Dryer

Abstract

To provide a drying machine whose drying performance and usability can be improved when the amount of contained items to be dried is reduced after a drying cycle has begun.SOLUTION: A washing / drying machine 1 includes a container drum 5 which contains laundry L, a supply unit 9 which supplies hot air into the container drum 5, and a control unit 20. The control unit 20 detects the amount of the laundry L contained in the container drum 5. The control unit 20 executes a drying operation in which the laundry L in the container drum 5 is dried through the control on the supply unit 9. The control unit 20 determines an operation condition for the drying operation according to the amount contained which has been detected. The control unit 20 operates to provide an error notification via a display operation unit 11 when the amount contained which has been detected after the commencement of the drying operation exceeds a certain amount. When a certain event occurs after the commencement of the provision of the error notification, the control unit 20 corrects the operation condition and continues the drying operation according to the corrected operation condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] The washer-dryer described in Patent Document 1 below includes an outer box with a door and an operation panel, an outer tub disposed within the outer box, an inner tub rotatably disposed within the outer tub, and a hot air supply device that supplies hot air to laundry in the inner tub. When a user places laundry in the inner tub and closes the door, and then operates the operation panel to start a drying operation, the washer-dryer detects the amount of laundry stored in the inner tub. If the amount of laundry stored exceeds the drying capacity, the operation panel displays a warning indicating this to the user. If the user then removes some of the laundry from the inner tub to reduce the capacity, the capacity falls below the drying capacity, preventing uneven or insufficient drying of the laundry in the inner tub during the drying operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-168895 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Although not described in Patent Document 1, in conventional dryers, when the capacity of laundry or other items to be dried is detected, the operating conditions for the drying operation are determined based on the detected capacity, and the drying operation is performed based on these operating conditions. Even if the user reduces the capacity in response to a warning from the drying capacity excess display unit, as in the washer-dryer described in Patent Document 1, if the operating conditions remain unchanged, the drying operation continues based on the operating conditions corresponding to the capacity before the reduction. This can result in the items being overdried, which can result in the desired drying performance not being achieved. However, with conventional dryers, if the user wants to change the operating conditions to match the reduced capacity after the drying operation has started, the user must restart the drying operation by, for example, turning the power off and on again, and resetting the dryer, leaving room for improvement in terms of usability.

[0005] The present invention has been made against this background, and aims to provide a dryer that can improve drying performance and usability when the amount of materials to be dried is reduced after the start of drying operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a dryer including a storage tank for storing objects to be dried, a supply unit for supplying hot air into the storage tank, a capacity detection unit for detecting the capacity of the objects to be dried in the storage tank, and a control unit for performing a drying operation to dry the objects to be dried in the storage tank by controlling the supply unit, the control unit determining the operating conditions of the drying operation based on the capacity detected by the capacity detection unit, and an alarm unit for alarming an error if the capacity detected by the capacity detection unit exceeds a predetermined amount after the start of the drying operation, wherein if a predetermined event occurs after the alarm unit starts to alarm, the control unit corrects the operating conditions and continues the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the predetermined event is the temporary suspension of the drying operation.

[0008] The present invention is also characterized in that the storage tank is provided with an entrance / exit for putting objects to be dried into and removing them from the storage tank, the dryer includes a door for opening and closing the entrance / exit and an opening / closing detection unit for detecting the opening / closing of the door, and the specified event is the opening / closing detection unit detecting the opening / closing of the door.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, if the capacity redetected by the capacity detection unit after the occurrence of the specified event is equal to or less than the specified capacity, the control unit corrects the operating conditions and continues the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the operating condition is an operating time of the drying operation or a reference temperature for determining whether to terminate the drying operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, when items to be dried are placed in the storage tub of a dryer, the control unit determines operating conditions, such as the operating time for the drying operation or the reference temperature for terminating the drying operation, based on the amount of items detected by the storage capacity detection unit, and then performs the drying operation based on these operating conditions. During the drying operation, the items to be dried in the storage tub are dried using hot air supplied by the supply unit into the storage tub. If the amount of items detected by the storage capacity detection unit after the start of the drying operation exceeds a predetermined amount, i.e., if the drying capacity is exceeded, the notification unit issues an error notification. Therefore, the user can reduce the storage capacity to below the predetermined amount by removing some of the items to be dried after the error notification begins. If a predetermined event occurs related to the user's action to reduce the storage capacity, the control unit corrects the operating conditions and continues the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions. Therefore, by performing the drying operation based on operating conditions corresponding to the reduced storage capacity, the items to be dried in the storage tub can be properly dried, thereby improving drying performance. Furthermore, the operating conditions can be changed to match the reduced capacity without having to turn the dryer on and restart the drying operation, improving usability.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the present invention, if the user temporarily suspends the drying operation to reduce the amount of items to be dried after the error notification has begun, the control unit may determine that the aforementioned specified event has occurred, correct the operating conditions, and continue the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions.

[0013] Furthermore, according to the present invention, if the opening / closing detection unit detects that the user has opened and closed the door of the storage tank to reduce the amount of items to be dried after the error notification has begun, the control unit may determine that the aforementioned specified event has occurred, correct the operating conditions, and continue the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the present invention, even if a predetermined event occurs in which the user reduces the amount of items to be dried, the control unit may correct the operating conditions and continue the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions only if the amount of items redetected by the amount detection unit has decreased to a predetermined amount or less. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional right side view of a washing / drying machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the washer / dryer. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing a washing and drying operation performed by the washing and drying machine. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a drying operation performed by the washer-dryer. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a drying operation according to a modified example. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a correction process during a drying operation. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a correction process according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional right side view of a washer / dryer 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] In the following, the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1 is referred to as the left-right direction X of the washer-dryer 1, the left-right direction in FIG. 1 is referred to as the front-rear direction Y of the washer-dryer 1, and the up-down direction in FIG. 1 is referred to as the up-down direction Z of the washer-dryer 1. In the left-right direction X, the back side in the plane of FIG. 1 is referred to as the left side X1, and the front side in the plane of FIG. 1 is referred to as the right side X2. In the front-rear direction Y, the left side in FIG. 1 is referred to as the front side Y1, and the right side in FIG. 1 is referred to as the rear side Y2. In the up-down direction Z, the upper side is referred to as the upper side Z1, and the lower side is referred to as the lower side Z2. The left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y are included in the lateral direction. The lateral direction may be the horizontal direction H, or a substantially horizontal direction that is slightly inclined relative to the horizontal direction H.

[0018] In this embodiment, the washer-dryer 1 is primarily a drum-type washer-dryer, but the washer-dryer 1 may also be a vertical washer-dryer. The present invention also applies to dryers that perform only a drying operation, omitting the washing function. In this embodiment, the objects to be dried by the washer-dryer 1 are laundry L such as clothes, but may also be shoes, tableware, etc.

[0019] The washer-dryer 1 includes a housing 2, a storage tub 5 arranged within the housing 2 and including a water tub 3 and a rotating tub 4, a water supply channel 6 and a drain channel 7 connected to the water tub 3, a motor 8 that rotates the rotating tub 4, and a supply unit 9 that supplies hot air into the storage tub 5.

[0020] The housing 2 is formed in a box shape. A front surface 2A of the housing 2 is, for example, a vertical surface. An opening 2B that connects the inside and outside of the housing 2 is provided on the front surface 2A. A door 10 that opens and closes the opening 2B, and a display operation unit 11 that is arranged in an area Z1 above the opening 2B are provided on the front surface 2A.

[0021] The display operation unit 11 is composed of a display panel 11A such as a liquid crystal display, a plurality of buttons 11B, etc. The plurality of buttons 11B includes at least a power button 11BA and a pause button 11BB.

[0022] The water tub 3 is supported by dampers 12 extending from the bottom wall of the housing 2 to the upper side Z1 and is suspended by a spring (not shown). This provides elastic support for the entire storage tub 5, including the water tub 3. The water tub 3 has a cylindrical circumferential wall 3A centered on an axis J extending in the front-to-rear direction Y along the horizontal direction H, a disk-shaped back wall 3B that closes the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 3A from the rear side Y2, and a ring-shaped front wall 3C connected to the front edge of the circumferential wall 3A.

[0023] A through-hole 3D is formed in the center of the rear wall 3B, penetrating the rear wall 3B in the front-to-rear direction Y along the axis J. The front wall 3C has an annular first portion 3E that protrudes from the front edge of the circumferential wall 3A toward the axis J, a cylindrical second portion 3F that protrudes from the inner peripheral edge of the first portion 3E toward the front side Y1, and an annular third portion 3G that protrudes from the front edge of the second portion 3F toward the axis J. An entrance 3H that communicates with the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 3A from the front side Y1 is provided inside the third portion 3G. The entrance 3H faces the opening 2B of the housing 2 from the rear side Y2 and is in communication with it.

[0024] The rotating tub 4 is a cylinder having a central axis that coincides with the axis J, and is slightly smaller than the water tub 3. In this embodiment, the rotating tub 4 is disposed horizontally within the water tub 3 so that the central axis is aligned with the horizontal direction H, but it may also be disposed obliquely so that the central axis is inclined relative to the horizontal direction H.

[0025] The rotating tub 4 has a cylindrical circumferential wall 4A that is arranged coaxially with the circumferential wall 3A of the water tub 3, a disk-shaped back wall 4B that closes the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 4A from the rear side Y2, and a ring-shaped wall 4C that extends from the front end edge of the circumferential wall 4A toward the axis J. A plurality of through holes 4D are formed in the circumferential wall 4A and the back wall 4B. A support shaft 13 is provided in the center of the back wall 4B of the rotating tub 4, extending along the axis J toward the rear side Y2. The rear end of the support shaft 13 passes through the through hole 3D in the back wall 3B of the water tub 3 and is positioned further rearward Y2 than the back wall 3B.

[0026] An entrance 4E is provided inside the annular wall 4C, communicating with the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 4A from the front side Y1. The entrance 4E faces the entrance 3H of the water tub 3 and the opening 2B of the housing 2 from the rear side Y2 and communicates with them. The entrance 3H and the entrance 4E, along with the opening 2B, are opened and closed together by a door 10. A user of the washer-dryer 1 places laundry L in and takes laundry L out of the spin tub 4 through the opened opening 2B, the entrance 3H, and the entrance 4E. The door 10 is provided with a gasket 14 that comes into close contact with a third portion 3G of the front wall 3C of the water tub 3 when the door 10 closes the opening 2B, the entrance 3H, and the entrance 4E.

[0027] The water supply passage 6 has one end (not shown) connected to a faucet (not shown) and the other end connected to, for example, the upper part of the second portion 3F of the front wall 3C of the water tub 3 inside the housing 2, and this other end is provided with a water supply port 6A facing the water tub 3 from the upper side Z1. When supplying water, tap water from the faucet passes through the water supply passage 6 and is supplied into the water tub 3 from the water supply port 6A. Tap water or detergent water, in which detergent is dissolved in tap water, is stored in the water tub 3. Hereinafter, tap water and detergent water may be abbreviated as "water." The water in the water tub 3 flows back and forth between the water tub 3 and the rotatable tub 4 through the through-hole 4D in the rotatable tub 4. Therefore, the water level in the water tub 3 and the water level in the rotatable tub 4 are the same.

[0028] The washer-dryer 1 includes an openable and closable water supply valve 15. When open, the water supply valve 15 opens the water supply passage 6, thereby allowing water to be supplied to the water tub 3, i.e., the storage tub 5. When closed, the water supply valve 15 closes the water supply passage 6, thereby stopping the supply of water to the storage tub 5.

[0029] Drainage channel 7 is connected to the lower end of water tub 3, for example, the lower end of circumferential wall 3A. Water in storage tub 5 is drained from drainage channel 7 to the outside of housing 2, i.e., to the outside of the machine. Washer / dryer 1 includes an openable / closable drainage valve 16 provided midway along drainage channel 7. When drainage valve 16 is open, it opens drainage channel 7, thereby allowing water to be drained from storage tub 5. When drainage valve 16 is closed, it closes drainage channel 7, thereby stopping water from being drained.

[0030] The motor 8 is disposed within the housing 2 on the rear side Y2 of the rear wall 3B of the water tub 3. One example of the motor 8 is a direct drive (DD) motor. The motor 8 is connected to a support shaft 13 provided on the rotating tub 4. The torque generated by the motor 8 is transmitted to the support shaft 13, causing the rotating tub 4 to rotate around the axis J together with the support shaft 13. A clutch mechanism (not shown) may be provided between the motor 8 and the support shaft 13 to transmit or interrupt the torque of the motor 8 to the support shaft 13.

[0031] The supply unit 9 includes a circulation path 17 and a blower unit 18 for circulating the air in the water tank 3, and a heater unit 19 for heating the circulating air.

[0032] The circulation path 17 is a flow path located within the housing 2, for example, on the upper side Z1 of the water tank 3. The circulation path 17 has an intermediate portion 17A extending in the front-to-rear direction Y, a rear portion 17B extending from the rear end of the intermediate portion 17A to the lower side Z2 and then bending to the front side Y1, and a front portion 17C extending from the front end of the intermediate portion 17A to the lower side Z2.

[0033] An outlet 17D is provided at the front end of the lower end of the rear portion 17B. The outlet 17D is connected to the lower part of the rear wall 3B of the water tub 3 and communicates with the interior of the water tub 3 from the rear side Y2. An inlet 17E is provided at the lower end of the front portion 17C. The inlet 17E is connected to the upper end of the second part 3F of the front wall 3C of the water tub 3 and communicates with the interior of the water tub 3 from the upper side Z1.

[0034] Blower 18 is a so-called blower, and includes rotating blades 18A arranged in mid-portion 17A of circulation path 17 and a motor (not shown) that rotates rotating blades 18A. When rotating blades 18A rotate, the air in storage tub 5, i.e., the air in water tub 3 and rotating tub 4, flows out of outlet 17D into circulation path 17, as indicated by the thick dashed arrows, and then flows into storage tub 5 from inlet 17E. This causes the air in storage tub 5 to circulate, flowing sequentially through storage tub 5 and circulation path 17.

[0035] Heating unit 19 is a heat exchanger in a heat pump or a general heater, and at least a portion of it is provided within circulation path 17. The portion of heating unit 19 provided within circulation path 17 has heat dissipation unit 19A. Heat dissipation unit 19A becomes hot during operation, and the air flowing within circulation path 17 is heated as it passes around heat dissipation unit 19A, becoming hot air before flowing into storage tank 5.

[0036] 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the washer-dryer 1. The washer-dryer 1 further includes a control unit 20, an unlocking unit 21 for the door 10, an open / close detection unit 22 that detects whether the door 10 is open or closed, a temperature detection unit 23 that detects the temperature of the circulating hot air, and a memory unit 24 that stores various information.

[0037] The control unit 20 is configured as a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU, memories such as ROM and RAM, and a timer for measuring time, and is built into the housing 2 (see FIG. 1). The control unit 20 is electrically connected to the motor 8, the display operation unit 11, the water supply valve 15, the drain valve 16, the air blower 18, the heating unit 19, the lock release unit 21, the open / close detection unit 22, the temperature detection unit 23, and the memory unit 24.

[0038] The unlocking unit 21 is configured by, for example, an electromagnetic lock, a solenoid, etc. The unlocking unit 21 can lock and unlock the door 10 in the closed position where the opening 2B, the entrance 3H, and the entrance 4E are closed.

[0039] The open / close detection unit 22 is configured with, for example, a magnetic switch or a microswitch. The open / close detection unit 22 detects whether the door 10 is in the closed position. If the door 10 is not in the closed position, it is in the open position in which the opening 2B, the entrance 3H, and the entrance 4E are open. The detection results of the open / close detection unit 22 are input to the control unit 20 in real time.

[0040] The temperature detection unit 23 is configured with a known temperature sensor such as a thermistor. In this embodiment, a plurality of temperature detection units 23 are provided. The plurality of temperature detection units 23 include an in-tank temperature detection unit 23A that detects the temperature of the air in the storage tank 5 as the "in-tank temperature," an outlet temperature detection unit 23B that detects the temperature of the air at the outlet 17D of the circulation path 17 as the "outlet temperature," and an inlet temperature detection unit 23C that detects the temperature of the air at the inlet 17E of the circulation path 17 as the "inlet temperature" (see FIG. 1). The detection values ​​of each temperature detection unit 23 are input to the control unit 20 in real time.

[0041] The control unit 20 executes the washing and drying operation by controlling the motor 8, the display operation unit 11, the water supply valve 15, the drain valve 16, the air blower 18, the heater 19, and the lock release unit 21. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the washing and drying operation. The washing and drying operation includes a washing step at the beginning, a rinsing step performed one or more times after the washing step, a spin-drying step performed after at least the final rinsing step, and a drying step at the end. Each of these steps may be an independent operation, in which case, for example, the washing step is a washing operation and the drying step is a drying operation.

[0042] When the washing and drying operation starts, the control unit 20 operates the motor 8 to rotate the spin tub 4 forward and backward, and detects the load of laundry L being dried in the spin tub 4 based on the current value of the motor 8 at that time (Step S1). The load amount corresponds to the amount of laundry L stored in the spin tub 4, i.e., the storage amount of laundry L stored in the storage tub 5. Therefore, the control unit 20 functions as an example of a storage amount detection unit that detects the amount of laundry L stored in the storage tub 5. Note that an ammeter (not shown) that measures the current value of the motor 8 may also be considered an example of a storage amount detection unit. An example of the storage amount of laundry L is the weight of the laundry L, and the unit in this case is kg.

[0043] Based on the detected load amount, the control unit 20 determines the required amount of detergent and the target water level in the storage tub 5 for the washing cycle. The amount of detergent and the target water level for each load amount are predetermined and stored in the memory unit 24. The control unit 20 displays information on the determined amount of detergent on the display panel 11A of the display / operation unit 11. Then, the control unit 20 executes the washing cycle (step S2).

[0044] The upper limit of the load amount is predetermined as the washing capacity and stored in memory unit 24. If the load amount exceeds the washing capacity, control unit 20 notifies the user of the error by, for example, displaying a corresponding error code on display panel 11A. At this time, control unit 20 may sound a buzzer (not shown) built into housing 2. Upon being notified of the error, the user opens door 10 and removes some of the laundry L from storage tub 5, thereby reducing the amount of laundry L stored in storage tub 5.

[0045] In the washing step, the control unit 20 first executes a water supply process by opening the water supply valve 15 while keeping the drain valve 16 closed. This causes tap water from the water supply channel 6 to flow into the storage tub 5 through the water supply port 6A and accumulate therein, causing the water level in the storage tub 5 to rise. When the water level in the storage tub 5 rises to a target water level, the control unit 20 closes the water supply valve 15 to terminate the water supply process. The water level in the storage tub 5 is detected by a water level detection unit (not shown) and input to the control unit 20.

[0046] Before and after the water supply process, detergent is manually or automatically added into the rotating tub 4 by the user. As a result, detergent water generated by dissolving the detergent in tap water is collected in the storage tub 5.

[0047] As a washing process after the water supply process, the control unit 20 rotates the spin tub 4 using the motor 8. This causes the laundry L in the spin tub 4 to be beaten. In the beating wash, the laundry L is lifted to a certain extent and then falls naturally to the water surface, a tumbling process that is repeated. Dirt is removed from the laundry L by the impact of the tumbling and the detergent components contained in the detergent water accumulated in the spin tub 4. When a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of tumbling, the control unit 20 opens the drain valve 16 to drain the water, and the washing process ends.

[0048] Next, the control unit 20 executes the spin-drying process (step S3). The spin-drying process after the washing process is the intermediate spin-drying process. In the intermediate spin-drying process, the control unit 20 rotates the spin tub 4 for spin-drying with the drain valve 16 open. The laundry L in the spin tub 4 is dehydrated by the centrifugal force generated by the spin-drying rotation of the spin tub 4. Water seeping out of the laundry L during spin-drying is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drain channel 7.

[0049] Next, control unit 20 executes the rinsing process (step S4). In the rinsing process, control unit 20 closes drain valve 16, opens water supply valve 15 for at least a predetermined time to fill water tub 3 with tap water, and then rotates spin tub 4 using motor 8. This repeats the tumbling described above, so that laundry L is rinsed with the tap water in spin tub 4. When control unit 20 drains the water after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of tumbling, the rinsing process ends.

[0050] Next, the control unit 20 executes the final spin-drying process, which is the last spin-drying process (step S5). In the final spin-drying process, the control unit 20 rotates the spin tub 4 for spin-drying with the drain valve 16 open, as in the intermediate spin-drying processes. Note that the rotation speed and rotation time of the spin tub 4 may differ between the final spin-drying process and the intermediate spin-drying process.

[0051] Finally, the control unit 20 executes the drying process by controlling the blower unit 18 and the heater unit 19, that is, the supply unit 9 (step S6). In the following description, for convenience, the drying process will be referred to as a drying operation.

[0052] As described above, the laundry L is in a dry state before the start of the washing cycle, but is wet at the start of the drying operation. Therefore, the load amount of the laundry L differs before the start of the washing cycle and at the start of the drying operation. Specifically, the load amount at the start of the drying operation is greater than the load amount before the start of the washing cycle (step S1). Furthermore, a predetermined amount corresponding to the upper limit of the load amount in the drying operation is predetermined as the drying capacity and stored in memory unit 24. The drying capacity is smaller than the washing capacity described above. As the state of the laundry L changes during the washing operation and the drying capacity and washing capacity are different, it is difficult to determine whether the load amount of the laundry L exceeds the drying capacity before the start of the washing cycle.

[0053] 4 is a flowchart showing the drying operation. When the drying operation starts, the control unit 20 detects the load amount of laundry in the spin tub 4, similar to step S1 (step S11). Then, the control unit 20 determines the operating conditions for the drying operation based on the load amount thus detected after the start of the drying operation (step S12). Note that the detection of the load amount (step S11) and the determination of the operating conditions (step S12) may be performed at the end of the final spin-drying step. The control unit 20 temporarily stores the determined operating conditions in the memory unit 24.

[0054] The operating conditions are the operating time of the drying operation or the reference temperature for determining whether or not to terminate the drying operation. The operating time and reference temperature for each load are predetermined and stored in memory unit 24. A typical operating time is 4 to 5 hours. An example of the reference temperature is the highest value of the in-tub temperature detected by in-tub temperature detection unit 23A during the drying operation, hereinafter referred to as the "high limiter temperature." When the drying operation is nearing the end and the laundry L is sufficiently dried, the in-tub temperature rises to the high limiter temperature.

[0055] Another example of the reference temperature is the minimum difference between the outlet temperature of circulation path 17 detected by outlet temperature detection unit 23B and the inlet temperature of circulation path 17 detected by inlet temperature detection unit 23C during the drying operation, which will be referred to as the "temperature difference judgment value" hereinafter. As the drying operation nears the end, the difference between the outlet temperature and the inlet temperature decreases to the temperature difference judgment value.

[0056] Control unit 20 calculates the remaining operation time from the determined operation conditions and displays it on display panel 11A of display operation unit 11. Then, control unit 20 activates supply unit 9 to supply hot air into storage tub 5. This causes laundry L in storage tub 5 to start drying.

[0057] Then, the control unit 20 compares the detected load amount with the drying capacity (step S13). If the load amount is equal to or less than the drying capacity (NO in step S13), the control unit 20 continues the drying operation by continuing to operate the supply unit 9 (step S14). Then, when the temperature inside the storage tub 5 rises to the high limiter temperature or the difference between the outlet temperature and the inlet temperature decreases to the temperature difference judgment value, thereby satisfying the condition for terminating the drying operation (YES in step S15), the control unit 20 stops the supply unit 9 to terminate the drying operation.

[0058] If the load amount exceeds the drying capacity and thus the drying capacity is exceeded (YES in step S13), the control unit 20 notifies the user of the error by, for example, displaying a corresponding error code on the display panel 11A of the display operation unit 11, and continues the drying operation (step S16). In this way, if the load amount (step S11) detected by the control unit 20 after the start of the drying operation exceeds the drying capacity (YES in step S13), the display operation unit 11 and the control unit 20 function as an example of a notification unit that notifies the user of the error in step S16.

[0059] After notifying the error, the control unit 20 monitors whether the user has pressed the pause button 11BB on the display operation unit 11 (step S17). If the user has not pressed the pause button 11BB on the display operation unit 11 even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the error was notified (NO in step S17), the control unit 20 continues the drying operation even though the drying capacity has been exceeded based on the initial operating conditions determined in step S12 (step S18). Thereafter, when the termination condition for the drying operation is met (YES in step S15), the control unit 20 terminates the drying operation.

[0060] If the user presses the pause button 11BB after the error notification has started (YES in step S17), the control unit 20 executes a correction process to correct the initial operating conditions determined in step S12 (step S19).

[0061] Specifically, when the user presses pause button 11BB once, control unit 20 temporarily stops supply unit 9 to temporarily halt the drying operation, and then causes lock release unit 21 to unlock door 10. This allows the user to open door 10 and remove some of the laundry L from storage tub 5, thereby reducing the amount of laundry L stored in storage tub 5 to less than the drying capacity. When the user then closes door 10 and presses pause button 11BB again, control unit 20 causes lock release unit 21 to lock door 10 in the closed position. Control unit 20 may start the correction process either when the user presses pause button 11BB for the first time or when the user presses pause button 11BB for the second time. Details of the correction process will be described later.

[0062] If the operating conditions are corrected in the correction process, the control unit 20 cancels the temporary suspension by operating the supply unit 9 again, and continues the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions (step S20). That is, if a predetermined event, such as temporary suspension of the drying operation, occurs after the error notification starts in step S16, the control unit 20 corrects the operating conditions in step S19, and continues the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions in step S20. If the termination condition for the drying operation is satisfied while the drying operation is continuing (YES in step S15), the control unit 20 terminates the drying operation.

[0063] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a drying operation according to a modified example. In Fig. 5, the same process steps as those in Fig. 4 are assigned the same step numbers as in Fig. 4, and detailed descriptions of those process steps will be omitted. In the drying operation according to the modified example, the predetermined event described above is the detection by open / close detection unit 22 of the opening and closing of door 10. In this case, even if the user presses pause button 11BB after the error notification (YES in step S17), control unit 20 does not immediately start the correction process (step S19), but instead monitors whether open / close detection unit 22 has detected the opening and closing of door 10 (step S21).

[0064] If the opening / closing detection unit 22 does not detect the opening / closing of the door 10 even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the error notification (NO in step S21), the control unit 20 continues the drying operation even though the drying capacity has been exceeded based on the initial operating conditions determined in step S12 (step S18). After that, when the termination condition for the drying operation is satisfied (YES in step S15), the control unit 20 terminates the drying operation.

[0065] When the user opens door 10 to reduce the amount of laundry L stored in storage tub 5 and then closes door 10, open / close detection unit 22 detects that door 10 is open or closed. In this case (YES in step S21), control unit 20 executes a correction process (step S19). If the operating conditions are corrected in the correction process, control unit 20 continues the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions (step S20). Thereafter, when the condition for ending the drying operation is met (YES in step S15), control unit 20 ends the drying operation.

[0066] 6 is a flowchart showing the correction process. When the control unit 20 starts the correction process in step S19, it first redetects the load amount of laundry in the spin tub 4 in the same procedure as in step S11 (step S31). Then, the control unit 20 compares the redetected load amount with the drying capacity (step S32).

[0067] If the comparison result indicates that the drying capacity is still exceeded (YES in step S32), the control unit 20 notifies the user of the error (step S33) as in step S16, and ends the correction process. In this case, no correction of the operating conditions is performed, so the control unit 20 continues the drying operation even though the drying capacity is exceeded based on the initial operating conditions determined in step S12 (step S20). If the termination condition for the drying operation is met after the drying operation has continued (YES in step S15), the control unit 20 ends the drying operation.

[0068] On the other hand, if the load amount is equal to or less than the drying capacity (NO in step S32), the control unit 20 corrects the operation time, which is an example of an operation condition, based on the latest load amount (step S34). Because the latest load amount is less than the load amount at the start of the drying operation detected in step S11, the corrected operation time is shortened. Therefore, the corrected operation time is shorter than the operation time determined in step S12.

[0069] Control unit 20 updates the remaining time of the drying operation by subtracting the elapsed time of the drying operation up to the present time from the corrected operation time, and displays the updated remaining time on display panel 11A (step S35). This completes the correction process.

[0070] Then, as described above, in step S20 after the correction process, the control unit 20 continues the drying operation so that the operation time is shortened based on the corrected operating conditions, i.e., the operating conditions according to the reduced capacity. This allows the laundry L with a reduced capacity to be dried appropriately without being over-dried, thereby improving drying performance. Furthermore, the operating conditions can be automatically changed to those according to the reduced capacity without the user having to press the power button 11BA to turn the washer-dryer 1 back on and restart the drying operation, thereby improving usability.

[0071] As described above, if the load amount redetected by control unit 20 after a predetermined event such as temporary suspension (step S17) or detection of opening or closing of door 10 (step S21) occurs is equal to or less than the drying capacity (NO in step S32), control unit 20 corrects the operating conditions according to the reduced load amount and continues the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions (step S20). In other words, even if a predetermined event occurs that suggests that the user has reduced the amount of laundry L stored, control unit 20 corrects the operating conditions and continues the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions only if the stored amount redetected by control unit 20 has decreased to or less than the predetermined amount.

[0072] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a correction process according to a modified example. In Fig. 7, the same process steps as those in Fig. 6 are assigned the same step numbers as those in Fig. 6, and detailed descriptions of those process steps will be omitted. In the correction process according to the modified example, if the redetected load amount is equal to or less than the drying capacity (NO in step S32), the control unit 20 corrects the reference temperature, which is an example of an operating condition, based on the latest load amount (step S36).

[0073] If the reference temperature is the high limiter temperature, control unit 20 corrects the high limiter temperature by subtracting a predetermined correction value from the high limiter temperature determined in step S12. The corrected high limiter temperature is lower than the high limiter temperature determined in step S12, so the operation time is substantially shortened. The correction value is predetermined and stored in memory unit 24 so as to vary depending on the elapsed time of the drying operation.

[0074] As the elapsed time increases, the laundry L is in a more advanced state of drying, and the correction value is set to decrease accordingly. For example, the correction value is set to 5 degrees immediately after the start of the drying operation when the elapsed time is less than one hour, and thereafter the correction value is set to decrease by one degree each time the elapsed time increases by one hour.

[0075] If the reference temperature is the temperature difference determination value, the control unit 30 corrects the temperature difference determination value by subtracting a predetermined correction value from the temperature difference determination value determined in step S12. The corrected temperature difference determination value is smaller than the temperature difference determination value determined in step S12, so that the operation time is substantially shortened. The correction value is predetermined so as to vary with elapsed time, similar to the correction value for the high limiter temperature, and is stored in the memory unit 24.

[0076] The control unit 20 updates the remaining time of the drying operation based on the reference temperatures before and after the correction, and displays the updated remaining time on the display panel 11A (step S35). This ends the correction process. In this case, too, in step S20 after the correction process, the control unit 20 continues the drying operation so that the operation time is shortened based on the corrected operating conditions.

[0077] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, the various features described above may be selected and combined as needed. For example, the above-described modified examples may be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1 washer-dryer 3H entrance / exit 4E Entrance 5. Containment Tank 9 Supply section 10 Doors 11 Display operation section 20 Control Unit 22 Open / close detector L Laundry

Claims

1. a storage tank for storing an object to be dried; a supply unit that supplies hot air into the storage tank; a storage amount detection unit that detects the amount of objects to be dried stored in the storage tank; a control unit that controls the supply unit to perform a drying operation for drying the objects to be dried in the storage tank, and that determines operating conditions for the drying operation based on the storage amount detected by the storage amount detection unit; a notification unit that notifies an error when the storage amount detected by the storage amount detection unit after the start of the drying operation exceeds a predetermined amount; Including, When the storage capacity re-detected by the storage capacity detection unit after a predetermined event occurs after the notification by the notification unit starts and the storage capacity is equal to or less than the predetermined capacity, the control unit corrects the operating conditions and continues the drying operation based on the corrected operating conditions, When the capacity detection unit detects a capacity again after the specified event occurs after the notification unit starts notifying, and the capacity exceeds the specified capacity, the control unit notifies the notification unit of an error, and continues the drying operation based on the operating conditions without correcting the operating conditions.

2. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event is a temporary suspension of the drying operation.

3. The storage tank is provided with an entrance / exit for putting the object to be dried into and taking it out of the storage tank, a door for opening and closing the entrance; an opening / closing detection unit that detects the opening / closing of the door; Including, The dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined event is detection by the open / close detector of the door being opened or closed.

4. A dryer as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the notification unit notifies of an error after the supply unit starts supplying hot air if the capacity detected by the capacity detection unit after the start of the drying operation exceeds the predetermined amount.

5. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operating condition is an operating time of the drying operation or a reference temperature for determining whether to terminate the drying operation.

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