Dryer and control method

Abstract

To perform processing at the discharge stage of each of a plurality of dryers in the shortest time in a cleaning factory where a plurality of dryers for sorting and drying objects requiring long and short discharge times are mixed. [Solution] Each of the multiple dryers includes a drum 13 for drying the workpieces, tilting mechanisms 16a, 16b for tilting the drum 13 to discharge the workpieces from the drum 13 after drying, a tilt detector 17 for detecting the tilt and transmitting a tilt detection signal, an item remaining detector 18 for detecting whether the drum 13 is empty of workpieces and transmitting an empty state detection signal, and a control circuit 22b configured to transmit a discharge completion signal to the dryer when it receives an unload signal, a tilt detection signal, and an empty state detection signal.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dryer and a method for controlling the dryer, and more particularly to a commercial dryer used in a dry cleaning factory that processes a large amount of laundry, and a method for controlling the processing in the discharge stage of the commercial dryer. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a commercial dryer that rotates a drum (inner body) having an input opening for inputting materials to be dried (materials to be dried) and a discharge opening for discharging the materials. In the commercial dryer described in Patent Document 1, the rotation axis of the drum is tilted downward toward the discharge opening so that the materials to be dried are discharged after drying. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the materials to be dried input into the commercial dryer are sorted and dried according to type and size, but the discharge time required for discharging the materials from the dryer after drying is uniform and set to a fixed time by a timer.

[0003] In other words, in dry cleaning factories that process large amounts of laundry, multiple commercial dryers are arranged along a conveyor belt, and the multiple commercial dryers perform sorted drying of different types of laundry in parallel, sorting them by the drying time required. However, even though the discharge time set for the laundry to be dried discharged from each drum of the multiple commercial dryers varies, the discharge time set for the entire dry cleaning factory is a uniform fixed time that matches the laundry to be dried with the longest discharge time. In other words, depending on the type of laundry to be dried, excessive discharge time is used, resulting in wasted electricity, and this has not been taken into consideration for a long time.

[0004] Depending on the circumstances of the dry cleaning factory and the customer, bath towels and the like may be fully dried, while sheets and the like may be semi-dried. The type of dryer and the usage conditions must be taken into consideration, but in the case of semi-drying, according to the experience of the inventors, for example, when 60 kg of items to be dried are put into a 100 kg dryer, the drying times shown in Table 1 can be exemplified. [Table 1] The drying time required for full drying varies depending on the season and outdoor temperature, but is approximately 15 to 23 minutes. Here, technical consideration is required for the sequential scheduling of four unit operations (JIS Z 8141-5109) for full drying: the loading stage in which the material to be dried is loaded into the inner drum, the hot air drying stage in which the material to be dried is dried with hot air, the cooling stage in which the material to be dried is cooled, and the discharge stage in which the material to be dried is discharged from the inner drum. On the other hand, when handling semi-dried materials, since there is no cooling stage, technical consideration is required for the sequential scheduling of three unit operations: the loading stage, the hot air drying stage, and the discharge stage. Of the three or four unit operations scheduled sequentially, the hot air drying stage allows for monitoring of the drying endpoint, and time adjustments can be made in the hot air drying stage by classifying the material to be dried. However, for a long time, no consideration has been given to the processing time required for the discharge stage of the three or four unit operations scheduled sequentially. Specifically, in the discharge stage, even though some items require a long discharge time and others require a short discharge time, the discharge time for all dryers on the line has traditionally been set to a uniform, fixed value (maximum value) based on the time required for the item with the longest discharge time. In the case of items with a short discharge time, this wastes time and electricity by, for example, about 15 seconds compared to items with a long discharge time. Standardizing the discharge time to the maximum value, as in the prior art, not only lengthens the operating time of all dryers in a dry cleaning factory, but also increases the frequency of replacement of consumables (such as belts) in the dryers, affecting the power consumption and lifespan of associated equipment such as belt conveyors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2016-112287 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to focus on the discharge stage, which has long been overlooked among the three to four unit operations that are chronologically scheduled as processes in a dryer, and to provide a dryer that can efficiently discharge the workpieces that are the subject of the drying process from the dryer in the shortest possible time, thereby contributing to energy conservation, and a control method for the discharge stage process of this dryer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is a dryer comprising: (a) a drum for drying objects; (b) a tilting mechanism for tilting the drum to discharge the objects from the drum after drying; (c) a tilt detector for detecting the tilt and transmitting a tilt detection signal; (d) an item remaining detector for detecting whether the drum is empty of objects and transmitting an empty state detection signal; and (e) a control circuit configured to transmit a discharge completion signal to the dryer when it receives an unload signal, a tilt detection signal, and an empty state detection signal.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is a control method including the steps of: (a) tilting a drum that dries the workpieces to discharge the workpieces after drying, and transmitting an unload signal; (b) detecting the tilt and transmitting a tilt detection signal; (c) detecting whether the drum is empty of workpieces and transmitting an empty state detection signal; and (d) canceling the tilt when the unload signal, tilt detection signal, and empty state detection signal are received. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a dryer that can efficiently perform the discharge stage of discharging the workpiece from the dryer in the shortest possible time, thereby contributing to energy savings, and a method for controlling the discharge stage of this dryer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the general structure of a dryer line in which a plurality of dryers according to a first embodiment of the present invention are arranged. FIG. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of flow shop scheduling for a multi-stage operation system in a cleaning factory having a dryer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a diagram showing another example of flow shop scheduling for the multi-stage production system illustrated in FIG. 2A. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view illustrating the general structure of a specific dryer among the plurality of dryers illustrated in FIG. 1. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a schematic front view illustrating the general structure of the dryer shown in FIG. 3A. [Figure 3C] 3B is a schematic perspective view illustrating the drum of the dryer shown in FIG. 3A and four drive rollers that drive the drum. FIG. [Figure 3D] FIG. 3B is a schematic bird's-eye view of the dryer shown in FIG. 3A, focusing on a drive roller. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view of the dryer according to the first embodiment, focusing on a discharge stage and a control device related to processing in the discharge stage. [Figure 5] 5 is a schematic top view focusing on the control device of the dryer according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view focusing on a control device of the dryer illustrated in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a control device for a dryer according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device for a dryer according to a reference example of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the switch of FIG. 7. [Figure 10] FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the sensor unit of FIG. 7. [Figure 11A]1 is a schematic side view showing, in perspective, the workpiece inside the dryer before the inclination of the inclined moving part starts in the discharge stage in the control method according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11B] 1 is a perspective side view showing the workpiece inside the dryer after the inclination of the inclined moving part has started in the discharge stage in the control method according to the first embodiment, but before the inclination angle reaches its maximum. FIG. [Figure 11C] This is an internal perspective side view showing a transient state of the discharge stage at a time when the discharge stage processing has progressed further from the state shown in Figure 11B, when the inclination angle has reached its maximum and part of the treated material is protruding from the drum, but discharge of the treated material has not yet been completed and the treated material remains in the inner tank of the drum. [Figure 11D] FIG. 11D is a side view showing a state in which the discharge of the workpieces has been completed and the inner tank of the drum has become empty, at a discharge stage at a time further advanced from the state shown in FIG. 11C. [Figure 12] 12(a) to 12(e) are timing charts showing the changes in each signal in the process of the discharge stage in the control method according to the first embodiment when the empty state detection signal is earlier than the time-up signal. [Figure 13] 13(a) to 13(e) are timing charts showing the changes in each signal during the discharge stage process when the empty state detection signal is delayed compared to the time-up signal. [Figure 14] 4 is an elemental work flow diagram showing the procedure of processing a unit work in a discharge stage in the control method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 6 is a schematic rear view illustrating an outline of a dryer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a schematic rear view illustrating an outline of a dryer according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Next, first to third embodiments of the present invention will be described as representative examples with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are designated by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, the thickness ratio of each component, etc., differ from the actual ones. Therefore, specific thicknesses and dimensions should be determined with reference to the following explanation. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the drawings also include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

[0012] Furthermore, the first to third embodiments shown below are merely examples of devices and methods for embodying the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention does not specify the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of the components to those described below. The technical idea of ​​the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope defined by the claims. Furthermore, in the following description, the terms "up and down," "left and right," and "front and back" are defined for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0013] (First embodiment) --Outline of the main parts of the dryer-- As illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of dryers X according to the first embodiment of the present invention i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) , ... are arranged along the conveyor belt 91 of the belt conveyor to form the ith line (however, the belt conveyor shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example). The conveyor belt 91 is moved by the head pulley 93a, tail pulley 93b, tension pulley 93d, first vent pulley 93c, and second vent pulley 93e to the dryer X. i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1), .... The tension pulley 93d is integrated with the transmission pulley 94a to form a two-stage pulley. The driving force from the drive pulley 94c provided on the motor 92 side is transmitted via the snub pulley 94b by the belt 95. The tension pulley 93d, first vent pulley 93c, second vent pulley 93e, transmission pulley 94a, motor 92, drive pulley 94c, snub pulley 94b, etc. are stored in a pit 96 below the conveyor belt 91.

[0014] The dryer X according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) , ... can be applied as components of the process of the dryer line 34 of a cleaning factory, which is composed of a washing machine line 32, a dehydrator line 33, a dryer line 34, a feeder line 35, a roll machine line 36, and a folding machine line 37 shown in FIG. 2A. In consideration of the difference in the drying time required depending on the characteristics of the objects to be treated as shown in Table 1 and the difference between full drying and semi-drying, a plurality of dryers are arranged for each type in the dryer line 34 so that a process of classified drying for each type is possible. That is, a plurality of dryers X are arranged in the dryer line 34 so that a process of classified drying for each type is possible. i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) , ... are arranged (see Figure 1). Following the dryer line 34 is a feeder line 35, which is followed by a roll machine line 36, which is equipped with one or more ironers, and following the roll machine line 36 is a folding machine line 37, which is equipped with one or more folding machines.

[0015] The washing machine line 32 shown in FIG. 2A or 2B is a tunnel washing machine with multiple tubs connected in series, continuously processing laundry classified by type in a set cycle. To perform classified laundry using a tunnel washing machine, a sorting area is located in front of the washing machine line 32 in the dry cleaning factory, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2A, where the items to be cleaned (laundry items) are sorted (sorted) by type. Items include a variety of items, such as sheets, towels, pillowcases, wraps, duvet covers, yukata robes, mats, and uniforms. The sorted items are then loaded onto designated washing machines in the washing machine line 32 via a conveyor or transport bag, where they are sorted and washed. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2B, an automatic sorter 31b using AI-based image recognition or similar may be used to sort the diverse items by type and load them into designated washing machines in the washing machine line 32 for classified washing. Dry cleaning is a method of washing (cleaning) items using dry cleaning solvents, such as petroleum-based solvents, chlorine-based solvents, and fluorine-based solvents. Dry cleaning allows the items to be washed without coming into contact with water, preventing swelling and shrinkage of the material of the items, and preventing the clothes from losing their shape.

[0016] The dewatering line 33 process is performed after the continuous washing process, including the rinsing step, has been completed. The dewatering of the processed items, which contain a large amount of rinsing liquid, is performed by sorting them by type. For example, a squeeze dewatering machine or a centrifugal dewatering machine is used for the dry cleaning solvent dewatering step. While dry cleaning solvents may contain water, it is desirable to minimize the water content. However, the lack of water reduces cleaning power. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the water content in the solvent to moisten the soiled areas. Since dry cleaning solvents contain surfactants and are exposed to air, the amount of water varies depending on the humidity. For example, a two-bath machine with a water washing tank and a dry cleaning tank connected in series may be used, allowing for double cleaning, which combines the water washing and dry cleaning steps, to achieve a high-quality finish. After dewatering and dewatering in the dewatering line 33, the processed items are automatically transported by conveyor or transport bag to each of the multiple dryers arranged in the dryer line 34, sorted by type.

[0017] A plurality of dryers X arranged in a dryer line 34 i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) , ... each performs sorting and drying by type in parallel. i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) Each of the dryers X, X, X may have the same structure as long as it has substantially the same (equivalent) functions required for classification drying. i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) , ... may each have a plurality of timers capable of setting drying time settings for classifying and drying the types of objects to be treated. In the case of semi-drying, in consideration of the data in Table 1, etc., a plurality of dryers X i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1), ... are pre-classified into a first group of multiple dryers with timers set to drying time 1, a second group of multiple dryers with timers set to drying time 2, a third group of multiple dryers with timers set to drying time 3, ..., etc. In the case of semi-drying, timer drying time 1 is set to the non-processed material with the longest drying time in Table 1, and timer drying time 1 > timer drying time 2 > timer drying time 3 > .... For fully dried materials, each dryer independently processes a series of unit operations, including the loading stage, hot air drying stage, cooling stage, and discharge stage. On the other hand, for semi-dried materials, each dryer independently processes a series of unit operations, including the loading stage, hot air drying stage, and discharge stage. By classifying and drying, the time required for the hot air drying stage of the series of unit operations can be shortened for non-processed materials with a short drying time. Dryer X of dryer line 34 i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) After completing sorting and drying at each of the stages, the multiple types of objects to be treated are sorted and automatically transported to the roll machine line 36 by the conveyor belt 91. Note that Fig. 1 is an example, and instead of using the conveyor belt 91, the objects to be treated may be sorted and stored by type in transport bags, and then automatically transported to the roll machine line 36.

[0018] One or more ironers on the roll machine line 36 iron the wrinkled objects after drying, smoothing them out to a flat, wrinkle-free state. The ironer may be, for example, a roll ironer, which presses the objects using a roll (rotating roller) and a heating plate. The objects smoothed by the ironer are transferred to the folding machine line 37 as the final job. One or more folding machines constituting the folding machine line 37 automatically fold the smoothed objects by type, resulting in cleaned products ready for shipment. The folding machine line 37 may employ an air blow method that folds the objects using air pressure, a roller method that folds the objects with rotating rollers, or a conveyor method that folds the objects in multiple stages while conveying them on a conveyor. Furthermore, a detector for measuring the size of the objects may be used to select the appropriate folding method depending on the size of the objects.

[0019] A plurality of dryers X arranged in a dryer line 34 i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) ,…… are of the same structure. Therefore, dryer X i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) It is possible to arbitrarily decide which of the dryers in the group 1, which in the group 2, and which in the group 3, etc., are classified as multiple dryers in the first group, multiple dryers in the second group, multiple dryers in the third group, etc., and the classification can also be changed. i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) Each of these has a stationary portion 72 that is inverted L-shaped when viewed from the front, and an inclined moving portion 71 housed in the recess of the inverted L-shape of the stationary portion 72. The rising portion (vertical bar portion) of the inverted L is provided with an operation panel 83 and a control panel 84 below the operation panel 83, as shown in Figure 3A. Although it depends on the model, an inlet thermometer 81 and an outlet thermometer 82 are arranged on top of the operation panel 83.

[0020] In the following description, a plurality of dryers X arranged in a dryer line 34 i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) , ... can generally be made to have the same structure, so each is referred to as "Dryer X" ij " shall be used as appropriate depending on the situation. Dryer X ij The stationary portion 72 has a first tilting mechanism 16a and a second tilting mechanism 16b for tilting the tilting moving portion 71. ij The first tilting mechanism 16a and the second tilting mechanism 16b may be, for example, an air cylinder using air pressure, a fluid pressure cylinder using fluid pressure such as hydraulic pressure, or an electric cylinder using mechanical drive by electricity. The two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b have the function of tilting the tilting movement unit 71 forward by extending and retracting themselves, with hinges at the corners of the front and bottom surfaces of the tilting movement unit 71 as fulcrums. Each of the tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b may be, for example, an air cylinder using air pressure, a fluid pressure cylinder using hydraulic pressure, or an electric cylinder using mechanical drive by electricity. Figures 3A and 3B schematically show the rod lowered into the cylinder tube.

[0021] Dryer X according to the first embodiment ij Inside the inclined moving section 71, there is disposed a drum (inner body) 13, which is made up of a partial double structure consisting of a non-rotating outer tub and a rotating inner tub. The inner tub of the drum 13 stores the material to be treated inside the outer tub and rotates in close proximity to the outer tub. As shown in FIG. 3C, the edges (edge ​​portions) at both ends of the inner tub of the drum 13 are exposed from the outer tub to form a partial double structure, and the outer periphery of the edges is driven by four drive rollers 86a to 86d to rotate. As shown in FIG. 3C, the first drive roller 86a and the second drive roller 86b are driven by a motor 88. Note that FIGS. 3C and 3D are merely examples, and the position of the motor 88 is not limited to the illustrated structure and can be arbitrarily modified in design. Dryer X according to the first embodiment ij As shown in FIG. 3B, a rear door 85 for discharging the material to be treated from the inside is provided on the rear side of the drum 13.

[0022] Although not shown in the rear view of FIG. 3A, a front door is provided on the front side of the drum 13 for loading the workpieces into the inner tank. Two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b tilt the tilting movement unit 71 so that the thrust direction along the rotation axis of the inner tank of the drum 13 slopes downward toward the rear door 85. When the tilting movement unit 71 is tilted, the inner tank of the drum 13 rotates forward and backward repeatedly, and the workpieces that have completed the drying process are discharged from the inner tank through the rear door 85. The workpieces discharged from the inner tank are loaded onto the conveyor belt 91 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3C, when the tilting movement unit 71 is tilted, four thrust rollers 86a to 86d control the thrust direction position of the drum 13 to prevent the inner tank of the drum 13 from moving in the thrust direction. The thrust rollers 86a to 86d also serve to prevent the drum 13 from shifting position even when the drum 13 is horizontal.

[0023] Dryer X according to the first embodiment ijA hot air generator 61, which generates hot air using a heat source such as a gas burner or steam heater, is installed above the stationary portion 72, which is located to the left of the outer tub of the drum 13. A felt packing is provided between the hot air generator 61 and the tiltable portion 71, allowing the tiltable portion 71 to be separated from the stationary portion 72 when tilted. Instead of using a felt packing, a flexible structure such as a bellows may be used to ensure the distance when the tiltable portion 71 tilts and the fluid passage between the tiltable portion 71 and the stationary portion 72. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the hot air generator 61 and the hot air supply duct 62 may be provided on the tiltable portion 71, allowing the hot air generator 61 and the like to tilt and move integrally with the drum 13. An exhaust duct 64 is connected below the hot air supply duct 62 of the stationary portion 72, which is located to the left of the outer tub of the drum 13. A filter 63 is attached to the path of the exhaust duct 64 to filter out fiber dust and the like contained in the exhaust air. When the inclined moving part 71 tilts, it can be separated from the exhaust duct 64 via a felt packing. However, it is also possible to prevent separation between the inclined moving part 71 and the exhaust duct 64 by extending a flexible structure without using a felt packing. Furthermore, an exhaust fan 65 is installed at the tip side of this exhaust duct 64.

[0024] Dryer X according to the first embodiment ijThe inner and outer tanks of the drum 13 are each cylindrical and made of a metal material such as stainless steel. The inner tank of the drum 13 has a multi-hole arrangement over its entire surface, through which hot air flows to promote drying of the workpieces. The gas flow holes extend almost entirely through the inner wall of the cylindrical inner tank, all the way to the inside of the outer tank. Therefore, as indicated by the dashed-dotted arrows in Figure 3B, hot air generated by the hot air generator 61 passes through the hot air supply duct 62, the outer tank of the drum 13, and the gas flow holes in the inner tank, which then supply the workpieces to the workpieces. The hot air then passes through the gas flow holes in the inner tank of the drum 13 and the outer tank, before being discharged to the outside via the exhaust duct 64. The filter 63 is detachable from the exhaust duct 64, allowing fiber waste filtered by the filter 63 to be removed as needed. The hot air generator 61, the hot air supply duct 62, and other components shown in Figure 3B constitute a hot air supply means. The hot air exhaust means is configured by the exhaust duct 64, the filter 63, the exhaust fan 65, etc. shown in Fig. 3B. Note that Fig. 3B is an example, and the hot air supply means and the hot air exhaust means may be provided on the inclined moving part 71, and may be configured to be inclined integrally with the drum 13.

[0025] --Configuration of the control device for the discharge stage treatment-- As already mentioned, each dryer arranged in the dryer line according to the first embodiment performs a series of scheduled unit operations of the loading stage into the body, the hot air drying stage, the cooling stage, and the discharge stage for all materials to be dried, independently of each other in time series. On the other hand, in the case of materials to be semi-dried, the series of scheduled unit operations of the loading stage into the body, the hot air drying stage, and the discharge stage are performed independently of each other in time series. Although the multiple dryers have the same structure, each dryer has a control mechanism related to the discharge stage process in the series of processes, as shown in Figs. 4 to 6. Since the focus is on the discharge stage process and the control mechanism related to the discharge stage process, the dryer X according to the first embodiment shown in Figs. 3A to 3D is ij 4 to 6 are schematic diagrams in which the illustration of the operation panel 83 of the inverted L-shaped vertical rod portion and the like is omitted. However, FIGS. 4 to 6 show the arrangement of the plurality of dryers X arranged in the dryer line 34 with the same structure as that shown in FIG.i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) , ..., and is equivalent to the structure shown in Figs. 3A to 3D. Therefore, the dryer X shown in Figs. 4 to 6 ij The base 10 corresponds to the stationary portion 72 shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D, and the housing frame 12 corresponds to the inclined moving portion 71 shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6, the base 10 has a recess 11 at its rear. Two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b are arranged in the recess 11 of the base 10 to support the underside of the rear portion of the housing frame 12 corresponding to the tilting movement unit 71, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the front lower portion of the housing frame 12 is connected to the base 10 by a hinge 21, allowing the housing frame 12 to rotate around the hinge 21 during the discharge process. The two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b are cylinders whose length can be extended or contracted, and they function to tilt the housing frame 12 corresponding to the tilting movement unit 71 shown in FIG. 3A and other figures by rotating around the hinge 21. As the housing frame 12 tilts, the rotation axis AX of the inner tub of the drum 13 also tilts forward, around the hinge 21 (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0027] As explained in FIGS. 3A to 3D, the drum 13, which has a double structure consisting of an outer tub and an inner tub housed adjacent to the outer tub, is installed inside the housing frame 12, but the outer tub of the drum 13 does not rotate. Meanwhile, the inner tub of the drum 13 can rotate inside the outer tub around the rotation axis AX shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The inner tub of the drum 13 is porous, allowing hot air to circulate, to promote drying of the objects with hot air during the hot air drying stage. In an automated system for a dry cleaning factory, for example, the objects that have been washed and drained in the washing machine line 32 of FIG. 2 are transported by a conveyor or a transport bag, and then automatically loaded into the inner tub of the drum 13 through a front door (not shown in FIG. 3A) for the internal loading stage.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, side plates 20a are provided on the rear surface of the housing frame 12 on the left and right sides of the drum 13, each of which has a curved surface that follows the periphery of the drum 13 and serves as a guide for discharging the workpieces onto the drum 13, taking into consideration the processing at the discharge stage. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, an underplate 20b is provided on the rear surface of the housing frame 12 below the drum 13, serving as a guide for discharging the workpieces from the drum 13, taking into consideration the processing at the discharge stage. A conveyor belt 91 is disposed below this underplate 20b, similar to the structure shown in FIG. 1, for automatically transporting the workpieces W to the job of the next process after the discharge stage. Instead of the conveyor belt 91, a conveyor bag may be disposed for automatically transporting the workpieces W to the job of the next stage.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, a motor 88 is provided inside the housing frame 12 to rotate the inner tank of the drum 13. However, as shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, the motor 88 may be disposed in the stationary portion 72. The motor 88 is driven when drying the workpieces placed in the inner tank of the drum 13 and when removing the workpieces from the drum 13, and rotates the inner tank of the drum 13 via four drive rollers 86a to 86d shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D. For example, when drying the workpieces in the drum 13, the rotation is controlled at a predetermined set rotation speed, drying time, and rotation direction. The set rotation speed may be constant during the hot air drying stage, or may be variable, in which the speed changes stepwise during the hot air drying stage.

[0030] Focusing on the process in the hot air drying stage, a predetermined drying time can be appropriately set for each of the first group of dryers, the second group of dryers, the third group of dryers, etc., by adjusting the timer 25 shown in FIG. 7 . Furthermore, the rotation direction of the inner tub of the drum 13 may be unidirectional or may be a combination of forward and reverse rotation during the process in the hot air drying stage. Meanwhile, during the discharge stage, when the workpieces are discharged from the inner tub of the drum 13, the rotation is controlled at a predetermined set rotation speed, discharge set time, and rotation direction. As with the hot air drying stage, the set rotation speed during the discharge stage may be constant during the process in the discharge stage, or may be variable, with the rotation speed changing stepwise during the process in the discharge stage. Furthermore, the rotation direction may be unidirectional or may be a combination of forward and reverse rotation during the process in the discharge stage.

[0031] 3A shows a structural example in which the hot air generating unit 61 and the hot air supply duct 62 are disposed in the stationary portion 72, but this is merely an example. FIG. 4 presents a structure in which the hot air generating unit 61 and the hot air supply duct 62 are provided in the inclined moving portion 71. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the hot air generating unit 61 that generates hot air and supplies it to the drum 13, and the temperature sensor 67 that detects the temperature (outlet temperature) of the gas (hot air) discharged from the drum 13 are disposed inside the housing frame 12. FIG. 4 also shows an example in which the housing frame 12 is provided with a drive circuit 22a that controls the operations of the motor 88, the hot air generating unit 61, and the temperature sensor 67. Instead of being disposed inside the housing frame 12 shown in FIG. 4, all or part of the functions of the drive circuit 22a may be provided outside the housing frame 12, for example, in a control circuit 22b provided in the stationary portion 72. i1 ,X i2 ,……,X i(j-1) ,X ij ,X i(j+1) , ..., or may be provided in a central control device that controls the entire factory. Furthermore, the control circuit 22b may be configured with a processor such as a CPU unit 24 as shown in FIG.

[0032] In the hot air drying stage, the hot air generating section 61 generates hot air and supplies it to the inner tank of the drum 13, thereby drying the objects to be treated inside the inner tank of the drum 13. For example, the hot air generating section 61 is equipped with a steam-type heating mechanism and generates hot air by heating outside air. The hot air generated by the hot air generating section 61 is sent into the inner tank of the drum 13 as dry air for drying the objects to be treated inside the inner tank of the drum 13 (see FIG. 3B). In addition, the hot air that has absorbed the liquid content of the objects to be treated inside the inner tank of the drum 13 is discharged through the exhaust duct 64 to the dryer X ij The air is then exhausted to the outside (see FIG. 3B). An exhaust fan 65 is attached to the exhaust duct 64, so that the gas can flow smoothly from "outside air (intake) → hot air generating section 61 → drum 13 → exhaust."

[0033] Temperature sensor 67 is attached to, for example, a part of exhaust duct 64 and detects the temperature (outlet temperature) of the gas (hot air) exhausted from inside drum 13 during the hot air drying stage. This can be used to monitor the end point of drying of the objects inside the inner tank of drum 13. That is, in the hot air drying stage when the objects inside the inner tank of drum 13 have not yet been sufficiently dried (when the objects contain a large amount of liquid), the hot air from hot air generator 61 absorbs the liquid inside drum 13. Therefore, if the temperature of the hot air generated by hot air generator 61 during the hot air drying stage is T1, the temperature T2 of the gas flowing from drum 13 into exhaust duct 64 is lower than T1. On the other hand, in the hot air drying stage when the objects inside the inner tank of drum 13 have been sufficiently dried (when the objects contain almost no liquid), the hot air from hot air generator 61 does not absorb the liquid inside drum 13. For example, if the temperature of the hot air generated by the hot air generator 61 is T1 = 150 to 160°C, the temperature T2 of the gas flowing from the drum 13 into the exhaust duct 64 will be approximately 60 to 70°C when the air is not dry, but will be approximately T2 = 83°C when the air is dry. In other words, by detecting the outlet temperature with the temperature sensor 67 during the hot air drying stage, the end point of the process during the hot air drying stage can be determined, and the required drying time can be determined. Note that by fixing the required drying time (a set time), the temperature sensor 67 can be omitted, or the set time and the temperature sensor can be used together.

[0034] The drive circuit 22a is ij The drive circuit 22a controls the operation of the motor 88 in a series of unit operations, including the step of feeding the object into the body, the step of drying with hot air, the step of cooling, and the step of discharging the object. ij The control circuit 22b, which sends a drive signal to the drive circuit 22a, controls the operation of each of the dryers X. ij4 is merely an example, and control circuit 22b may be configured with a processor such as the CPU unit of FIG. 7. Therefore, a production information system equivalent to a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) may be configured by arranging control device 22 shown in FIG. 7 in a central management device that controls the entire washing machine line 32, dryer line 34, roll machine line 36, and folding machine line 37 shown in FIG. 2A, etc.

[0035] (a) Insertion into the fuselage The processing in the loading stage into the drum, which is a unit operation performed by the control circuit 22b and the drive circuit 22a shown in FIG. 4, is, for example, to separate a plurality of types of objects to be processed, which have been automatically transported by conveyers or transport bags from the individual dehydrators that have been subjected to classification and cleaning, into dryers of a first group, a second group, a third group, ..., and then load them into a predetermined dryer X. ij This is the stage where the materials are loaded into the inner tank of the drum 13. In the loading stage, which is a unit operation of the drying process, the drive circuit 22a drives the front door actuator (not shown) to open the front door (not shown) at the front of the drum 13, and closes it once the materials have been loaded into the inner tank of the drum 13. This control is performed for each of the first, second, third, etc. groups of dryers. The loading stage is completed in about 10 seconds regardless of the type of materials.

[0036] (b) Hot air drying stage The warm air drying step, a unit operation performed by the control circuit 22b and the drive circuit 22a shown in FIG. 4, involves drying the liquid-containing materials placed in the inner tub of the drum 13 using dryers in the first, second, third, and other groups. During the warm air drying step of a drying job, the drive circuit 22a controls the motor 88 to rotate the drum 13 in a predetermined pattern, and also controls the operation of the warm air generator 61 and the exhaust fan 65 attached to the exhaust duct 64 to blow warm air into the inner tub of the drum 13. Time management for the warm air drying step can be performed using a timer. As mentioned above, the dryers in the first group are pre-classified by setting the drying time of a first timer, the drying time of a second timer, the drying time of a third timer, and so on. By sorting and drying, it is possible to shorten the drying time for objects requiring a short drying time, thereby reducing energy consumption such as power consumption. The end point of drying the objects may be monitored using a temperature sensor 67 attached to a part of the exhaust duct 64, or the temperature sensor 67 and timer 25 may be used together.

[0037] (c) Cooling stage The unit operation of the cooling stage is set to 0 seconds when semi-dried materials are being processed. The cooling stage involves introducing ambient air into the inner tub of the drum 13 to cool multiple types of materials that have been dried by sorting and drying, one for each dryer (first group, second group, third group, etc.). The drive circuit 22a shown in FIG. 4 controls the intake of ambient air for each dryer (first group, second group, third group, etc.) by, for example, driving the fan of the exhaust duct 64 while rotating the inner tub of the drum 13. The time management for the cooling stage can be performed using a timer, as with the warm air drying stage. In this case, the drive circuit 22a does not activate the warm air generator 61, allowing ambient air to pass directly through the warm air generator 61, thereby supplying ambient air to the inner tub of the drum 13. Alternatively, if a separate path bypassing the warm air generator 61 is provided, the drive circuit 22a can select this separate path to directly supply ambient air to the inner tub of the drum 13.

[0038] (d) Emission stage The discharge stage is a unit operation in which the dried or cooled materials stored in the inner tank of the drum 13 are discharged to the outside of the dryers in groups of one, two, three, etc. The procedure for the discharge stage unit operation for each dryer group is executed according to the elemental workflow diagram shown in FIG. 14. The control procedure for the discharge stage according to the elemental workflow diagram shown in FIG. 14 is automatically performed by the CPU unit 24 shown in FIG. 7. Although not shown in FIG. 7, the CPU unit 24 can be connected to a program storage device and a data storage device, similar to a typical computer system. The control program defining the execution procedure according to the elemental workflow diagram shown in FIG. 14 may be stored as computer software in an externally connected program storage device or in the ROM of the CPU unit 24. Alternatively, the control program may be installed as computer software from an external medium, such as via the Internet. The control procedure according to the elemental workflow diagram shown in FIG. 14 is initiated in synchronization with the end of the processing step prior to the discharge stage. In the case of full drying, it is performed in synchronization with the timing of the end of the cooling stage, and in the case of semi-drying, it is performed in synchronization with the timing of the end of the hot air drying stage.

[0039] In the case of full drying, the time management of the cooling stage is performed by a timer. Therefore, when the cooling stage ends, step S11 in the element work flow diagram shown in FIG. 14 is automatically started by a signal from the timer used for time management of the cooling stage. In the case of semi-drying, which does not have a cooling stage, the time management of the hot air drying stage is performed by a timer. Therefore, when the hot air drying stage ends, step S11 in the element work flow diagram shown in FIG. 14 is automatically started by a signal from the timer used for time management of the hot air drying stage. In step S11, simultaneously with the start of the tilt movement operation, as shown in the timing chart of FIG. 12(a), the drive circuit 22a outputs an unload signal Rb (time t1: "L" → "H"), and the discharge stage process begins. In step S11, the drive circuit 22a opens the rear door on the rear of the drum 13 and issues a command to drive the two tilt mechanisms 16a and 16b to rotate the housing frame 12 about the hinge 21 as a fulcrum to tilt the rotation axis AX. This command is sent to each of the dryers in the first, second, third, etc. groups, and controls each of the dryers individually. Figure 11A shows the relationship between the housing frame 12 and the stationary portion 72 that constitute the tilting moving portion 71 immediately after the completion of the cooling stage or the hot air drying stage. In the state immediately after the completion of the hot air drying stage shown in Figure 11A, the rods of the two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b in Figure 11A are lowered into the cylinder tubes, and the rotation axis AX of the inner tank of the drum 13 housed in the housing frame 12 is horizontal. In Figure 11A, the drum 13 is shown with hidden lines (broken lines), but the workpieces W are shown with solid lines, and the view is a side view seen through the workpieces W. In the state in Figure 11A where the rotation axis AX is horizontal, the workpieces W are distributed around the center of the inner tank of the drum 13. Then, the dryer X ij When the drive circuit 22a transmits a command signal to open the rear door of the drum 13 and a command signal to use the two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b to tilt the housing frame 12 around the hinge 21 as a fulcrum, the tilting movement of the housing frame 12 starts as shown in Fig. 11B. When the command signal for the tilting movement is received, a portion of the rod of each of the two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b is pushed out of the cylinder tube as shown schematically in Fig. 11B.

[0040] It is desirable to turn on the power supply 28 of the sensor unit 29 shown in FIG. 7 in advance or set it to turn on upon receiving the unload signal Rb, thereby activating the tilt detector 17. In the example shown in FIG. 10, when the power supplies Vdd and Vss are supplied to the tilt detector 17 in the sensor unit 29, the tilt detector 17 is activated. At the start of the discharge stage, the workpiece W is present at the bottom of the drum 13. As shown in FIG. 11B, when a portion of each rod of the two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b begins to be pushed out from the cylinder tube, the tilt of the housing frame 12 progresses from the parallel state of the rotation axis AX shown in FIG. 11A. As each rod of the two tilting mechanisms 16a and 16b is further pushed out from the cylinder tube, the tilt angle θ shown in FIG. 11B etc. reaches the critical tilt angle θ given by the following equation (1): th When the tilt sensor 17 detects the tilt state of the housing frame 12, it outputs a tilt detection signal Ra.

[0041] 11B and 11C, the vertical distance defined as the height of the tilt detector 17 from the top surface of the base 10 is set to d2. ij Now, from the relationship between horizontal distance d1 and vertical distance d2, the critical tilt angle θ th is defined by the following equation (1). tanθ th =d1 / d2 ……(1) The vertical distance d2 in equation (1) is the height of the tilt detector 17 from the top surface of the base 10. The specific tilt angle θ that satisfies equation (1) is the critical tilt angle θ, defined in FIGS. 11B and 11C, between the bottom surface of the housing frame 12 before tilting and the bottom surface of the housing frame 12 after tilting. th is defined as:

[0042] The inclination of the housing frame 12 during the discharge stage processing is expressed by the following formula (2): θ max ≧θ th , and 30°≦θ max ≦50° ……(2) That is, the tilt state of the housing frame 12 during the process in the discharge stage is preferably set to the critical tilt angle θ defined by the formula (1). th and the maximum tilt angle θ defined by Eq. (2) max The housing frame 12 is divided into a state that can be expressed by the maximum inclination angle θ max When the object is discharged, the object is dropped from the rear door on the rear side of the housing frame 12 via underplate 20b onto the conveyor belt 91 located below it. Alternatively, the object is moved from the rear door via underplate 20b into a conveyor bag. When the object is discharged from the inner tank of the drum 13, the drive circuit 22a drives the motor 88 to rotate the inner tank of the drum 13, thereby controlling the operation to smoothly discharge the object.

[0043] In step S11 of the elemental work flow diagram constituting the unit work of the discharge stage shown in FIG. 14, the dryer X ijWhen the control unit 22 receives an unload signal (discharge start signal) Rb from the drive circuit 22a, the discharge stage proceeds to step S12. As defined in JIS Z8141-5110, an elemental task is an element that constitutes a unit task. As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 22 includes an I / O unit 23, a CPU unit (central processing unit) 24, a timer 25, a switch 26, and a power supply 27 that drives these components. The timer 25 may be a common hardware resource used for time management for the hot air drying stage or the cooling stage, or may be a hardware resource dedicated to the discharge stage. In either case, the CPU unit 24 shown in FIG. 7 can perform a function equivalent to that of the control circuit 22b shown in FIG. 4. When the CPU unit 24 is used as the control circuit 22b, the CPU unit 24 receives the unload signal (discharge start signal) Rb from the drive circuit 22a via the I / O unit 23. In step S12, a command is issued to the timer 25 shown in FIG. 7 to start counting the set discharge time. Upon receiving the command of step S12, at the timing of "discharge stage start" at time t1 in the timing chart of Fig. 12(a), the timer 25 starts counting the discharge set time as shown in Fig. 12(b) to start the discharge stage processing. Similarly, at the timing of "discharge stage start" at time t1 in the timing chart of Fig. 13(a), the timer 25 starts counting the discharge set time as shown in Fig. 13(b) to start the discharge stage processing.

[0044] The CPU unit 24 notifies the timer 25 and the switch 26 that it has received the unload signal Rb or the unload signal Rb. In step S12, when the timer 25 receives the unload signal Rb or the unload signal Rb from the CPU unit 24, the dryer X ij5 and 6. Then, a count of a preset discharge set time is started for each of the above. The user can determine this discharge set time depending on the type, size, weight, etc. of the workpiece. Next, in step S13, which is an element operation in the element operation flow diagram shown in FIG. 14, it is confirmed whether or not a tilt detection signal Ra has been received from the tilt detector 17 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. The tilt detector 17 is attached to the arm 15a shown in the top view of FIG. 5 and the side view of FIG. 6, for example, at a position a predetermined distance (horizontal distance) d1 from the back surface of the housing frame 12 before tilting.

[0045] To accommodate the arm 15a for the tilt detector 17, the base 10 constituting the stationary portion 72 is provided with a stationary pillar 15, the lower end of which is fixed to the upper surface of the base 10 and extends upward, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 . The stationary pillar 15 faces one of the left and right sides of the housing frame 12 constituting the tilting movement portion 71. The design allows for an arm 15a extending horizontally perpendicular to the rear surface of the housing frame 12 to be attached to the upper end of the stationary pillar 15 when the tilting movement portion 71 is in a pre-tilt orientation. The arm 15a may be made of, for example, the same material as the stationary pillar 15. Note that using the same material is merely an example, and the arm 15a may be made of a different material from the stationary pillar 15. Meanwhile, support pillars 14 constituting the base are attached to the left and right sides of the rear surface of the housing frame 12. Considering the reflective function, each of the two support pillars 14 is preferably a rectangular pillar made of metal such as iron, stainless steel, or aluminum. That is, if tilt detector 17 is a reflective proximity detector using the optical effect of laser light or the like, it is desirable that one of the surfaces of the rectangular prism intended to reflect the transmitted wave has reflective surface characteristics similar to a mirror. If tilt detector 17 is an intensity change measurement type that detects tilt of housing frame 12 by changes in the intensity of reflected light, tilt can be detected when the optical path of tilt detector 17 deviates from the intended reflective surface. If tilt detector 17 is a distance measurement type detector, it is necessary to consider the change in the relative position between tilt detector 17 and the reflective surface due to tilt of housing frame 12, and a mechanism for adjusting the optical path, such as tracking the reflective surface, is required. Therefore, distance measurement types have a more complex configuration than intensity change measurement types. Even if tilt detector 17 is a reflective proximity detector, if it uses ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves, the reflective surface does not necessarily have to be a mirror surface as long as it has unevenness sufficiently smaller than half the wavelength of the ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves.

[0046] Furthermore, even if a transmission wave reflection function is required, the reflection function of the support pillar 14 can be omitted. For example, if the housing frame 12 is made of a material that reflects the transmission wave from the tilt detector 17, the support pillar 14 can be omitted. Alternatively, it is sufficient to provide a reflector that reflects the transmission wave from the tilt detector 17 on one of the left and right sides of the housing frame 12, the side where the tilt detector 17 is located. Furthermore, the support pillar 14 can be omitted even if the tilt detector 17 is an imaging device such as a CCD camera or a CMOS image sensor and detects the tilt state through processing such as image recognition. Furthermore, the support pillar 14 can be omitted even if the tilt detector 17 is an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor. Furthermore, if the arm 15a and the tilt detector 17 are fixed to a separate support member and can be replaced with another structure in which the value of the vertical distance d2 is fixed, the stationary pillar 15 can be omitted. Furthermore, the structures shown in Figures 4 to 6 are merely examples, and the tilt detector 17 may be provided on the front side of the housing frame 12, etc.

[0047] The tilt detector 17 detects whether the housing frame 12 is tilted, and when it detects the tilted state of the housing frame 12, it outputs a tilt detection signal Ra as shown in Figures 12(c) and 13(c). The tilt detector 17 is provided for the purpose of detecting tilted movement of the housing frame 12, so any type of detector can be used as long as it can detect the tilted state of the housing frame 12. In step S13, an element operation in the element operation flow diagram shown in Figure 14, when the control circuit 22b or CPU unit 24 receives the tilt detection signal Ra, the item remaining detector 18 is enabled to output the empty state detection signal Ta shown in Figures 12(d) and 13(d). In the example shown in Figure 10, when power supplies Vdd and Vss are supplied to the item remaining detector 18 in the sensor unit 29, the item remaining detector 18 is activated. Furthermore, in the circuit configuration example shown in FIG. 10, when the CPU unit 24 receives the tilt detection signal Ra, it controls the output enable switch SW31 so that the remaining item detector 18 can output the empty state detection signal Ta.

[0048] In the structural example shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the item remaining detector 18 is attached to one of the left and right sides (left side) of the lower rear surface of the housing frame 12. During the discharging stage, the item remaining detector 18 detects whether the inner tank of the drum 13 is in a transient state (in the middle of discharging) where items to be processed (items) remain, or whether discharging is complete and the inner tank is empty. When the item remaining detector 18 detects that all items (items to be processed) have been discharged from the inner tank of the drum 13 and the inner tank is empty, it outputs an empty state detection signal Ta shown in FIGS. 12(d) and 13(d). That is, as shown in the timing charts of FIGS. 12(c) and 13(c), upon receiving the tilt detection signal Ra ("L" → "H") from the tilt detector 17, the empty state detection signal Ta of the item remaining detector 18 is ready to be output. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11C, the tilt angle θ of the housing frame 12 reaches the maximum tilt angle θ max In Fig. 11C, the discharge of the workpieces W from the drum 13 has already begun, so the remaining article detector 18 detects that the workpieces are in the middle of being discharged, and the empty state detection signal Ta is at the discharge transient state level "L" as shown in the timing charts of Fig. 12(d) and Fig. 13(d).

[0049] Like the tilt detector 17, the remaining item detector 18 may be any type of detector as long as it can determine whether the processing object is in a transient state of discharge or whether discharge has been completed and the inner tank is empty. For example, a photoelectric sensor or laser detector can be used, which emits a transmission wave and detects the reflected wave (received wave) reflected by a reflector to detect whether the processing object (item) is present along the transmission path. Alternatively, an imaging device such as a CCD camera or CMOS image sensor can be used as the remaining item detector 18, and image recognition or other processing can be performed based on the image obtained by the remaining item detector 18 to determine whether the processing object is in a transient state of discharge from the drum 13 or whether discharge has been completed and the inner tank is empty. For example, if the remaining item detector 18 is a sensor that uses an optical effect, a configuration can be adopted in which the remaining item detector 18 is located on one side (the left side) of the left-right direction and a reflector 19 is provided on the other side (the right side) of the lower back of the housing frame 12, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 . 4 and 5, in the dryer according to the first embodiment, the path of the transmitted and received waves between the left-side item detector 18 and the right-side reflector 19 is set to intersect with the discharge path of the workpieces from the drum 13. In the dryer according to the first embodiment, the relative positions of the item detector 18 and the reflector 19 are set so that the path of the transmitted and received waves is located within a distance d3 from the top surface of the underplate 20b to the bottom end of the sideplate 20a (see FIG. 4).

[0050] Next, in step S14, which is an elemental operation in the elemental operation flow diagram shown in Figure 14, it is confirmed whether or not an empty state detection signal Ta has been received from the remaining item detector 18. If the control circuit 22b or the CPU unit 24 receives the empty state detection signal Ta in step S14 as shown in the timing chart of Figure 12(d), the process proceeds to step S16, where a discharge completion signal Rc is sent to the dryer X. ij12(d) is an example in which the empty state detection signal Ta is received before the time-up signal T3 is received, and the timing chart of FIG. 13(d) is an example in which the empty state detection signal Ta is received after the time-up signal T3 is received.

[0051] The procedure and configuration for outputting the time-up signal T3 to the switch 26 are the same as those of the control device of the reference example shown in FIG. 8, which is the premise of the dryer according to the first embodiment. That is, in the control device of the reference example, as shown in FIG. 8, the switch 26a (corresponding to the switch 26 in FIG. 7) detects the completion of discharge based solely on the uniform time-up signal T3 from the timer 25. The CPU unit 24 outputs the discharge completion signal Rc to the drive circuit 22a via the I / O unit 23 when the switch 26a detects the completion of discharge of the workpieces. Therefore, if the preset discharge time of the timer 25 is short, the discharge stage may be completed before the workpieces are completely discharged from the drum 13 (the inner tank of the drum 13 is released from the tilt and returns to its original position). Conversely, if the preset discharge time of the timer 25 is long, the discharge stage may continue even though the workpieces have already been discharged from the drum 13 (the housing frame 12 continues to tilt and the drum 13 continues to rotate). The control device of the reference example, which uniformly unifies the discharge setting time, has caused problems such as a decrease in the processing capacity (efficiency) of the dryer, an increase in electricity bills, and an increase in the frequency of replacing consumables such as belts.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 7, the dryer according to the first embodiment solves the problem of the control device according to the reference example, which standardizes the discharge setting time, simply by adding a sensor unit 29 and improving the switch 26. The sensor unit 29 in the block diagram shown in FIG. 7 is represented as an electronic circuit, including the tilt detector 17 and remaining item detector 18, which are physically represented in FIGS. 4 to 6. The block diagram shown in FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which the control device 22 is automatically activated by an unload signal Rb from the drive circuit 22a. Instead of the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the tilt detector 17 and remaining item detector 18 may be activated by the user turning on a separate activation switch, such as on the control panel 83 in FIG. 3A.

[0053] At the start of the discharge stage process, the tilt of the housing frame 12 has not yet started, or even if the tilt has started, the maximum tilt angle θ max It is considered that the inner tub is not tilted until the tilt detection signal Ra is output. Therefore, the inner tub of the drum 13 is not being discharged, and the output of the remaining item detector 18 does not detect any remaining items. Therefore, at the start of the discharge stage, the output signal level is equivalent to the inner tub being empty (a state in which the discharge of the items has been completed), as shown in Figures 12(d) and 13(d). Therefore, if the signal level indicating the inner tub being empty is output, the tilt detector 17 may detect the tilt of the housing frame 12 and output the tilt detection signal Ra, which may cause the CPU unit 24 to malfunction and output the discharge completion signal Rc. Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, the remaining item detector 18 is designed not to output the empty state detection signal Ta until the tilt detection signal Ra is output and the output enable switch SW31 is turned on. With the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 10, the empty state detection signal Ta of the remaining item detector 18 is always output to the discharge detection switch SW13 of the switch 26 shown in FIG. 9 after the tilting of the housing frame 12 is completed and the processed object is actually discharged from the drum 13.

[0054] The sensor unit 29 shown in the upper right of Figure 7 is a conceptual block diagram of the tilt detector 17 and remaining item detector 18, which are physically configured as electronic circuits. The power supply 28 for driving the tilt detector 17 and remaining item detector 18 is also shown in the sensor unit 29 as a conceptual electronic circuit. The power supply 28 may be provided independently, or may be shared with another power source if it can be used. The tilt detection signal Ra from the tilt detector 17 and the empty state detection signal Ta from the remaining item detector 18 are output to a switch 26 of the control device 22. The switch 26 detects the completion of discharge based on the tilt detection signal Ra and the empty state detection signal Ta, in addition to the time-up signal T3 from the timer 25. When the switch 26 detects the completion of discharge of the processed objects, the CPU unit 24 outputs a discharge completion signal Rc to the drive circuit 22a via the I / O unit 23.

[0055] In step S15, which is an element operation of the element operation flow chart shown in FIG. 14, if it is determined that the control circuit 22b or the CPU unit 24 has received the time-up signal T3 shown in FIG. 13(b), the process proceeds to step S16, where a discharge completion signal Rc shown in FIG. 13(e) is sent to the dryer X ij7. As shown in the timing chart of FIG. 12(b), if it is determined in step S15 that the time-up signal T3 has not been received, the process returns to step S14. Then, in step S14, it is again determined whether or not the empty state detection signal Ta has been received from the remaining item detector 18. The switch 26 shown in FIG. 7 is configured so that the CPU unit 24 can transmit the discharge completion signal Rc to the drive circuit 22a upon receiving all of the unload signal (discharge start signal) Rb, tilt detection signal Ra, and empty state detection signal Ta, or upon receiving the time-up signal T3, whichever occurs first. That is, when the unload signal Rb, tilt detection signal Ra, and empty state detection signal Ta are all received, the discharge completion signal Rc can be transmitted even before the discharge setting time of the timer 25 has elapsed. Furthermore, when the discharge setting time of the timer 25 has elapsed, the discharge completion signal Rc can be transmitted even before the unload signal Rb, tilt detection signal Ra, and empty state detection signal Ta are all received.

[0056] For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the switch 26 includes a time-up switch SW21 that notifies the CPU unit 24 of the lapse of the preset ejection time of the timer 25. The time-up switch SW21 is turned on by input of a time-up signal T3 and creates a current path from the power supply Vdd to the power supply Vss, thereby notifying the CPU unit 24 of the lapse of the preset ejection time (time-up). The switch 26 also includes ejection detection switches SW11, SW12, and SW13 that are connected in parallel with the time-up switch SW21 and transmit all of the received signals, the unload signal Rb, the tilt detection signal Ra, and the empty state detection signal Ta, to the CPU unit 24. The ejection detection switch SW11 is turned on by input of the tilt detection signal Ra, the ejection detection switch SW12 is turned on by input of the unload signal Rb, and the ejection detection switch SW13 is turned on by input of the empty state detection signal Ta. When all of the switches SW11, SW12, and SW13 are turned on, a current path is created from the power supply Vdd to the power supply Vss, thereby notifying the CPU unit 24 of the completion of ejection. The CPU unit 24 transmits the discharge completion signal Rc to the drive circuit 22a at the earliest timing of turning on the time-up switch SW21 or turning on the discharge detection switches SW11, SW12, and SW13.

[0057] After receiving the unload signal Rb from the drive circuit 22a, the control circuit 22b shown in FIG. 4 or the CPU unit 24 shown in FIG. 7 receives the tilt detection signal Ra from the tilt detector 17 and the empty state detection signal Ta from the remaining item detector 18. Based on the unload signal Rb, tilt detection signal Ra, and empty state detection signal Ta, the control circuit 22b or the CPU unit 24 determines the end point (completion) of the discharge of the workpieces from the drum 13 in step S16. That is, as shown in FIG. 11D, when all the workpieces W have been discharged from the drum 13 and the drum 13 becomes empty, the remaining item detector 18 detects that the inner tub is empty (discharge completed). The empty state detection signal Ta from the remaining item detector 18 then changes to the empty state level "H" as shown in the timing charts of FIGS. 12(d) and 13(d).

[0058] When the empty state detection signal Ta reaches the empty state level "H," the unload signal Rb, tilt detection signal Ra, and empty state detection signal Ta all go to "H" level, so that all of the discharge detection switches SW11, SW12, and SW13 shown in FIG. 9 turn on, and the CPU unit 24 is notified of discharge completion even if the discharge set time set by the timer 25 has not elapsed (even if the time-up switch SW21 is not on). In response to this, the CPU unit 24 outputs a discharge completion signal Rc (="H") as shown in the timing chart of FIG. 12(e). When the drive circuit 22a receives the discharge completion signal Rc (="H"), it changes the unload signal Rb from "H" to "L" as shown in "Discharge phase end" in FIG. 12(a), notifying the end of the discharge phase processing (time t2).

[0059] When the control circuit 22b or the CPU unit 24 determines that the discharge is complete, it sends a discharge completion signal Rc to the drive circuit 22a. Then, in step S16 of FIG. 14, the discharge completion signal Rc is sent to the dryer X ij When this signal is sent to the drive circuit 22a, the drive circuit 22a drives the two tilting mechanisms 16a, 16b to return the tilt of the housing frame 12 to its original position. The tilt of the housing frame 12 is then returned to its original position, and the unit task processing of the discharge stage shown in the elemental task flow diagram of FIG. 14 is completed. The workpiece is moved via the underplate 20b to the conveyor or transfer bag below it, and is transported to the line of the next job shown in FIG. 2A, etc. That is, when the control circuit 22b or the CPU unit 24 receives the discharge completion signal Rc, the tilt of the housing frame 12 is returned to its original position, the discharge stage processing is completed, and the unit task processing goes into standby mode.

[0060] In the discharge stage process of the control method according to the first embodiment, when it is confirmed that the inner tub of the drum 13 is empty, the dryer X is started as shown in the timing chart of FIG. 12(e) even if the discharge set time set by the timer 25 has not elapsed. ijThis completes the discharge stage process in the previous example. Similar to the timing chart shown in Figure 13, timers 25 for all dryers were set to the same time of 40 seconds for pillowcases, which require the longest discharge time, as shown in Table 2 below. Therefore, in the case of sheets, which require the shortest discharge time in Table 2, 15 seconds was wasted time and energy wasted.

[0061] For example, let's assume that the drying time for sheets is 3 minutes based on Table 1. In this case, if the time-series scheduling of the dryer loading, drying, and discharging is repeated 12 to 13 times, a 15-second reduction would create the time required for the time-series scheduling of a specific dryer, ignoring interference with the required times of other dryers. Therefore, by using the dryer and the control method for this dryer according to the first embodiment, the required discharge time can be reduced, eliminating the need to install additional dryers. When the discharge phase processes of multiple dryers are performed in parallel and interfere with the time of other dryers, the calculation of the time allowance becomes complicated. In other words, considering the possibility that a dryer with a reduced discharge time may need to wait until the discharge phase processes of other dryers are completed, or until the discharge of other dryers with longer discharge times is completed, the calculation of the time allowance becomes complicated. [Table 2]

[0062] The timing chart shown in FIG. 13(a) shows the time (t3-t1) required for the discharge stage processing from the unload signal "H" (the start of counting the discharge set time: time t1) to the end of the count indicated as "discharge stage end" (time t3). As in FIG. 13(a), the discharge time required for the discharge stage processing in the prior art is Ty = t3-t1. With the dryer according to the first embodiment, the discharge stage processing is possible by time management that shortens the discharge time required for the discharge from the unload signal "H" (time t1) to the discharge completion signal "H" (time t2) to Tx = t2-t1, as shown in the timing chart of FIG. 12(a).

[0063] That is, the dryer X according to the first embodiment ij According to the formula, the discharge time required for the discharge stage treatment is shortened by time Ts = Ty - Tx, so the dryer X ij This can provide the following effects: improved processing capacity (efficiency), reduced electricity charges, and reduced frequency of replacing consumables such as belts. ij According to the table, since the remaining item detector 18 detects the discharge of the object to be treated, even when a job in the discharge stage is performed in a cleaning factory equipped with a dryer line 34 in which a plurality of dryers that process objects with long discharge times and objects with short discharge times are arranged in a mixed manner as shown in Table 2, each dryer X of the dryer line 34 ij This makes it possible to efficiently control these individually and manage the time required to reduce each discharge time.

[0064] When the tilt of the housing frame 12 is released and returned to its original position, the dryer X ij The dryer X maintains a standby state with the rotation axis AX horizontal until the unit work of the loading stage in which the next workpiece is loaded into the drum is ready. In the dryer according to the first embodiment, when it is confirmed that the inner tub of the drum 13 is empty, the dryer X starts operation even if the discharge time set by the timer 25 has not elapsed. ij The discharge stage of the dryer X is determined to be completed. ij automatically enters a standby state. That is, the timer 25 may continue counting the set discharge time even after the discharge stage processing has ended, as shown in FIG. 12(b). However, even in this case, as is clear from the circuit diagram shown in FIG. 9, when the set discharge time has elapsed, the time-up signal T3 is simply output and the time-up switch SW21 is turned on. Therefore, even if the time-up switch SW21 is turned on, the status of the discharge stage processing does not change at all. That is, the input to the CPU unit 24 is the same as the input from the discharge detection switches SW11, SW12, and SW13 connected in parallel to the time-up switch SW21, and this does not cause any problems in the operation of the control device 22.

[0065] As described above, according to the dryer of the first embodiment, a plurality of dryers X in a cleaning factory can be used. ij Therefore, when the discharge stage processes a mixture of objects with long and short discharge times, the discharge times of the objects can be efficiently managed. Also, since the discharge stage process does not always have to be performed until the set time set by the timer 25 has elapsed, the dryer X ij This has the effect of improving the processing capacity (efficiency) in the dry cleaning factory, reducing the power consumption of the motor 88 of the drum 13, and reducing the frequency of replacing the V-belt, rollers, and other consumables used to rotate the drum 13. In particular, the improvement in processing capacity means that the number of operations required for daily production at the dry cleaning factory (total number of products produced) will increase.

[0066] According to the prior art, in order to increase the total number of operations of a cleaning factory, the dryer X ij However, there are cases where it is not possible to increase the number of units due to factors such as factory space. Even if it is possible to increase the number of units, it becomes a serious problem when huge costs are incurred due to layout changes, factory renovations, etc. The dryer according to the first embodiment not only has the effect of reducing wasted time and wasted energy, but also has the effect of reducing the amount of wasted energy by the dryer X. ij This eliminates the problems of increasing the number of dryers, changing the layout of the factory, and renovating the factory. ij The functions required for the hot air drying stage do not need to be changed at all, and significant effects can be achieved by only making minor changes to the software of the control circuit 22b or the CPU unit 24. That is, according to the dryer and control method of the first embodiment, by simply adding the sensor unit 29, changing the configuration of the switch 26, and changing the control program of the CPU unit 24, it is possible to reduce wasted time and achieve the effect of efficiently discharging the workpieces in a short time.

[0067] (Second embodiment) The dryer X according to the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. ij is the dryer X according to the first embodiment ijAs shown in FIG. 15, the dryer X according to the second embodiment is different from the dryer X according to the first embodiment in the part relating to the tilt detector 30. ij The tilt detector 30 detects the tilt state of the housing frame 12 by detecting the movement (extension and contraction) of the two tilt mechanisms 16a, 16b. Therefore, the tilt detector 30 is disposed near the two tilt mechanisms 16a, 16b. Therefore, the stationary column 15 and the arm 15a for mounting the tilt detector, which were necessary in the first embodiment, are not required (see Figs. 4 to 6). The tilt detector 30 may be, for example, a photoelectric sensor, a laser detector, or an imaging device such as a CCD camera or a CMOS image sensor. ij Other configurations and functions such as the configuration of the control circuit 22b or the CPU unit 24 are the same as those of the dryer X according to the first embodiment. ij Therefore, the explanation of the parts with the same reference numerals will be omitted.

[0068] Dryer X according to the second embodiment ij According to the above, the dryer X according to the first embodiment ij That is, in a cleaning factory where a plurality of dryers are mixed to sort and dry objects that require a long discharge time and objects that require a short discharge time, it is possible to reduce the unnecessary discharge time. ij According to the above, the dryer X according to the first embodiment has the advantages of improving the processing capacity (efficiency) in the discharge stage, reducing power consumption, and reducing the frequency of replacing consumables. ij The same effect can be achieved.

[0069] (Third embodiment) The dryer X according to the third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. ij The dryer X according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIGS. ijIn this case, tilt detection by the tilt detector 17 is omitted, and when the unload signal Rb is output, tilt detection is determined by electronic processing. Since the tilt detector 17 in FIG. 4 does not exist, the stationary column 15 and arm 15a for attaching the tilt detector 17 do not exist either. Since the tilt detector 17 does not exist, the discharge detection switch SW11 shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 is not required for the CPU unit 24. Therefore, the dryer X ij Regarding the control method of the dryer X, the part relating to the tilt detector 17 may be omitted from the description of FIGS. 11A to 11D, and the part relating to the tilt detection signal Rb may be omitted from the description of FIGS. 12 and 13. ij Regarding this control procedure, step S13 may be omitted in the explanation of FIG.

[0070] Dryer X according to the third embodiment ij According to the above, the dryer X according to the first embodiment ij The configuration of the control circuit 22b or the CPU unit 24 described above, and the dryer X ij However, the control method and procedure for the dryer X are simplified. ij When an inconvenience occurs such that the tilting of the housing frame 12 is not performed even though the unload signal Rb is output due to some problem, it is not possible to cope with this. ij In terms of safety and reliability in detecting the actual tilt state of the housing frame 12, the dryer X according to the third embodiment is ij is better than.

[0071] Dryer X according to the third embodiment ij In the first embodiment, the dryer X ij That is, in a cleaning factory where a plurality of dryers are mixed to sort and dry objects that require a long discharge time and objects that require a short discharge time, it is possible to perform processing that reduces the unnecessary discharge time. ij According to the above, the dryer X according to the first embodiment has the advantages of improving the processing capacity (efficiency) in the discharge stage, reducing power consumption, and reducing the frequency of replacing consumables. ijThe same effect can be achieved.

[0072] (Other embodiments) As described above, the present invention has been described using the first to third embodiments. However, the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operational techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. For example, the dryers of the first to third embodiments may be equipped with a device for automatically feeding items such as linen, or with a hopper for temporarily storing the items before automatic feeding. Although not described in the first to third embodiments, a separate automatic feeder may be provided to automatically feed items into the dryer drum, allowing the items to be fed using air pressure, rollers, arms, or the like. Furthermore, in addition to the tilt detector 17 and remaining item detector 18 described in the first to third embodiments, the dryers may also be equipped with a weight sensor for measuring the weight of the items, an optical sensor for detecting the flow or clogging of the items, and the like. Furthermore, the dryers according to the first to third embodiments may be linked to a separate monitoring device and the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor the flow of the cleaning automation system, for example, so that the current processing status, malfunctions, etc. can be monitored in real time. Artificial intelligence (AI) may be used in the IoT linkage, and the AI ​​may instruct the user on the work to be performed (safety: nothing in particular, dryer abnormality, etc.).

[0073] As described above, the present invention includes various embodiments, modifications, operational techniques, etc. that are not described in this specification or drawings, and the technical scope of the present invention is determined only by the invention-specifying matters related to the scope of the claims that are appropriate from the above explanation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 12...housing frame, 13...drum, 14...support column, 15...stationary column, 15a...arm, 16a...first tilt mechanism, 16b...second tilt mechanism, 17...tilt detector, 18...item remaining detector, 19...reflector, 20a...side plate, 20b...under plate, 21...hinge, 22...control device, 22a...drive circuit, 22b...control circuit, 23...I / O unit, 24...CPU unit, 25...timer, 26, 26a...switch, 27, 28...power supply, 29...sensor unit, 30...tilt detector, 31a...sorting area, 31b...automatic sorter, 32...washing machine line, 33...dewatering machine line, 34...dryer line, 35...feeder line, 36...roll machine line, 37...folding Folding machine line, 61...hot air generating section, 62...hot air supply duct, 63a, 63b...bellows, 64...exhaust duct, 65...exhaust fan, 67...temperature sensor, 71...inclined moving section, 72...stationary section, 81...inlet thermometer, 82...outlet thermometer, 83...operation panel, 84...control panel, 85...front door, 86a-86d...thrust rollers, 86a-86d...drive rollers, 88, 92...motor, 91...conveyor belt, 93a...head pulley, 93b...tail pulley, 93c...first vent pulley, 93d...tension pulley, 93e...second vent pulley, 94a...transmission pulley, 94b...snub pulley, 94c...drive pulley, 95...belt, 96...pit

Claims

1. A drum that rotates to dry the object to be treated; a tilting mechanism that tilts the drum while rotating in order to discharge the object from the drum after the drying; a drive circuit that transmits a command signal to the tilt mechanism to perform the tilting operation and also transmits an unload signal; a tilt detector that detects the tilt and transmits a tilt detection signal; an item remaining detector disposed outside the drum, which detects the state of the object being discharged from the drum using an optical effect, and transmits an empty state detection signal when the discharge is complete; a control circuit configured to send an ejection completion signal to the drive circuit when receiving the unload signal, the tilt detection signal, and the empty state detection signal; and when processing a plurality of types of objects that require different discharge times to be discharged from the drum, the control circuit manages the time required for each of the processes for discharging the objects to be processed, thereby making it possible to reduce wasted time.

2. a step of tilting the drum while rotating to discharge the object to be treated after drying from the drum and transmitting an unload signal; detecting the tilt and transmitting a tilt detection signal; a step of detecting, from outside the drum, the state of the workpiece being discharged from the drum using an optical effect, and transmitting an empty state detection signal when the discharge is completed; canceling the tilt when receiving the unload signal, the tilt detection signal, and the empty state detection signal; and when processing a plurality of types of workpieces which have different discharge times required for discharging the workpieces from the drum, the empty state detection signal is used to manage the time required for each process of discharging the workpieces, thereby making it possible to reduce wasted time.

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