Laundry apparatus

Abstract

A laundry apparatus according to the present invention is capable of stably regulating a laundry drying temperature without reduction in the service life of a valve which regulates the amount of steam to be supplied to heating unit. In the laundry apparatus, a first steam supply passage ( 24 a ) having a relatively great passage diameter and a second steam supply passage ( 24 b ) having a relatively small passage diameter are provided independently of each other. Thus, a relatively great amount of steam is supplied from the first steam supply passage ( 24 a ) to a drying heater ( 13 ) with a first valve (V 27 ) being opened, and a relatively small amount of steam is supplied to the drying heater ( 13 ) with a second valve (V 28 ) being opened. By selectively using the first valve (V 27 ) and the second valve (V 28 ), the opening/closing frequencies of these valves are reduced. This makes it possible to stably regulate the laundry drying temperature while preventing reduction in the service lives of these valves.

1 . A laundry apparatus comprising:
 a laundry containing tub having an inlet and configured to contain laundry;   an air flow passage connected to the inlet of the laundry containing tub to allow air to flow into the laundry containing tub from the inlet;   heating unit which heats the air in the air flow passage by steam;   a first steam supply passage having a greater passage diameter for supplying the steam to the heating unit;   a second steam supply passage provided separately from the first steam supply passage and having a smaller passage diameter for supplying the steam to the heating unit;   a first supply valve provided in the first steam supply passage to be opened and closed for permitting and preventing the supply of the steam to the heating unit; and   a second supply valve provided in the second steam supply passage to be opened and closed for permitting and preventing the supply of the steam to the heating unit.   
   
   
       2 . The laundry apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the laundry containing tub has an outlet,   wherein the air flow passage includes a circulation duct connected to the outlet of the laundry containing tub and configured to allow the air flowing into the laundry containing tub through the inlet to flow out through the outlet to circulate the air in the laundry containing tub.   
   
   
       3 . The laundry apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising controller which opens and closes the first supply valve and the second supply valve individually or simultaneously,
 wherein the controller is configured to first open the second supply valve and then the first supply valve when the heating of the air is started.   
   
   
       4 . The laundry apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a temperature sensor for detecting an air temperature at the outlet,
 wherein the controller is configured to close the first supply valve when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds a target temperature, close the second supply valve when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is further increased to an upper limit temperature which is higher by a predetermined degree than the target temperature, and open only the second supply valve when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is reduced to a lower limit temperature which is lower by a predetermined degree than the target temperature.