All-in-one washer-dryer

Abstract

An all-in-one washer-dryer (1), comprising: an air circulation flow path (20) having an outlet (11) and an inlet (12) connected to an outer drum (6); an air blower (40), provided in the air circulation flow path (20); a heat exchanger (30), comprising an evaporator (31) and a condenser (32), and configured to exchange heat between a refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant flow path (33) and air flowing through the air circulation flow path (20); and a compressor (50), configured to compress the refrigerant. A heat pump unit (100) integrating the air blower (40), the heat exchanger (30), and the compressor (50) is disposed near a front surface (2a) of a housing (2) and can move toward the front of the front surface (2a). According to the all-in-one washer-dryer (1), the maintainability of heat pump-related units can be improved, and the arrangement of the all-in-one washer-dryer (1) itself can also be improved.

Description

Washing and drying integrated machine TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a washing and drying integrated machine. BACKGROUND

[0002] A washing and drying integrated machine is known which dries laundry by dehumidifying and heating air by a heat pump device. For example, the washing and drying integrated machine described in Patent Literature 1 is provided with an air circulation path which is disposed in the periphery of an outer tub within a cabinet, an air blowing portion which circulates air within the air circulation path, and a heat pump which heats air. The heat pump has a compressor which compresses refrigerant, a heat exchanger which performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and air, and a refrigerant circulation path which circulates the refrigerant between the compressor and the heat exchanger. The compressor is disposed at a position lower than the outer tub, and the heat exchanger is disposed at a position higher than the outer tub. The compressor and the heat exchanger are disposed separately in the up-down direction, and the refrigerant circulation path which connects the compressor and the heat exchanger is held by a bracket which is fixed to the cabinet in order to cope with vibration and the like.

[0003] Furthermore, as described in Patent Literature 2, Patent Literature 3, and Patent Literature 4, a washing and drying integrated machine is known in which several constituent elements of a heat pump device are unitized. In the washing and drying integrated machine described in Patent Literature 2, a heat exchange portion and a compressor are housed within a box body which is provided at the lower portion of the back surface side of a cabinet. An air blowing device is provided at the side surface of the box body. A heat exchange portion cover and a compressor cover can be separately detached from the box body. In the drying device described in Patent Literature 3, a compressor, a heat sink, and a heat absorber and the like are mounted on a base plate, and the heat pump device can be pulled out to the side to be removed at the time of maintenance. In the washing and drying integrated machine described in Patent Literature 4, a compressor and an evaporator and a condenser which are housed within a unit box body are disposed in the front-rear direction, and a drying air blowing fan is attached to the rear portion of the unit box body.

[0004] In the above-described conventional washing and drying integrated machine, in the structure in which the heat exchange portion and the compressor are unitized, there is room for improvement in terms of maintenance. Furthermore, when the washing and drying integrated machine is installed, a pipe and the like for draining water needs to be installed, but the heat pump-related unit which is provided at the lower portion of the cabinet sometimes causes an obstacle. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of installation.

[0005] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0006] PATENT LITERATURE

[0007] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-23720

[0008] Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-31573

[0009] Patent Literature 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-167374

[0010] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007- 306 1 1 SUMMARY

[0011] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0012] An object of the present application is to provide a washer-dryer that can improve the maintainability of a heat pump-related unit and also improve the set-up property of the washer-dryer itself.

[0013] SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

[0014] [1] A washer-dryer of one aspect of the present application includes: a cabinet; an outer tub disposed in the cabinet; a washing tub disposed in the outer tub to contain a washing object; an air circulation flow path having an outlet connected to the outer tub and an inlet; a blower provided in the air circulation flow path to suck air in the outer tub from the outlet and send it toward the inlet via the air circulation flow path; a heat exchanger including an evaporator and a condenser disposed in the air circulation flow path and a refrigerant flow path to exchange heat between refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path and air flowing through the air circulation flow path; and a compressor provided in the refrigerant flow path to compress and send refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator toward the condenser. A heat pump unit in which the blower, the heat exchanger, and the compressor are integrated is provided near a front surface of the cabinet and is movable toward the front of the front surface.

[0015] According to the washer-dryer of [1], when the washer-dryer is maintained or set up, the heat pump unit provided near the front surface of the cabinet is moved, for example, by an operator, toward the front of the front surface. Most of the time, the front of the cabinet is usually a free space without an obstacle, and thus, by moving the heat pump unit, maintenance work such as cleaning of the evaporator or the condenser, for example, can be easily performed. In addition, by moving the heat pump unit, a space in which the operator can put his or her hand into the cabinet is created. Thus, work of connecting a pipe (a drain pipe or the like) of the washer-dryer to a pipe outside the washer-dryer becomes easy to perform. Therefore, the maintainability of the heat pump unit can be improved, and also the set-up property of the washer-dryer itself can be improved.

[0016] [2] In the washer-dryer of the above-mentioned [1], the heat pump unit can also be fitted to be rotatable with respect to the cabinet. In this case, the heat pump unit is easily moved by the operator or the like. For example, the operator can pull out the heat pump unit by holding it with one hand to locate the heat pump unit as a whole or a large part of it in the front of the cabinet.

[0017] [3] In the washer-dryer of the above-mentioned [2], the heat pump unit can also be supported by a rotation support portion provided in the cabinet and can be detached from the cabinet by being picked up in a state of being moved toward the front of the front surface. In this case, more various maintenance work can be easily performed by detaching the heat pump unit.

[0018] [4] In the washer-dryer integrated machine according to any one of the above-mentioned [1] to [3], the refrigerant flow path can be integrally assembled to the heat pump unit, and the heat pump unit can have only the first connection port and the second connection port connected to the first pipe and the second pipe, respectively, which include the above-mentioned outlet of the air circulation flow path and the above-mentioned inlet, as the connection ports for allowing the fluid to flow. In this case, the number of parts to be detached or connected when the heat pump unit is maintained is small, and the maintainability is more excellent.

[0019] Effects of Invention

[0020] According to the present application, the maintainability of the heat pump unit can be improved, and the setting property of the washer-dryer integrated machine itself can also be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washer-dryer integrated machine according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the washer-dryer integrated machine of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the inside of a cabinet viewed from the front, and is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of an air circulation flow path.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a circulation mechanism of hot air of a heat pump unit.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the heat pump unit viewed from an oblique upper side.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a plan cross-sectional view of the heat pump unit.

[0027] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the heat pump unit viewed from an oblique lower side.

[0028] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the heat pump unit is rotated (moved) to a position close to the front.

[0029] Explanation of Reference Numerals 1: washer-dryer integrated machine; 2: cabinet; 2a: front surface; 6: outer tub; 7: drum (washing tub); 11: outlet; 12: inlet; 20: air circulation flow path; 21: first pipe; 22: second pipe; 30: heat exchanger; 31: evaporator; 32: condenser; 33: refrigerant flow path; 38: partition wall; 40: blower fan; 41: blower fan motor; 50: compressor; 51: compressor motor; 70: housing; 71b: outer surface side sheet metal member (sheet metal member); 78: cover member; 78H: hinge portion; 100: HP unit; 120: rotation support portion; C1: first connection port; C2: second connection port; L: rotation axis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals are applied to the same elements throughout the accompanying drawings, and repetitive description is omitted.

[0031] In the following description, as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction orthogonal to each other are sometimes used for the description of the washer-dryer 1. The X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction correspond to a front-rear direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction (or a vertical direction) of the washer-dryer 1 in the installed state shown in FIG. 1, respectively. In this specification, the terms indicating the directions such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and the like are terms based on the installed state of the washer-dryer 1.

[0032] The overall structure of the washer-dryer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The washer-dryer 1 is, for example, a drum-type washer-dryer. The washer-dryer 1 is provided with, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped cabinet 2. A circular door 3 that is freely openable and closable is attached to a front surface 2a of the cabinet 2. A circular loading port 4 for loading a washing target is formed in the front surface 2a of the cabinet 2. The loading port 4 is closed or opened by the door 3. Inside the cabinet 2, an outer tub 6 that stores washing water and a drum (washing tub) 7 that is freely rotatable and accommodates a washing target are provided. The outer tub 6 and the drum 7 each have a bottomed cylindrical shape. The outer tub 6 is supported by a plurality of elastic members (not shown) inside the cabinet 2. The outer tub 6 and the drum 7 are, for example, concentrically (coaxially) arranged with respect to a central axis extending in the X direction. The outer tub 6 has a circular opening 6a located in front of an opening 7a of the drum 7.

[0033] A peripheral portion of the opening 6a of the outer tub 6 and a peripheral portion of the loading port 4 of the cabinet 2 are connected by a gasket 8 in the shape of a circular ring made of an elastic material. The peripheral surface of the closed door 3 is in contact with the gasket 8, and the loading port 4 and the door 3 are sealed by water. A plurality of dehydration holes 7b are formed in the inner peripheral surface of the drum 7. Further, a balancer is provided in the front portion of the inner peripheral surface of the drum 7, and a plurality of lifters (all not shown) are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0034] A drive motor 9 for rotating the drum 7 is provided in the cabinet 2 and at the rear of the outer tub 6. A rotation shaft 9a of the drive motor 9 extends in the X direction and is coupled to a portion of the drum 7. The rotation shaft of the drum 7 (the rotation shaft 9a of the drive motor 9) can extend in the horizontal direction (i.e., the front-rear direction) or can extend in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction with the opening portion 7a slightly upward. The rotation shaft 9a and the drum 7 can be coupled via a belt, a reduction mechanism, or the like, or can be directly coupled. The drive motor 9 rotates the drum 7 at a low speed at which the centrifugal force applied to the laundry in the drum 7 is smaller than the gravity and the laundry tumbles during the washing process and the rinsing process. The drive motor 9 rotates the drum 7 at a high speed at which the centrifugal force applied to the laundry in the drum 7 is greater than the gravity and the laundry adheres to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 7 during the spinning process.

[0035] A water supply pipe and a water supply valve (both not shown) configured of a hose or other piping material are provided at the rear of the cabinet 2. By opening the water supply valve, tap water from a faucet is supplied into the outer tub 6. In this specification, "washing water" means a liquid corresponding to each process such as the washing process and the rinsing process of the laundry. Thus, during the washing process, the washing water can be water (liquid) containing a detergent or the like, and during the rinsing process, the washing water can be water. Further, during the rinsing process, a softener can be contained in the washing water. Note that a circulation flow path (including a pipe and a pump, etc.) for circulating the washing water can be provided in the cabinet 2.

[0036] A drain pipe 16 for draining the washing water in the outer tub 6 is connected to the bottom of the outer tub 6. A drain valve 17 is provided in the drain pipe 16. By opening the drain valve 17, the washing water naturally flows down and is drained through the drain pipe 16. The washing water drained from the washer-dryer 1 is drained through a drain port provided in a waterproof pan or the like. Note that a drain filter F (see FIG. 8) for trapping foreign matter contained in the washing water can be provided in the drain pipe 16. In this case, the drain filter F is taken out to the front of the cabinet 2 by operation of a drain filter operating lever 19 (see FIGS. 3 and 8) provided at the lower right of the front surface 2a at the time of maintenance or the like. Note that the path of the drain pipe 16 is simply shown in FIG. 2 and the drain filter F is omitted from the drawing.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the washer-dryer 1 is provided with a drying device M that dries laundry and the like accommodated in the drum 7. The drying device M sends hot air into the outer tub 6 in a drying process after a washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydration process. The inlet 12 that is an air spouting port of the hot air (air) is provided, for example, in the front portion and slightly upper left portion of the outer tub 6, in the vicinity of the opening portion 7a of the drum 7. The hot air sent into the outer tub 6 contacts with the laundry in the rotating drum 7, and evaporates moisture from the laundry, thereby drying the laundry. The rotational speed of the drum 7 in the drying process is, for example, the same degree as that in the washing process.

[0038] The drying device M is provided with an air circulation flow path 20 having the outlet 11 and the inlet 12 connected to the outer tub 6, and a blower 40 provided in the air circulation flow path 20. The outlet 11 that is a taking-out port of air from the outer tub 6 is provided, for example, in the back portion (rear portion) and lower portion (vicinity of the bottom portion) of the outer tub 6. The air circulation flow path 20 has a first duct 21 including the outlet 11 and a second duct 22 including the inlet 12. In other words, the outlet 11 that is an upstream end of the first duct 21 is connected to the back portion of the outer tub 6, and the inlet 12 that is a downstream end of the second duct 22 is connected to the front portion of the outer tub 6. The blower 40 is provided between the first duct 21 and the second duct 22. The blower 40 is an electrically driven air blower (or fan) provided with a blower motor 41 and a blower housing 42. The blower 40 sucks air in the outer tub 6 from the outlet 11 and sends it into the inlet 12 via the air circulation flow path 20. The blower 40 constitutes a part of a heat pump unit 100 described later, and is provided in the lower portion (vicinity of the lower left) of the front surface 2a of the cabinet 2.

[0039] The path (spatial configuration) of the air circulation flow path 20 in the cabinet 2 is not particularly limited, but the air circulation flow path 20 passes through the empty space of the space inside the cabinet 2 and outside (around) the outer tub 6. The first duct 21 includes, for example, a back portion 21a extending upward from the outlet 11, an upper surface portion 21b extending in the front-rear direction in the vicinity of the upper portion of the cabinet 2, and a front surface portion 21c extending downward in the front portion of the cabinet 2. A filter 29 is provided, for example, between the upper surface portion 21b and the front surface portion 21c. The filter 29 traps and removes foreign matter such as threads contained in air flowing through the air circulation flow path 20. The lower end of the front surface portion 21c is connected to the heat exchanger 30 (heat pump unit 100) described later. The first duct 21 is disposed substantially in the right portion of the cabinet 2 (see FIG. 3). Note that a temperature / humidity sensor 23, 24 is provided in the upper portion of the back portion 21a and the upper portion of the front surface portion 21c (outlet side of the filter 29), respectively.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a right upper cover 2f is provided at the right upper corner of the front surface 2a of the cabinet 2. The user can take out the filter 29 by opening the right upper cover 2f. Thus, maintenance work such as cleaning of the filter 29 can be performed. Note that a left upper cover 2g is provided at the left upper corner of the front surface 2a of the cabinet 2 independently of the drying device M. The user can take out the liquid agent feeding device 15 housed in the cabinet 2 by opening the left upper cover 2g.

[0041] The second duct 22 of the air circulation flow path 20 extends upward from the lower portion (near the lower left) of the front surface 2a of the cabinet 2. The upstream end (i.e., the lower end) of the second duct 22 is connected to the above-mentioned air blower 40 (heat pump unit 100), and the downstream end (the inlet 12) of the second duct 22 is connected to the front portion and slightly upper left portion of the outer tub 6. The temperature / humidity sensor 26 is provided in the second duct 22. The second duct 22 is disposed substantially on the left side portion of the cabinet 2 (see FIG. 3). In other words, the front surface portion 21c of the first duct 21 and the second duct 22 are disposed on both sides of the gasket 8. In the washer-dryer integrated machine 1 of the type in which the rotational axis of the drum 7 extends in the horizontal direction, compared with the type in which the drum 7 is inclined, it is less likely that a narrow portion is generated in the space near the front surface 2a of the cabinet 2, and the degree of freedom of the arrangement of the piping such as the first duct 21, the second duct 22, and the like is high.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the drying device M further includes a heat exchanger 30 including an evaporator 31 and a condenser 32 disposed in the air circulation flow path 20, which performs heat exchange between a refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant flow path 33 and air flowing through the air circulation flow path 20, and a compressor 50 provided in the refrigerant flow path 33, which compresses and sends the refrigerant from the evaporator 31 to the condenser 32. The refrigerant flow path 33 is a circulation flow path in which heat exchange is performed in the evaporator 31 and the condenser 32. The compressor 50 is provided on the downstream side of the evaporator 31 and on the upstream side of the condenser 32 with respect to the flow of the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path 33. An expansion valve 34, which depressurizes the refrigerant, is provided on the downstream side of the condenser 32 and on the upstream side of the evaporator 31. The refrigerant flow path 33 includes a compressed refrigerant flow path 33a connected to the discharge side of the compressor 50 and passing through the inside of the condenser 32, and a depressurized refrigerant flow path 33b connected to the outlet side of the expansion valve 34 and passing through the inside of the evaporator 31.

[0043] The blower 40, the heat exchanger 30, and the compressor 50 constitute a heat pump device. That is, the compressor 50 compresses refrigerant to a high-temperature and high-pressure state. The compressor 50 is operated by supplying electric power to a compressor motor 51 (see FIG. 5, etc.). The condenser 32 of the heat exchanger 30 heats air using the heat of refrigerant in a compressed refrigerant flow path 33a. The evaporator 31 of the heat exchanger 30 causes low-pressure refrigerant in a decompressed refrigerant flow path 33b to absorb heat to remove moisture (dehumidify) from air. The blower 40 blows air heated in the condenser 32 to supply hot air to the outer tub 6 and circulate air in the air circulation flow path 20. The blower 40 is operated by supplying electric power to a blower motor 41 (see FIG. 5, etc.). Note that, as shown in FIG. 2, a heater 35 that generates heat by being supplied with electric power to further heat air coming out of the condenser 32 is provided between the condenser 32 and the blower 40. Note that, the heater 35 can be omitted.

[0044] The drying device M has a heat pump unit 100 in which the blower 40, the heater 35, the heat exchanger 30, and the compressor 50 are integrated. In the following description, the "heat pump unit" is simply referred to as an "HP unit". As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the HP unit 100 is provided in a space near the lower portion (lower left) of the front surface 2a of the cabinet 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower portion of the front surface 2a becomes a detachable front surface lower cover 2c that extends in the left-right direction and the up-down direction. The HP unit 100 is disposed on the inner side of the front surface lower cover 2c. In other words, when the front surface lower cover 2c is detached, the entire front surface of the HP unit 100 is exposed from the opening.

[0045] Next, the HP unit 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5 to 7. In the following description, the HP unit 100 provided at a prescribed position in the cabinet 2 is taken as a reference unless otherwise specified. As shown in FIG. 8, the orientation of the HP unit 100 changes in a state in which the HP unit 100 is moved, and thus the HP unit 100 at the prescribed position (see FIG. 3) is taken as a reference. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the HP unit 100 as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 6 is a plan cross-sectional view of the HP unit 100. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the HP unit 100 as viewed obliquely from below. The X, Y, and Z axes shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are also based on the same reference as described above.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the heater 35, the heat exchanger 30, and the compressor 50 are housed in the casing 70. The casing 70 has a first housing portion 71 housing the heat exchanger 30 and a second housing portion 72 housing the compressor 50. The first housing portion 71 and the second housing portion 72 are continuous and integrated in the left-right direction. The evaporator 31 and the condenser 32 are opposite to each other. The condenser 32 is disposed on the near-front side (front side) of the evaporator 31. Further, the compressor 50 is disposed on the side (right side) of the evaporator 31 and the condenser 32. The blower 40 is disposed on the still nearer front side (front side) of the condenser 32. The compressor 50 including the compressor motor 51 has a substantially cylindrical outer shape. The compressor 50 is disposed with its center line oriented in the vertical direction (Z direction). On the other hand, the blower 40 including the blower motor 41 and the blower casing 42 is disposed with its center line (rotation center of the built-in impeller) oriented in the horizontal direction (parallel to the XY plane).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 6, the first housing portion 71 includes an inner face side metal member 71a on the depthwise side and an outer face side metal member (metal member) 71b on the near-front side. The connection member 77 detachable from the casing 70 is attached to the inner face side metal member 71a. The blower 40 is fixed to the near-front side (front side) of the outer face side metal member 71b with its suction port facing the heater 35 and the condenser 32. The casing 70 is air-tight in a region other than a flow path communicating with the suction port of the blower 40 formed in the first connection port Cl of the connection member 77 and the bottom surface opening 73 (see FIG. 7) to be described later. The first connection port Cl is connected to the first duct 21, and the second connection port C2 serving as a discharge port of the blower 40 is connected to the second duct 22, whereby the casing 70 becomes a part of the air circulation flow path 20.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 7, in the heat exchanger 30, the refrigerant flow path 33 is assembled as a whole in the HP unit 100. In FIG. 7, although the refrigerant flow paths connecting the compressor 50 and the heat exchanger 30 are not shown, these flow paths are housed inside the casing 70. Therefore, the HP unit 100 has only the first connection port Cl and the second connection port C2 connected to the first duct 21 and the second duct 22, respectively, as connection ports for passing a fluid (air or refrigerant) therethrough. The connection structure in the first connection port Cl and the second connection port C2 is detachable. In this case, the connection structure to the outside is simple, and thus the HP unit 100 is easily moved or detached for maintenance, and the like.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the HP unit 100 is provided with a cooling blower 60 that cools both the compressor motor 51 of the compressor 50 and the blower motor 41 of the blower 40. The cooling blower 60 is provided, for example, between the compressor 50 and the blower 40. The cooling blower 60 is arranged in such a manner as to be adjacent to the upper portion of the compressor 50 (the portion close to the compressor motor 51) (see FIG. 5). More specifically, the cooling blower 60 is held by the outer side metal member 71b that extends in such a manner as to divide the installation space of the compressor 50 and the installation space of the blower 40. The cooling blower 60 is operated by being supplied with electric power from a not-shown motor. The cooling blower 60 sucks in outside air through a bottom surface opening 73 (see FIG. 7) formed in the bottom surface of the second housing portion 72. The sucked-in air flows in the space around the compressor 50, cools the compressor 50, and then passes through an opening 71c formed in the outer side metal member 71b. The air that has passed through the suction port of the cooling blower 60 in communication with the opening 71c is blown out toward the blower 40. In this way, one cooling blower 60 cools both the compressor motor 51 and the blower motor 41.

[0050] The blower 40 is arranged outside the casing 70 that houses the heat exchanger 30 as described above, and a cover member 78 is attached to the outer side metal member 71b (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The cover member 78 covers the blower 40 from the outer side. In other words, the blower 40 is arranged between the cover member 78 and the outer side metal member 71b. The cover member 78 guides the cooling air from the cooling blower 60 toward the blower 40. The first end portion 78a on the left side and the second end portion 78b on the right side of the cover member 78 are fixed to the casing 70. The cover portion 78c between the first end portion 78a and the second end portion 78b covers the blower 40. The upper portion and the lower portion of the cover portion 78c are open (see FIG. 7). Note that the illustration of the cover member 78 is omitted in FIGS. 3 and 5.

[0051] Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a partition wall 38 is provided between the condenser 32 of the heat exchanger 30 and the compressor 50. A portion of the compressed refrigerant flow path 33a that is exposed from the condenser 32 is also housed inside the partition wall 38. On the other hand, the evaporator 31 of the heat exchanger 30 is open toward the compressor 50. The cooling air generated by the cooling blower 60 comes into contact with the evaporator 31.

[0052] Returning to FIG. 1, the washer-dryer 1 is provided with a controller 90 that controls the operation of each part of the washer-dryer 1 according to a program stored in advance. The controller 90 controls the driving of the driving motor 9, the opening and closing of various valves involved in the passage of tap water or washing water, and the compressor 50, the blower fan 40, and the cooling blower fan 60 in the HP unit 100, in accordance with the operation of the user on the operation section (not shown). The compressor 50, the blower fan 40, the cooling blower fan 60, and the heater 35 described above are always operated in the drying operation. The compressor 50, the blower fan 40, and the cooling blower fan 60, which are rotary devices, can also be operated in the drying operation in a manner in which the rotational speed is variable. The compressor 50, the blower fan 40, the cooling blower fan 60, and the heater 35 described above can also be repeatedly operated (ON) and stopped (OFF) (intermittent operation) in the drying operation. The controller 90 inputs the detection results of the temperature / humidity sensors 23, 24 in the first duct 21 and the temperature / humidity sensor 26 in the second duct 22, and determines whether or not the drying process can be ended on the basis of an index of at least either the temperature or the humidity of the air circulating in the air circulation flow path 20. The controller 90 stores a threshold value (a threshold value at which it is determined that the drying process can be ended) of the index related to the air. When the value of the index related to the air reaches the threshold value, the controller 90 ends the drying process. As information for determining the end of the drying process, in addition to the temperature information and the humidity information of the circulating air, the relative humidity information can be cited. Alternatively, the absolute humidity information of the circulating air can also be used.

[0053] Further, the controller 90 can detect that the HP unit 100 is normally connected to the first duct 21 and the second duct 22. In the case where the HP unit 100 is detached from at least one of the first duct 21 and the second duct 22, the detachment of the duct is detected by the detection of the current value of the blower fan 40 or the temperature detection by a sensor such as a thermistor.

[0054] The HP unit 100 of the present embodiment can be moved forward of the front surface 2a of the cabinet 2 when the washer-dryer 1 is set or maintained. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, a plurality of cylindrical hinge portions 78H extending in the up-down direction are provided near the first end portion 78a of the cover member 78. As shown in FIG. 1, a rotational support portion 120 that supports the hinge portions 78H is provided in the left lower portion near the front surface 2a of the cabinet 2. The HP unit 100 is supported by the rotational support portion 120 provided in the cabinet 2. In other words, the HP unit 100 is attached to the cabinet 2 in a manner in which it can rotate about the rotational axis L provided to the one end portion in the horizontal direction. With the above structure, the HP unit 100 is rotatably attached to the cabinet 2. The cover member 78, which bears a part of the structural member in the HP unit 100, has the hinge portions 78H fixed thereto.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 8, the HP unit 100 is pulled out to the front by the operator's hand. Specifically, by pulling the vicinity of the second end portion 78b of the cover member 78 or the vicinity of the second housing portion 72 to the front with the hand, the HP unit 100 is rotated about the portion of the hinge portion 78H, that is, the rotation axis L extending in the up-down direction (vertical direction). In the structure in which the HP unit 100 is provided in the vicinity of the front surface 2a and the lower left portion of the cabinet 2, when the HP unit 100 is moved (pulled out from the cabinet 2) to the front of the front surface 2a, the HP unit 100 is rotated clockwise as viewed from above. The rotatable range of the HP unit 100 is, for example, 60 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, with a prescribed position (set position) in the cabinet 2 as a reference. By the rotation of the HP unit 100, the opening / working space 2p is secured in the cabinet 2. The operator can perform, for example, the connection work of the drain pipe 18 of the lower portion of the outer tub 6 and the like with the hand inserted into the opening / working space 2p. In the case where the HP unit 100 is to be returned to the initial position (set), the operator pushes the HP unit 100 into the cabinet 2. The HP unit 100 is one-touch fixed to the prescribed position in the cabinet 2 by a stopper or a locking mechanism, not shown. Thereafter, the first duct 21 and the second duct 22 are connected.

[0056] Further, the HP unit 100 can be detached from the cabinet 2 by being picked up from the rotation support portion 120 in the state where it is rotated and moved to the front of the front surface 2a. In the state where the washer-dryer 1 is set, the detachment work of the HP unit 100 and the installation work (set work) of the HP unit 100 can be performed. The work is not performed by the ordinary user of the washer-dryer 1, but by, for example, a professional repairman. Of course, the configuration of the HP unit 100 can be designed so that the detachment work of the HP unit 100 can be safely performed by the ordinary user.

[0057] The washer-dryer 1 according to the present embodiment, in maintenance or setting of the washer-dryer 1, the HP unit 100 provided in the vicinity of the front surface 2a of the cabinet 2 is moved to the front of the front surface 2a by the operator or the like. Most of the time, the front of the cabinet 2 is a free space without an obstacle, and thus, by moving the HP unit 100, the maintenance work such as the cleaning of the evaporator 31 or the condenser 32 can be easily performed, for example. Further, by moving the HP unit 100, the opening / working space 2p in which the operator can insert the hand into the cabinet 2 is created. Thus, the work of connecting the piping (the above-described drain pipe 18 and the like) of the washer-dryer 1 with the piping outside (the piping connection work under the floor and the like) becomes easy to perform. Therefore, the maintenance of the HP unit 100 is improved, and the setting of the washer-dryer 1 itself is also improved.

[0058] The HP unit 100 is fitted so as to be rotatable with respect to the cabinet 2. Thus, an operator or the like easily moves the HP unit 100. For example, the operator can pull out the HP unit 100 by holding it with one hand so that the entire or a large part of the heat pump-related components is positioned in front of the cabinet.

[0059] The HP unit 100 is supported by the rotary support portion 120 and can be detached from the cabinet 2 by being picked up in a state moved to the front of the front surface 2a. More various maintenance work can be easily performed by detaching the HP unit 100.

[0060] The HP unit 100 has only the first connection port C1 and the second connection port C2 connected to the first pipe including the above-described outlet of the air circulation flow path and the second pipe including the above-described inlet, respectively, as connection ports for passing fluid. Thus, the number of sites to be detached or connected when maintaining the HP unit 100 is small (connection work of the refrigerant flow path 33 is not required), and the maintainability is more excellent.

[0061] The above describes the embodiments of the present application, but the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the cooling blower 60 can be omitted from the HP unit 100. The arrangement of the elements of the unit in the housing 70 is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0062] It can also be that, in the HP unit 100, a part of the refrigerant flow path 33 is provided outside the unit. In this case, the HP unit 100 has a connection port of the refrigerant flow path as a connection port for passing fluid in addition to the above-described first connection port C1 and the second connection port C2. Further, another connection port for sucking cool air can be provided in the HP unit 100.

[0063] It can also be that the HP unit 100 is movable (rotatable) with respect to the cabinet 2 but is not detachable from the cabinet 2.

[0064] It can also be that the HP unit 100 is fitted so as to be slidable toward the front (proximal side) of the cabinet 2. In this case, for example, a scheme in which the HP unit 100 is horizontally movable along a parallel rail extending in the front-rear direction fixed to the lower portion of the cabinet 2 can be adopted.

[0065] The present application can also be applied to a washing machine other than a drum-type washing machine, for example, a vertical washing machine.

Claims

1. A washer-dryer, characterized in that, Possessing: a cabinet; an outer tub disposed in the cabinet; a washing tub disposed in the outer tub to accommodate a washing object; an air circulation flow path having an outlet connected to the outer tub and an inlet; a blower provided in the air circulation flow path to suck air in the outer tub from the outlet and send it to the inlet via the air circulation flow path; a heat exchanger including an evaporator and a condenser disposed in the air circulation flow path and a refrigerant flow path to exchange heat between a refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path and air flowing through the air circulation flow path; and a compressor provided in the refrigerant flow path to compress the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator and send it to the condenser, a heat pump unit in which the blower, the heat exchanger, and the compressor are integrated is provided near a front surface of the cabinet and is movable to the front of the front surface.

2. The washer-dryer according to claim 1, wherein the heat pump unit is assembled to be rotatable with respect to the cabinet.

3. The washer-dryer according to claim 2, wherein the heat pump unit is supported by a rotation support portion provided in the cabinet and is detachable from the cabinet by being picked up in a state in which it is moved to the front of the front surface.

4. The washer-dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the refrigerant flow path is assembled as a whole in the heat pump unit, and the heat pump unit has only a first connection port and a second connection port connected to a first pipe including the outlet of the air circulation flow path and a second pipe including the inlet, respectively, as connection ports for passing a fluid. ​

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