JP6290492B1 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that smoothly cleans dirt adhering to an indoor heat exchanger. The present invention comprises a cleaning means for cleaning an indoor heat exchanger and a control means for controlling the cleaning means, wherein the control means cleans the indoor heat exchanger by the cleaning means. When the heating operation is over, the indoor heat exchanger is cleaned by the cleaning means after a predetermined first delay time has elapsed since the heating operation was stopped. [Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

  The heat exchanger (indoor heat exchanger) of the indoor unit installed inside the air conditioner accumulates dust, microorganisms, etc. (hereinafter referred to as dust) that have passed through the dust removal filter in the indoor heat exchanger. It has a problem of producing a bad odor. Moreover, the efficiency of a heat exchanger also falls and there exists a problem that energy-saving property worsens. There are a plurality of non-removable pipes inside the indoor heat exchanger, and it is difficult to remove and clean the indoor heat exchanger from the indoor unit.

  As techniques for cleaning an indoor heat exchanger without removing it from the indoor unit, for example, the following techniques are known. That is, Patent Document 1 states that “after the heating operation, the cooling operation is performed as a moisture applying means for attaching water to the fin surface, and the heat exchanger during the heating operation is automatically set by applying moisture on the fin surface. Always keep it clean. "

Japanese Patent No. 4931666 JP2016-200348

  However, since the technique described in Patent Document 1 starts cleaning the indoor heat exchanger without considering the presence of the user in the room, the cold air leaking from the cleaning gives the user an uncomfortable feeling or the refrigerant cycle. There is a problem that abnormal noise due to sudden reverse rotation of the user gives distrust to the user.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the air conditioner which wash | cleans the dirt adhering to an indoor heat exchanger smoothly.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes a cleaning means for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger, and a control means for controlling the washing means, the control means, after completion of the heating operation, by said cleaning means when cleaning the indoor heat exchanger, after the completion of the heating operation, after the first delay time from the stop of the heating operation of the predetermined has elapsed, perform the cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by said cleaning means When the indoor heat exchanger is cleaned by the cleaning unit after the cooling, dehumidifying, or blowing operation is finished, the cleaning unit performs the cleaning after the second delay time shorter than the first delay time has elapsed. The indoor heat exchanger is cleaned .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the air conditioner which wash | cleans the dirt which adhered to the indoor heat exchanger smoothly can be provided.

It is a front view of the indoor unit with which the air conditioner which concerns on embodiment of this invention is equipped, an outdoor unit, and a remote control. It is the II sectional view taken on the line shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram of the apparatus with which the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on embodiment of this invention is provided. It is a typical perspective view of an indoor heat exchanger with which an air harmony machine concerning an embodiment of the present invention is provided. It is an image waveform of the differential analysis result of the image which imaged the indoor heat exchanger with which the air conditioner which concerns on embodiment of this invention is provided. Correlation of the capacitance between the room when required until the variation of the room temperature reaches the reference value, and is a graph showing the correction value. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the main microcomputer with which the air conditioner which concerns on embodiment of this invention is provided.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an indoor unit 100, an outdoor unit 20, and a remote controller Re included in the air conditioner S according to the first embodiment.
The indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 are connected by a refrigerant pipe (not shown) and air-condition the room in which the indoor unit 100 is installed by a refrigerant cycle. The indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 transmit and receive information to and from each other via a communication cable (not shown).

  Although not shown, the outdoor unit 200 includes a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, and an expansion valve. In the refrigerant circuit in which the compressor, the four-way valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the indoor heat exchanger 102 (see FIG. 2) are sequentially connected in an annular manner, the refrigerant is circulated in a heat pump cycle. Yes.

  The remote controller Re is operated by a user and transmits an infrared signal to the remote controller transmission / reception unit Q of the indoor unit 100. The content of the signal is a command such as an operation request, a change in set temperature, a timer value setting, an operation mode change, or a stop request. The air conditioner S performs air conditioning operations such as a cooling mode, a heating mode, and a dehumidifying mode based on these signals. In addition, information such as room temperature information, humidity information, and electricity bill information is transmitted from the remote control transmission / reception unit Q of the indoor unit 100 to the remote control Re to notify the user of these information.

  An imaging unit 110 </ b> A and a visible light cut filter unit 117 </ b> A for acquiring indoor image information are installed at the lower part of the front surface of the indoor unit 100. The installation positions of the imaging unit 110A and the visible light cut filter unit 117A can be changed according to the purpose of acquiring image information described later, and are not limited to the positions shown in FIG. The reason why the visible light cut filter portion 117A is provided in this embodiment will be described later.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II of the indoor unit 100 in FIG.
The housing base 101 houses internal structures such as the indoor heat exchanger 102, the blower fan 103, and the filter 108. The filter 108 is installed on the air suction side of the indoor heat exchanger 102.

  The indoor heat exchanger 102 has a plurality of heat transfer tubes 102a. The air taken into the indoor unit 100 by the blower fan 103 is exchanged with the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tubes 102a, and the air is heated or cooled. Is configured to do. The heat transfer tube 102a communicates with the refrigerant pipe (not shown) and constitutes a part of a known refrigerant cycle (not shown).

  When the blower fan 103 shown in FIG. 2 rotates, the room air is taken in through the air suction port 107 and the filter 108, and the heat exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger 102 is guided to the blowout air passage 109a. Furthermore, the air direction of the air guided to the blowout air passage 109a is adjusted by the left and right airflow direction plates 104 and the vertical airflow direction plate 105, and the air is blown from the air blowing port 109b to air-condition the room.

The left and right wind direction plates 104 are in accordance with instructions from a main microcomputer 130 (control means: see FIG. 3), which will be described later. It is rotated by.
The vertical airflow direction plate 105 is rotated by a vertical airflow direction plate motor (not shown) around a rotation shaft (not shown) provided at both ends in accordance with an instruction from the main microcomputer 130 described later. Thereby, it is possible to blow the conditioned air to a predetermined position in the room.

  An imaging unit 110 </ b> A and a visible light cut filter unit 117 </ b> A are provided below the front panel 106 that is installed so as to cover the front surface of the indoor unit 100. The imaging means 110A is installed so as to face downward by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction from the installation position of the imaging means 110A, and can appropriately capture the room in which the indoor unit 100 is installed. However, the detailed mounting position and angle of the imaging unit 110A may be set according to the specification and application of the air conditioner S, and the configuration is not limited.

  The configuration of the air conditioner S shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is merely an example according to the present embodiment, and it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the air conditioner S.
The main microcomputer 130 shown in FIG. 3 controls the load driving unit 150 based on the environment information detected by the environment detection unit 160 and the operation instruction received by the remote control transmission / reception unit Q (see FIG. 1). Each device provided in the outdoor unit 200 is controlled.

As shown in FIG. 3, the imaging unit 110 </ b> A includes an optical lens 111 </ b> A that adjusts the imaging range and focus, an imaging device 112 </ b> A that converts room light incident from the optical lens 111 </ b> A into an electrical signal, and a signal from the imaging device 112 </ b> A. An A / D converter 113A that converts the image information into image information and a digital signal processing unit 114A that corrects the luminance and color tone of the image information.
The imaging unit 110B is configured similarly to the imaging unit 110A.

Various kinds of image processing are performed by the image detection unit 122 on the indoor image information acquired by the imaging unit 110A. The image detection unit 122 can be configured to include an image detection unit that performs various image detections, such as a dust detection unit 122a that detects the presence or absence of dust.
At this time, each image detection unit may be configured to perform image detection from the same image information acquired by the imaging unit 110A, and an imaging parameter suitable for each image detection is set to the digital signal processing unit of the imaging unit 110A. The image may be detected using a dedicated captured image that is transmitted to 114A and imaged according to the imaging parameter.

A detection result such as the user's position information detected by the image detection unit 122 and an operation command based on the detection result are notified to the arithmetic processing unit 132.
The arithmetic processing unit 132 performs overall control of the control block of the air conditioner, controls the drive control unit 133 in accordance with the operation setting based on the air conditioning operation setting and the detection result, and performs air conditioning operation. The imaging unit 110 </ b> A performs an imaging operation according to an operation command of an imaging request signal from the arithmetic processing unit 132.

The drive control unit 133 notifies the load drive unit 150 of a drive signal and issues a drive instruction.
The load driving unit 150 is installed in a refrigerant cycle (not shown), an indoor fan motor (not shown) provided in the indoor unit 100, a compressor motor (not shown) provided in the outdoor unit 200, and the up-and-down wind direction plate 105. The motors for the up / down air direction plates (not shown) and the left / right air direction plate motors (not shown) installed on the left / right air direction plates 104 are individually driven. The load driving unit 150 may be configured to further drive the filter driving unit 116 that rotates the imaging unit 110A, the near-infrared projector 115, or the visible light cut filter unit 117A.

  The storage units 121 and 131 include a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. Then, the program stored in the ROM is read out by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) in the arithmetic processing unit 132 of the main microcomputer 130, loaded into the RAM, and executed.

  As the environment detection means 160, it is good also as a structure which equips the air conditioner S main body with various sensors, such as the temperature sensor by a thermopile, the activity amount detection sensor using a Fresnel lens and an infrared sensor.

  With the above configuration, the main microcomputer 130 operates the air conditioner S according to image information input from the imaging unit 110A, command signals input from the remote controller Re, sensor outputs input from various sensors, and the like. Through comprehensive control, detailed operation control is possible.

  The detection result obtained by the image processing of the image detection unit 122 includes only information such as the position and activity amount of the user, information such as distance information, and does not include image information that can be captured by human eyes. good. Thereby, reduction of the data amount hold | maintained at the memory | storage means 121,131 is realizable. Further, since the image information cannot be taken out of the main microcomputer 130, privacy protection for the user in the air-conditioned room can be realized.

  The indoor unit 100 has an automatic cleaning operation function as a cleaning unit of the indoor heat exchanger 102. The control means of the automatic cleaning operation (hereinafter referred to as automatic cleaning operation) of the indoor heat exchanger 102 will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the automatic washing operation, the indoor heat exchanger 102 is cooled, moisture in the surrounding air is attached to the indoor heat exchanger 102, and the indoor heat exchanger 102 is washed with the moisture.
In order to attach moisture to the indoor heat exchanger 102, the main microcomputer 130 can set the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the automatic cleaning operation to be lower than the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the dehumidification operation. When a higher cleaning ability is required, the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant can be set below the freezing point.

The amount of dirt adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 102 varies depending on the usage time of the air conditioner S, the operation mode used, the amount of dust in the indoor air, and the like.
Therefore, the main microcomputer 130 determines the accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning stored in the storage unit 131, the number of operations since the previous cleaning stored in the storage unit 131, or the time since the installation of the air conditioner S. When the time reaches a predetermined value, the automatic cleaning operation is executed. This makes it possible to perform an automatic cleaning operation when necessary, and to suppress dust accumulation and dirt sticking. In addition, the number of executions can be reduced and energy saving can be achieved as compared with the case where the automatic cleaning operation is executed every time the air-conditioning operation is stopped.

Acquisition of the operation integration time in each operation mode is performed as follows. That is, the main microcomputer 130 stores the time information managed by the time management unit 134 in the storage unit 131, reads this from the storage unit 131 periodically or when an event occurs, and the time information and the current time in the previous automatic cleaning operation The accumulated operation time of each operation mode is acquired by taking the difference of the time information.
As for the number of times of driving, the same processing as described above is performed on the driving information managed by the driving information management unit 135.
Regarding the acquisition of the elapsed time since the installation of the air conditioner, the same processing as described above is performed on the installation time information managed by the time management unit 134.
The time management unit 134 may grasp calendar information including a date in addition to the time information.

The following exists as time information setting means. That is, the user inputs time information to the remote controller Re (FIG. 1), transmits the input time information as a remote control signal from the remote controller Re (FIG. 1) to the remote control receiver of the indoor unit 100, and sends the time information to the main microcomputer 130. Can be set. The user can also set time information in the main microcomputer 130 by transmitting time information from the information terminal to the indoor unit 100 via the communication network 190.
In addition, the indoor unit 100 may be configured to include a time information automatic acquisition function that automatically acquires time information of a time management server (such as NTP) existing on the communication network 190.

  The indoor unit 100 sets the acquired current time information in the time management unit 134 inside the main microcomputer 130. The time management unit 134 continues to count up the set time as time passes. In this way, the time management unit 134 manages the correct current time.

  The user can update the current time managed by the time management unit 134 at an arbitrary timing using the time information setting means. In addition, by setting the indoor unit 100 to perform the time information automatic acquisition function periodically, the current time managed by the time management unit 134 can be automatically updated periodically. is there. As a result, a deviation between the current time managed by the time management unit 134 and the actual current time is prevented.

Various driving information is managed by the driving information management unit 135. The operation information management unit 135 performs operation such as operation mode switching by input from the remote controller Re (FIG. 1), operation mode switching by input via the communication network 190, or operation mode switching by the built-in timer of the indoor unit 100. Perform management.
By recording the operation information and the current time managed by the time management unit 134 in the storage unit 131, the accumulated operation time, the number of operations, and the elapsed time since the installation of the air conditioner S can be obtained. It is possible to obtain.

  A predetermined value is stored in advance for each of the accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning stored in the storage unit 131, the number of operations since the previous cleaning stored in the storage unit 131, and the elapsed time since the installation of the air conditioner S. 131 is stored. The operating condition of the automatic cleaning operation is that the accumulated operation time stored in the storage unit 131, the number of operations stored in the storage unit 131, or the elapsed time reaches each predetermined value stored in the storage unit 131. To do.

As long as the automatic cleaning operation is executed at regular time intervals or every certain number of operations, there is no limitation on the combination of operating conditions of the automatic cleaning operation. One or more of the above conditions may be satisfied.
Further, the operation integration time, the number of operations, and the calculation method of the elapsed time are not questioned. For example, the following calculation method can be considered. The integrated operation time and the number of operations may be reset to 0 after the automatic cleaning operation is performed. After the automatic cleaning operation is performed, the number of automatic cleaning operations is counted up, and the product of the number of automatic cleaning operations, the standard accumulated operation time, the number of operations, and the time elapsed since the installation of the air conditioner S is obtained. It may be executed when the product becomes a predetermined value or more.
The predetermined values of the accumulated operation time, the number of operations, and the elapsed time may be arbitrarily set by an input device such as an information terminal connected to the remote controller Re or the communication network 190.

In the case that satisfies the operating conditions of the automatic cleaning operation, when was after the end heating operation, after the first delay time from the stop of the heating operation of the predetermined has elapsed, performing the automatic washing Kiyoshiun rolling.
Cooling, dehumidification, or from the blowing operation, when performing automatic cleaning operation, immediately after the stop of the operation, or, after the second delay time shorter than the first delay time has elapsed, automatic washing to run the Kiyoshiun rolling.
The stop of operation here means that each apparatus such as the compressor of the air conditioner S and the blower fan 103 is stopped.

If it is after the end of the heating operation, the automatic cleaning operation can be performed after the indoor heat exchanger 102 is cooled by setting a predetermined first delay time, and the automatic cleaning operation can save energy. Is possible. In addition, during this time, the user can complete the exit from the room, and the cold air in the automatic cleaning operation can be prevented from causing discomfort to the user. Moreover, generation | occurrence | production of the noise by switching a refrigerant cycle to reverse rotation rapidly can be suppressed.
The setting of the predetermined first delay time at the time of factory shipment can be set to about 3 minutes, for example. This is sufficient time for the user to exit the room, cool the indoor heat exchanger 102, and quietly switch the four-way valve to reverse the refrigerant cycle.

It is desirable to drive the blower fan 103 or open the up / down airflow direction plate 105 within the delay time. Thereby, the indoor heat exchanger 102 can be cooled quickly. In addition, it is possible to obtain the temperature while equalizing the room temperature by the air blowing operation, and it is possible to optimize the cooling temperature or the like of the automatic cleaning operation according to the degree of the room temperature fluctuation.
In addition, a hygrometer (not shown) is installed in the vicinity of the indoor heat exchanger 102, the humidity in the vicinity of the indoor heat exchanger 102 is measured within the delay time, and an automatic cleaning operation performed thereafter is performed according to the measurement result. It may be optimized. For example, when the humidity is high and the moisture around the indoor heat exchanger 102 is large, the cooling time of the automatic cleaning operation can be shortened. If the cooling time is set to 20 minutes, it is possible to collect sufficient water for the automatic washing operation even in the dry winter season. However, when there is a lot of water around the indoor heat exchanger 102, the cooling time May be about 15 minutes.

The indoor heat exchanger 102 (FIG. 2 ) shown in the indoor unit 100 (FIG. 2) is provided with a filter 108 (FIG. 2) above it to prevent contamination of the indoor heat exchanger 102 by removing large dust. Yes. When dust accumulates on the filter 108, the filter 108 is clogged, the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 102 is reduced, and the air conditioning capability of the indoor unit 100 is attenuated. In order to prevent this, the indoor unit 100 may include a filter cleaning unit that automatically cleans the filter 108 using a brush (not shown) after the operation such as air conditioning is completed.

When the indoor unit 100 includes a filter cleaning unit, when the brush rubs the filter 108, fine dust falls on the indoor heat exchanger 102. The amount of dust that falls due to the filter cleaning is larger than the amount of dust that adheres during normal air-conditioning operation, and causes dust accumulation and dirt sticking to the indoor heat exchanger 102.
Therefore, it is desirable to clean the filter 108 by the filter cleaning means during the delay time. As a result, the dust that has fallen due to the execution of the filter cleaning can be cleaned by the automatic cleaning operation immediately after dropping, and the indoor heat exchanger 102 due to the filter cleaning can be prevented from being stuck.

The time required for the user to exit varies depending on the situation. The time required for cooling the indoor heat exchanger 102 varies depending on the temperature or the like. Therefore, it is desirable that the delay time can be changed.
For example, the indoor unit 100 may include an input unit that inputs the delay time from an information terminal connected to the communication network 190 or a remote controller Re.

  When the delay time exists, it is desirable that the user can be notified that the automatic cleaning operation is executed during the delay time. Thereby, it can suppress that a user has distrust. Therefore, the indoor unit 100 includes notification means such as a display lamp (not shown) and a notification sound generator (not shown) that notify the execution of the automatic cleaning operation within the delay time until the automatic cleaning operation is started. The notification content of the notification means may be changed according to the remaining time. The change of the notification content corresponds to, for example, changing the blinking cycle of the display lamp or making an announcement with a voice guide.

If there is no user, even if the automatic cleaning operation is started immediately after the air-conditioning operation is stopped, the cold air of the automatic cleaning operation does not give the user an unpleasant feeling.
Therefore, in the case where the automatic cleaning operation conditions are satisfied, after the cooling, dehumidification, and air blowing operations are completed, if the human detection means of the indoor unit 100 does not detect a person in the room, immediately after the operation is stopped. An automatic cleaning operation may be performed.

In addition, when the air conditioning operation is stopped by remote input from outside the room, there is a high possibility that the room is unmanned.
Therefore, if the air conditioning operation is stopped by remote input from the information terminal connected to the communication network 190 after the cooling, dehumidification, and air blowing operations are completed when the operation conditions of the automatic cleaning operation are satisfied. The automatic cleaning operation may be performed immediately after the operation is stopped.

  However, even if the air conditioning operation is stopped by the remote input, there may be a person in the room. Therefore, when the human detection means detects a person in the room, an automatic cleaning operation may be executed after the delay time has elapsed.

  There are the following human detection means. That is, the human detection unit 122b may analyze an image captured by the imaging unit 110A and detect whether or not a person is shown. Further, infrared rays generated from the human body may be detected by a human sensor (not shown). As described above, the start of the automatic cleaning operation can be controlled based on the detection result of the person in the room.

  If the operating condition of the automatic cleaning operation is not satisfied for a long time and dust is accumulated in the indoor heat exchanger 102, the user may wish to execute the automatic cleaning operation immediately after the air conditioning operation is stopped. Therefore, when an execution instruction for the automatic cleaning operation is input from the remote controller Re or the information terminal connected to the communication network 190, the automatic cleaning operation may be executed immediately after the input.

  The larger the room that is the air-conditioned space, the greater the total amount of dust in the room. Since dust in the air passes through the indoor heat exchanger 102 by the blower fan 103, the size of the room and the amount of dust accumulated in the indoor heat exchanger 102 are correlated. Therefore, the air conditioner S includes capacity detection means for detecting the capacity or area of the room, and according to the detection result, the operation integrated time from the previous cleaning in which the automatic cleaning operation should be performed, the operation from the previous cleaning, It is desirable to be configured so that the number of times threshold can be determined in advance.

  The capacity detection means includes the following. That is, the room temperature is detected by the room temperature detector 161, and the capacity or area of the room is determined from the time required for the room temperature fluctuation to reach a reference value (for example, 1 degree) (hereinafter referred to as room temperature fluctuation time). It may be automatically detected.

The room temperature fluctuation time is measured in advance for each room capacity by experiment, and correlation data (FIG. 6A) between the room temperature fluctuation time and the room capacity or area is stored in the storage unit 131. Here, since the correlation changes depending on the cooling / heating capacity of the air conditioner S, the above measurement is performed on each model of the air conditioner S for each cooling / heating capacity, and correlation data corresponding to the cooling / heating capacity is acquired. desirable.
The correlation between the room temperature fluctuation time and the room capacity is affected by the room temperature at the start of measurement, the room illuminance, and the like. In order to remove this influence, the adjustment value α related to the room temperature and the room temperature change time at the start of measurement (FIG. 6B), and the adjustment value β related to the room illuminance and the room temperature change time at the start of measurement (FIG. 6C )) Is preliminarily measured by experiment, and it is desirable to store the adjustment value α and the adjustment value β in the storage unit 131 as well.
The capacity detection means may acquire room temperature and illuminance in the room using a room temperature detection unit 161 and an illuminance detection unit 162, and detect the volume of the room in comparison with the correlation data, the adjustment value α, and the adjustment value β. Is possible.

  Further, the capacity or area of the room may be detected based on image information input from the imaging unit 110A. For example, Patent Document 2 states that “the imaging unit 13 recognizes information such as the number of people coming and going, the number and location of people in the room, the amount of activity, and the area in which the floor plan and sunlight are inserted.” Have been described. In this way, by detecting the floor portion in the image information input from the imaging unit 110A, the area of the wall or the like other than the floor may be estimated, and the capacity or area of the room may be calculated from these area ratios. . In this way, the automatic cleaning operation can be optimized based on the capacity or area of the room that is the air-conditioned space.

The capacity detecting means acquires the approximate size of the room. Therefore, it is not necessary for the capacity detection means to be highly accurate. However, in order to cope with the case where the difference between the detection result and the actual room capacity has increased, it is desirable to provide the following functions. That is, not only the capacity of the room is automatically detected, but also the user inputs the capacity or size of the room being the air-conditioned space from the information terminal connected to the communication network 190 or the remote controller Re, or the initial value The indoor unit 100 may be configured so as to include an input unit that can be reset.
Based on the capacity or size of the room input by the input means, the main microcomputer 130 performs the accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning to perform the cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by the cleaning means, the operation from the previous cleaning. Determine the threshold for the number of times.

  In order to improve the efficiency of the automatic cleaning operation, the indoor unit 100 is provided with a dirt detection means for detecting the dirt of the indoor heat exchanger 102, and when the dirt detected by the dirt detection means exceeds a predetermined amount, it is stored. The automatic cleaning operation is executed regardless of the accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning stored in the means 131, the number of operations since the previous cleaning stored in the storage means 131, or the value of the elapsed time since the installation of the air conditioner S. It is desirable to do. As a result, automatic cleaning is performed before dust accumulates on the indoor heat exchanger 102 and dirt is stuck, and the indoor heat exchanger 102 is cleaned with less power without requiring a large amount of water for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger 102. It is possible to keep on.

  The dirt detection means can include an imaging means 110B that uses visible light or near infrared light as a light source, and an optical filter that blocks or attenuates light of a specific wavelength. Image information input from the imaging unit 110B is subjected to image analysis by the dust detection unit 122a of the image detection unit 122 of the camera microcomputer, and a dust portion in the image information is detected as dirt.

In the indoor heat exchanger 102, metal plates are arranged at equal intervals at a very fine pitch as shown in FIG. When the indoor heat exchanger 102 is imaged by the imaging means 110B, the metal plate portion is white because light is reflected, and the air layer between the pitches of the metal plates is imaged black because the light is not reflected, and the metal plates are arranged at equal intervals. An image that can be confirmed to be present can be acquired. When differential analysis is performed on the image along the analysis line 301, an image waveform shown in FIG.
Here, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the indoor heat exchanger 102 to which the dust 401A is attached is imaged by the imaging means 110B, the unclear white and black borders of the metal plates are arranged at equal intervals. An image that cannot be confirmed is acquired. When differential analysis is performed on the image along the analysis line 302, the image waveform shown in FIG. 5B is obtained, and an image waveform 401B lacking a peak due to adhesion of dust can be confirmed. From here, dust adhesion can be detected.

  Examples of means for improving the accuracy of the imaging means 110B include the following. That is, the influence of disturbance is removed from the image data by making the image data of only a specific wavelength by the infrared light emitting unit (not shown) and the visible light cut filter unit 117B (FIG. 3), and the dust detection unit 122a (FIG. 3). Recognition accuracy can be increased.

  The amount of dirt adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 102 varies depending on the operation mode such as cooling, heating, dehumidifying operation, and the like. Therefore, the accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning, the number of operations since the previous cleaning, or the value of the elapsed time since the installation of the air conditioner S is set for each operation mode such as heating operation, cooling operation, dehumidification operation, etc. It is desirable to do so.

The accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning stored in the storage unit 131, the number of operations since the previous cleaning stored in the storage unit 131, and the value of the elapsed time since the installation of the air conditioner S are less than the set value, and the filter Even when the cleaning is not executed, the user may wish to execute the automatic cleaning operation. Here, in order to suppress the user's discomfort and the like, it is desirable that the user can make a reservation so that the automatic cleaning operation is started at a time when the user is not in the room. In view of this, an input means for inputting from an information terminal connected to the communication network 190 or the remote controller Re may be provided, and the start time of the automatic cleaning operation may be input by the input means.
Below, the process which the main microcomputer 130 performs is demonstrated as an example.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the main microcomputer 130 when starting the cleaning processing.
In step S101, the main microcomputer 130 determines whether or not a cleaning process start condition is satisfied. As described above, the “cleaning process start condition” is, for example, a condition that a value obtained by integrating the time of the air conditioning operation from the end of the previous cleaning process has reached a predetermined value. When the cleaning process start condition is satisfied in step S101 (S101: Yes), the process of the main microcomputer 130 proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, when the start condition for the cleaning process is not satisfied (S101: No), the main microcomputer 130 ends the series of processes (END).

  In step S <b> 102, the main microcomputer 130 generates a predetermined notification sound by a notification sound generation unit (not shown) and lights a display lamp (not shown). That is, the main microcomputer 130 notifies the notification sound generation unit and the display lamp that the cleaning process is performed before starting the cleaning process such as freezing of the indoor heat exchanger 102. Accordingly, it is possible to notify the user in advance that the cleaning process is started.

  Next, in step S103, the main microcomputer 130 sets a delay time until the cleaning process of the indoor heat exchanger 102 is started. This delay time (for example, 3 minutes) is a time from when the user is informed in advance of starting the cleaning process in step S102 until the actual start of the cleaning operation.

In step S104, the main microcomputer 130 determines whether or not a predetermined delay time has elapsed after notifying the user in advance that the cleaning process is to be started (S102). When the predetermined delay time has elapsed (S104: Yes), the processing of the main microcomputer 130 proceeds to step S105. Until the delay time elapses, the lighting of the display lamp or the like (S102) may be continued.
In step S <b> 105, the main microcomputer 130 executes a cleaning process for the indoor heat exchanger 102.

On the other hand, when the predetermined delay time has not elapsed in step S104 (S104: No), the processing of the main microcomputer 130 proceeds to step S106.
In step S <b> 106, the main microcomputer 130 determines whether or not there is a cleaning processing cancel command by operating the remote controller R or the information terminal (not shown). When there is no cleaning process cancel command (S106: No), the process of the main microcomputer 130 returns to step S104. On the other hand, when there is an instruction to cancel the cleaning process (S104: Yes), the process of the main microcomputer 130 proceeds to step S107.

  In step S107, the main microcomputer 130 causes the notification sound generator to generate a predetermined notification sound, and turns on the display lamp. Accordingly, it is possible to notify the user that the cleaning operation is actually canceled in accordance with the operation of the remote controller R or the like.

  Note that the above-described notification sound or the like (S107) is preferably different from the notification sound or the like (S102) for notifying the cleaning process in advance. This is because it is possible to notify the user in an easy-to-understand manner that the cleaning process is actually canceled.

  Next, in step S108, the main microcomputer 130 cancels the cleaning process for the indoor heat exchanger 102. That is, the main microcomputer 130 cancels the cleaning process including freezing of the indoor heat exchanger 102 based on a signal from the remote controller R or the information terminal. More specifically, when a predetermined cancel command is received from the remote controller R or the information terminal until a predetermined delay time elapses after the notification (S102) before the cleaning process is started (S104: No, S106: Yes) ) The main microcomputer 130 does not perform a cleaning process including freezing of the indoor heat exchanger 102 (S108). Accordingly, the main microcomputer 130 can appropriately cancel the cleaning process for the indoor heat exchanger 102 in accordance with the user's intention. And after performing the process of step S108, the main microcomputer 130 complete | finishes a series of processes (END).

The embodiments are described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, and replace other configurations for a part of the configuration of each embodiment.
In addition, the above-described mechanisms and configurations are those that are considered necessary for the description, and do not necessarily indicate all the mechanisms and configurations on the product.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS S Air conditioner 100 Indoor unit 101 Housing base 102 Indoor heat exchanger 103 Blower fan 104 Left and right wind direction plate 105 Up and down wind direction plate 106 Front panel 107 Air suction port 108 Filter 109a Outlet air channel 109b Air outlet 110A, 110B Imaging means 111A Optical lens 112A Image sensor 113A A / D converter 114A Digital signal processing unit 116 Filter drive unit 117A, 117B Visible light cut filter unit 120 Camera microcomputer 121, 131 Storage unit 122 Image detection unit 122a Dust detection unit (dirt detection unit)
122b Person detection unit (person detection means)
130 Main microcomputer (control means)
132 Arithmetic Processing Unit 133 Drive Control Unit 134 Time Management Unit 135 Operation Information Management Unit 150 Load Drive Unit 160 Environment Detection Unit 161 Room Temperature Detection Unit 162 Illuminance Detection Unit 190 Communication Network 200 Outdoor Unit Q Remote Control (Input Unit)
301, 302 Analysis line 401A Dust 401B Image waveform lacking peak due to adhesion of dust

Claims (16)

Cleaning means for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger;
Control means for controlling the cleaning means,
The control means includes
After the heating operation ends, when said by cleaning means for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger, after the completion of the heating operation, after the first delay time from the stop of the heating operation of the predetermined has elapsed, the by the cleaning means Cleaning the indoor heat exchanger ,
When the indoor heat exchanger is cleaned by the cleaning unit after the cooling, dehumidification, or air blowing operation is finished, after the second delay time shorter than the first delay time has elapsed, the cleaning unit performs the An air conditioner that performs cleaning of an indoor heat exchanger . Comprising storage means for storing the operating condition of the air conditioner;
The control means includes
Accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning stored in the storage means, the number operating from a previous wash has been stored in the storage means, or, from the time of installation of the air conditioner stored in the storage means 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the indoor heat exchanger is cleaned by the cleaning unit when the elapsed time reaches a predetermined threshold. A blower fan installed in an indoor unit and sending air into the indoor heat exchanger;
An up-and-down wind direction plate that adjusts the wind direction of air blown from the indoor unit,
The control means includes
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the blower fan is driven or the up-and-down air direction plate is opened until the first delay time elapses after the heating operation is stopped. Cleaning means for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger;
Control means for controlling the cleaning means;
Filter cleaning means for cleaning a filter installed on the air suction side of the indoor heat exchanger,
The control means includes
In the case where the indoor heat exchanger is cleaned by the cleaning means, after the heating operation ends, the cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by the cleaning means after the elapse of a predetermined first delay time from the stop of the heating operation. Run
Between the time of stopping the heating operation to the first delay time has elapsed, the air conditioner you and the client performs cleaning of the filter by the filter cleaning unit. The said control means sets the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant | coolant when the said indoor heat exchanger is wash | cleaned by the said washing | cleaning means to be set lower than the evaporation temperature of the said refrigerant | coolant in dehumidification operation. Air conditioner. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant when the indoor heat exchanger is cleaned by the cleaning unit below a freezing point. To perform the cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by said cleaning means, between the time of stopping the heating operation to the first delay time has elapsed, or cooling, can properly be dehumidified during the stop of the blowing operation The air conditioner according to claim 1 , further comprising an informing unit for informing from the time until the second delay time elapses. Connected information terminal to the communication network, or an input means for inputting an instruction to execute the cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by the cleaning unit from the remote control,
The cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by the cleaning means is executed immediately after the input when the instruction to execute the cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by the cleaning means is input by the input means. The air conditioner according to 1 . Cleaning means for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger;
Control means for controlling the cleaning means;
Storage means for storing the operating condition of the air conditioner;
It includes a capacitance detection means for detecting the capacitance or size of the room is to be air-conditioned space, and
The control means includes
The capacitance sensed on the basis of the capacity or size of the room of the sensing means, the threshold value of the accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning to perform cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by the cleaning means, or the operation from the previous washing to determine the threshold value of the number of times,
When the accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning stored in the storage means or the number of operations from the previous cleaning stored in the storage means reaches the respective threshold values, or stored in the storage means When the elapsed time since the installation of the air conditioner reaches a predetermined threshold, after the heating operation ends, the cleaning means after the predetermined first delay time has elapsed since the heating operation stopped air conditioner you and the client performs cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by. Said capacitance detection means, wherein the start of measurement at room temperature, to claim 9, characterized in that to detect the capacity or size of the room on the basis of the time elapsed by the time the variation of the room temperature reaches the reference temperature Air conditioner. The air conditioner according to claim 9 , wherein the capacity detection unit detects the volume or the size of the room based on image information input from an imaging unit that images a room. Cleaning means for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger;
Control means for controlling the cleaning means;
Storage means for storing the operating condition of the air conditioner;
Connected information terminal to the communication network, or from the remote control, comprising an input means for inputting the capacity or size of the room is to be air-conditioned space, and
The control means includes
On the basis of the capacity or size of the room entered by the input means, the threshold value of the accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning to perform cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by the cleaning means, or the operation from the previous washing to determine the threshold value of the number of times,
When the accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning stored in the storage means or the number of operations from the previous cleaning stored in the storage means reaches the respective threshold values, or stored in the storage means When the elapsed time since the installation of the air conditioner reaches a predetermined threshold, after the heating operation ends, the cleaning means after the predetermined first delay time has elapsed since the heating operation stopped air conditioner you and the client performs cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger by. Comprising a dirt detection means for detecting dirt in the indoor heat exchanger;
The said control means performs washing | cleaning of the said indoor heat exchanger by the said washing | cleaning means, when the dirt detected by the said dirt detection means exceeds predetermined amount, The Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. The air conditioner described. The dirt detecting means includes
An imaging means using near infrared visible light or a light source,
And an optical filter that attenuates the blocking or light of a specific wavelength,
The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein dirt on the indoor heat exchanger is detected based on image information input from the imaging means. Accumulated operation time from the previous cleaning, the number operating from a previous washing, also, the threshold of the time elapsed from the time of installation of the air conditioner, heating operation is cooling operation, set for each operation mode such as the dehumidifying operation The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein: Connected information terminal to the communication network, or an air conditioner according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it comprises input means for inputting a cleaning start time of the indoor heat exchanger from the remote control.

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