by a plurality of angles.

[0036] A plurality of through-holes 40 are formed in each of the inclined portion 54A, the flat portion 54B, and the inclined portion 54C. The through-holes 40 are formed along the first axial direction M1. The wall portions defining the through-holes 40 in the inclined portion 54A, the flat portion 54B, and the inclined portion 54C are along the first axial direction M1. The inclined portion 54A, the flat portion 54B, and the inclined portion 54C may have equal thicknesses along the first axial direction M1.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 7A, the opening area of a single through-hole 40 as viewed from the first axial direction M1 decreases along the central direction K1. As shown in FIG. 7B, the opening area of the through-hole 40 becomes smaller in the order of the inclined portion 54C, the flat portion 54B, and the inclined portion 54A. Also, in the inclined portion 54A, the interval between adjacent through-holes 40 is larger compared with the flat portion 54B and the inclined portion 54C. Since the inclined portion 54A is not located on the front surface of the second circulation passage 82 as shown in FIG. 10A described later, it is difficult for the air that has passed through the second circulation passage 82 to reach. Therefore, the flow of air passing through the inclined portion 54A does not significantly affect the air A0 passing through the flat portion 54B and the inclined portion 54C.

[0038] The guide means 45 may be formed by insert molding.

[0039] Subsequently, with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10C, the positional relationship between the guide means 45 and the second circulation passage 82 will be described. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the outer tub 3. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the inner tub 4. FIG. 10A is a perspective sectional view of the clothes dryer 1. FIG. 10B is an enlarged view of the bottom portion 42 of the inner tub 4 near the opening 34. FIG. 10C is a schematic diagram of the clothes dryer 1 near the opening 34 in a cross section along the line X-X of FIG. 10B. In FIGS. 8 to 10C, only a part of the second circulation passage 82 is shown, and in FIG. 9, the illustration of the outer tub 3 is omitted. The circumferential direction L1 shown in FIGS. 8 to 10A is the rotation direction of the inner tub 4.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 8, the second circulation channel 82 is connected to an opening 34 provided at the bottom 36 of the outer tub 3. The bottom 36 of the outer tub 3 faces the bottom 42 (not shown) of the inner tub 4, and the rotation axis V0 passes through the center of the bottom 36. The opening 34 is provided near the center of the bottom 36 of the outer tub 3, that is, at a position where the rotation axis V0 passes. When viewed in the horizontal direction (Y direction), the opening 34 is provided above the rotation axis V0. Further, when the outer tub 3 is viewed from the rotation axis V0, at the bottom 36 of the outer tub 3, the opening 34 is provided obliquely above the rotation axis V0. With such a configuration, the second circulation channel 82 can be configured to be short, so that the pressure loss in the second circulation channel 82 can be avoided. Further, when there is a large amount of laundry 15, air can be discharged from near the center, so that the drying efficiency of the laundry 15 is improved.

[0041] The second circulation channel 82 is bent near an end connected to the opening 34 and extends upward as it is. With such a configuration, the number of bent portions of the second circulation channel 82 is reduced, the pressure loss in the second circulation channel 82 is suppressed, an increase in the dimension of the outer tub 3 in the second axial direction M2 is suppressed, and space saving can be realized.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10A, the second circulation channel 82 faces the guide means 45 of the inner tub 4 through an opening 34 (FIG. 10A) provided at the bottom 36 of the outer tub 3. While the second circulation channel 82 and the outer tub 3 (FIG. 10A) are fixed, the inner tub 4 rotates in the circumferential direction L1 and in the reverse direction. As shown in FIG. 10B, due to the rotation of the inner tub 4, the opening 34 and the mesh portion 54 of the guide means 45 face each other. In this state, the second circulation channel 82 (FIG. 10A) communicates with the inside of the cylindrical portion 44 through the opening 34 and a through hole 40 provided in the mesh portion 54. Further, even when the rod-shaped portion 53 (FIG. 9) crosses the opening 34, since the opening 34 has a dimension larger than that of the rod-shaped portion 53 along the circumferential direction L1, the communication between the second circulation channel 82 and the inner tub 4 can be partially maintained.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 10C, the end of the second circulation channel 82 faces the inclined portion 54C and the flat portion 54B through the opening 34 of the outer tub 3 along the first axial direction M1. With such a configuration, the air A0 flowing through the second circulation channel 82 preferentially flows into the cylindrical portion 44 through the inclined portion 54C and the flat portion 54B.

[0044] Also, in the inclined portion 54C, the distance D along the first axial direction M1 between the opening 34 and the inclined portion 54C increases along the outer circumferential direction K2. The distance D is minimum at the inner end of the inclined portion 54C and maximum at the outer end of the inclined portion 54C.

[0045] [Operation] In the above configuration, next, an example of the operation of the clothes dryer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a schematic system diagram of the clothes dryer 1.

[0046] The operation of the clothes dryer 1 includes a washing process, a rinsing process, a dehydration process, and a drying process. The control unit 12 sequentially controls each process.

[0047] In the washing process, the laundry 15 is placed in the inner tub 4, and water is supplied to the outer tub 3 until a predetermined water level is reached with the drain valve 11 (FIG. 1) closed. The inner tub 4 is rotated by the drive unit 5 to perform the washing process of the laundry 15. Also in the rinsing process after the washing process, water is supplied to the outer tub 3 in the same manner as in the washing process, and the inner tub 4 is rotated to rinse the laundry 15. In the dehydration process, after opening the drain valve 11 to drain the washing water to the outside of the housing 2, the inner tub 4 containing the laundry 15 is rotated at high speed by the drive unit 5 to perform dehydration.

[0048] Subsequently, in the drying process, the control unit 12 operates the compressor 63 and the blowing means 9 to dry the laundry 15.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 11, when the compressor 63 operates, the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant pipe 69 along the arrow B. The refrigerant is compressed in the compressor 63 and circulates in the refrigerant pipe 69 in the order of the compressor 63, the second heat exchanger 66, the throttling mechanism 64, and the first heat exchanger 65 due to the pressure. In the second heat exchanger 66, the refrigerant is cooled by the heat exchange between the refrigerant heated to a high temperature by compression and the air A0, and the air A0 is heated. In the throttling mechanism 64, the refrigerant is further cooled by depressurization, and in the first heat exchanger 65, the refrigerant is heated by the heat exchange between the refrigerant at a low temperature and the air A0, and the air A0 is cooled.

[0050] When the blowing means 9 operates, the circulation of the air A0 in the clothes dryer 1 occurs.

[0051] The air A0 in the inner tub 4 takes moisture from the laundry 15 when passing through the gaps of the laundry 15 that rotates the inner tub 4 and stirs it up and down. The air A0 in a wet state flows into the heat pump device 6 from the air inlet 60 through the opening 33 of the outer tub 3 and the first circulation passage 81. After passing through the filter 67, the wet air A0 passes through the first heat exchanger 65, so that sensible heat and latent heat are taken away, dehumidified water is separated from the low-temperature air A0, and the air is dehumidified. The low-temperature air A0 is heated by the second heat exchanger 66 to become dry warm air, and flows again into the outer tub 3 and the inner tub 4 from the opening 34 through the air outlet 61 and the second circulation passage 82. By repeating the above operations, circulating the air A0, drying and heating the wet air A0 in the inner tub 4 and returning it to the inner tub 4, the drying of the laundry 15 proceeds.

[0052] In the drying process, when there is little laundry 15, due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the inner tub 4, the laundry 15 gathers on the inner peripheral surface S1 of the cylindrical portion 44 of the inner tub 4, and the spread of the laundry 15 is hindered. Therefore, the laundry 15 is dried in a curled state, and wrinkles are likely to be formed on the laundry 15. In order to promote the drying of a small amount of laundry 15 and suppress the formation of wrinkles, the clothes dryer 1 according to the present disclosure deflects the flow of the air A0 using the guide means 45 as shown in FIG. 10C.

[0053] Here, when the mesh portion 54 faces the opening 34, the air A0 passing through the guide means 45 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 10C and 12. FIG. 12 is a front view of the bottom portion 42 of the inner tub 4.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 10C, the air A0 flowing through the second circulation passage 82 passes through the through-hole 40 formed by the inclined portion 54C and the flat portion 54B of the mesh portion 54 through the opening 34. to When the air A0 passes through the through-hole 40, the speed of the air A0 increases compared to the flow in the second circulation passage 82. Then, when the air A0 leaves the through-hole 40, the air A0 decelerates. Here, focusing on the air A0 after passing through the inclined portion 54C, in the air A0 on the VI-VI line along the outer peripheral direction K2, the distance that the air A0 has flowed after flowing out of the through-hole 40 becomes smaller along the outer peripheral direction K2. Therefore, in the air A0 on the VI-VI line, the speed becomes larger along the outer peripheral direction K2. Due to the speed distribution of the air A0, a negative pressure is generated toward the outside. Therefore, the air A0 after passing through the inclined portion 54C is pulled in the outer peripheral direction K2 away from the rotation axis V0 by the speed distribution of the air A0 and is deflected horizontally toward the inner peripheral surface S1 of the cylindrical portion 44 of the inner tub 4 as shown in FIG. 12. In other words, the air A0 flows in a direction away from the vertical plane including the rotation axis V0.

[0055] The air A0 may be deflected in a direction inclined upward with respect to the horizontal direction (outer peripheral direction K2) away from the rotation axis V0. The deflection direction of the air A0 may be inclined upward at an angle of 90° or less with respect to the horizontal direction away from the rotation axis V0. When the air A0 is deflected upward, more air A0 can be applied to the laundry 15 that falls in the falling direction B0 away from the inner peripheral surface S1 of the cylindrical portion 44 as described later.

[0056] On the other hand, the air A0 passing through the flat portion 54B is attracted by the air A0 that has passed through and been deflected by the inclined portion 54C and is deflected toward the inner peripheral surface S1 of the cylindrical portion 44 of the inner tub 4.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 12, when there is a small amount of laundry 15, due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the inner tub 4, the laundry 15 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface S1 of the inner tub 4. Therefore, the laundry 15 rotates along the inner peripheral surface S1 of the inner tub 4. On the other hand, when the laundry 15 rotates to a certain height, due to the gravity of the laundry 15, the laundry 15 separates from the inner peripheral surface S1 and begins to fall in the falling direction B0, floating and spreading in the inner tub 4. Air A0 hits the spread laundry 15 from the outer peripheral direction K2, and the laundry 15 is dried. Therefore, in the laundry 15, the formation of wrinkles can be suppressed. Further, as shown in FIG. 10C, since the falling direction B0 of the laundry 15 and the direction in which the air A0 flows (outer peripheral direction K2) intersect, the air A0 can be applied to the laundry 15 for a longer time.

[0058] Also, when there is a large amount of laundry 15, the cylindrical portion 44 is clogged with the laundry 15. Since the air A0 flows out from the opening 34 (FIG. 10A) formed near the center of the bottom portion 36, the air A0 can be applied to the laundry 15 clogged in the central portion of the cylindrical portion 44 for drying.

[0059] (Example) Regarding the above drying process, the clothes dryer 1 having the guiding means 45 of the present disclosure was compared with a conventional clothes dryer having the guiding means 45 in which the mesh portion 54 is inclined in the first axial direction M1 along the central direction K1. 3 kg of laundry 15 including 100% cotton clothes, 100% chemical fiber clothes, and blended clothes was put into each of the inner tub 4 of the clothes dryer 1 and the inner tub of the conventional clothes dryer, and the drying process was performed.

[0060] As the conditions of the drying process, the rotation speed of the inner tub was 58 rpm, and the reverse cycle of the inner tub was 10 seconds. By setting the rotation speed to 58 rpm, compared with the drying process using a low rotation speed, the centrifugal force received by the laundry 15 increases, and the laundry 15 separates from the inner peripheral surface of the inner tub at a higher position in the inner tub. Therefore, compared with the drying process using a low rotation speed, the laundry 15 floats in the air for a longer time. Also, by setting the reverse cycle of the inner tub to 10 seconds, the entanglement of the laundry 15 can be suppressed.

[0061] As an evaluation index for evaluating the finish of the dried laundry 15, the wrinkle score was used. The wrinkle score is an index for relatively evaluating the number of wrinkles, and a state where no wrinkles are formed on the laundry 15 is set to a full score of 10 points. The wrinkle score of the laundry 15 dried by a conventional clothes dryer was 6.4. The wrinkle score of the laundry 15 dried by the clothes dryer 1 was 7.0. Therefore, it was found that the clothes dryer 1 using the guide means 45 for deflecting the drying air A0 can suppress the formation of wrinkles in the laundry 15.

[0062] Summarizing the above description, the features of the present disclosure will be described.

[0063] The clothes dryer 1 according to the embodiment can deflect the air A0 to the inner peripheral surface S1 of the inner tub 4 by using the inclined portion 54C of the guide means 45. Since the air A0 is deflected by the structure of the guide means 45, the pressure loss that may occur when the circulation passage 8 is modified can be suppressed.

[0064] When drying a small amount of laundry 15, the laundry 15 rotates together with the inner peripheral surface S1 of the inner tub 4 due to centrifugal force, and when it reaches a height where gravity exceeds the centrifugal force, the laundry 15 begins to separate from the inner peripheral surface S1. By deflecting the air A0, the air A0 intersects with the falling direction B0 of the laundry 15. Therefore, until the laundry 15 falls downward immediately after leaving the inner peripheral surface S1 of the inner tub 4, the air A0 can be applied to the floating and spreading laundry 15 for a longer time. Therefore, wrinkles formed in the laundry 15 by the drying process can be suppressed. Further, due to the arrangement of the opening 34, the air A0 flows out from near the rotation axis V0 of the inner tub 4, so that the drying performance can be maintained even when there is a large amount of laundry 15.

[0065] [Effect] According to the clothes dryer 1 according to the embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0066] As described above, the clothes dryer 1 of the present embodiment includes an outer tub 3, an inner tub 4, a circulation flow path 8, a heat pump device 6 (heating means), a blowing means 9, and a guide means 45. The outer tub 3 is elastically supported within the housing 2. The inner tub 4 is rotatably provided within the outer tub 3 around a rotating shaft V0 that passes through the bottom 36 of the outer tub 3. The circulation flow path 8 is connected to an opening 34 (outlet) provided at the bottom 36 of the outer tub 3. The heat pump device 6 heats the air A0 supplied to the outer tub 3 through the circulation flow path 8. The blowing means 9 generates a flow of the air A0 that passes from the heat pump device 6 through the opening 34 of the outer tub 3 and toward the bottom 42 of the inner tub 4 in the circulation flow path 8. The guide means 45 is disposed within the outer tub 3 and deflects the flow direction of the air A0 from the opening 34 of the outer tub 3 toward the bottom 42 of the inner tub 4 in the outer peripheral direction K2 away from the rotating shaft V0.

[0067] With such a configuration, the air A0 can be deflected in the outer peripheral direction K2 using the guide means 45. When the air A0 is deflected, the falling direction B0 of the laundry 15 away from the inner peripheral surface S1 intersects with the air A0. Therefore, the air A0 can be applied to the floating and spread-out laundry 15 for a longer time. Thus, wrinkles formed on the laundry 15 during the drying process can be suppressed.

[0068] Further, in the clothes dryer 1 of the present embodiment, the guide means 45 includes a structure that forms a through-hole 40 (opening) through which the air A0 passes and changes at least one of the flow velocity, pressure, or flow rate of the air A0 flowing into the outer tub 3.

[0069] With such a configuration, the air A0 can be directed toward the inner peripheral surface S1 of the inner tub 4.

[0070] Further, in the clothes dryer 1 of the present embodiment, the guide means 45 includes a mesh portion 54 attached to the bottom 42 of the inner tub 4.

[0071] With such a configuration, by passing the air A0 through the mesh portion 54, the air A0 can be directed toward the inner peripheral surface S1 of the inner tub 4.

[0072] Further, in the clothes dryer 1 of the present embodiment, the mesh portion 54 has a shape in which the distance D (interval) from the opening 34 increases as it moves away from the rotation axis V0 at a position facing the opening 34 of the outer tub 3.

[0073] With such a configuration, the air A0 that has passed through the mesh portion 54 far from the rotation axis V0 has a higher speed compared to the air A0 that has passed through the mesh portion 54 close to the rotation axis V0. Therefore, the air A0 that has passed through the mesh portion 54 can be deflected in a direction away from the rotation axis V0 toward the inner peripheral surface S1 of the inner tub 4.

[0074] Further, in the clothes dryer 1 of the present embodiment, the opening 34 of the outer tub 3 faces the bottom 42 of the inner tub 4 at a position diagonally above the rotation axis V0.

[0075] With such a configuration, the air A0 can be applied to the laundry 15 at a higher position.

[0076] Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be implemented in various other modes. Although the case where the clothes dryer 1 is a drum-type washing machine having a washing function has been described, it is not limited to such a case. It may not have a washing function. Any clothes dryer may be used as long as it has heating means for heating air.

[0077] Note that although the example in which the heat pump device 6 is disposed in the upper part of the housing 2 has been described, it is not limited to such a case. The heat pump device 6 may be disposed at any position such as the lower part of the housing 2 as long as it is inside the housing 2.

[0078] Note that although the example in which the heat pump device 6 having two heat exchangers 65 and 66 is provided has been described, it is not limited to such a case. The clothes dryer 1 may have heating means such as a heater instead of the heat pump device 6.

[0079] Although an example in which the guide means 45 has the inclined portion 54C has been described, the present invention is not limited to such a case. The guide means 45 may have another configuration that deflects the air A0 in a direction away from the rotation axis V0 of the inner tank 4. For example, as shown in Modification 1 or Modification 2 described later, the guide means 45 may have a mesh portion 54 having a shape different from that of the present embodiment. Further, the guide means 45 may have another configuration having a fluid deflection function without having the mesh portion 54. The guide means 45 has, for example, fins that deflect the air A0.

[0080] (Modification 1) FIG. 13 is a front view of the mesh portion 154 of Modification 1. In Modification 1, the mesh portion 154 is different from the mesh portion 54 of the embodiment in that it does not have the inclined portion 54C.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 13, the mesh portion 154 is a flat plate-like member in which through holes 140 are formed. In the mesh portion 154, the arrangement interval of the through holes 140 becomes smaller along the outer peripheral direction K2 away from the rotation axis V0. With such a configuration, the aperture ratio of the through holes 140 increases along the outer peripheral direction K2. The aperture ratio is the aperture area per unit area. In the mesh portion 154, the aperture ratio of the through holes 140B on the center side disposed near the rotation axis V0 is smaller than the aperture ratio of the through holes 140A on the outside. The aperture ratio of the through holes 140 may change uniformly along the outer peripheral direction K2. Further, the mesh portion 154 may be divided into three regions: the center side, the central portion, and the outside, and the aperture ratio of the through holes 140 may be changed for each region.

[0082] Here, when the mesh portion 154 faces the opening 34, the flow of the air A0 passing through the mesh portion 154 will be described. The pressure loss of the air A0 passing through the through-hole 140A having a large aperture ratio is smaller than the pressure loss of the air A0 passing through the through-hole 140B having a small aperture ratio. Therefore, the velocity of the air A0 passing through the through-hole 140A is larger than the velocity of the air A0 passing through the through-hole 140B. Due to the velocity distribution of the air A0 formed in this way, the air A0 on the center side is pulled by the outer air A0 with a large velocity. Therefore, the air A0 passing through the mesh portion 154 is deflected in the outer circumferential direction K2. Accordingly, even when the mesh portion 154 is used instead of the mesh portion 54, in the drying process, the laundry 15 can be separated from the inner circumferential surface S1 of the inner tub 4 and float in the inner tub 4, and the air A0 can be applied to the laundry 15.

[0083] In addition, in the first modification, an example of increasing the aperture ratio by reducing the arrangement interval of the through-holes 140 has been described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, along the outer circumferential direction K2, the opening area of the through-holes 140 may be increased.

[0084] (Second Modification) FIG. 14A is a front view of the mesh portion 254 of the second modification, and FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 14A. In the second modification, it is different from the mesh portion 54 of the embodiment in that the thickness of the mesh portion 254 changes.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 14A, the mesh portion 254 is a plate-like member in which the through holes 240 are formed. As shown in FIG. 14B, the mesh portion 254 has a first main surface P1 and a second main surface P2. Although not shown, the first main surface P1 faces the second circulation passage 82, and the second main surface P2 faces the inner tub 4. The through holes 240 extend along the first axial direction M1 from the first main surface P1 to the second main surface P2. With respect to the air A0, the first main surface P1 forms the through holes 240 on the inlet side (upstream side), and the second main surface P2 forms the through holes 240 on the outlet side (downstream side). The first main surface P1 is formed along the outer peripheral direction K2, and the second main surface P2 is inclined in a direction away from the first main surface P1 (the first axial direction M1) along the outer peripheral direction K2. Therefore, the thickness of the mesh portion 254 and the length (opening length) of the through holes 240 along the first axial direction M1 increase along the outer peripheral direction K2. In the mesh portion 254, the opening length of the through hole 240B on the center side is smaller than the opening length of the through hole 240A on the outer side.

[0086] Here, when the mesh portion 254 faces the opening 34, the flow of the air A0 passing through the mesh portion 254 will be described. On the downstream side of the mesh portion 254, the distance between the plane along the outer peripheral direction K2 and the second main surface P2 becomes smaller along the outer peripheral direction K2. Therefore, in the air A0 after passing through the through holes 240, the deceleration of the air A0 is suppressed and the speed increases along the outer peripheral direction K2. Due to the velocity distribution of the air A0 formed in this way, the air A0 on the center side is pulled by the air A0 on the outer side with a high speed. Therefore, the air A0 passing through the mesh portion 254 is deflected in the outer peripheral direction K2. Therefore, even when the mesh portion 254 is used instead of the mesh portion 54, in the drying process, the laundry 15 can be made to float in the inner tub 4 away from the inner peripheral surface S1 of the inner tub 4, and the air A0 can be applied to the laundry 15.

[0087] Also, as shown in FIG. 15, the first main surface P1 and the second main surface P2 of the mesh portion 254 may be arranged in opposite directions with respect to the first axial direction M1. In this case, on the downstream side of the mesh portion 254, the distance between the plane along the outer peripheral direction K2 and the second main surface P2 becomes constant along the outer peripheral direction K2. Therefore, the influence of the opening length on the air A0 is greater than the deceleration of the air A0 after passing through the through hole 240. Therefore, the mesh portion 254 is arranged so that the opening length decreases along the outer peripheral direction K2. More specifically, the mesh portion 254 is arranged such that the through hole 240A is formed on the center side and the through hole 240B is formed on the outer side. By arranging in this way, the pressure loss with respect to the air A0 passing through the through hole 240 becomes small and the speed becomes large along the outer peripheral direction K2. Due to the velocity distribution of the air A0 formed in this way, it is pulled by the outer air A0 with a high speed.

[0088] The present disclosure is fully described in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, but various modifications and corrections will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and corrections should be understood to be included therein as long as they do not depart from the scope of the present invention according to the appended claims.

Industrial Applicability

[0089] The clothes dryer of the present disclosure can suppress wrinkles formed on clothes during the drying process, and thus is useful as a household clothes dryer, a commercial clothes dryer, or any type of washing and drying machine (for example, a household drum washing machine).

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0090] 1 Clothes dryer 2 Housing 3 Outer tub 4 Inner tub 5 Driving unit 6 Heat pump device 8 Circulation flow path 9 Blowing means 10 Water supply valve 11 Drain valve 12 Control unit 15 Laundry 34 Opening 40 Through-hole 42 Bottom 44 Cylindrical part 45 Guide means 54 Mesh part 54A Inclined part 54B Flat part 54C Inclined part 60 Air inlet 61 Air outlet 62 Case 63 Compressor 64 Throttling mechanism 65 First heat exchanger 66 Second heat exchanger A0 Air V0 Rotating shaft R0 Air flow path R1 Region M1, M2 Axial direction K1 Center direction K2 Peripheral direction

Claims

1. an outer tub elastically supported within a housing, an inner tub rotatably provided within the outer tub around a rotating shaft passing through the bottom of the outer tub, a circulation flow path connected to an outlet provided at the bottom of the outer tub, heating means for heating air supplied to the outer tub through the circulation flow path, blowing means for generating a flow of air in the circulation flow path that passes through the heating means, passes through the outlet of the outer tub, and heads toward the bottom of the inner tub, guide means provided at the bottom of the inner tub and having a plurality of openings through which the air passes, comprising, the guide means having a mesh portion having the plurality of openings, the mesh portion having a first inclined portion that inclines forward as it extends from the rotating shaft in the outer peripheral direction, the outlet faces the first inclined portion, and the flow velocity of the air exiting the outlet is greater on the side away from the rotating shaft than on the side closer to the rotating shaft at a virtual line orthogonal to the rotating shaft downstream of the plurality of openings. A clothes dryer.

2. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the mesh portion is formed such that the plurality of openings are substantially parallel to the rotating shaft direction and / or has a shape in which the opening ratio on the side away from the rotating shaft is larger than the opening ratio on the side closer to the rotating shaft.

3. The guide means has a central portion, an annular outer peripheral portion, rod-shaped portions radially extending between the central portion and the outer peripheral portion, and the mesh portion defined by the rod-shaped portions into a plurality of regions, the mesh portion is composed of a second inclined portion that inclines rearward as it extends from the rotating shaft in the outer peripheral direction at the bottom of the inner tub, a flat portion formed along the outer peripheral direction from the outer end of the second inclined portion, and the first inclined portion that inclines forward as it extends from the outer end of the flat portion in the outer peripheral direction, The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outlet faces the flat portion and the first inclined portion.

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