JP7593868B2 - Washer/dryer - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a washer/ dryer.

Conventionally, a washer-dryer equipped with both a clothes washing function and a clothes drying function is known as a clothes dryer. During the drying operation, while rotating the rotor, warm air generated by a heater or heat pump is supplied to the water tub and rotating tub that form the drying chamber, thereby drying the clothes in the drying chamber.

When clothes are pressed against the spin tub by centrifugal force during the drying cycle, the clothes can become wrinkled or stiff after drying. For this reason, some washer-dryers are known that introduce steam into the spin tub during the latter half of the drying cycle to prevent the clothes from becoming wrinkled or stiff.

JP 2009-39436 A

However, sometimes users do not remove their clothes immediately after the washing or drying cycle is completed. In such cases, if the clothes are left piled up for a long time after the drying cycle is completed, there is a risk that the clothes will wrinkle again due to their own weight. Also, wet clothes are heavier than dry clothes, making them even more prone to wrinkles. Therefore, clothes that have been through the spin cycle without going through the drying process may develop deep wrinkles if left piled up for a long time.

Therefore, we provide a clothes dryer that can prevent wrinkling of clothes without the need to remove the clothes immediately after operation has finished, improving user convenience.

The clothes dryer of the embodiment includes a housing having an opening on the front, a water tub provided inside the housing, a rotating tub provided rotatably inside the water tub and constituting a drying chamber together with the water tub, a drive unit for rotating the rotating tub, a control device for performing at least one of a washing operation for washing clothes, a drying operation for drying clothes, and a washing and drying operation including the washing operation and the drying operation as a main operation, and a steam generator for generating steam to be supplied inside the rotating tub. The control device performs a determination process for determining whether or not clothes have been removed from the rotating tub after the main operation ends, and if the determination process does not determine that clothes have been removed within a predetermined period of time after the main operation ends, the control device performs a steam supply process for supplying steam to the rotating tub using the steam generator.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an example of a washing and drying machine according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a rear view showing a schematic configuration of an example of a washer/dryer according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a refrigeration cycle of an example of a washer/dryer according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of a washing/drying machine according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an upper portion and its periphery of an example of a washer/dryer including a steam generating device and a water supply device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a steam generating device of a washing/drying machine according to an embodiment. A chart showing each period and step in a special operation of a washer/dryer according to an embodiment. 1 is a chart showing an example of a first period depending on the weight of clothes and the fabric type of clothes when the main operation of a washer/dryer according to an embodiment is a drying operation or a washing/drying operation; 1 is a chart showing an example of a first period depending on the weight of clothes and the fabric type of clothes when the main operation of a washer/dryer according to an embodiment is a washing operation; A chart showing an example of operating conditions for each process of a washer/dryer according to one embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the contents of control by the control device when a wrinkle removing course is selected in the washer/dryer according to an embodiment. A flowchart showing the contents of control by the control device in a pre-process start process of an example of a washer/dryer according to an embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing the contents of control by a control device in a first wrinkle removing step of an example of a washer/dryer according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing the contents of control by a control device in a second wrinkle removing step of an example of a washer/dryer according to an embodiment.

A clothes dryer according to one embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. This embodiment can be applied to both a horizontal-axis or diagonal-axis drum-type washing machine as shown in FIG. 1, and a vertical-axis washing machine (not shown).

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the washer-dryer 10 includes a housing 11, a water tub 12, a rotating tub 13, a rotating tub motor 14, a door 15, bellows 16, a water supply mechanism 17, a drainage section 18, an operation panel 19, and a control device 20. The washer-dryer 10 is also a clothes dryer equipped with a heat pump type drying function, and is a so-called drum type washer-dryer. In this embodiment, the door 15 side of the housing 11 is the front side of the washer-dryer 10, i.e., the user side. The direction of gravity, i.e., the vertical direction, is the up-down direction of the washer-dryer 10, and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-rear and up-down directions is the left-right direction.

The housing 11 constitutes the outer shell of the washer/dryer 10 and is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular box shape from a steel plate or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 11 has an opening 111 provided approximately in the center of the front surface, which is opened and closed by a door 15.

The water tank 12 is housed inside the housing 11. The rotating tank 13 is housed inside the water tank 12. Both the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13 are formed in a cylindrical shape. The water tank 12 has an opening 121 formed at one end of the cylinder, and a water tank end plate 122 is provided at the other end. The opening 121 is located above the water tank end plate 122 in the inclined water tank 12.

Similarly, the rotating tub 13 has an opening 131 formed at one end of the cylindrical shape, and a rotating tub end plate 132 at the other end. The opening 131 is located above the rotating tub end plate 132 on the inclined rotating tub 13. The opening 131 of the rotating tub 13 is surrounded by the opening 121 of the water tub 12. The water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13 function as a washing chamber and a drying chamber for storing laundry.

The rotating tub motor 14 is provided on the outside of the water tub 12 on the water tub end plate 122. The rotating tub motor 14 is, for example, an outer rotor type DC brushless motor. The shaft portion 141 of the rotating tub motor 14 passes through the water tub end plate 122 and protrudes to the inside of the water tub 12, and is fixed to the center of the rotating tub end plate 132. As a result, the rotating tub motor 14 rotates the rotating tub 13 relative to the water tub 12. In this case, the shaft portion 141, the rotation axis of the rotating tub 13, and the central axis of the water tub 12 are all aligned. The rotating tub motor 14 is electrically connected to the control device 20, and is driven under the control of the control device 20.

The door 15 is attached to the outer surface of the housing 11 via a hinge (not shown). The door 15 rotates about the hinge as a fulcrum to open and close an opening 111 formed in the front of the housing 11. The bellows 16 connects the opening 111 to an opening 121 of the water tub 12. With the door 15 open, laundry such as clothes is loaded and unloaded from the spin tub 13 through the openings 121 and 131.

As shown in FIG. 5, the water supply mechanism 17 is provided, for example, at the upper left rear part of the water tank 12 inside the housing 11. The water supply mechanism 17 receives water from a water supply source, such as a tap, and supplies the water to the water tank 12.

The drainage section 18 is provided on the rear end side of the bottom located on the lower side in the gravity direction of the water tank 12. The drainage section 18 is configured to include a drainage port 123, a drainage valve 181, and a drainage hose 182. The drainage port 123 is provided at the rear end, which is the bottommost part of the water tank 12, and connects the inside and outside of the water tank 12. The drainage valve 181 is, for example, an electromagnetic liquid opening and closing valve, and is provided between the drainage port 123 and the drainage hose 182. The drainage valve 181 is electrically connected to the control device 20 and opens and closes under the control of the control device 20. The drainage hose 182 connects the drainage port 123 to the outside of the machine, that is, the outside of the housing 11, and functions as a drainage path for draining the water in the water tank 12 to the outside. In this case, the drainage valve 181 opens and closes between the drainage port 123 and the drainage hose 182, that is, the drainage path. In other words, when the drain valve 181 is opened, the water in the water tub 12 is drained from the drain outlet 123 through the drain valve 181 and the drain hose 182 to the outside of the washer/dryer 10.

1, the operation panel 19 is provided at the front of the top surface of the housing 11, and is electrically connected to the control device 20. Various operation keys and the like are provided.
The operation panel 19 includes, for example, a touch panel type liquid crystal panel, and can display various information related to the washer/dryer 10. Note that the operation panel 19 is not limited to a liquid crystal panel, and in other embodiments, may include, for example, an organic EL panel.

The various operation keys accept various operations by the user related to the operation of the washer-dryer 10. The operation keys are composed of touch keys included in the screen displayed on the operation panel 19. The user can perform various input operations related to the operation of the washer-dryer 10 by touching the operation keys displayed on the operation panel 19 with their fingers or the like.

The touch panel constituting the operation panel 19 may be, for example, a capacitive touch panel that detects changes in capacitance that occur when touched by a user's finger. Note that the touch panel constituting the operation panel 19 is not limited to a capacitive touch panel, and in other embodiments, various types of touch panels, such as a resistive film touch panel, may be used. Furthermore, the various operation keys are not limited to electrostatic touch type, and in other embodiments, they may be button type.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 20 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU 201 and a storage area 202 such as a ROM, a RAM, and a rewritable flash memory, and controls the entire washer/dryer 10. In this embodiment, the control device 20 controls the rotation tub motor 14, the drain valve 181, the operation panel 19, and the fan motor 391 of the blower 39, which will be described later, and the compressor 43.

The washer-dryer 10 may be configured to be connectable to an electric communication line, such as the Internet or a mobile phone network, via an external router (not shown). In this case, the communication unit (not shown) is communicatively connected to an external device, such as an external information terminal, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer, or a server installed in a company, etc., via the router and the electric communication line. In this case, the communication unit may be directly connected to the information terminal, etc., by wire or wirelessly. The control device 20 can transmit various information, such as the operating status of the washer-dryer 10, to the external device, such as an information terminal or a server. The communication unit can receive various instructions from the information terminal, server, etc.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the water tank 12 has an air outlet 21 and an air inlet 22. The air outlet 21 is provided, for example, in the upper front part of the peripheral wall constituting the cylindrical part of the water tank 12. The air inlet 22 is provided in the water tank end plate 122, in a part slightly above the center of the water tank end plate 122. The air outlet 21 and the air inlet 22 communicate with the inside and outside of the water tank 12. The air outlet 21 is an outlet for air from the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13, which are drying chambers. The air inlet 22 is an inlet for air to the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13, which are drying chambers. Both the air outlet 21 and the air inlet 22 are located above the drainage port 123.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating tub 13 has a plurality of holes 23 and a plurality of communication openings 24. The holes 23 and communication openings 24 connect the inside and outside of the rotating tub 13. The holes 23 are formed in the entire peripheral wall constituting the cylindrical portion of the rotating tub 13. The communication openings 24 are formed in the entire rotating tub end plate 132. The holes 23 and communication openings 24 function mainly as water holes through which water flows in and out during the washing operation including the washing process, draining process, rinsing process, and spin-drying process, and function as ventilation holes through which air flows in and out during the drying operation. Note that for simplicity, only some of the holes 23 and communication openings 24 are shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the washer-dryer 10 is equipped with a circulation air duct 30 and a heat pump unit 40. The circulation air duct 30 is provided outside the water tub 12 and connects the air outlet 21 and the air inlet 22. Specifically, the circulation air duct 30 is configured to include an exhaust duct 31, a filter device 32, a connection duct 33, a heat exchanger 34, and an air supply duct 35.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the exhaust duct 31 connects the air outlet 21 of the water tank 12 to the filter device 32. The exhaust duct 31 is, for example, a bellows-shaped hose. The filter device 32 is located in the upper part of the inside of the housing 11, and is provided above the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13. A filter 321 is provided in the filter device 32. The filter device 32 removes foreign matter such as lint contained in the air exhausted from the air outlet 21 by passing the air exhausted from the air outlet 21 through the filter 321. The filter device 32 is connected to the upstream side of the heat exchanger 34 via a connection duct 33. The heat exchanger 34 is located in the lower part of the inside of the housing 11, and is provided below the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13.

Furthermore, the circulation air passage 30 has an exhaust port 36, an opening/closing device 37, and an intake port 38, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. The exhaust port 36 is provided on the filter device 32 side of the connection duct 33. The exhaust port 36 is formed by opening a part of the upper part of the connection duct 33, for example, in the shape of multiple slits, and connects the inside and outside of the connection duct 33 and thus the circulation air passage 30. The opening/closing device 37 is provided on the outside side of the exhaust port 36. The opening/closing device 37 is a so-called damper, and can open and close the exhaust port 36 by rotating one end of it as a fulcrum by a motor (not shown). The opening/closing device 37 is connected to the control device 20, and is driven to open and close under the control of the control device 20.

The intake port 38 is provided on the upper part of the heat exchange section 34. The intake port 38 is formed by opening a part of the heat exchange section 34, and connects the inside and outside of the heat exchange section 34 and the circulation air duct 30. When the opening/closing device 37 is opened, a part of the air in the circulation air duct 30 is exhausted to the outside of the circulation air duct 30 through the exhaust port 36 as shown by the arrow A1 in FIG. 1. Then, the pressure in the circulation air duct 30 is reduced, and the air outside the circulation air duct 30 is sucked into the circulation air duct 30 through the intake port 38. In this case, negative pressure is generated in the circulation air duct 30, and the air volume in the circulation air duct 30 increases according to Bernoulli's theorem. In other words, the air volume of the dry air supplied to the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13 increases. In addition, when a part of the warmed air is exhausted from the exhaust port 36 and air outside the circulation air duct 30 is taken in from the intake port 38, the temperature of the air in the circulation air duct 30 is likely to decrease.

The heat pump unit 40 has the function of generating dry warm air by dehumidifying and heating the air passing through the heat exchange section 34 of the circulating air passage 30. An evaporator 41 and a condenser 42 that constitute part of the heat pump unit 40 are provided in the heat exchange section 34. The evaporator 41 is provided upstream of the condenser 42 with respect to the air flow in the heat exchange section 34 during drying operation. The air passing through the heat exchange section 34 is cooled by the evaporator 41 and thus dehumidified. The air dehumidified by the evaporator 41 is then heated by the condenser 42 to become warm air.

The downstream side of the heat exchange section 34 in the circulating air passage 30 is connected to the air inlet 22 of the aquarium 12 via the air supply duct 35. A blower 39 is provided at the connection between the heat exchange section 34 and the air supply duct 35. As shown in FIG. 2, the blower 39 is configured to have a fan motor 391 and a fan 392.

The blower 39 draws in air from the heat exchange section 34 and expels it to the air supply duct 35. This creates an air flow that circulates through the water tank 12 and the air circulation duct 30, as shown by arrow A in Figures 1, 2, and 3. In this case, when looking at the air flow in the air circulation duct 30, the air outlet 21 is the most upstream side, and the air inlet 22 is the most downstream side.

In this configuration, when the compressor 43 and the blower 39 are driven, the warm air dehumidified and heated in the heat exchanger 34 is supplied from the air inlet 22 through the air supply duct 35 to the water tub 12 by the blowing action of the blower 39. The warm air then enters the rotating tub 13 mainly through the communication port 24, raises the temperature of the laundry in the rotating tub 13, and removes moisture from the laundry, and then exits the rotating tub 13 mainly through the hole 23. The humid air is then sucked into the circulating air duct 30 from the air outlet 21. The air sucked into the circulating air duct 30 first passes through the exhaust duct 31 and the filter device 32. The air then flows to the heat exchanger 34 through the connection duct 33. In this way, the air that enters the circulating air duct 30 from the water tub 12 is dehumidified and heated in the circulating air duct 30, and is then supplied back into the water tub 12.

Next, the heat pump unit 40 will be described. The heat pump unit 40 functions as a hot air supply device that dehumidifies and heats the air that has flowed into the circulating air passage 30 from the water tank 12 to turn it into dry hot air and supplies it back into the water tank 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heat pump unit 40 includes an evaporator 41 and a condenser 42, as well as a compressor 43, a pressure reducing device 44, and an accumulator 45. The compressor 43, the pressure reducing device 44, and the accumulator 45 are provided outside the heat exchange section 34. The refrigerant circulates within the heat pump unit 40 as indicated by arrow B in FIG. 3. The heat pump unit 40 is configured by connecting the condenser 42, the pressure reducing device 44, the evaporator 41, and the accumulator 45 in a ring shape in that order in the direction in which the refrigerant flows with the compressor 43 as the reference.

The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 are composed of, for example, tubes with many fins spaced closely together, and by passing a refrigerant through the inside of these tubes, heat is exchanged between the refrigerant and the air passing between the fins. The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 function as heat exchangers.

The compressor 43 supplies the refrigerant to the condenser 42 by pressure transfer. The compressor 43 is connected to the control device 20, and is driven and stopped under the control of the control device 20. The pressure reducing device 44 reduces the pressure of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant discharged from the condenser 42 to a low-pressure gas-liquid mixed state. In this case, the pressure reducing device 44 is composed of, for example, a capillary tube, but may also be an electromagnetic expansion valve that can be opened and closed under the control of the control device 20.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, the washer-dryer 10 includes a steam generator 50. The steam generator 50 has a function of supplying steam to the rotating tub 13. The steam generator 50 is provided inside the housing 11 and outside the water tub 12. In this embodiment, the steam generator 50 is provided above the water tub 12 and at the front end of the upper part of the washer-dryer 10, and sprays steam from the upper front of the water tub 12 and rotating tub 13 onto the clothes in the rotating tub 13 through the openings 121 and 131.

The steam generating device 50 includes a steam generating section 51 and a spraying section 52. The steam generating section 51 heats water supplied from an external water source through the water supply mechanism 17 to generate steam to be supplied to the rotating tub 13. The spraying section 52 atomizes the steam generated by the steam generating section 51 and sprays it into the rotating tub 13. In this embodiment, the spraying section 52 atomizes the steam by, for example, electrostatic spraying. In other embodiments, the spraying section 52 is not limited to the electrostatic spraying method, and may atomize the steam by, for example, ultrasonic waves.

Figure 5 shows the upper part of the washer/dryer 10 where the steam generating device 50 is provided. As shown in Figure 5, the water supply mechanism 17 has a water supply valve 171 and a water supply path 172. Note that the upstream portion of the water supply path 172 and the water supply valve 171 are omitted in Figure 1. The water supply valve 171 is connected to the control device 20 and is driven to open and close under the control of the control device 20. The control device 20 drives the water supply valve 171 to open and close, thereby supplying water from an external water source to the steam generating unit 51 via the water supply valve 171 and the water supply path 172. Note that the water supply mechanism 17 has a water supply path (not shown) that receives water from a water supply source such as a water supply and supplies water to the water tub 12, and a water supply valve (not shown) that opens and closes the water supply path.

As shown in FIG. 6, the steam generating unit 51 has a tank 511, a heating unit 512, a water inlet 513, and a discharge port 514. The tank 511 is formed in a container shape and stores water supplied through the water supply path 172. The tank 511 is formed of a heat-resistant metal die-cast with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum die-cast. The heating unit 512 is provided below the tank 511 and heats the water in the tank 511. In this case, the water inlet 513 is provided at the top of the tank 511 and connects the tank 511 to the water supply path 172. The discharge port 514 is provided in the tank 511 and connects the tank 511 to the spray unit 52.

The spray unit 52 includes a discharge electrode 521. The discharge electrode 521 is provided at a position through which the steam discharged from the discharge port 514 passes. A high voltage from the high-voltage power supply 53 is applied between the discharge electrodes 521, and the steam discharged from the steam generating unit 51 passes through an electric field generated by the discharge electrode 521. As a result, the water particles of the steam are charged and repeatedly split, increasing their surface area and becoming finer through so-called Rayleigh fission. As a result, the steam is further finely divided into atomized steam, which is discharged into the rotating tank 13 at an increased spray speed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the washer/dryer 10 includes a weight detection unit 61, a fabric type detection unit 62, and a door open/close detection unit 63. The control device 20 executes a control program in the CPU 201 to virtually realize the weight detection unit 61 and the fabric type detection unit 62 shown in FIG. 4 by software. The control device 20 may realize the weight detection unit 61 and the fabric type detection unit 62 by hardware such as an integrated circuit, or may realize them by a combination of software and hardware.

The weight detection unit 61 is configured to be able to access the memory area 202 of the control device 20. The weight detection unit 61 detects the weight of the laundry inside the spin tub 13. The control device 20 also stores the detected weight of the laundry in the memory area 202. In this embodiment, the weight detection unit 61 can detect the weight of the laundry between the washing process and the draining process. The weight detection unit 61 can detect the current load acting on the spin tub motor 14, for example, by measuring the q-axis current in the vector control of the spin tub motor 14, and measure the weight of the laundry inside the spin tub 13 based on the load. The weight detection unit 61 may also detect the load on the spin tub motor 14 from the difference between the commanded rotation speed and the actual rotation speed.

The fabric quality detection unit 62 is configured to be able to access the memory area 202 of the control device 20. The fabric quality detection unit 62 detects the fabric quality of the laundry inside the spin tub 13. The control device 20 also stores the detected fabric quality of the laundry in the memory area 202. The fabric quality detection unit 62 can detect the fabric quality of the laundry based on the amount of moisture absorbed by the laundry, for example, whether the laundry is mainly made of cotton or synthetic fibers, and the ratio of cotton to synthetic fibers. In this embodiment, the fabric quality detection unit 62 detects the fabric quality of the laundry by comparing the weight of the laundry when dry detected by the weight detection unit 61 with the weight of the laundry containing water between the washing process and the draining process.

The fabric quality detection unit 62 classifies the fabric quality of the laundry into multiple categories. The fabric quality categories can be set, for example, based on the water absorption properties and wrinkling tendency of the fibers that make up the fabric. In this embodiment, the fabric quality detection unit 62 determines the fabric quality of the laundry into two categories, for example, "cotton-based," which indicates that the majority of the laundry is made of cotton-based clothing, and "synthetic fiber-based," which indicates that the majority of the laundry is made of synthetic fiber-based clothing. In another embodiment, the fabric quality detection unit 62 may determine the fabric quality of the laundry into four categories, for example, "mostly cotton," "mainly cotton," "mainly synthetic fiber," and "mostly synthetic fiber," in order of the proportion of cotton higher and the proportion of synthetic fiber lower.

The door open/close detection unit 63 detects whether the door 15 is open or closed. The door open/close detection unit 63 is not shown in detail, but may be, for example, a mechanical switch. In this case, for example, when the door 15 is in a position that closes the opening 111 of the housing 11, that is, when the door 15 is closed, a part of the door 15 may come into contact with the door open/close detection unit 63, thereby closing or opening the electrical circuit. When the door 15 is in a position that does not close the opening 111 of the housing 11, that is, when the door 15 is open, a part of the door 15 may not come into contact with the door open/close detection unit 63, thereby opening or closing the electrical circuit.

The control device 20 can selectively execute a washing operation, a drying operation, and a washing and drying operation as the main operation. The washing and drying operation is a mode in which a drying operation is performed following a washing operation.

The washing operation includes at least one of the washing process, rinsing process, and spin-drying process. The washing process is a process in which water is supplied to the water tub 12 by the water supply mechanism 17, and the spin-drying tub 13 is rotated by the spin-drying tub motor 14 to wash clothes with detergent and water. The rinsing process is a process in which water is supplied to the water tub 12 by the water supply mechanism 17, and the spin-drying tub 13 is rotated by the spin-drying tub motor 14 to rinse clothes. The spin-drying process is a process in which the water absorbed by the clothes is removed by driving the spin-drying tub motor 14 to rotate the spin-drying tub 13.

The drying operation includes a process of drying the clothes. In the drying process, the control device 20 drives the rotary tub motor 14, the blower 39, and the compressor 43. In the drying process, the compressor 43 is driven to heat and dehumidify the air using the evaporator 41 and the condenser 42, and the heated dry air is blown into the drying chamber by the blower 39, and the rotary tub motor 14 is driven to rotate the clothes while drying them. The drying operation may also include a drying finishing process. The drying finishing process is performed following the drying process. In the drying finishing process, the control device 20 also drives the rotary tub motor 14, the blower 39, and the compressor 43.

The supply air temperature in the drying finishing process is set to be equal to or lower than the supply air temperature in the drying process. More specifically, the maximum supply air temperature t1 in the drying finishing process is set to be lower than the maximum supply air temperature t0 in the drying process. For example, the maximum supply air temperature t0 in the drying process can be set within the range of 65°C to 75°C. In this embodiment, the maximum supply air temperature t0 in the drying process is set to 60°C. The maximum supply air temperature t1 in the drying finishing process is set to be within the range of 55°C to 65°C, for example. In this embodiment, the maximum supply air temperature t1 in the drying finishing process is set to 60°C.

The control device 20 can also selectively execute a wrinkle removal course and a normal course when executing a washing operation, a drying operation, or a washing and drying operation. The wrinkle removal course is a course in which a special operation is additionally executed after the main operation selected from the washing operation, the drying operation, or the washing and drying operation is completed. The normal course is a course in which a special operation is not additionally executed after the main operation is completed.

The user operates the operation panel 19 to select either the washing operation, drying operation, or washing and drying operation as the main operation, and also select either the wrinkle removal course or the normal course. The control device 20 sets various courses and executes various operations based on the user's operation on the operation panel 19. Note that the user may operate an external information terminal such as a smartphone to select either the washing operation, drying operation, or washing and drying operation as the main operation, and also select either the wrinkle removal course or the normal course to have the control device 20 execute it.

When the normal course is selected and either the washing operation, drying operation, or washing and drying operation is performed as the main operation, the control device 20 turns off the power of the washer/dryer 10 when the main operation ends. When the wrinkle removal course is selected and either the washing operation, drying operation, or washing and drying operation is performed as the main operation, the control device 20 executes a special operation when the main operation ends. The special operation includes a pre-process, a steam supply process, a first steam drying process, and a second steam drying process. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the first and second steam drying processes in this specification, they may be referred to together as the steam drying process. Note that if the user removes clothes while the pre-process is being performed, the control device 20 does not execute the subsequent steam supply process or steam drying process.

The period during which the special operation is performed includes a first period T1, a second period T2, a third period T3, a fourth period T4, and a fifth period T5, as shown in FIG. 7. The control device 20 executes a process of repeating the first period T1, the second period T2, the third period T3, the fourth period T4, and the fifth period T5 in the order shown in FIG. 7.

The first period T1 is a period during which the control device 20 executes the pre-process. The pre-process is executed after the end of the main operation, i.e., after the start of the special operation or after the steam drying process. In other words, the first period T1 is the period after the start of the special operation and before the second period T2, or the period after the second period T2 and before the fourth period T4, or the period after the fifth period T5 and before the fourth period.

The second period T2 is a period after the first period T1 has elapsed, during which the control device 20 executes the steam supply process. The third period T3 is a period after at least the first steam supply process, during which the control device 20 executes the first steam drying process. In this embodiment, the third period T3 is a period after the first steam supply process and before the start of the second pre-process.

The fourth period T4 is a period during which the control device 20 executes the steam supply process at least the second time onwards. In this embodiment, the fourth period T4 is a period during which the control device 20 executes the steam supply process at least the second time onwards. The fifth period T5 is a period after at least the second or subsequent steam supply process, i.e., a period after the fourth period T4 has elapsed, during which the control device 20 executes the second steam drying process. In this embodiment, the fourth period T4 is a period after the second or subsequent steam supply process and before the pre-process from the third time onwards.

The steam supply process performed in the second period T2 and the steam drying process performed in the third period T3 are collectively referred to as the first wrinkle removal process. The steam supply process performed in the fourth period T4 and the steam supply process performed in the fifth period T5 are collectively referred to as the second wrinkle removal process. Furthermore, when there is no need to distinguish between the first and second wrinkle removal processes, they may be collectively referred to as the wrinkle removal process.

The pre-process is a process in which the steam generating device 50 is not driven and is in a standby state, so to speak. If no clothes are removed from the washer-dryer 10 during the pre-process, the control device 20 executes the steam supply process. The steam supply process is a process in which the steam generating device 50 is driven to inject steam into the rotating tub 13. The steam supply process causes steam to permeate the clothes contained in the rotating tub 13. The steam drying process is a process in which the steam that permeated the clothes in the steam supply process is dried. The steam drying process removes or reduces wrinkles in the clothes as the steam evaporates from the clothes.

In the pre-process, the control device 20 drives the rotating tub motor 14 to gently agitate the clothes. The control device 20 also drives the blower 39 to send air to the rotating tub 13 to make it easier to loosen the clothes. In the pre-process, the control device 20 does not drive the steam generator 50, and does not drive the heat pump unit 40 as a heating device. In other words, in the pre-process, the control device 20 does not actively heat the rotating tub 13 and the clothes inside the rotating tub 13. In the pre-process, the control device 20 controls the opening/closing device 37 to close the exhaust port 36. In another embodiment, the control device 20 may be configured to control the opening/closing device 37 to open the exhaust port 36 in the pre-process.

In the steam supply process, the control device 20 drives the steam generator 50. The control device 20 also drives the rotating tub motor 14 to gently agitate the clothes. The control device 20 also drives the blower 39 to send air to the rotating tub 13 to make it easier to loosen the clothes. In the previous process, the control device 20 controls the opening and closing device 37 to close the exhaust port 36. This prevents the steam introduced into the rotating tub 13 from being discharged outside the machine through the exhaust port 36. In this embodiment, the control device 20 does not drive the heat pump unit 40 in the steam supply process. That is, in this embodiment, heated air is not supplied to the rotating tub 13 in the steam supply process. In another embodiment, the control device 20 may be configured to drive the heat pump unit 40 to supply heated air to the rotating tub 13 in the steam supply process.

In the first and second steam drying steps, the control device 20 drives the rotating tub motor 14 to gently agitate the clothes. The control device 20 also drives the blower 39 to send air to the rotating tub 13 to make it easier to loosen the clothes. The control device 20 does not drive the steam generating device 50 in the steam drying steps.

In the first steam drying process carried out in the third period T3, the control device 20 does not drive the heat pump unit 40, which is a heating device. The control device 20 also controls the opening and closing device 37 to open the exhaust port 36. This allows excess steam to be exhausted outside the machine through the exhaust port 36. Also, by circulating unheated air, if the clothes become too hot due to the heat of the steam supplied in the steam supply process, the air can cool the clothes.

In the second steam drying step carried out in the fifth period T5, the control device 20 drives the heat pump unit 40, which is a heating device. This heats the circulating air to promote drying of the clothes. In addition, by moderately heating the clothes, wrinkles can be removed or reduced early and efficiently. In the first half of the fifth period T5, the control device 20 controls the opening/closing device 37 to close the exhaust port 36. This allows the temperature of the circulating air to be maintained, and the clothes to be efficiently heated and dried. In the second half of the fifth period T5, the control device 20 controls the opening/closing device 37 to open the exhaust port 36. This allows excess steam to be discharged outside the machine through the exhaust port 36.

In addition, in another embodiment, the circulating air may be heated by driving the heat pump unit 40 from the first steam drying process performed in the third period T3, i.e., the steam drying process after the initial steam supply process.

The rotation speed n1 of the blower 39 in the pre-process is set to be slower than the rotation speed n2 of the blower 39 in the steam supply process and the steam drying process. The rotation speed n1 of the blower 39 can be set, for example, within the range of 1500 rpm to 2500 rpm. In this embodiment, the rotation speed n1 of the blower 39 in the pre-process is set to 2000 rpm. The rotation speed n2 of the blower 39 can be set, for example, within the range of 3000 rpm to 4000 rpm. In this embodiment, the rotation speed n2 of the blower 39 is set to 3500 rpm.

In addition, in the previous process, the control device 20 operates the blower 39 intermittently. For example, the control device 20 repeats a cycle of driving the blower 39 for 10 seconds and then stopping it for 50 seconds. This shortens the period during which the blower 39 is driven within a specified period, thereby reducing the noise generated by the washer-dryer 10.

The rotation speed m1 of the rotating tub motor 14 in the pre-process is set to a lower speed than the rotation speed m2 of the rotating tub motor 14 in the steam supply process and the steam drying process. The rotation speed m1 of the rotating tub motor 14 in the pre-process is a rotation speed at which the clothes in the rotating tub 13 are turned upside down and replaced with each other, but at which centrifugal force is not generated that is sufficient to spread the clothes over the entire rotating tub 13 against gravity. The rotation speed m1 of the rotating tub motor 14 can be set, for example, within the range of 15 rpm to 25 rpm. In this embodiment, the rotation speed m1 of the rotating tub motor 14 in the pre-process is set to 20 rpm.

The rotation speed m2 of the rotating tub motor 14 in the steam supply process and the steam drying process is set so that the clothes are spread over the entire rotating tub 13 but are not pressed against the side wall of the rotating tub 13 by centrifugal force. The rotation speed m2 of the rotating tub motor 14 in the steam supply process and the steam drying process can be set within a range of 30 rpm to 50 rpm, for example. In this embodiment, the rotation speed m2 of the rotating tub motor 14 in the steam supply process and the steam drying process is set to 42 rpm. In addition, in the steam supply process and the steam drying process, the control device 20 rotates the rotating tub motor 14 forward and backward in a cycle of, for example, 180 seconds. In this case, the rotating tub motor 14 rotates forward for 90 seconds and then reversely for 90 seconds, repeatedly. The cycle of forward and reverse rotation of the rotating tub motor 14 can be changed as appropriate.

In addition, in the previous process, the control device 20 intermittently operates the rotatable tub motor 14. For example, the control device 20 repeats a cycle of driving the rotatable tub motor 14 for 10 seconds and then stopping it for 50 seconds. This shortens the period during which the rotatable tub motor 14 is driven within a predetermined period, thereby reducing the noise generated by the washer-dryer 10. The control device 20 synchronizes the drive cycle of the blower 39 with the drive cycle of the rotatable tub motor 14. This lengthens the period during which neither the fan motor 391 of the blower 39 nor the rotatable tub motor 14 generates noise, thereby improving the quietness of the washer-dryer 10. The drive cycles of the blower 39 and the rotatable tub motor 14 can be changed as appropriate.

In addition, the control device 20 reverses the direction of rotation of the rotating tub motor 14 every cycle. This allows the clothes in the rotating tub 13 to be mixed evenly, preventing a situation in which only a portion of the clothes are constantly pressed against the wall of the rotating tub 13, making them more susceptible to wrinkles.

Furthermore, the supply air temperature in the second steam drying process is set to a temperature lower than the supply air temperature in the drying operation. For example, the supply air temperature in the second steam drying process is set to a temperature similar to the supply air temperature in the drying finishing process or a temperature lower than the supply air temperature in the drying finishing process. This prevents the clothes from being over-dried and reduces the re-occurrence of wrinkles.

In this case, the maximum supply air temperature t2 in the second steam drying process can be set to be equal to or lower than the maximum supply air temperature t1 in the drying finishing process. For example, the maximum supply air temperature t2 in the second steam drying process can be set within the range of, for example, 45°C to 65°C. In this embodiment, the maximum supply air temperature t1 in the second steam drying process is set to 55°C.

The first period T1 is set depending on the type of main operation. Figure 8 shows the first period T1 when the main operation is drying operation or washing and drying operation. Figure 9 shows the first period T1 when the main operation is washing operation. When the main operation is washing operation, the first period T1 can be set shorter than when the main operation is drying operation or washing and drying operation. For example, in this embodiment, when comparing the same weight of clothes and fabric type of clothes, when the main operation is drying operation or washing and drying operation, the first period T1 is set 5 minutes shorter than when the main operation is washing operation.

If the main operation is a washing operation, the clothes in the spin tub 13 will be wet after the main operation is completed. If the main operation is a drying operation or a washing and drying operation, the clothes in the spin tub 13 will be dry after the main operation is completed. If the clothes are wet, they will absorb water, so the total weight of the clothes and water will be heavy, making the clothes more likely to wrinkle. Therefore, when the main operation is a washing operation, by shortening the first period T1 compared to when the main operation is a drying operation or a washing and drying operation, it is possible to effectively prevent wrinkles from occurring in the clothes that have become wet and have a heavy total weight.

Furthermore, the first period T1, i.e., the period until the control device 20 executes the steam supply process, is set according to at least one of the weight of the clothes or the fabric type of the clothes. In this embodiment, the first period T1 is set according to both the weight of the clothes and the fabric type of the clothes, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 as an example.

In the case shown in FIG. 8, a drying operation or a washing and drying operation is performed as the main operation, and the clothes in the spin tub 13 are in a dry state after the main operation is completed. If the clothes are made of synthetic fabric, the first period T1 is set to shorten from 50 minutes to 20 minutes as the weight of the clothes increases from 2 kg to 12 kg. If the clothes are made of cotton fabric, the first period T1 is set to shorten from 40 minutes to 10 minutes as the weight of the clothes increases from 2 kg to 12 kg. The heavier the clothes, the more likely they are to wrinkle. Therefore, the heavier the clothes, the more likely they are to be wrinkled by supplying steam earlier after the main operation is completed.

In the case shown in FIG. 9, a washing operation is performed as the main operation, and the clothes in the spin tub 13 are wet after the main operation is completed. If the clothes are made of synthetic fabric, the first period T1 is set to shorten from 45 minutes to 15 minutes as the weight of the clothes increases from 2 kg to 12 kg. If the clothes are made of cotton fabric, the first period T1 is set to shorten from 35 minutes to 5 minutes as the weight of the clothes increases from 2 kg to 12 kg.

When comparing clothes made of synthetic fibers with clothes made of cotton, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, for clothes of the same weight, the first period T1 is set shorter for clothes made of cotton fibers than for clothes made of synthetic fibers. In this embodiment, the first period T1 is set 10 minutes shorter for clothes made of cotton fibers than for clothes made of synthetic fibers at each weight. Cotton-based clothes tend to wrinkle more easily than synthetic clothes. Therefore, when clothes made of cotton fibers are used, the occurrence of wrinkles can be effectively suppressed by supplying steam early after the end of this operation.

The second period T2 and the fourth period T4, which are the periods of the steam supply process, can be set to be shorter than the first period T1. The periods of the steam supply process may also be changed between the second period T2 and the fourth period T4. In this case, the period of the steam supply process is set to be longer the smaller the number of times the steam supply process is performed. For example, the second period T2, during which at least the first steam supply process is performed, is set to be longer than the fourth period T4, during which a predetermined number of or subsequent steam supply processes are performed. In this embodiment, the second period T2, during which the first steam supply process is performed, is set to be longer than the fourth period T4, during which the second or subsequent steam supply processes are performed.

Shortly after the special operation has started, the steam supply process and steam drying process have not yet been performed or have only been repeated a small number of times. As a result, the clothes may have many wrinkles. Also, if this operation includes a drying process, the temperature of the clothes may be higher than room temperature shortly after the special operation has started, and there is a risk that the steam introduced may evaporate before it can fully penetrate the clothes. On the other hand, if the steam supply process and steam drying process are repeated, wrinkles in the clothes will be removed or reduced by the number of times they are repeated. Therefore, by making the fourth period T4 shorter than the second period T2 and shortening the period of the steam supply process if the number of times the steam supply process is performed increases, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed and the operation time can also be shortened.

For example, the second period T2, which is the period during which the first steam supply process is performed, can be set within a range of 5 to 15 minutes. In this embodiment, the second period T2 is set to 10 minutes. For example, the fourth period T4, which is the period during which the second or subsequent steam supply processes are performed, can be set within a range of 3 to 10 minutes. In this embodiment, the fourth period T4 is set to 5 minutes.

The third period T3 can be set to be shorter than the first period T1. The third period T3 can also be set to be shorter than the second period T2. The third period T3 can be set, for example, within the range of 3 to 10 minutes. In this embodiment, the third period T3 is set to 5 minutes.

In this embodiment, the third period T3 is set uniformly regardless of the weight of the clothes, the fabric of the clothes, or the type of this operation, but in other embodiments, the third period T3 may be set according to the weight of the clothes, the fabric of the clothes, or the type of this operation. In this case, the more difficult it is for the steam that has penetrated the clothes to evaporate, the longer the third period T3 can be set. For example, the third period T3 may be set to be longer the heavier the clothes are. Also, the third period T3 may be set to be longer for clothes made of cotton fabric than for clothes made of synthetic fibers. On the other hand, if this operation does not include a drying process, that is, if the clothes are wet after this operation is completed, there is not much point in evaporating steam in the steam drying process, so the third period T3 may be set shorter than when this operation includes a drying process.

The fifth period T5 can be set longer than the second period T2 or the fourth period T4 and the third period T3. The fifth period T5 can be set, for example, within the range of 15 to 25 minutes. In this embodiment, the fifth period T5 is set to 20 minutes.

In this embodiment, the fifth period T5 is set uniformly regardless of the weight of the clothes, the fabric of the clothes, or the type of this operation, but in other embodiments, the fifth period T5 may be set according to the weight of the clothes, the fabric of the clothes, or the type of this operation. In this case, the fifth period T5 can be set longer as the steam that has penetrated the clothes is less likely to evaporate. For example, the fifth period T5 may be set to be longer as the weight of the clothes increases. Also, the fifth period T5 may be set to be longer for clothes made of cotton fabric than for clothes made of synthetic fibers. On the other hand, if this operation does not include a drying process, that is, if the clothes are wet after this operation is completed, there is not much point in evaporating steam in the steam drying process, so the fifth period T5 may be set shorter than when this operation includes a drying process.

After the operation is completed, the control device 20 executes a determination process to determine whether clothes have been removed from the rotating tub 13. If it is not determined that clothes have been removed, the control device 20 executes the pre-process, the steam supply process, and the first and second steam drying processes in sequence. In this embodiment, the control device 20 can determine whether clothes have been removed based on, for example, whether the door opening/closing detection unit 63 detects that the door 15 has been opened. In another embodiment, the control device 20 may determine whether clothes have been removed from the rotating tub 13 based on the weight detected by the weight detection unit 61. In yet another embodiment, the control device 20 may determine whether clothes have been removed from the rotating tub 13 based on the user's operation on the operation panel 19 or information transmitted from an information terminal (not shown).

In this case, the control device 20 may determine that clothes have been removed when the door open/close detection unit 63 detects that the door 15 has been kept open for a predetermined period of time or more. In this case, the predetermined period can be set within the range of 1 to 5 seconds, for example. The predetermined period can be set to 2 seconds, for example. As a result, if the user accidentally opens the door 15 after the main operation has ended but wishes to continue the special operation, the user can close the door 15 before the predetermined period has elapsed, and it will not be determined that clothes have been removed, and the special operation will continue.

Next, the control of the main operation and special operation by the control device 20 will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 14. At the start of Figure 11, the power of the washer/dryer 10 is ON, and a main operation selected from the washing operation, drying operation, or washing/drying operation, for example, the washing/drying operation in this case, is set. Also, it is assumed that the wrinkle removal course has been selected by the user.

When operation is started (START) by user operation or by execution of a scheduled operation, etc., the control device 20 detects the weight in the rotating tub 13 by the weight detection unit 61 in step S11. Then, in step S12, the control device 20 executes the main operation according to the information set in advance, such as the weight detected by the weight detection unit 61 and the user's operation on the operation panel 19. When the main operation ends, in step S13, the control device 20 sets the first period T1, second period T2, third period T3, fourth period T4, fifth period T5, etc. in accordance with the conditions shown in Figures 8, 9, etc. Then, the special operation is started.

In step S14, the control device 20 executes the pre-process start process shown in FIG. 12. As the pre-process start process, the control device 20 intermittently drives the blower 39 at a rotation speed n1 in step S31. This allows air to enter the clothes, making them less likely to wrinkle. In step S32, the control device 20 intermittently drives the rotatable tub motor 14 at a rotation speed m1. This gently agitates the clothes, preventing only a portion of the clothes from always being pressed against the wall of the rotatable tub 13.

In addition, in step S33, the control device 20 closes the opening/closing device 37. This prevents air from being discharged from the exhaust port 36. In this case, the process of closing the opening/closing device 37 includes both a process of closing the opening/closing device 37 from an open state and a process of maintaining the opening/closing device 37 in a closed state. The control device 20 then ends the pre-process start process (return) and proceeds to step S15 in FIG. 11.

In step S15, the control device 20 executes a judgment process. If it is determined that clothes have been removed (Yes in step S16), the control device 20 advances the process to step S17. In step S17, the control device 20 turns off the power of the washer/dryer 10 and ends all operations.

If it is determined that no clothes have been removed (No in step S16), the control device 20 advances the process to step S18. In step S18, the control device 20 determines whether or not the first period T1 has elapsed since the end of this operation. If the first period T1 has not elapsed (No in step S18), the control device 20 returns the process to step S14. If the first period T1 has elapsed (Yes in step S18), the control device 20 advances the process to step S19. Note that steps S14 to S18 are included in the previous process.

In step S19, the control device 20 executes the first wrinkle removing process shown in FIG. 13. The first wrinkle removing process includes a steam supply process and a first steam drying process. In step S41, the control device 20 drives the steam generator 50. This causes steam to be supplied from the steam generator 50 into the rotating tub 13. In step S42, the control device 20 drives the blower 39 at a rotation speed n2. This causes air containing steam to circulate between the circulation air duct 30 and the drying chamber including the rotating tub 13, and the steam penetrates the clothes. In step S43, the control device 20 drives the rotating tub motor 14 at a rotation speed m2. This agitates the clothes, making it easier for the steam to penetrate the entire clothes.

In step S44, the control device 20 determines whether or not the second period T2 has elapsed since the steam generating device 50 was driven. If the second period T2 has not elapsed (No in step S44), the control device 20 repeats the process of step S44. If the second period T2 has elapsed (Yes in step S44), the control device 20 advances the process to step S45. Note that steps S41 to S44 are included in the steam supply process.

In step S45, the control device 20 stops the steam generating device 50. This stops the supply of steam to the rotating tub 13. In step S46, the control device 20 opens the opening/closing device 37. This allows steam that has not penetrated the clothes and steam that has evaporated from the clothes to be exhausted from the exhaust port 36 to the outside of the housing 11.

In step S47, the control device 20 determines whether or not the third period T3 has elapsed since the steam generating device 50 was stopped. If the third period T3 has not elapsed (No in step S47), the control device 20 repeats the process of step S47. If the third period T3 has elapsed (Yes in step S47), the control device 20 ends the first wrinkle removal process (returns) and advances the process to step S20 in FIG. 11. Note that steps S45 to S47 are included in the first steam drying process.

In step S20, the control device 20 executes a pre-process start process. In step S21, the control device 20 executes a determination process. If it is determined that clothing is to be removed (Yes in step S22), the control device 20 advances the process to step S17.

If it is determined that no clothes have been removed (No in step S22), the control device 20 advances the process to step S23. In step S23, the control device 20 determines whether or not the first period T1 has elapsed after executing the previous process start process. If the first period T1 has not elapsed (No in step S23), the control device 20 returns the process to step S20. If the first period T1 has elapsed (Yes in step S23), the control device 20 advances the process to step S24. Note that steps S20 to S23 are included in the previous process.

In step S24, the control device 20 executes the second wrinkle removal process shown in FIG. 14. The second wrinkle removal process includes a steam supply process and a second steam drying process. In step S51, the control device 20 drives the steam generator 50. This causes steam to be supplied from the steam generator 50 into the rotating tub 13. In step S52, the control device 20 drives the blower 39 at a rotation speed n2. This causes air containing steam to circulate between the circulation air passage 30 and the drying chamber including the rotating tub 13, and the steam penetrates the clothes. In step S53, the control device 20 drives the rotating tub motor 14 at a rotation speed m2. This causes the clothes to be agitated, making it easier for the steam to penetrate the entire clothes. In step S54, the control device 20 closes the opening and closing device 37. This prevents the steam supplied from the steam generator 50 from being discharged from the exhaust port 36 to the outside of the housing 11 without penetrating the clothes.

In step S55, the control device 20 determines whether or not the fourth period T4 has elapsed since the steam generating device 50 was driven. If the fourth period T4 has not elapsed (No in step S55), the control device 20 repeats the process of step S55. If the fourth period T4 has elapsed (Yes in step S55), the control device 20 advances the process to step S56. Note that steps S51 to S55 are included in the steam supply process.

In step S56, the control device 20 stops the steam generating device 50. This stops the supply of steam to the rotating tub 13. In step S57, the control device 20 drives the compressor 43. This causes the air passing through the circulating air duct 30 to be dehumidified and heated in the heat exchanger 34.

In step S58, the control device 20 determines whether the clothes have reached a predetermined level of dryness. In this case, for example, it may be determined that the clothes have reached a predetermined level of dryness when a sixth period T6 has elapsed since the steam generating device 50 was stopped. The sixth period T6 is the period during which the opening/closing device 37 is closed within the fifth period T5, which is the operating period of the second steam drying process. In this case, the sixth period T6 can be set, for example, within the range of 1/3 to 4/5 of the fourth period T4. The sixth period T6 can be set, for example, to 10 minutes.

In another embodiment, it may be determined that the clothes have reached a predetermined level of dryness when the detection result of an exhaust temperature sensor (not shown) reaches a predetermined temperature. In this case, the exhaust temperature sensor detects the temperature of air exhausted from the water tub 12 and rotating tub 13, which are drying chambers, and passing through the exhaust duct 31. In yet another embodiment, it may be determined that the clothes have reached a predetermined level of dryness when the detection result of a humidity sensor drops to a predetermined humidity level. In this case, the humidity sensor may be provided near the air outlet 21 of the exhaust duct 31.

If it is determined that the clothes have not reached the predetermined level of dryness (No in step S58), the control device 20 repeats the process of step S58. If it is determined that the clothes have reached the predetermined level of dryness (Yes in step S58), in step S59, the control device 20 opens the opening/closing device 37. This allows the steam that has evaporated from the clothes to be exhausted from the exhaust port 36 to the outside of the housing 11.

In step S60, the control device 20 determines whether or not a fifth period T5 has elapsed since the steam generating device 50 was stopped. If the fifth period T5 has not elapsed (No in step S60), the control device 20 repeats the process of step S60. If the fifth period T5 has elapsed (Yes in step S60), the control device 20 advances the process to step S61.

In step S61, the control device 20 stops the compressor 43. The control device 20 ends the second wrinkle removal process (returns) and proceeds to step S21 in FIG. 11. Note that steps S56 to S61 are included in the second steam drying process.

In this way, the control device 20 repeats the pre-process, steam supply process, and steam drying process in the order of the first period T1, the second period T2, the third period T3, the first period T1, the fourth period T4, the fifth period T5, and then the first period T1 again, to execute the special operation. The special operation is executed until the clothes are removed, and the occurrence of wrinkles is suppressed and any wrinkles that do occur can be reduced before the clothes are removed from the rotating tub 13.

According to the present embodiment described above, the washer-dryer 10 as a clothes dryer includes a housing 11, a water tub 12, a rotating tub 13, a rotating tub motor 14 as a drive unit, a control device 20, and a steam generator 50. The housing 11 has an opening 111 on the front. The water tub 12 is provided inside the housing 11. The rotating tub 13 is provided rotatably inside the water tub 12 and forms a drying chamber together with the water tub 12. The rotating tub motor 14 rotates the rotating tub 13. The control device 20 is configured to be able to perform at least one of a washing operation for washing clothes, a drying operation for drying clothes, and a washing and drying operation including the washing operation and the drying operation as the main operation. The steam generator 50 generates steam to be supplied to the inside of the rotating tub 13. The control device 20 executes a determination process for determining whether or not clothes have been removed from the rotating tub 13 after the main operation is completed. If the control device 20 determines that no clothes have been removed as a result of the determination process within a predetermined period of time (in this case, the first period T1) after the end of this operation, it executes a steam supply process in which the steam generator 50 supplies steam to the rotating tub 13.

According to this, if the user does not immediately remove the clothes from the washer/dryer 10 after the washing operation, drying operation, or washing/drying operation is completed, steam can be allowed to penetrate the clothes to prevent wrinkling or reduce existing wrinkles. Therefore, even if the clothes are not removed immediately after the operation is completed, wrinkling of the clothes can be prevented, improving user convenience.

The washer/dryer 10 also includes a door 15 and a door open/close detector 63 as a detector. The door 15 opens and closes the opening 111. The door open/close detector 63 is configured to be able to detect the opening and closing of the door 15. In the determination process, the control device 20 determines that clothes have been removed if the door open/close detector 63 detects that the door 15 has been opened, and determines that clothes have not been removed if the door open/close detector 63 does not detect that the door 15 has been opened.

In order to remove clothes from the washer/dryer 10, the door 15 must be opened. Therefore, by determining whether or not clothes need to be removed based on whether or not the door 15 is open or closed, the control device 20 can determine whether or not it is necessary to perform the wrinkle removal process, which includes the steam supply process and the steam drying process. This eliminates the need for the user to perform additional operations on the operation panel 19, etc., further improving user convenience.

Furthermore, if the control device 20 does not determine that the clothes are removed before the first period T1, which is a further predetermined period, has elapsed after the steam supply process is executed, the control device 20 executes the steam supply process.

According to this, after the main operation is completed, steam is periodically supplied into the rotating tub 13. Therefore, even if clothes are stored in the rotating tub 13 for a long period of time after the main operation is completed, the occurrence of wrinkles can be periodically suppressed and any wrinkles that do occur can be reduced until the clothes are removed. Therefore, whenever the user removes the clothes from the washer/dryer 10, the clothes are prevented from becoming wrinkled, further improving user convenience.

Furthermore, the first period T1, which is a predetermined period, is set to a different value depending on the weight of the clothes in the rotating tub 13. In this case, the heavier the clothes are, the shorter the first period T1 is set.

According to this, the waiting time until the steam supply process is changed depending on whether the weight of the clothes is heavy and wrinkles are likely to occur due to their own weight, or whether the weight of the clothes is light and wrinkles are unlikely to occur. Therefore, when wrinkles are likely to occur, the cycle can be shortened to increase the frequency of the steam supply process, making it possible to more effectively prevent wrinkles from occurring. On the other hand, when wrinkles are unlikely to occur, the cycle can be lengthened to prevent excessive power consumption.

The first period T1, which is a predetermined period, is set to a different value depending on whether the main operation is a washing operation, a drying operation, or a washing and drying operation. In other words, the first period T1 is set to a different value depending on whether the clothes are wet or dry after the main operation is completed. In this case, when the clothes are wet after the main operation is completed, the first period T1 is set to be shorter than when the clothes are dry.

According to this, the waiting time until the steam supply step is changed depending on whether the clothes are in a wet state, where the total weight of the clothes increases due to water absorption and wrinkles are more likely to occur due to their own weight, or in a dry state, where the total weight of the clothes is lighter due to the evaporation of water. Therefore, when wrinkles are likely to form, the cycle can be shortened to increase the frequency of the steam supply step, making it possible to more effectively prevent wrinkles from forming. On the other hand, when wrinkles are less likely to form, the cycle can be lengthened to prevent excessive power consumption.

Furthermore, the first period T1, which is a predetermined period, is set to a different value depending on the fabric quality of the clothes in the rotating tub 13. In this case, the first period T1 is set to be shorter for clothes made of cotton fabric than for clothes made of synthetic fibers.

This allows the waiting time until the steam supply process to be changed for cotton clothing, which absorbs water easily and is prone to wrinkling under its own weight, and synthetic clothing, which absorbs water less easily than cotton clothing. Therefore, when clothing is prone to wrinkling, the cycle can be shortened to increase the frequency of the steam supply process, making it possible to more effectively prevent wrinkling. On the other hand, when wrinkles are less likely to form, the cycle can be lengthened to prevent excessive power consumption.

The washer-dryer 10 further includes a circulation air duct 30 and a blower 39. The circulation air duct 30 is provided inside the housing 11 and is connected to the water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13, which are drying chambers, and has the function of passing air inside. The blower 39 is provided in the circulation air duct 30 and has the function of blowing air into the water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13. The control device 20 drives the blower 39 to supply air to the water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13 during a first period T1, which is a predetermined period after the end of the main operation or the end of the steam supply process, while driving the rotating tub motor 14 to perform a pre-process of rotating the rotating tub 13.

According to this, the control device 20 can agitate and loosen the clothes while blowing air onto them during the waiting period until the wrinkle removing process starts again after the main operation is completed or after the wrinkle removing process, which includes the steam supply process and the steam drying process, is completed. This can prevent some of the clothes from being constantly pressed against the wall of the rotating tub 13 during the waiting period until the wrinkle removing process, which could cause wrinkles. This further improves user convenience. During the waiting period, i.e., the first period T1, the user can open the door 15 at any time and remove the clothes from the rotating tub 13.

The washer-dryer 10 further includes an exhaust port 36 and an opening/closing device 37. The exhaust port 36 is provided in the circulating air passage 30 and has a function of discharging air to the outside of the circulating air passage 30, i.e., to the outside of the housing 11. The opening/closing device 37 has a function of opening and closing the exhaust port 36. After the steam supply step is completed, the control device 20 executes a first steam drying step in which the opening/closing device 37 is opened and the blower 39 is driven to supply air to the water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13, which are the drying chambers, while the rotating tub motor 14 is driven to rotate the rotating tub 13.

This promotes the evaporation of the steam that has penetrated the clothes during the steam supply process, and also promotes the discharge of the steam outside the washer/dryer 10. This improves the quality of the clothes after the wrinkle removal process. In addition, if the clothes are excessively heated by the steam during the steam supply process, the first steam drying process is expected to have the effect of cooling the clothes.

The washer/dryer 10 further includes a heat pump unit 40 as a heating device. The heat pump unit 40 is provided in the air circulation duct 30 and has the function of heating the air. After the steam supply step is completed, the control device 20 executes a second steam drying step in which the control device 20 drives the compressor 43 and the blower 39 of the heat pump unit 40 to supply air heated by the heat pump unit 40 into the water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13 while driving the rotating tub motor 14 to rotate the rotating tub 13.

This allows the evaporation of the steam that has penetrated the clothes during the steam supply process to be further promoted by the air heated and dried by the heat pump unit 40. Therefore, even if a large amount of steam is supplied to the clothes and the clothes become damper than a certain level, the clothes will be sufficiently dry after the second steam drying process, and the desired finish can be achieved. In particular, when the steam supply process has been performed multiple times, a relatively large amount of steam has been supplied to the clothes, so it is desirable to perform the second steam drying process to dry them.

Other Embodiments
In the above embodiment, the steam generator 50 is provided at the front end of the upper portion of the washer-dryer 10 above the water tub 12, and configured to blow steam onto the clothes in the rotating tub 13 from the upper front through the openings 121 and 131, but this is not limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, the steam generator 50 may be disposed behind the rotating tub end plate 132 and the water tub end plate 122, and configured to blow steam into the circulating air duct 30, in this case the air supply duct 35. In this case, the direction in which the steam is blown coincides with the direction in which air is blown by the blower 39, so that the steam can easily penetrate into the clothes in the rotating tub 13.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This new embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

10... washer-dryer (clothes dryer), 11... housing, 12... water tub (drying chamber), 13... rotating tub (drying chamber), 14... rotating tub motor (drive unit), 15... door, 20... control device, 30... circulating air passage, 36... exhaust port, 37... opening/closing device, 39... blower, 40... heat pump unit (heating device), 50... steam generator, 61... weight detection unit, 62... fabric quality detection unit, 63... door opening/closing detection unit

Claims (7)

A housing having an opening on a front surface;
A water tank provided inside the housing;
a rotating tank rotatably provided inside the water tank and constituting a drying chamber together with the water tank;
A drive unit that rotates the rotating tub;
A control device that executes at least one of a washing operation for washing clothes, a drying operation for drying clothes, and a washing and drying operation including the washing operation and the drying operation as a main operation;
a steam generator for generating steam to be supplied to the inside of the rotating tub;
a circulation air duct provided in the housing and connected to the drying chamber for passing air therethrough;
a blower provided in the circulating air duct to blow the air into the drying chamber ,
the control device executes a pre-process of driving the blower to supply the air to the drying chamber while driving the drive unit to rotate the rotating tub for a predetermined period after the end of the main operation, executes a determination process of determining whether or not clothes have been removed from the rotating tub during the predetermined period , and if it is not determined as a result of the determination process that clothes have been removed, executes a steam supply process of supplying steam to the rotating tub by the steam generating device ,
The previous step is executed again during a period after the execution of the steam supply step, and if it is determined that no clothes are removed during the predetermined period as a result of the determination process, the steam supply step is executed again.
Washer/ dryer. A door for opening and closing the opening;
A detection unit capable of detecting opening and closing of the door,
The washer-dryer according to claim 1 , wherein, in the determination process, the control device determines that clothes have been removed if the detection unit detects that the door is open, and determines that clothes have not been removed if the detection unit does not detect that the door is open. The washer/ dryer according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the predetermined period is set to a different value depending on a weight of the clothes in the spin tub. The washer/ dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined period is set to a different value depending on whether the main operation is the washing operation, the drying operation, or the washing /drying operation. The washer/ dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined period is set to a different value depending on a fabric quality of the clothes in the spin tub. an exhaust port provided in the air circulation duct to exhaust the air to the outside of the air circulation duct;
an opening/closing device for opening and closing the exhaust port,
6. The washer-dryer according to claim 1, wherein the control device, after the steam supplying step is completed and before the previous step is performed , executes a first steam drying step in which the opening/ closing device is opened and the blower is driven to supply the air to the drying chamber while the drive unit is driven to rotate the rotating tub. a heating device provided in the circulating air duct for heating the air,
6. The washer-dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device executes a second steam drying process , after the steam supplying process is completed and before the previous process is executed, in which the control device drives the heating device and the blower to supply the air heated by the heating device into the drying chamber while driving the drive unit to rotate the rotating tub.

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