Dryer

Abstract

A dryer (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a housing part (3) that houses an object to be dried; and a microwave irradiation part (6) that irradiates the object to be dried housed in the housing part (3) with microwaves. The dryer (1) is also provided with a radio wave absorber (12) that absorbs the microwaves radiated from the microwave irradiation part (6) and converts the microwaves into heat. The air inside the housing part 3 or the air flowing into the housing part 3 is heated by the heat converted by the radio wave absorber (12).

Description

dryer

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dryer that irradiates microwaves to dry an object to be dried.

[0002] One method for speeding up the drying performance of clothes dryers and washer-dryers is to use microwaves as a heat source for heating the moisture in the clothes (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The clothes dryer disclosed in Patent Document 1 has an openable and closable box, and a rotatable drum is provided in the inner cavity of the box. A microwave generator is provided within the box, radiating microwaves into the inner cavity of the box. At least a portion of the microwave generator is installed within the air blowing mechanism, and heat generated by the microwave generator is used to heat the air flowing through the air blowing mechanism.

[0003] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 106283562

[0004] In such dryers, there is a demand for further improvement in drying efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a technique for improving the drying efficiency of a dryer that irradiates microwaves to dry an object to be dried.

[0006] A dryer according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage section for storing an object to be dried, a microwave irradiation section for irradiating the object to be dried stored in the storage section with microwaves, and a radio wave absorbing section for absorbing the microwaves irradiated from the microwave irradiating section and converting them into heat, such that air inside the storage section or air flowing into the storage section is heated by the heat converted by the radio wave absorbing section.

[0007] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the drying efficiency of a dryer that irradiates microwaves to dry an object to be dried.

[0008] Schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the dryer according to embodiment 1. Diagram showing the flow of air in the dryer. Diagram showing the flow of microwaves in the dryer. Diagram showing a second example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber. Diagram showing a third example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber. Diagram showing a fourth example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber. Diagram showing a fifth example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber. Diagram showing a sixth example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber. Diagram showing a seventh example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber.

[0009] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary detailed descriptions may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted.

[0010] The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] First Embodiment Hereinafter, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0012] [1-1. Configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a dryer 1 according to a first embodiment, showing a first example of the installation position of a radio wave absorber. The dryer 1 of this embodiment has a function of drying an object to be dried, such as clothes, by irradiating the object with microwaves, which are a type of electromagnetic waves. Note that in this disclosure, the right side of FIG. 1 , i.e., the side where the door 5 is located, may be referred to as the front side of the dryer 1, and the left side of FIG. 1 may be referred to as the rear side, based on the installed state (hereinafter also referred to as the "installed state") as shown in FIG. 1 . Furthermore, the up-down direction (i.e., the vertical direction) in the installed state shown in FIG. 1 may be referred to as the up-down direction of the dryer 1.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, a housing 2 of a dryer 1 is provided with a storage section 3 for storing materials to be dried. The storage section 3 is made of metal or the like and has a structure capable of suppressing leakage of microwaves irradiated inside to the outside. The inner surface of the storage section 3 is formed to reflect microwaves. The back surface of the storage section 3 is made of punched metal or the like with multiple holes that allow air to pass through but not microwaves.

[0014] A placing section 4 for placing an object to be dried is provided inside the storage section 3. The placing section 4 includes a placing surface for placing the object to be dried and an outer frame for supporting the placing surface. The outer frame of the placing section 4 is supported or suspended via a weight detection section 21. The placing surface has a plurality of holes for allowing air to pass through.

[0015] The weight detection unit 21 detects the weight of the object to be dried placed on the placement unit 4. A control device (not shown) for controlling the dryer 1 estimates the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the detection result by the weight detection unit 21. The control device adjusts the microwave output based on the change in the estimated moisture amount and terminates the drying operation when the rate of change in the moisture amount falls below a predetermined value. The position and number of weight detection units 21 are not particularly limited. For example, if only one weight detection unit 21 is provided, the placement unit 4 may be supported at three points and the weight detection unit 21 may be provided at only one of the three points. Furthermore, as described below, multiple weight detection units 21 may be provided at different positions on the placement unit 4 to detect uneven changes in the moisture amount of the object to be dried and detect uneven drying of the object to be dried.

[0016] Doors 5 for opening and closing the openings are provided at the openings on the front surfaces of the housing 2 and the storage unit 3. A user can place or remove objects to be dried in or from the storage unit 3 by opening the door 5. The door 5 includes a metal mesh or other structure for suppressing leakage of microwaves to the outside. In addition, a choke structure or the like is formed between the openings of the housing 2 and the storage unit 3 and the door 5 to prevent microwaves from leaking from gaps between the openings and the door 5. The storage unit 3 and the door 5 form a shielding section for suppressing leakage of microwaves irradiated inside the storage unit 3 to the outside (outside the dryer 1).

[0017] In this embodiment, the interior of the storage unit 3 is the entire microwave-shielded space provided inside the housing 2. In other words, the storage unit 3 mainly comprises a space that includes the mounting unit 4 and that accommodates the substantially rectangular parallelepiped object to be dried, but also includes an antenna storage unit 9 and an absorber storage unit 13, which will be described later. However, in a detailed description of the dryer 1, the space that accommodates the object to be dried may be referred to as the storage unit 3.

[0018] A partition 10 is provided at the bottom of the storage section 3 to form an antenna storage section 9, and the antenna 8 is disposed inside. The partition 10 is formed in a plate shape from a microwave-transparent material such as glass, resin, or ceramic. The partition 14 may be heat-transmitting or may be breathable, such as a lattice or mesh. A microwave irradiator 6, a waveguide 7, and a motor 11 are provided below the antenna storage section 9. These components may be provided above or to the side of the storage section 3.

[0019] The microwave irradiator 6 irradiates microwaves to dry the object to be dried contained in the storage unit 3. The microwaves generated by the microwave irradiator 6 are guided to the antenna 8 via the waveguide 7 and irradiated from the antenna 8 into the interior of the storage unit 3. This heats and evaporates the moisture contained in the object to be dried. The antenna 8 is rotated by a motor 11. This allows microwaves to be irradiated evenly throughout the entire interior of the storage unit 3, thereby enabling the object to be dried to be dried evenly and efficiently.

[0020] The microwave irradiation unit 6 oscillates electromagnetic waves in the 2.45 GHz band, which is assigned as the ISM (Industry Science Medical) band. The microwave irradiation unit 6 may oscillate electromagnetic waves in a similarly assigned frequency band, such as the 915 MHz band. The microwave irradiation unit 6 may be a microwave oscillator such as a magnetron. This reduces the manufacturing cost of the dryer 1. The microwave irradiation unit 6 may be a semiconductor microwave oscillator. This allows the oscillation frequency to be variable. Furthermore, the stability of the output power and oscillation frequency can be improved. Furthermore, safety can be improved by operating at a low voltage.

[0021] A circulation air passage 16 is provided above the accommodation section 3. The circulation air passage 16 is configured to include an outlet-side air passage 30, an inlet-side air passage 29, and an absorber accommodation section 13, which will be described later. The outlet-side air passage 30 includes an outlet 24 provided in the accommodation section 3 and an exhaust port 17 that communicates with the outside of the circulation air passage 16. The inlet-side air passage 29 includes an inlet 23 provided in the accommodation section 3, an intake port 18 that communicates with the outside of the circulation air passage 16, a heater 22, and a blower fan 15. Because the outlet-side air passage 30 and the inlet-side air passage 29 both communicate with the outside, a shielding member such as punched metal having a plurality of holes that allows air to pass through but not microwaves is provided at the opening connected to the accommodation section 3, in order to ensure the shielding properties of the accommodation section 3.

[0022] The air inside the storage unit 3 in which the objects to be dried are stored (also referred to as internal air) is circulated through the circulation air duct 16 by the blower fan 15. When the blower fan 15 operates during drying operation, the internal air containing water vapor evaporated from the objects to be dried flows out from the outlet 24 provided at the front upper part of the storage unit 3 to the outlet-side air duct 30. The internal air that flows out to the outlet-side air duct 30 passes through the absorber storage unit 13 and the inlet-side air duct 29, and is sent out through the inlet 23 provided at the back of the storage unit 3 into the interior of the storage unit 3 and circulates therein. Because the circulation air duct 16 is provided at the top of the storage unit 3, the internal air in the storage unit 3, which has become hot, can be circulated efficiently.

[0023] Furthermore, a portion of the internal air of the storage unit 3 flowing out from the outlet 24 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 17 provided in the outlet-side air passage 30, and external air (also referred to as fresh air) is drawn in through the intake port 18 provided in the inlet-side air passage 29 and flows into the storage unit 3 through the inlet 23. This causes a portion of the water vapor contained in the internal air to be discharged to the outside, accelerating the drying of the objects to be dried. The heater 22 heats the air flowing into the storage unit 3 from the inlet 23. This accelerates the drying of the objects to be dried.

[0024] Note that water vapor contained in the internal air may be converted into liquid water by cooling and then discharged to the outside. The cooling means for liquefying the water vapor may be air-cooled, water-cooled, a Peltier element, a heat pump, or the like. The cooling means may be provided in the outlet-side air duct 30, the circulation air duct 16, the inlet-side air duct 29, or the like, or may be provided at any position inside the accommodation section 3. When liquefying the water vapor and discharging it to the outside, any one or more of the exhaust port 17, the intake port 18, the blower fan 15, and the heater 22 may not be provided.

[0025] A partition 14 is provided at the top of the housing 3 to form an absorber housing 13, and a radio wave absorber 12 is disposed inside. The radio wave absorber 12 is made of a material such as a dielectric or conductor that absorbs microwaves and converts them into heat. In this embodiment, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided on the inner surface of the absorber housing 13 in the housing 3. The partition 14 is formed in a plate shape from a material such as glass, resin, or ceramic that transmits microwaves. In the example of FIG. 1 , as described above, the absorber housing 13 also serves as an air flow path and constitutes part of the circulating air passage 16. Details of the radio wave absorber 12 will be described later.

[0026] The temperature detector 19 detects the temperature of the radio wave absorber 12. The control device estimates the electric field strength inside the housing 3 based on the detection result by the temperature detector 19.

[0027] The temperature detection unit 20 detects the temperature of the air flowing out from inside the storage unit 3. The control device estimates the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the detection result by the temperature detection unit 20. As described above, the control device may estimate the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the detection result by the weight detection unit 21. In this case, the temperature detection unit 20 does not have to be provided. A humidity detection unit may be provided in addition to or instead of the temperature detection unit 20. When the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried is estimated based on the detection result by the temperature detection unit 20 or the humidity detection unit, the weight detection unit 21 does not have to be provided.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the air flow in the dryer 1. In Fig. 2, the air flow is indicated by arrows, and in order to clearly illustrate the air flow, the reference numerals of the components constituting the dryer 1 are omitted. Hereinafter, the air flow in the dryer 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2.

[0029] (1) Air is heated by the heater 22. (2) The heated air is blown out by the blower fan 15. The order of (1) and (2) may be reversed. That is, the air blown out from the blower fan 15 may be heated by the heater 22. (3) The air blown out from the blower fan 15 flows into the storage section 3 through the inlet 23 provided on the rear surface of the storage section 3. (4) The air that has flowed into the storage section 3 removes moisture from the objects to be dried as it flows from the rear to the front of the storage section 3. (5) The air containing the water vapor evaporated from the objects to be dried flows out from the outlet 24 at the upper front of the storage section 3 into the outlet-side air duct 30. (6) A portion of the air that flows out into the outlet-side air duct 30 flows out of the circulation air duct 16 through the exhaust port 17, and the remainder flows into the absorber storage section 13. (7) The air that flows into the absorber housing 13 is heated by absorbing heat from the radio wave absorber 12, which has absorbed microwaves and generated heat. (8) The air that flows out of the absorber housing 13 into the inlet-side air duct 29 is mixed with outside air drawn in through the air intake 18, returning to (1). That is, the air that flows into the housing 3 includes outside air drawn in through the air intake 18. Since the inlet 23 is provided on the back surface of the housing 3 and the outlet 24 is provided on the upper front portion of the housing 3, the heated drying air flows efficiently over the entire surface of the mounting portion 4. This improves drying efficiency.

[0030] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of microwaves in the dryer 1. In Fig. 3, the flow of microwaves is indicated by arrows, and in order to clearly illustrate the flow of microwaves, the reference numerals of the components constituting the dryer 1 are omitted. Hereinafter, the flow of microwaves in the dryer 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3.

[0031] (1) Microwaves are generated from the microwave irradiator 6. (2) The generated microwaves flow into the waveguide 7. (3) The microwaves that flow into the waveguide 7 are irradiated into the interior of the storage unit 3 via the antenna 8. (4) The microwaves irradiated into the interior of the storage unit 3 are diffusely reflected inside the storage unit 3 and are absorbed by the moisture contained in the object to be dried. (5) A portion of the microwaves that are not absorbed is absorbed by the radio wave absorber 12, and the remainder returns to the microwave irradiator 6 and is absorbed.

[0032] As described above, the outlet 24, the connection between the outlet-side air passage 30 and the absorber accommodating section 13, the connection between the inlet-side air passage 29 and the absorber accommodating section 13, and the inlet 23 are provided with structures for suppressing microwave leakage, such as punched metal or metal mesh. The outlet-side air passage 30 and the inlet-side air passage 29 may be formed from a material such as metal that blocks microwaves. In this case, instead of or in addition to the outlet 24, the connection between the outlet-side air passage 30 and the absorber accommodating section 13, the connection between the inlet-side air passage 29 and the absorber accommodating section 13, and the inlet 23, the exhaust port 17 and the intake port 18 are provided with structures for suppressing microwave leakage, such as punched metal or metal mesh. The outlet-side air passage 30 may be provided inside the accommodating section 3.

[0033] [1-1-1. Radio Wave Absorber] When the amount of material to be dried is small, or when the moisture content of the material to be dried decreases as the drying operation progresses, the amount of microwaves absorbed by the moisture (load) is small, and the radio wave intensity inside the storage unit 3 may increase. If the radio wave intensity inside the storage unit 3 increases, sparks may be generated from metal such as buttons and zippers attached to clothing, or the metal may heat up, potentially damaging the material to be dried. When a magnetron is used as the microwave irradiator 6, the characteristics of the magnetron dictate a lower limit to the microwave output at which microwaves can be stably output. Therefore, simply reducing the microwave output when the moisture content decreases as the drying operation progresses is not sufficient.

[0034] To solve this problem, in the dryer 1 of this embodiment, a microwave absorber 12 that absorbs microwaves is provided inside a shielding section that prevents microwaves from leaking to the outside. As a result, even when there is little moisture (load) inside the storage section 3, the microwave absorber 12 absorbs the microwave energy and converts it into thermal energy, thereby preventing an excessive increase in the radio wave intensity inside the storage section 3. This improves the safety of the dryer 1 that irradiates microwaves to dry the object to be dried. It also prevents damage to the object to be dried.

[0035] As described above, in this embodiment, the storage section 3 and the door 5 function as a shielding section, and therefore the radio wave absorber 12 may be provided at one or more locations at any position inside the storage section 3 and the door 5.

[0036] The radio wave absorber 12 may be provided on the opposite side of the object to be dried from the microwave irradiator 6. For example, the microwave irradiator 6 may be provided below the mounting portion 4, and the radio wave absorber 12 may be provided above the mounting portion 4. Conversely, the microwave irradiator 6 may be provided above the mounting portion 4, and the radio wave absorber 12 may be provided below the mounting portion 4. Alternatively, the microwave irradiator 6 may be provided on one side of the mounting portion 4, and the radio wave absorber 12 may be provided on the opposite side. In this way, microwaves irradiated from the microwave irradiator 6 are first irradiated onto the object to be dried, and microwaves not absorbed by moisture contained in the object to be dried can be absorbed by the radio wave absorber 12, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0037] The radio wave absorber 12 may be provided on or near the inner surface of the shielding part. This prevents the user from touching the high-temperature radio wave absorber 12 when removing the object to be dried after drying. Furthermore, the capacity of the storage part 3 can be secured.

[0038] The wave absorber 12 may be provided in the circulating air passage 16, which is a flow path for the air sent into the housing 3. This allows the air sent into the housing 3 to be heated, thereby improving the drying efficiency.

[0039] The dryer 1 may include an absorber housing section 13 for housing the radio wave absorber 12. This makes it possible to ensure the capacity of the housing section 3. It is also possible to prevent a user from coming into contact with the high-temperature radio wave absorber 12 when removing the object to be dried after drying.

[0040] The inner surface of the absorber housing portion 13 may have a shape that reflects at least a part of the microwaves toward the radio wave absorber 12. For example, the side wall of the absorber housing portion 13 may be inclined. This can improve the efficiency of microwave absorption by the radio wave absorber 12.

[0041] The absorber housing section 13 may be formed by a microwave-transmitting partition section 14. This can prevent a user from touching the high-temperature radio wave absorber 12 when removing the object to be dried after drying.

[0042] In the dryer 1, an absorber housing section 13 for housing a radio wave absorber 12 is formed inside the housing section 3 by a partition section 14 that is transparent to microwaves, and the absorber housing section 13 may constitute a circulating air passage 16 that is a flow path for air sent into the housing section 3. This makes it possible to efficiently form the circulating air passage 16 and ensure the capacity of the housing section 3. It is also possible to prevent a user from coming into contact with the high-temperature radio wave absorber 12 when removing the object to be dried after drying.

[0043] The absorber housing 13 may be configured as part of a circulation air passage 16 that has an exhaust port 17 and an intake port 18 and circulates air inside the housing 3. This allows the exchange of air inside the housing 3 with outside air and the heating of air by the radio wave absorber 12 to be carried out in a single circulation passage.

[0044] A switching unit may be provided that can switch between a microwave reflecting state and a microwave transmitting state for microwaves radiated to the radio wave absorber 12. For example, the switching unit may be a shutter made of a metal or the like that reflects microwaves. When the moisture content of the object to be dried is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the control device may set the switching unit to a microwave reflecting state, thereby reflecting the microwaves toward the inside of the storage unit 3. On the other hand, when the moisture content of the object to be dried is less than the predetermined amount, the control device may set the switching unit to a microwave transmitting state, thereby transmitting the microwaves toward the radio wave absorber 12. This can improve drying efficiency.

[0045] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which one radio wave absorber 12 is provided in the absorber housing 13. However, if the outlet-side air passage 30 or the inlet-side air passage 29 is configured as a shield section, the radio wave absorber 12 may be provided in these. The radio wave absorber 12 may be divided and provided in two or more locations among the absorber housing 13, the outlet-side air passage 30, and the inlet-side air passage 29. Even in these cases, the radio wave absorber 12 can heat the air sent into the housing 3, thereby improving the drying efficiency.

[0046] [1-1-2. Reuse of Heat] The technology for reusing the heat energy converted from microwaves by the radio wave absorber 12 for drying an object to be dried will be further described as another example of the first embodiment with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9.

[0047] Dryer 1 of the present embodiment is not limited to the first example, and in forms showing a plurality of examples to be described later, is configured so that the air inside storage unit 3 (also referred to as internal air) or the air flowing into storage unit 3 is heated by heat converted by radio wave absorber 12. More specifically, radio wave absorber 12 is provided at a position where microwaves irradiated inside storage unit 3 reach the interior and at a position where heat exchange with the internal air of storage unit 3 or the air flowing into storage unit 3 can be performed. In this way, the air for drying the object to be dried can be heated by heat converted by radio wave absorber 12 that has absorbed surplus microwaves, thereby accelerating the drying of the object to be dried and improving the drying efficiency.

[0048] The radio wave absorber 12 may be provided at a position where it comes into direct contact with the air inside the housing 3 or the air flowing into the housing 3. The radio wave absorber 12 may be provided at a position where it is separated from the air inside the housing 3 or the air flowing into the housing 3 via a partition or the like through which heat can pass. The radio wave absorber 12 may be provided at a position where it comes into direct contact with the air inside the housing 3 or the air flowing into the housing 3, and where it comes into thermal contact with the air flowing into the housing 3. This makes it possible to suppress heat radiation loss and improve drying efficiency.

[0049] The air flowing into the storage section 3 may be outside air drawn in from the outside, air returned to the storage section 3 after dehumidifying the inside air of the storage section 3, or a mixture of these. The inside air may be dehumidified by discharging a portion of the inside air containing water vapor to the outside, or by cooling the water vapor contained in the inside air to convert it into liquid water and discharging it to the outside. The cooling means for liquefying the water vapor may be air-cooling, water-cooling, a Peltier element, a heat pump, or the like.

[0050] 4 is a diagram showing a second example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber 12. In the second example, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided on the inner surface of the upper wall of the housing portion 3. Because the radio wave absorber 12 is in direct contact with the air inside the housing portion 3, the air inside the housing portion 3 can be efficiently heated by the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber 12.

[0051] In the second example, exhaust path 26 and intake path 25 do not constitute circulating air path 16 as in the first example. In other words, the air inside storage unit 3 passes through exhaust outlet 24 provided at the front upper part of storage unit 3, exhaust path 26, and is discharged to the outside through exhaust port 17, and instead, outside air taken in through intake port 18 passes through intake path 25 and flows into storage unit 3 from intake port 23.

[0052] The wave absorber 12 may be provided on the upstream side of the air flowing into the housing 3, particularly near a plurality of holes provided on the rear surface of the housing 3 that function as inlets 23 for allowing air to flow into the housing 3. This allows the air flowing into the housing 3 to be preheated, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 4, the radio wave absorber 12 may be provided along the air flow from the inlet 23 to the outlet 24. This allows the objects to be dried evenly dried. The radio wave absorber 12 may be provided over the entire mounting surface of the mounting section 4. This allows the objects to be dried evenly dried. The radio wave absorber 12 may be provided on the side or bottom surface of the housing section 3. The radio wave absorber 12 may be provided in the antenna housing section 9. This allows the dryer 1 to be made compact.

[0054] 5 is a diagram showing a third example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber 12. In the third example, the radio wave absorber 12 is housed in an absorber housing section 13 provided in the upper part of the housing section 3. The absorber housing section 13 is formed inside the housing section 3 and is partitioned by partitions 14 made of a material that is transparent to microwaves and permeable to heat, such as glass, resin, or ceramic. This makes it possible to heat the air inside the housing section 3 with thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber 12. In other words, the radio wave absorber 12 can indirectly heat the inside air by heating the air in the absorber housing section 13 and the partitions 14.

[0055] If the partition 14 is in the form of a lattice or mesh so as to allow the internal air to pass through, the radio wave absorber 12 can also directly heat the internal air as it flows in and out of the absorber housing 13. The partition 14 can prevent the user from touching the high-temperature radio wave absorber 12 when removing the object to be dried after drying.

[0056] The wave absorber 12 may be accommodated in a space so that the entire body is exposed to air as shown in FIG. 5, or may be fixed to the inner surface of the accommodation section 3 or to the partition section 14.

[0057] In the third example, similar to the second example, the air inside the storage unit 3 passes through the outlet 24 provided at the front upper part of the storage unit 3, the exhaust path 26, and is discharged from the exhaust port 17. Instead, outside air taken in through the intake port 18 passes through the intake path 25 and flows into the storage unit 3 from the inlet 23. The radio wave absorber 12 and the partition 14 may be provided along the air flow from the inlet 23 to the outlet 24. This allows the object to be dried evenly. The radio wave absorber 12 may be provided over the entire mounting surface of the mounting unit 4. This allows the entire object to be dried evenly. The absorber storage unit 13 and the radio wave absorber 12 may be provided on the side or bottom of the storage unit 3.

[0058] 6 is a diagram showing a fourth example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber 12. In the fourth example, similar to the second example, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided on the inner surface of the upper wall of the housing 3. In the fourth example, the air intake 18 is provided near the air exhaust port 17, and the air intake path 25 communicating with the inlet 23 is provided so as to be in indirect contact with the radio wave absorber 12 via a partition made of a material such as metal that blocks microwaves and allows heat to pass through.

[0059] This allows the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber 12 to heat the air inside the storage section 3, and also heats the outside air flowing into the storage section 3 from the intake path 25, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0060] A part of the intake path 25 and the exhaust path 26 may be provided so as to be in indirect contact with each other via a partition formed of a heat-permeable material. This allows the air exhausted from the inside of the storage unit 3 to the outside to heat the outside air flowing into the storage unit 3 from the intake path 25, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0061] As described above, the housing 3 is made of metal or the like and has a structure capable of suppressing leakage of microwaves to the outside. In other words, the wall surface of the housing 3 blocks microwaves and transmits heat. Therefore, since this partition can be formed by the wall surface of the housing 3, the air intake path 25 does not need to be able to block microwaves and may be made of a material with good thermal conductivity and provided in close contact with the wall surface of the housing 3. The wall surface of the housing 3 is not limited to the upper wall, but may also be a side wall or lower wall of the housing 3. When this partition is formed by the upper wall of the housing 3, it can also be said that the radio wave absorber 12 is provided on the wall surface of the housing 3 that forms the air intake path 25, which is a flow path for air flowing into the housing 3.

[0062] 7 is a diagram showing a fifth example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber 12. In the fifth example, similar to the first or third example, the radio wave absorber 12 is housed in an absorber housing 13 provided at the top of the housing 3. In the fifth example, an air intake 18 is provided near the exhaust port 17, and the absorber housing 13 forms part of the air intake path 25. This allows the outside air flowing into the housing 3 from the air intake path 25 to be heated, thereby improving drying efficiency. The partition 14 may be formed from a material that transmits microwaves and allows heat to pass through, such as glass, resin, or ceramic. This allows the air inside the housing 3 to be heated by the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber 12, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a sixth example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber 12. In the sixth example, similar to the second or fourth example, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 3. Because the radio wave absorber 12 is in direct contact with the air inside the housing 3, the air inside the housing 3 can be efficiently heated by the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber 12. In the sixth example, a circulation air duct 16 is provided between the exhaust port 17 and the intake port 18, and connects the outlet 24 and the inlet 23. A portion of the air inside the housing 3 that flows out from the outlet 24 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 17, and the remainder is returned to the inside of the housing 3 via the circulation air duct 16. This allows a portion of the water vapor contained in the air inside to be discharged to the outside, accelerating the drying of the object to be dried.

[0064] The circulation air duct 16 is provided so as to be in indirect contact with the radio wave absorber 12 via a partition formed of a material such as metal that blocks microwaves but allows heat to pass through. This allows the air flowing through the circulation air duct 16 to be heated by the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber 12, thereby suppressing a temperature drop in the circulation air duct 16 and improving drying efficiency. The circulation air duct 16 may be provided with a dehumidifying means that dehumidifies the moisture in the air. In this case, one or both of the exhaust port 17 and the intake port 18 may not be provided.

[0065] As in the fourth example, this partition may be the upper wall of the housing 3, or may be a partition separate from the upper wall of the housing 3. When this partition is formed by the upper wall of the housing 3, it can be said that the radio wave absorber 12 is provided on the wall surface of the housing 3 that forms the circulating air passage 16, which is a flow path for air flowing into the interior of the housing 3.

[0066] 9 is a diagram showing a seventh example of the installation position of the radio wave absorber 12, which is substantially the same as the first example except for the shapes of the exhaust port 17 and the intake port 18. In the seventh example, similar to the fifth example, the radio wave absorber 12 is housed in an absorber housing 13 provided above the housing 3. In the seventh example, the absorber housing 13 forms part of the circulating air duct 16. This makes it possible to heat the air flowing through the circulating air duct 16, thereby improving drying efficiency. In other words, the exchange of the inside air and the outside air in the housing 3 and the heating of the air by the radio wave absorber 12 can be carried out in a single circulating air duct 16.

[0067] The partition 14 may be formed from a material that is transparent to microwaves and allows heat to pass through, such as glass, resin, or ceramic. This allows the air inside the storage section 3 to be heated by the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber 12, thereby improving drying efficiency. A dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the air may be provided in the circulating air passage 16. In this case, one or both of the exhaust port 17 and the intake port 18 may not be provided.

[0068] [1-2. Operation] The operation and function of the dryer 1 configured as above will be described below.

[0069] The user opens the door 5 and places the object to be dried on the placement section 4, which then stores it in the storage section 3. When the user issues a command to start drying, the control device starts the drying operation. The control device drives the blower fan 15. The control device controls the microwave irradiator 6 to generate microwaves. The control device controls the motor 11 to rotate the antenna 8. The microwaves are irradiated into the interior of the storage section 3 via the waveguide 7 and the antenna 8. This heats and evaporates the moisture contained in the object to be dried. The control device estimates the electric field strength inside the storage section 3 based on the detection results from the antenna 8 and the temperature detector 19, and adjusts the output from the microwave irradiator 6. The control device estimates the moisture content of the object to be dried based on the detection results from the weight detector 21 or the temperature detector 20. When the rate of change in the moisture content falls below a predetermined value, the control device stops the microwave irradiation by the microwave irradiator 6, stops the blower fan 15, and the motor 11, and ends the drying operation.

[0070] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the present embodiment, the dryer 1 includes the storage section 3 that stores the object to be dried, the microwave irradiator 6 that irradiates the object to be dried stored in the storage section 3 with microwaves, and the radio wave absorber 12 that absorbs the microwaves irradiated from the microwave irradiator 6 and converts them into heat. The air inside the storage section 3 or the air flowing into the storage section 3 is heated by the heat converted by the radio wave absorber 12. This allows the air for drying the object to be dried to be heated by the heat converted by the radio wave absorber 12 that absorbs excess microwaves, thereby accelerating the drying of the object to be dried and improving the drying efficiency.

[0071] Moreover, in this embodiment, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided at a position where the microwaves irradiated inside the container 3 reach the container 3 and where heat exchange with the air inside the container 3 or the air flowing into the container 3 can be performed. This makes it possible to heat the air for drying the object to be dried with the heat converted by the radio wave absorber 12 that absorbs excess microwaves, thereby accelerating the drying of the object to be dried and improving the drying efficiency.

[0072] In the present embodiment, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided at a position where it comes into direct contact with the air inside the housing 3 or the air flowing into the housing 3. This makes it possible to suppress heat radiation loss and improve drying efficiency.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided at a position separated by a partition through which heat can pass from the air inside the housing 3 or the air flowing into the housing 3. This makes it possible to suppress heat radiation loss and improve drying efficiency.

[0074] In the present embodiment, the air flowing into the storage unit 3 includes air introduced from the outside, thereby accelerating the drying of the object to be dried and improving the drying efficiency.

[0075] In the present embodiment, the air flowing into the storage unit 3 includes air that is returned to the storage unit 3 after dehumidifying the air inside the storage unit 3. This promotes drying of the object to be dried and improves drying efficiency.

[0076] In this embodiment, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided on the inner surface of the housing 3. This makes it possible to suppress heat radiation loss, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0077] Moreover, in this embodiment, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided on the wall surface of the housing 3 that forms the flow path (circulation air path 16 or intake air path 25) of the air flowing into the housing 3. This makes it possible to heat the air inside the housing 3 with the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber 12, and also to heat the air flowing into the housing 3 from the circulation air path 16 or intake air path 25, thereby improving the drying efficiency.

[0078] In this embodiment, the wall surface blocks microwaves but transmits heat, which allows the air inside the storage section 3 to be heated by the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber 12, and also the air flowing into the storage section 3 from the circulating air duct 16 or the intake duct 25, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0079] In this embodiment, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided along the air flow inside the container 3. This allows the object to be dried evenly.

[0080] In this embodiment, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided near the inlet 23 for letting air into the inside of the housing 3. This makes it possible to suppress heat radiation loss, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0081] In this embodiment, the radio wave absorber 12 is provided in an absorber housing section 13 that is separated by a microwave-transmitting partition inside the housing section 3. This makes it possible to ensure the capacity of the housing section 3. It is also possible to prevent a user from touching the high-temperature radio wave absorber 12 when removing the object to be dried after drying.

[0082] In this embodiment, the inner surface of the absorber accommodating portion 13 has a shape that reflects at least a part of the microwaves toward the radio wave absorber 12. This can improve the efficiency with which the radio wave absorber 12 absorbs the microwaves.

[0083] In addition, in this embodiment, the absorber-accommodating section 13 constitutes a flow path for air flowing into the inside of the accommodating section 3. This makes it possible to suppress heat radiation loss, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0084] In the present embodiment, radio wave absorber 12 is provided in antenna housing 9 that houses antenna 8 for irradiating microwaves into housing 3. This allows dryer 1 to be made compact.

[0085] In addition, in this embodiment, dryer 1 has outlet 24 through which the internal air of storage section 3 is discharged and inlet 23 through which air flows into storage section 3. This allows the internal air to be discharged to the outside and external air to be drawn in, or the internal air to be circulated and dehumidified, thereby accelerating the drying of the objects to be dried.

[0086] (Other Embodiments) As described above, the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technology in the present disclosure. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first embodiment above to create new embodiments.

[0087] Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

[0088] In the first embodiment, as an example of a dryer according to the present disclosure, a dryer 1 in which an object to be dried is placed on a placement section 4 provided inside a storage section 3 and dried has been described. The dryer according to the present disclosure may be a drum-type dryer in which an object to be dried is stored in a storage section according to the present disclosure, or may be a non-drum-type dryer, a washer-dryer, or the like. Furthermore, the object to be dried according to the present disclosure may be something other than clothing, such as towels, bedding, curtains, rugs, shoes, or other fabric or leather products that are not worn by people, or other items that can be dried, and may include metal parts such as buttons or zippers.

[0089] In addition, in the first embodiment, the storage unit 3 and the door 5 have been described as an example of a shielding unit of the present disclosure. In addition to the storage unit 3, or instead of the storage unit 3, the housing 2 may function as an example of a shielding unit of the present disclosure. This can improve shielding properties and safety.

[0090] Also, in the first embodiment, it has been explained that in the second example, the radio wave absorber 12 may be provided in the antenna housing 9 instead of being provided on the upper wall of the housing 3. In this case, the radio wave absorber 12 is closer to the antenna 8, and therefore is more likely to absorb more radio waves and become hotter than when provided on the upper wall. This makes it possible to use the radio wave absorber 12 in place of the heater 22 provided in the intake path 25, and the heater 22 can be made smaller or omitted.

[0091] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0092] (Additional Notes) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0093] (Technology 1) A dryer of Technology 1 includes a storage section that stores an object to be dried, a microwave irradiator that irradiates microwaves onto the object to be dried stored in the storage section, and a radio wave absorber that absorbs the microwaves irradiated from the microwave irradiator and converts them into heat. The dryer is configured so that the air inside the storage section or the air flowing into the storage section is heated by the heat converted by the radio wave absorber.

[0094] This allows the heat converted by the radio wave absorber that absorbs excess microwaves to heat the air used to dry the object to be dried, thereby accelerating the drying of the object to be dried and improving the drying efficiency.

[0095] (Technology 2) In a dryer of Technology 2, in the dryer described in Technology 1, the radio wave absorber is provided at a position where the microwaves irradiated into the inside of the storage section reach the inside of the storage section and where heat exchange with the air inside the storage section or the air flowing into the inside of the storage section can be performed.

[0096] This allows the heat converted by the radio wave absorber that absorbs excess microwaves to heat the air used to dry the object to be dried, thereby accelerating the drying of the object to be dried and improving the drying efficiency.

[0097] (Technology 3) In the dryer of Technology 3, in the dryer described in Technology 2, the radio wave absorber is provided at a position where it comes into direct contact with the air inside the housing portion or the air flowing into the housing portion.

[0098] This reduces heat loss and improves drying efficiency.

[0099] (Technology 4) In a dryer of Technology 4, in the dryer described in Technology 2 or 3, the radio wave absorber is provided at a position separated from the air inside the storage section or the air flowing into the storage section via a partition through which heat can pass.

[0100] This reduces heat loss and improves drying efficiency.

[0101] (Technology 5) In the dryer of Technology 5, in the dryer according to any one of Technologies 1 to 4, the air flowing into the storage section includes air introduced from the outside.

[0102] This can accelerate the drying of the object to be dried and improve the drying efficiency.

[0103] (Technology 6) In a dryer of Technology 6, in the dryer described in any one of Technologies 1 to 5, the air flowing into the storage section includes air that is returned to the storage section after dehumidifying the air inside the storage section.

[0104] This can accelerate the drying of the object to be dried and improve the drying efficiency.

[0105] (Technology 7) In the dryer of Technology 7, in the dryer according to any one of Technologies 1 to 6, the radio wave absorbing portion is provided on the inner surface of the housing portion.

[0106] This reduces heat loss and improves drying efficiency.

[0107] (Technology 8) In the dryer of Technology 8, in the dryer described in Technology 7, the radio wave absorber is provided on a wall surface of the housing portion that forms a flow path for air flowing into the housing portion.

[0108] This allows the air inside the storage section to be heated using the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber, and also allows the air flowing into the storage section from the air flow path to be heated, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0109] (Technology 9) In the dryer of Technology 9, the wall surface of the dryer described in Technology 8 blocks microwaves and transmits heat.

[0110] This allows the air inside the storage section to be heated using the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber, and also allows the air flowing into the storage section from the air flow path to be heated, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0111] (Technology 10) In the dryer of Technology 10, in the dryer according to any one of Technology 7 to Technology 9, the radio wave absorber is provided along the air flow inside the housing portion.

[0112] This allows the object to be dried evenly.

[0113] (Technical Technique 11) In a dryer of Technical Technique 11, in the dryer described in Technical Technique 7, the radio wave absorber is provided near an inlet for letting air into the inside of the housing.

[0114] This reduces heat loss and improves drying efficiency.

[0115] (Technical Technique 12) In the dryer of Technical Technique 12, in the dryer according to Technical Technique 1 or 2, the radio wave absorber is provided in an absorber housing section partitioned by a partition section that transmits microwaves inside the housing section.

[0116] This ensures that the capacity of the storage section is sufficient, and also prevents the user from touching the high-temperature radio wave absorbing section when removing the object to be dried after drying.

[0117] (Technical Technique 13) In the dryer of Technical Technique 13, in the dryer according to Technical Technique 12, the inner surface of the absorber-accommodating section has a shape that reflects at least a part of the microwaves toward the radio wave absorbing section.

[0118] This can improve the efficiency with which the radio wave absorbing section absorbs microwaves.

[0119] (Technology 14) In the dryer of Technology 14, in the dryer according to any one of Technology 12 to 13, the absorber-accommodating section forms a flow path for air flowing into the inside of the accommodating section.

[0120] This reduces heat loss and improves drying efficiency.

[0121] (Technology 15) In a dryer of Technology 15, in the dryer according to any one of Technologies 1 to 4, the radio wave absorber is provided in an antenna housing portion that houses an antenna for irradiating microwaves into the inside of the housing portion.

[0122] This allows the dryer to be made compact.

[0123] (Technology 16) The dryer of Technology 16 is the dryer according to any one of Technologies 1 to 4, further comprising an outlet through which air inside the storage section is discharged and an inlet through which air flows into the storage section.

[0124] This allows some of the water vapor contained in the inside air to be discharged to the outside, accelerating the drying of the object to be dried.

[0125] (Technology 17) A dryer of Technology 17 is the dryer described in Technology 16, further comprising an air intake path communicating with the inlet, the air intake path being arranged to be in indirect contact with the radio wave absorber via a wall surface of the accommodation section formed of a material such as metal that blocks microwaves and allows heat to pass through, and the radio wave absorber being arranged on the inner surface of the accommodation section.

[0126] This allows the radio wave absorber to come into direct contact with the air inside the housing, and the air inside the housing can be efficiently heated by the thermal energy converted by the radio wave absorber.

[0127] (Technology 18) In a dryer of Technology 18, in the dryer described in Technology 16, an air intake path having an air intake port for drawing in outside air is provided so as to communicate with an air inlet, and an absorber housing section for housing a radio wave absorber is formed inside the housing section by a partition section that is transparent to microwaves, and the absorber housing section forms a part of the air intake path between the air intake port and the air inlet.

[0128] This allows the radio wave absorber to indirectly heat the inside air by heating the partition. Also, if the partition allows the inside air to pass through, it can also directly heat the inside air. The partition can prevent a user from coming into contact with the radio wave absorber, which is at a higher temperature, when removing the items to be dried after drying.

[0129] (Technology 19) A dryer of Technology 19 is the dryer described in Technology 16, and further includes a circulation air duct that connects the outlet and the inlet, and the circulation air duct has an exhaust port that discharges air inside the storage section to the outside and an intake port that draws in outside air, and the circulation air duct is arranged to be in indirect contact with the radio wave absorber via a wall surface of the storage section that is formed of a material such as metal that blocks microwaves and allows heat to pass through.

[0130] This allows some of the water vapor contained in the inside air to be discharged to the outside, accelerating the drying of the objects to be dried. In addition, the radio wave absorber can heat the air flowing through the circulating air duct, suppressing the temperature drop in the circulating air duct and improving drying efficiency.

[0131] (Technology 20) A dryer of Technology 20 is the dryer described in Technology 16, and is provided with a circulation air duct that communicates the outlet and the inlet, and the circulation air duct has an exhaust port that discharges the air inside the accommodation section to the outside and an intake port that draws in outside air, and an absorber accommodation section for accommodating a radio wave absorber is formed inside the accommodation section by a partition section that is transparent to microwaves, and the absorber accommodation section constitutes a part of the circulation air duct.

[0132] This allows the exchange of the inside air in the storage section with the outside air and the heating of the air by the radio wave absorber to be carried out in one circulating air duct 16, thereby improving the drying efficiency.

[0133] The present disclosure can be used in, for example, home or commercial dryers, specifically, vertical washer-dryers, drum-type dryers, and drum-type washer-dryers.

[0134] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 dryer 2 housing 3 storage section 4 placement section 5 door 6 microwave irradiation section 7 waveguide 8 antenna 9 antenna storage section 10 partition section 11 motor 12 radio wave absorber 13 absorber storage section 14 partition section 15 blower fan 16 circulation air duct 17 exhaust port 18 intake port 19 temperature detection section 20 temperature detection section 21 weight detection section 22 heater 23 inlet 24 outlet 25 intake path 26 exhaust path 29 inlet-side air duct 30 outlet-side air duct

Claims

1. A dryer comprising: a storage section for storing an object to be dried; a microwave irradiation section for irradiating microwaves onto the object to be dried stored in the storage section; and a radio wave absorbing section for absorbing the microwaves irradiated from the microwave irradiating section and converting them into heat, wherein the air inside the storage section or the air flowing into the storage section is heated by the heat converted by the radio wave absorbing section.

2. A dryer as described in claim 1, wherein the radio wave absorbing section is provided at a position where microwaves irradiated inside the storage section reach the storage section and where heat exchange with the air inside the storage section or with the air flowing into the storage section can be performed.

3. The dryer according to claim 2, wherein the radio wave absorbing section is provided at a position where it comes into direct contact with the air inside the storage section or with the air flowing into the storage section.

4. The dryer according to claim 2, wherein the radio wave absorbing section is provided at a position separated from the air inside the storage section or the air flowing into the storage section via a partition through which heat can pass.

5. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the air flowing into the inside of the storage section includes air introduced from the outside.

6. A dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the air flowing into the interior of the storage unit includes air that is returned to the interior of the storage unit after dehumidifying the air inside the storage unit.

7. A dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the radio wave absorbing section is provided on an inner surface of the storage section.

8. The dryer according to claim 7, wherein the radio wave absorbing section is provided on a wall surface of the storage section that constitutes a flow path for air flowing into the storage section.

9. The dryer according to claim 8, wherein the wall surface blocks microwaves and transmits heat.

10. The dryer according to claim 7, wherein the radio wave absorbing section is provided along the air flow inside the storage section.

11. The dryer according to claim 7, wherein the radio wave absorbing section is provided near an inlet for allowing air to flow into the interior of the storage section.

12. The dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the radio wave absorbing section is provided in an absorber housing section separated by a microwave-transmitting partition inside the housing section.

13. The dryer according to claim 12, wherein the inner surface of the absorber housing has a shape that reflects at least a portion of the microwaves toward the radio wave absorbing section.

14. The dryer according to claim 12, wherein the absorbent housing portion constitutes a flow path for air flowing into the inside of the housing portion.

15. A dryer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the radio wave absorbing section is provided in an antenna housing section that houses an antenna for irradiating microwaves into the inside of the housing section.

16. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising an outlet through which air inside the storage section is discharged and an inlet through which air flows into the storage section.

17. A dryer as described in claim 16, further comprising an intake passage communicating with the inlet, the intake passage being arranged so as to be in indirect contact with the radio wave absorber via a wall surface of the storage section formed from a material such as metal that blocks microwaves and allows heat to pass through, and the radio wave absorber being arranged on an inner surface of the storage section.

18. A dryer as described in claim 16, wherein an air intake passage having an air intake port for drawing in outside air is provided in communication with the air inlet, an absorber housing section for housing the radio wave absorber is formed inside the housing section by a partition section that is transparent to microwaves, and the absorber housing section constitutes part of the air intake passage between the air intake port and the air inlet.

19. A dryer as described in claim 16, comprising a circulation air duct communicating the outlet and the inlet, the circulation air duct having an exhaust port for discharging air inside the storage section to the outside and an intake port for drawing in outside air, the circulation air duct being arranged so as to be in indirect contact with the radio wave absorber via a wall surface of the storage section which is formed from a material such as metal that blocks microwaves and allows heat to pass through, and the radio wave absorber being arranged on the inner surface of the storage section.

20. A dryer as described in claim 16, comprising a circulation air duct communicating the outlet and the inlet, the circulation air duct having an exhaust port for discharging the air inside the storage section to the outside and an intake port for drawing in outside air, an absorber storage section for accommodating the radio wave absorber is formed inside the storage section by a partition section that is transparent to microwaves, and the absorber storage section constitutes part of the circulation air duct.