clothes dryer

Abstract

To increase the capacity of a rotary drum stored in a body case as much as possible.SOLUTION: In a body case 11, a clothes dryer includes: a rotary drum 3 for storing clothes; a combustion chamber 5 for storing a burner 9; and a fan case 4 provided behind the rotary drum 3 and for storing an air supply / exhaust fan 21 which takes in the air into the combustion chamber 5 and supplies the air heated by the burner 9 to the inside of the rotary drum 3 as hot air, and which exhausts the hot air from the rotary drum 3 to the outside. The combustion chamber 5 is disposed in a space S formed between the fan case 4 and a peripheral wall 110 behind the body case 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there are clothes dryers that have an intake and exhaust fan disposed behind the rotating drum and a combustion chamber containing a burner disposed below and to the side of the rotating drum, with the combustion chamber connected to a hot air outlet disposed in front of the rotating drum by an air intake duct, and clothes dryers that have an intake and exhaust fan disposed above the rotating drum and a combustion chamber disposed behind the rotating drum, with a hot air outlet disposed on the rear wall of the rotating drum and a hot air outlet disposed on the inner surface of an opening / closing door in front of the rotating drum, with an exhaust duct formed inside the opening / closing door (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). These clothes dryers are configured to draw air from inside the main body case into the combustion chamber by rotating the intake and exhaust fan, supply air heated by a burner into the rotating drum through the hot air outlet, and exhaust the hot air from inside the rotating drum to the outside.

[0003] However, because the overall size of a clothes dryer is determined for each product, if a combustion chamber with a burner arranged horizontally so that the flame holes face outward in the left-right direction is disposed below the rotating drum as in Patent Document 1, the diameter of the rotating drum must be reduced by the width of the combustion chamber. Furthermore, if the air taken into the combustion chamber by the intake / exhaust fan is heated and the hot air is supplied to the rotating drum from the hot air outlet at the front, as in Patent Document 1, the flow direction of the hot air must be deflected from the left-right direction to the front-back direction in the combustion chamber. This requires a further increase in the width of the combustion chamber and a further reduction in the diameter of the rotating drum.

[0004] On the other hand, if the intake and exhaust fan is disposed above the rotating drum as in Patent Document 2, the diameter of the rotating drum must be reduced to account for the thickness of the intake and exhaust fan and the thickness of the motor that drives the fan. Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, the combustion chamber is disposed further rearward than the fan case, so space must be secured behind the main body case to accommodate the combustion chamber. This reduces the length of the main body casing in the front-to-rear direction that the rotating drum can be accommodated in, and accordingly, the length of the rotating drum in the front-to-rear direction is also reduced.

[0005] Therefore, in any clothes dryer, there is a problem that the capacity of the rotary drum is limited. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-277292 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-192660 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to maximize the capacity of the rotating drum housed in the main body case without increasing the size of the clothes dryer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to the present invention, A clothes dryer having a substantially rectangular box-shaped main body case with a clothes outlet opening at the front, and an opening / closing door for opening and closing the clothes outlet, Inside the main body case, a rotating drum for storing the clothes; a combustion chamber containing a burner; a fan case that is provided behind the rotary drum, takes in air into the combustion chamber, supplies the air heated by the burner as hot air into the rotary drum, and accommodates an air supply / exhaust fan that exhausts the hot air from inside the rotary drum to the outside; The clothes dryer is provided in which the combustion chamber is disposed in a space formed between the fan case and the upper, lower, left and right peripheral walls at the rear of the main body case.

[0009] In the above clothes dryer, the fan case is disposed behind the rotating drum, and the combustion chamber is disposed in the space formed between the fan case and the upper, lower, left and right peripheral walls at the rear of the main case. Since the combustion chamber is not disposed below or to the side of the rotating drum, and no intake / exhaust fan or motor is disposed above the rotating drum, the capacity of the rotating drum housed within the main case can be increased without increasing the size of the clothes dryer.

[0010] Preferably, in the clothes dryer, A hot air outlet for guiding hot air into the rotary drum is provided on the rear wall of the rotary drum, An air intake duct is provided between the rear wall of the rotary drum and the fan case, communicating the combustion chamber with the hot air outlet; A warm air outlet for discharging warm air from inside the rotating drum is provided at the clothing removal port in front of the rotating drum, a communication duct communicating with the warm air outlet and extending from the clothing outlet to the rear of the rotating drum through gaps formed between the rotating drum and the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls of the main body case; An exhaust duct is provided between the rear wall of the rotary drum and the fan case, connecting the hot air outlet and the fan case via a communication duct.

[0011] In the clothes dryer, an air intake duct is provided between the rear wall of the rotating drum and the fan case, connecting the combustion chamber and the hot air outlet, allowing the diameter of the rotating drum to be further increased. Furthermore, in the clothes dryer, an air filter can be attached to the front of the main body case, making it easy to use, since the hot air outlet is provided on the rear wall of the rotating drum and the hot air outlet is provided at the clothes removal opening in front of the rotating drum.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above-described clothes dryer, the warm air outlet is located at the clothes removal opening in front of the rotating drum, and an air intake / exhaust fan is located behind the rotating drum. This necessitates the provision of an exhaust passageway for exhausting warm air from the front to the rear of the main body case. However, since the connecting ducts are provided in the gaps formed between the rotating drum, which has a constant diameter, and the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls of the main body case, an exhaust passageway with a constant cross-sectional area can be formed without increasing the height or width of the connecting ducts. This allows a rotating drum with a large diameter to be accommodated within the main body case, even if an exhaust passageway is provided in the gaps formed between the rotating drum and the peripheral walls. Furthermore, the above-described clothes dryer does not require the provision of an exhaust duct within the door, thereby improving airtightness and reducing costs.

[0013] Preferably, in the clothes dryer, The combustion chamber and the intake air duct are connected such that a downstream opening of the combustion chamber, which is the connection between the combustion chamber and the intake air duct, and an upstream opening of the intake air duct overlap in the front-to-rear direction.

[0014] In the clothes dryer, the combustion chamber is prevented from protruding rearward, so the length of the rotary drum in the front-to-rear direction can be increased while the length of the main body case in the front-to-rear direction is kept small. Also, in the clothes dryer, a portion of the combustion exhaust gas and the air taken into the combustion chamber can be made to flow linearly from the combustion chamber into the air intake duct.

[0015] Preferably, in the clothes dryer, The burner has a row of burner holes in which a plurality of burner holes are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals, the burner is disposed in a burner box having an end plate with burner hole openings through which the burner hole rows are inserted so that the burner holes are exposed to the combustion chamber; The end plate has an outer opening outside the burner opening that allows air to enter the combustion chamber.

[0016] When inserting the burner's row of burner holes into the burner hole opening, the size of the burner hole opening must be larger than the size of the inserted row of burner holes for installation purposes. As a result, air flowing into the vicinity of the burner holes through the gap between the burner and the burner hole opening may blow out the combustion flame or cool the base of the combustion flame, causing the flame to lift, resulting in poor combustion. However, in the clothes dryer described above, the end plate has an outer opening formed outward from the burner hole opening, which allows air to flow into the combustion chamber. This allows the air flowing into the combustion chamber to be dispersed into the outer opening, reducing the amount of air passing through the gap between the burner and the burner hole opening near the burner's burner holes. This allows for a stable combustion flame to be formed in the burner.

[0017] Preferably, in the clothes dryer, The end plate has an upright wall extending from the edge of the outer opening on the burner port opening side toward the opening of the burner port, the wall having a protruding height greater than that of the burner port.

[0018] According to the clothes dryer, the upright wall makes it difficult for air flowing into the combustion chamber from the outer opening to flow toward the flame holes, so that a combustion flame can be formed in the burner more stably.

[0019] Preferably, in the clothes dryer, an overheating prevention device that prevents abnormal overheating of the combustion chamber; a fixing plate for fixing the overheating prevention device near a wall of the combustion chamber, An air intake opening is provided in the wall of the combustion chamber to take in air from the main body case into the combustion chamber. The fixing plate is installed at a certain distance from a wall of the combustion chamber in which the air intake opening is formed.

[0020] If a fan malfunction occurs, such as when the fan belt comes off, the intake / exhaust fan's rotational drive no longer generates negative pressure, causing combustion exhaust to stagnate within the combustion chamber. If the abnormal condition persists, combustion flames and combustion exhaust may leak from the combustion chamber. Furthermore, since air cannot be drawn into the main body case from the outside, there is a shortage of cooling air to cool the combustion chamber. As a result, the combustion chamber may overheat abnormally, causing the temperature of the combustion chamber walls to rise. Therefore, it is desirable to install an overheat prevention device near the combustion chamber walls to detect fan malfunctions. Meanwhile, the temperature of the combustion chamber walls may also rise due to a decrease in cooling air caused by factors other than fan malfunction, such as a clogged filter or the opening of a door during drying operation. Therefore, if the overheat prevention device is attached directly to the combustion chamber walls, there is a risk that the overheat prevention device will detect a temperature rise in the combustion chamber walls due to a clogged filter or other factors.

[0021] However, in the clothes dryer described above, the fixing plate that fixes the overheating prevention device is installed a certain distance from the combustion chamber wall where the air intake opening is formed. Therefore, even if the amount of cooling air decreases due to a clogged filter or other reason, the cooling air passes between the air intake opening and the fixing plate, making the overheating prevention device's detection unit less susceptible to the temperature of the wall. Furthermore, even if the filter is clogged or other reason occurs, the intake and exhaust fan continues to rotate normally unless there is a fan malfunction. Therefore, air taken into the main body case from the outside flows toward the air intake opening formed in the combustion chamber wall. Therefore, the air flowing toward the air intake opening can cool the overheating prevention device, which is fixed to the fixing plate facing the combustion chamber wall where the air intake opening is formed. This prevents false detection of an overheating abnormality in the combustion chamber.

[0022] Preferably, in the clothes dryer, The detector of the overheating prevention device is disposed on the surface of the fixing plate opposite to the surface facing the wall of the combustion chamber.

[0023] According to the above-mentioned clothes dryer, the detection part of the overheating prevention device is arranged on the opposite side of the fixing plate to the side facing the combustion chamber wall, thereby making it even less susceptible to the influence of the temperature of the combustion chamber wall. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view showing the clothes dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a main part of the clothes dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a main part showing the vicinity of the combustion chamber of the clothes dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a burner and a burner box according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a clothes dryer according to this embodiment, Fig. 2 is a schematic rear view with the rear wall of the main body case omitted, and Fig. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the main components disposed in front of and behind the rotating drum. As shown in Fig. 1, the outer shell of the clothes dryer 1 according to this embodiment is composed of a substantially rectangular box-shaped main body case 11 and an opening / closing door 12 that covers a clothes removal opening 100 opened in the front of the main body case 11 from the front side. In this specification, the opening / closing door 12 side of the clothes dryer 1 is referred to as the front side, and the depth direction when viewed from the front side of the clothes dryer 1 is referred to as the front-rear direction, the lateral direction is referred to as the left-right direction, and the height direction is referred to as the up-down direction.

[0026] The main body case 11 has a front wall 11a where the clothing removal opening 100 opens, a rear wall 11b facing the front wall 11a in the front-to-rear direction, and a peripheral wall 110 consisting of upper and lower walls 11c, 11d and left and right walls 11e, 11f that connect the upper, lower, left and right sides of the front wall 11a and the rear wall 11b.

[0027] A cylindrical rotating drum 3 having a circular opening 130 on its front side is housed in a horizontal position within the main body case 11. A circular front ring 31 that protrudes forward is formed on the outer periphery of the rotating drum 3 in front of the opening 130. A circular front drum support 14 is formed on the outer periphery of the clothing removal opening 100 on the rotating drum 3 side, and a circular front support portion 140 is provided on the outer periphery of the front drum support 14 and protrudes rearward. A ring-shaped front seal member 201 is provided around the outer periphery of the front support portion 140 of the front drum support 14.

[0028] The inner peripheral surface of the front ring 31 provided at the opening 130 of the rotating drum 3 faces the outer peripheral surface of the front support part 140 of the front drum support 14, and is supported in contact with the outer periphery of the front seal member 201. This prevents warm air from the front inside the rotating drum 3 from leaking into the main body case 11 through the opening 130.

[0029] A semicircular arc-shaped opening (hereinafter referred to as the "warm air outlet") 121 is provided in a certain area below the cylindrical clothing removal opening 100. A removable mesh-like air filter 19 is attached to the warm air outlet 121. When the warm air inside the rotating drum 3 is sent out into the exhaust duct 20 via the warm air outlet 121 and a connecting duct 120 (described later), this air filter 19 removes dust and lint floating inside the rotating drum 3.

[0030] A rear wall 133 is connected to the rear end of the body 131 of the rotating drum 3. A circular recess that bulges out rearward is formed on the outer periphery of the rear wall 133. A cylindrical support shaft 15 is inserted through the center of the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3.

[0031] The support shaft 15 is inserted into a rear drum support 111 that stands upright inside the main body case 11 behind the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3. The rear drum support 111 is formed by molding a single metal plate into a predetermined shape, and is generally U-shaped, with a flat portion and bent portions bent rearward at both left and right ends of the flat portion. A circular protrusion that bulges forward is formed on the outer periphery of the flat portion of the rear drum support 111. The protrusion has an opening 112 of a fixed width in an annular region facing a duct connection port 171 formed in front of the air intake duct 17, which will be described later. The rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3 is connected to the outer periphery of the middle portion of the support shaft 15 via a bearing. A circular rear support portion 113 that protrudes forward is formed on the outer periphery of the protrusion of the rear drum support 111.

[0032] The rear wall 133, which forms a recess at the rear side of the rotating drum 3, bulges rearward, and the bulging annular outer surface faces the inner surface of the rear support portion 113 of the rear drum support 111 via a ring-shaped rear seal member 202.

[0033] A transmission belt 160 is stretched between the outer periphery of the rotating drum 3 and a drum drive pulley (not shown) on one end of the output shaft of the motor 16. Although not shown, tension is applied to the transmission belt 160 by a belt tensioning mechanism.

[0034] A fan pulley 151 is attached to the rear end of the support shaft 15, and a fan belt 155 is stretched between the fan pulley 151 and a fan drive pulley 154 attached to the output shaft at the other end of the motor 16. Therefore, the rotating drum 3 and the intake / exhaust fan 21 are rotated and driven by the common motor 16 via belt transmission.

[0035] A flat, approximately semicircular arc-shaped air intake duct 17 is disposed in the left region on the rear side of the rear drum support 111 for sending hot air heated by the burner 9 into the rotating drum 3. The air intake duct 17 is formed by joining two metal plates formed into a predetermined shape. An inlet (upstream opening) 170 that opens rearward and communicates with the combustion chamber 5 (described below) is formed at the upper rear surface of the air intake duct 17. In addition, a duct connection port 171 that opens forward and blows hot air forward is formed across substantially the entire front surface of the air intake duct 17. Therefore, the air intake duct 17 and the gap between the rear drum support 111 and the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3 form part of the air intake passage.

[0036] An exhaust duct 20 is disposed in the center of the rear surface of the rear drum support 111. The exhaust duct 20 fits into the inner periphery of the substantially semicircular arc-shaped intake duct 17 and has a flat, cylindrical exhaust section 200 that is open to the front and rear. A rear opening (hereinafter referred to as the "exhaust outlet") 210 of the exhaust section 200 faces the intake port 40 of the fan case 4, and a front opening of the exhaust section 200 abuts against the rear surface of the rear drum support 111 and is closed. The exhaust duct 20 extends diagonally downward and right from the exhaust section 200 and widens to the left and right at its lower end. An opening that opens forward is provided at the lower end of exhaust duct 20, and exhaust duct 20 is connected to a communication duct 120 that extends from a warm air discharge port 121 in the area below the clothing outlet 100 through an opening at the lower end of the rear drum support 111 to the rear of the rotating drum 3, through a gap (hereinafter referred to as the "lower gap") G formed between the rotating drum 3 and the bottom wall 11d of the main body case 11. Therefore, the warm air discharged from the warm air discharge port 121 passes through the communication duct 120 and exhaust duct 20 and is sent to the fan case 4.

[0037] A fan case 4 housing an intake / exhaust fan 21 is disposed behind the intake duct 17 and the exhaust duct 20. The fan case 4 is formed into a flat, generally cylindrical box shape by joining a front wall 43, which is formed into a predetermined shape and has a shallow dish shape that opens rearward, and a rear wall 44, which is formed into a predetermined shape and has a flat plate shape. The fan case 4 has an intake port 40 that opens into the front wall 43 and communicates with an exhaust outlet 210 of the exhaust duct 20, and an outlet port 41 that protrudes tangentially upward from the circumferential surface of the fan case 4 and communicates with an exhaust port 10 formed in the top wall 11c of the main body case 11. Therefore, in this embodiment, by rotating the intake / exhaust fan 21, outside air is drawn into the main body case 11 through an intake port (not shown). Warm air heated by a burner 9 in the combustion chamber 5 (described later) is guided into the rotating drum 3 through the intake duct 17. In addition, the warm air inside the rotating drum 3 is discharged through the warm air exhaust port 121 mentioned above, and the discharged warm air is guided into the fan case 4 through the connecting duct 120 and the exhaust duct 20, and is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust port 10 of the main body case 11.

[0038] A recess in the rear wall 133 of the rotating drum 3 has a plurality of small circular holes (hereinafter referred to as "hot air outlets") 135 drilled radially from the support shaft 15, and the hot air sent into the air intake duct 17 passes through these hot air outlets 135 and is guided into the gap between the rear wall 133 and a cover plate 153 described later.

[0039] A substantially circular disk-shaped fixed flange 152 that expands toward the outer periphery is fixed to the front end of the support shaft 15, and a circular disk-shaped cover plate 153 is fixed in a non-rotating state to the front surface of this fixed flange 152, covering substantially the entire front surface of the rear wall 133 from the inside of the rotary drum 3. Although not shown, a plurality of small circular holes are drilled in an annular region of a predetermined width on the outer periphery of the cover plate 153.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the main part showing the vicinity of the combustion chamber 5. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, a combustion chamber 5 having a substantially horizontal L-shape is disposed in a space S formed at a corner between the fan case 4 and the upper wall 11c and right wall 11f of the peripheral wall 110 of the main body case 11. The combustion chamber 5 is formed by joining a plurality of metal plates formed into a predetermined shape, and has front-rear, left-right, and top-bottom constituent walls 51 to 56.

[0041] Lower structural wall 56 of combustion chamber 5 has an upwardly convex, generally semicircular arc shape that generally matches the outer circumferential shape of fan case 4. As a result, fan case 4 and combustion chamber 5 face each other with a narrow gap between them, and the vertical height of combustion chamber 5 is limited.

[0042] The length of combustion chamber 5 in the front-to-rear direction is greater than that of fan case 4, and the rear surface of rear component wall 52, which is substantially L-shaped horizontally, substantially abuts against a flange portion that protrudes outward at the outer peripheral edge of front wall 43 of fan case 4. Therefore, combustion chamber 5 does not protrude rearward in the front-to-rear direction beyond fan case 4 (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, in this embodiment, no components protrude rearward beyond fan case 4 other than a bearing for support shaft 15 provided on rear wall 44 of fan case 4, and fan case 4 is disposed adjacent to rear wall 11b of main body case 11.

[0043] Furthermore, as described above, since the substantially semicircular arc-shaped intake duct 17 is disposed between the rear drum support 111 and the fan case 4, a gap equal to the length of the intake duct 17 in the front-to-rear direction is formed in the front right region of the front wall 43 of the fan case 4, where the combustion chamber 5 is located. Therefore, the combustion chamber 5 is disposed so that the front component wall 51 is located in the gap in front of the front wall 43 of the fan case 4. This allows the combustion chamber 5 to be disposed with a constant length in the front-to-rear direction, without protruding rearward beyond the fan case 4.

[0044] The front structural wall 51 has a modified pentagonal shape, and its length in the left-right direction is smaller than that of the rear structural wall 52. Therefore, an outlet (downstream opening) 57 opens forward to the left of the front structural wall 51 of the combustion chamber 5. This outlet 57 of the combustion chamber 5 is connected to face an inlet (upstream opening) 170 provided at the upper rear surface of the air intake duct 17 in the front-rear direction. Because the front structural wall 51 of the combustion chamber 5 is located forward of the front wall 43 of the fan case 4, the combustion chamber 5 and the air intake duct 17 are arranged to overlap in the front-rear direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1 , the outlet 57 of the combustion chamber 5 and the inlet 170 of the air intake duct 17 are connected to overlap partially in the front-rear direction. This reduces the combined length of the combustion chamber 5 and the air intake duct 17 in the front-rear direction and allows hot air to be sent linearly from the combustion chamber 5 to the air intake duct 17. The combustion chamber 5 and the air intake duct 17 may be integrally formed in part or in whole.

[0045] The upper wall 55 of the combustion chamber 5 has a generally rectangular shape that is elongated in the left-right direction and extends generally horizontally from near the right wall 11f of the main body case 11 to the left of the left-right center of the main body case 11. Therefore, the left-right direction is the longitudinal direction of this combustion chamber 5. The right wall 53 within the combustion chamber 5 has a generally rectangular shape and extends generally vertically downward from near the top wall 11c of the main body case 11 to about the height of the upper half of the fan case 4. The left wall 54 of the combustion chamber 5 extends generally vertically downward from near the top wall 11c of the main body case 11 to above the fan case 4.

[0046] A burner box 7 in which a burner 9 shown in FIG. 5 is disposed is accommodated near the right end of the combustion chamber 5. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, two burners 9 are disposed vertically within the burner box 7. Each burner 9 has multiple (here, two) burner port rows 91 in which multiple (here, ten) burner ports 90 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. Therefore, the burner box 7 has multiple (here, four) burner port rows 91 arranged in parallel in the front-to-rear direction. Each burner port 90 has a vertically elongated slit shape and a partition plate for flame maintenance in the center. All burner ports 90 open approximately horizontally toward the left. Therefore, the combustion exhaust flows from right to left in the longitudinal direction of the combustion chamber 5. Although not shown, the gas inlets of each burner 9 open downward in the same direction, and a gas nozzle faces the gas inlet. The number of burners 9 and the shape, number, and arrangement of the burner ports 90 can be set as appropriate.

[0047] The burner box 7 is formed into a box shape by joining multiple metal plates formed into a predetermined shape. When the burner box 7 is placed in the combustion chamber 5, the burner box 7 has an end plate 70 on its left side with burner hole openings 71 formed therein, through which two rows of burner hole rows 91 of each burner 9 are inserted so that the burner holes 90 of the burners 9 are exposed inside the combustion chamber 5. For ease of installation, the burner hole openings 71 have dimensions in the front-to-rear and up-down directions that are slightly larger than the dimensions of the two rows of burner hole rows 91 of the burners 9 into which they are inserted. Furthermore, openings (hereinafter referred to as "outer openings") 72 that allow air to flow into the combustion chamber 5 are formed at the upper and lower ends of the end plate 70, spaced outward in the up-down direction from the upper and lower ends of the burner hole openings 71. Preferably, the outer openings 72 have an opening area larger than the gap between the burner 9 and the burner hole openings 71 when the burner hole rows 91 of the burner 9 are inserted into the burner hole openings 71. The outer openings 72 may be formed at both front and rear ends of the end plate 70 spaced outward in the front-rear direction from both front and rear ends of the burner port openings 71 .

[0048] At the opening edge of the outer opening 72 on the burner hole opening 71 side, both the upper and lower ends of the end plate 70 are cut and raised to form an upright wall 73 that protrudes higher toward the left, which is the opening direction of the burner holes 90, than the protruding height of the burner holes 90. Therefore, air taken into the combustion chamber 5 from the right side of the combustion chamber 5 flows not only into the gap between the burner 9 and the burner hole opening 71, but also into the outer opening 72 in a dispersed manner. Furthermore, if the outer opening 72 is formed to be larger than the gap between the burner 9 and the burner hole opening 71, air will more easily flow into the combustion chamber 5 from the outer opening 72. Furthermore, the upright wall 73 makes it difficult for air flowing into the combustion chamber 5 from the outer opening 72 toward the burner holes 90.

[0049] In the front and rear and upper and lower structural walls 51, 52, 55, 56 of the combustion chamber 5, a plurality of first air intake openings 58 are opened at predetermined intervals from a position near the flame holes 90 of the burner 9 to the center in the left-right direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the combustion chamber 5 (upper structural wall 5 5 (The first air intake openings 58 are not shown). The first air intake openings 58 formed in the front and rear structural walls 51, 52 have a slit shape that is elongated in the vertical direction. The first air intake openings 58 formed in the upper and lower structural walls 55, 56 also have a slit shape that is elongated in the front and rear direction. A plurality of second air intake openings 60 are opened at predetermined intervals to the left of the center in the horizontal direction of the rear structural wall 52. The second air intake openings 60 have a slit shape that is elongated in the horizontal direction and face the outlet 57 (downstream opening) of the combustion chamber 5. By rotating the intake and exhaust fan 21, air inside the main body case 11 is taken into the combustion chamber 5 through these first and second air intake openings 58, 60.

[0050] At a first opening edge 58a on the downstream side of the combustion exhaust of the first air intake opening 58 that is long in the front-rear and up-down directions, a louver-shaped first protruding piece 59 is formed on the upstream side of the combustion exhaust flow path (i.e., the burner side) and protruding outward from the combustion chamber 5. For this reason, the air taken into the combustion chamber 5 from these first air intake openings 58 is less likely to flow toward the burner 9 side.

[0051] Furthermore, a louver-shaped second protruding piece 61 that protrudes upward and outward from the combustion chamber 5 is formed on the lower second opening edge 60a of the second air intake opening 60 that is long in the left-right direction. This makes it easier for the air taken into the combustion chamber 5 from these second air intake openings 60 to flow downward. Furthermore, the second air intake opening 60 faces the outlet 57 that is connected to the inlet 170 of the air supply duct 17. This allows the combustion exhaust and air flowing from the upstream side of the combustion chamber 5 to be smoothly guided to the air supply duct 17 via the outlet 57 and the inlet 170.

[0052] A substantially rectangular heat shield plate 62 is disposed between the upper wall 55 of the combustion chamber 5 and the upper wall 11c of the main body case 11 so as to cover the entire upper wall 55. This prevents the temperature of the upper wall 11c of the main body case 11 from rising even when the upper wall 55 of the combustion chamber 5 is heated by the combustion flame.

[0053] 2, a substantially rectangular fixed plate 63 is connected to the heat shield plate 62, extending downward from the rear edge of the heat shield plate 62 at a fixed distance substantially parallel to the rear structural wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5. A detection unit 301 of an overheat prevention device 300, which is composed of a thermal fuse, an OHS (Over Heat Switch), or the like, is fixed to the rear surface of the fixed plate 63. The overheat prevention device 300 prohibits combustion of the burner 9 when the detection unit 301 detects that the temperature is above the overheat prevention temperature.

[0054] According to this embodiment, combustion chamber 5 is disposed in space S formed between fan case 4 and upper wall 11c and right wall 11f of peripheral wall 110 at the rear of main body case 11. Because combustion chamber 5 is not disposed below or to the side of rotating drum 3 and air intake / exhaust fan 21 and motor 16 are not disposed above rotating drum 3, the capacity of rotating drum 3 housed within main body case 11 can be increased without increasing the size of clothes dryer 1. Depending on the configuration of clothes dryer 1, combustion chamber 5 can be disposed in any position within the space formed between fan case 4 and the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls 110 at the rear of main body case 11. For example, combustion chamber 5 may be disposed in the space formed between fan case 4 and upper wall 11c and left wall 11e. Alternatively, combustion chamber 5 may be disposed in the space formed between fan case 4 and lower wall 11d and left wall 11e or right wall 11f.

[0055] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, air intake duct 17 that connects combustion chamber 5 and hot air outlet 135 is disposed between rear wall 133 of rotating drum 3 and fan case 4, which allows for a further increase in the diameter of rotating drum 3. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, hot air outlet 135 is provided in rear wall 133 of rotating drum 3, and hot air outlet 121 is provided at clothing removal opening 100 in front of rotating drum 3, so air filter 19 can be attached in front of main body case 11, improving usability.

[0056] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the hot air outlet 121 is provided in the front of the main body case 11, and the air supply / exhaust fan 21 is provided behind the rotating drum 3. This necessitates the provision of an exhaust passage for exhausting hot air from the front to the rear of the main body case 11. However, since the communication duct 120 is provided in the lower gap G between the rotating drum 3, which has a constant diameter, and the bottom wall 11d of the main body case 11, an exhaust passage with a constant cross-sectional area can be formed without increasing the height of the communication duct 120. As a result, even if an exhaust passage is provided in the lower gap G between the rotating drum 3 and the bottom wall 11d, a rotating drum 3 with a large diameter can be accommodated within the main body case 11. Furthermore, since an exhaust duct is not required within the opening / closing door 12, airtightness can be improved and costs can be reduced. The communication duct 120 may also be provided in the gap between the rotating drum 3 and the top wall 11c or the left and right walls 11e and 11f of the main body case 11. For example, by providing a communication duct 120 in the lateral gap formed between the rotating drum 3 and the left wall 11e, an exhaust passage having a constant size of passage cross-sectional area can be formed without increasing the width of the communication duct 120, and a rotating drum 3 with a large diameter can be accommodated within the main body case 11.

[0057] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the combustion chamber 5 and the air intake duct 17 are connected so that the outlet 57 (downstream opening) of the combustion chamber 5, which is the connection between the combustion chamber 5 and the air intake duct 17, and the inlet (upstream opening) 170 of the air intake duct 17, overlap in the front-to-rear direction, which prevents the combustion chamber 5 from protruding rearward, making it possible to increase the front-to-rear length of the rotating drum 3 while reducing the front-to-rear length of the main body case 11. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the combustion exhaust gas and the air taken into the combustion chamber 5 can be made to flow linearly from the combustion chamber 5 into the air intake duct 17.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the burner 9's row of burners 9 is inserted into the burner hole openings 71 provided in the end plate 70 of the burner box 7. Therefore, for installation purposes, the size of the burner hole openings 71 must be larger than the size of the inserted row of burners 91. This means that air flowing through the gap between the burner 9 and the burner hole openings 71 into the vicinity of the burner holes 90 may blow out the combustion flame or cool the base of the combustion flame, causing the flame to lift, resulting in poor combustion. However, according to this embodiment, the end plate 70 has outer openings 72 formed outward of the burner hole openings 71. This allows the air flowing into the combustion chamber 5 to be dispersed not only into the gap between the burner 9 and the burner hole openings 71 but also into the outer openings 72. This reduces the amount of air passing through the gap between the burner 9 and the burner hole openings 71 near the burner holes 90. This allows for stable combustion flame formation in the burner 9. In particular, by forming the outer opening 72 larger than the gap between the burner 9 and the burner hole opening 71, a more stable combustion flame can be formed in the burner 9. Furthermore, at the opening edge of the outer opening 72 on the burner hole opening 71 side, a standing wall 73 larger than the protruding height of the burner hole 90 is provided toward the opening direction of the burner hole 90, making it difficult for air to flow from the outer opening 72 toward the burner hole 90. This makes it possible to form an even more stable combustion flame in the burner 9.

[0059] In the clothes dryer 1, if a fan malfunction occurs, such as when the fan belt 155 comes off the pulleys 151 and 154, negative pressure due to the rotational drive of the intake / exhaust fan 21 is not generated. This prevents the combustion exhaust air from flowing from the combustion chamber 5 toward the intake duct 17, causing the combustion exhaust air to stagnate within the combustion chamber 5. If this abnormality continues, the combustion flame and the combustion exhaust air may leak from the combustion chamber 5. Furthermore, since air is no longer drawn into the main body case 11 from the outside, there is a shortage of cooling air for the combustion chamber 5. As a result, the combustion chamber 5 overheats abnormally, causing the temperatures of the constituent walls 51 to 56 of the combustion chamber 5 to rise. In particular, the upper constituent wall 55 is located near the top wall 11c of the main body case 11, making it difficult for air to flow through it, resulting in an early temperature rise. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an overheating prevention device 300 near the upper constituent wall 55 to detect fan malfunctions. On the other hand, in the clothes dryer 1, even if the cooling air decreases due to a clogged filter or the opening of the door 12 during drying operation, other than a fan failure, the temperature of the upper structural wall 55 rises. Therefore, if the overheat prevention device 300 is attached directly to the upper structural wall 55, there is a risk that the overheat prevention device 300 will detect a temperature rise in the upper structural wall 55 due to a clogged filter or the like.

[0060] However, according to the present embodiment, the fixing plate 63 that fixes the overheat prevention device 300 is connected to the heat shield plate 62 disposed above the upper wall 55 at a distance, and is disposed substantially parallel to the rear wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5, in which the first air intake opening 58 is formed, at a fixed distance. The detection unit 301 of the overheat prevention device 300 is disposed on the side of the fixing plate 63 opposite the side that faces the rear wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5. Therefore, even if the amount of cooling air decreases due to a clogged filter or the like, a certain amount of cooling air passes between the first air intake opening 58 and the fixing plate 63. Therefore, the detection unit 301 of the overheat prevention device 300 is not directly affected by the temperatures of the upper wall 55 or the rear wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5. Furthermore, even if a clogged filter or the like occurs, the intake / exhaust fan 21 continues to rotate normally unless there is a fan malfunction. Therefore, air taken into the main body case 11 from the outside flows toward the first air intake opening 58 formed in the rear wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5. Therefore, the air flowing toward the first air intake opening 58 can cool the overheat prevention device 300, which is fixed to the fixing plate 63 facing the rear wall 52 of the combustion chamber 5, in which the first air intake opening 58 is formed. In particular, if the fixing plate 63 is positioned so that the first air intake opening 58 and the second air intake opening 60 are located downstream of the fixing plate 63 in the flow path of the combustion exhaust gas, air will be taken into the combustion chamber 5 through the vicinity of the fixing plate 63, thereby efficiently cooling the overheat prevention device 300. Furthermore, in the event of a fan failure, the temperature of the entire walls of the combustion chamber 5 will rise, and this temperature increase can be detected via the heat shield plate 62 and the rear wall 52. This prevents erroneous detection of an overheating abnormality in the combustion chamber 5. Furthermore, the fixing plate 63 that fixes the overheat prevention device 300 may be connected to any location, for example, the main body case 11, without being connected to the heat shield plate 62, as long as it can distinguish between abnormal overheating of the combustion chamber 5 due to fan failure and temperature rise due to lifting of the combustion flame due to filter clogging, etc.

[0061] As described above, according to this embodiment, the capacity of the rotating drum 3 housed in the main body case 11 can be increased without increasing the size of the clothes dryer 1. This makes it possible to provide a clothes dryer 1 that is compact yet has great drying capacity. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 clothes dryer 3 rotating drum 4 Fan case 5 Combustion chamber 57 Outlet 58 First air intake opening 60 Second air intake opening 7 Burner Box 70 End plate 71 Flame hole opening 72 Outer opening 73 Standing Wall 9 Burner 90 flame hole 11 Main unit case 11c Upper wall 11d Lower wall 11e Left wall 11th floor right wall 110 Peripheral wall 12 Opening and closing doors 20 Exhaust duct 21 Intake and exhaust fan 17 Air supply duct 170 Inlet 120 Connecting duct 100 Clothes removal opening 300 Overheat protection device 301 Detection unit S space G Gap

Claims

1. A clothes dryer having a substantially rectangular box-shaped main body case with a clothes outlet opening at the front, and an opening / closing door for opening and closing the clothes outlet, Inside the main body case, a rotating drum for storing the clothes; a combustion chamber containing a burner; a fan case that is provided behind the rotary drum, takes in air into the combustion chamber, supplies the air heated by the burner as hot air into the rotary drum, and accommodates an air supply / exhaust fan that exhausts the hot air from inside the rotary drum to the outside; The combustion chamber is disposed in a space formed between the fan case and the corners of the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls at the rear of the main body case. The burners are arranged in the combustion chamber near the ends of the corners of the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls at the rear of the main body case.

2. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, A hot air outlet for guiding hot air into the rotary drum is provided on the rear wall of the rotary drum, An air intake duct is provided between the rear wall of the rotary drum and the fan case, communicating the combustion chamber with the hot air outlet; A warm air outlet for discharging warm air from inside the rotating drum is provided at the clothing removal port in front of the rotating drum, a communication duct communicating with the warm air outlet and extending from the clothing outlet to the rear of the rotating drum through gaps formed between the rotating drum and the upper, lower, left, and right peripheral walls of the main body case; The clothes dryer has an exhaust duct between the rear wall of the rotary drum and the fan case, which connects the hot air outlet and the fan case via a communication duct.

3. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, A clothes dryer in which the combustion chamber and the air intake duct are connected so that the downstream opening of the combustion chamber, which is the connection between the combustion chamber and the air intake duct, and the upstream opening of the air intake duct overlap in the front-to-back direction.

4. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, The burner has a row of burner holes in which a plurality of burner holes are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals, the burner is disposed in a burner box having an end plate with burner hole openings through which the burner hole rows are inserted so that the burner holes are exposed to the combustion chamber; The end plate has an outer opening outside the burner opening that allows air to flow into the combustion chamber.

5. The clothes dryer according to claim 4, The end plate has a standing wall that protrudes from the edge of the outer opening on the side of the opening for the burner port toward the opening direction of the burner port and has a height greater than that of the burner port.

6. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, an overheating prevention device that prevents abnormal overheating of the combustion chamber; a fixing plate for fixing the overheating prevention device near a wall of the combustion chamber, An air intake opening is provided in the wall of the combustion chamber to take in air from the main body case into the combustion chamber. A clothes dryer in which the fixed plate is installed at a certain distance from the wall of the combustion chamber in which the air intake opening is opened.

7. The clothes dryer according to claim 6, A clothes dryer in which the detection unit of the overheat prevention device is located on the opposite side of the fixed plate to the side facing the combustion chamber wall.

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