CN107208927B

CN107208927B - Air conditioner

Info

Publication number: CN107208927B
Application number: CN201680008077.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 久保次雄; 清水昭彦
Original assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2015-12-17
Filing date: 2016-12-12
Publication date: 2020-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 2036-12-12
Also published as: JP6600811B2; CN107208927A; JP2017110860A; WO2017104126A1

Abstract

The invention provides an air conditioner with a filter cleaning function for cleaning dust attached to an air filter (18) built in an indoor unit, comprising: a brush (30) for removing dust adhering to the air filter (18); a blade (32) for scraping off the dust attached to the brush (30); and a dust receiving section (36) for receiving the dust scraped off by the blade (32). Further comprising: a dust collection unit (38) disposed below the dust receiving unit (36); a rotating device (40) which rotates the dust receiving part (36) from an upward posture to a downward posture so that the dust received by the dust receiving part (36) is collected by the dust collecting part (38); and a discharge device for discharging the dust collected in the dust collection unit (38) by the airflow. Further, when the dust receiving section (36) is in a downward-facing posture, a cylindrical discharge passage is formed by the dust receiving section (36) and the dust collecting section (38), and the discharge device discharges dust by generating an air flow in the discharge passage.

Description

Air conditioner

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an air conditioner having a filter cleaning function of automatically cleaning dust attached to an air filter built in an indoor unit.

Background

Conventionally, as such an air conditioner, there has been a configuration in which dust adhering to an air filter is removed by a brush, and the dust adhering to the brush is scraped off by a blade to a dust collecting unit provided below the brush. Further, the dust collecting device is configured to include a blade rotating device, and the blade rotating device rotates the blade to compress the dust scraped into the dust collecting portion between a side surface of the blade and an inner surface of the dust collecting portion (see, for example, patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2014-074504

Disclosure of Invention

In the air conditioner disclosed in patent document 1, the user must remove (discard) the dust in the dust collection unit by taking out the dust collection unit from the air conditioner main body. Therefore, there is a problem that it causes trouble to the user.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an air conditioner capable of reducing the work of removing dust in a dust collecting unit.

An air conditioner according to the present invention is an air conditioner having a filter cleaning function of cleaning dust adhering to an air filter built in an indoor unit, and includes: a brush for removing dust attached to the air filter; a blade for scraping off dust attached to the brush; a dust receiving section for receiving dust scraped off by the blade; and a dust collecting unit disposed below the dust receiving unit. Further comprising: a rotating device which rotates the dust receiving part from an upward posture to a downward posture so that the dust received by the dust receiving part is collected by the dust collecting part; and a discharge device for discharging the dust collected in the dust collection unit by the airflow. Further, when the dust receiving portion is in a downward orientation, the dust receiving portion and the dust collecting portion form a cylindrical discharge passage, and the discharge device discharges dust by generating an air flow in the discharge passage.

With the above configuration, the air conditioner according to the present invention can reduce the work of removing dust in the dust collecting unit.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit included in an air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing components related to a blade, a dust receiving portion, and a dust collecting portion of an air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a state in which the dust receiver of the air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention is oriented upward.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the dust receiver of the air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention is oriented downward.

Fig. 6 is a side view showing components related to a suction device of an air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of an end portion of the dust collecting unit of the air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, and is a view showing a state in which an opening portion of the discharge passage is opened.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the other end portion of the dust collecting unit of the air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, and is a view showing a state in which the opening of the discharge passage is closed.

Fig. 9 is a side view of components related to a dust collecting unit of an air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view 10-10 of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view 11-11 of fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a component related to a dust receiving portion of an air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing a configuration around a support member of an air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view 14-14 of fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing a dust discharging operation of the air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a sectional view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

(embodiment 1)

An air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention is configured by an outdoor unit and an indoor unit connected to each other via a refrigerant pipe. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the indoor unit of the present embodiment includes a main body 2, and a movable front panel 4 that openably and closably closes a front opening 2a of the main body 2. The front panel 4 is provided so as to close the front opening 2a in close contact with the main body 2 when the operation of the air conditioner is stopped. On the other hand, the front panel 4 is provided so as to move in a direction away from the main body 2 and open the front opening 2a during an air conditioning operation of the air conditioner. Fig. 1 and 2 show a state in which the front panel 4 closes the front opening 2 a.

As shown in fig. 2, a heat exchanger 6 for exchanging heat with the indoor air taken in from the front opening 2a and the top opening 2b is provided inside the main body 2; and a fan 8 as a wind power source for blowing out the air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger 6 into the room. The fan 8 is, for example, a cross-flow fan, and is provided to blow air into the room through an air outlet 10 provided below the main body 2. Further, inside the main body 2, a vertical airflow direction changing blade 12 that opens and closes the air outlet 10 and changes the air blowing direction vertically, and a horizontal airflow direction changing blade 14 that changes the air blowing direction horizontally are provided.

When the air-conditioning operation of the air-conditioning apparatus is started, the vertical airflow direction changing blade 12 is controlled to be opened, and the air outlet 10 is opened. By driving the fan 8 in this state, the indoor air is taken into the interior of the indoor unit through the front opening 2a and the top opening 2 b. The taken-in indoor air is heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger 6, passes through the fan 8, passes through the air passage 16 formed on the downstream side in the air blowing direction of the fan 8, and is blown out from the air outlet 10.

An air filter 18 for removing dust contained in the indoor air taken in from the front opening 2a and the upper opening 2b is provided between the heat exchanger 6 and the front opening 2a and the upper opening 2 b. The air filter 18 includes a frame portion and a mesh portion held by the frame portion. The air conditioner of the present embodiment has a filter cleaning function of automatically cleaning dust adhering to the mesh portion of the air filter 18.

The air filter 18 is held by a filter holding member 20. The filter holding member 20 is provided with a 1 st holding space 20A and a 2 nd holding space 20B for holding the air filter 18. The air filter 18 is delivered to the 1 st and 2

nd holding spaces

20A and 20B by the filter delivery device 22.

The filter transport device 22 includes a shaft 24 extending in the width direction (depth direction in fig. 2) of the indoor unit, and a gear 26 attached to a part of the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 24. The air filter 18 is mounted so as to be bridged over the shaft 24 and engaged with the gear 26.

The air filter 18 is usually located in the 1 st holding space 20A, and removes dust contained in the indoor air taken in from the front opening 2a and the upper opening 2 b. When the start of cleaning of the air filter 18 is instructed, the gear 26 rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise in fig. 2), and the air filter 18 is conveyed from the 1 st holding space 20A to the 2 nd holding space 20B through the lower side of the filter conveyance device 22. When the air filter 18 is transported to the 2 nd holding space 20B, the gear 26 rotates in the reverse direction (clockwise in fig. 2), and the air filter 18 is transported from the 2 nd holding space 20B to the 1 st holding space 20A by the lower side of the filter transport device 22.

In the present embodiment, the transport path of the air filter 18 from the 1 st holding space 20A to the 2 nd holding space 20B is referred to as "outward path", and the transport path of the air filter 18 from the 2 nd holding space 20B to the 1 st holding space 20A is referred to as "return path".

A guide member 28 for guiding the air filter 18 to move around the shaft 24 is provided near the shaft 24. The guide member 28 is provided with a predetermined gap from the shaft 24.

Further, a brush 30 for removing dust adhering to the surface of the air filter 18 is provided in the vicinity of the shaft 24. Below the brush 30, a blade 32 for removing dust adhering to the brush 30 is provided. The blade 32 is made of an elastic body such as rubber, preferably a soft elastic body having flexibility.

The base end portion of the brush 30 is held by a brush holding portion 34 as an example of a brush moving device. The brush 30 and the brush holder 34 are provided to extend in the width direction of the indoor unit. The brush holder 34 rotates about a rotation shaft extending in the width direction of the indoor unit, and thereby the tip of the brush 30 can move to a position in contact with the air filter 18 and a position in contact with the tip of the blade 32 on the downstream side of the outward path of the guide member 28. The tip of the brush 30 contacts the air filter 18, so that the dust attached to the air filter 18 of the brush 30 is removed by the brush 30 due to the contact of the brush 30 with the wiper blade 32.

The base end portion of the blade 32 is held by a dust receiving portion 36 that receives dust scraped off by the blade 32. A dust collecting unit 38 for collecting (scraped) dust removed by the brush 30 and the blade 32 is provided below the dust receiving unit 36. The blade 32, the dust-receiving portion 36, and the dust collecting portion 38 are provided so as to extend in the width direction of the indoor unit.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing components related to the blade 32, the dust receiving portion 36, and the dust collecting portion 38. As shown in fig. 3, a rotating device 40 for rotating the dust receiving portion 36 around an axis is connected to one end of the dust receiving portion 36.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a state in which the dust receiver 36 is oriented upward. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a state in which the dust receiver 36 is in a downward posture. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the rotating device 40 shown in fig. 3 is configured to rotate the dust receiver 36 about the rotating shaft 36A. The rotating device 40 rotates the dust receiving portion 36 from the upward orientation shown in fig. 4 to the downward orientation shown in fig. 5, and thereby collects the dust received by the dust receiving portion 36 into the dust collecting portion 38.

The dust collecting unit 38 is provided with a step portion 38A. When the dust receiver 36 is in the upward orientation as shown in fig. 4, the one end 36B distant from the rotating shaft 36A is placed on the step 38A, and rotation is restricted. When the dust receiver 36 is in the upward orientation, a gap S1 is provided between the dust receiver 36 and the dust collector 38, through which a part of the dust removed from the air filter 18 by the brush 30 passes. The gap S1 is provided substantially vertically below the area where the air filter 18 and the brush 30 contact as shown in fig. 2.

When the dust receiving portion 36 is rotated to the downward position by the driving of the rotating device 40, as shown in fig. 5, the gap S1 is closed, and the dust receiving portion 36 and the dust collecting portion 38 form a cylindrical discharge passage 42. At this time, the wiper 32 is located in the discharge passage 42. The dust collecting unit 38 has a projecting portion 38B projecting downward so as to be spaced apart from the blade 32 positioned in the discharge passage 42. The protrusion 38B enlarges the gap between the blade 32 and the bottom of the dust collection unit 38, and prevents dust from clogging between the blade 32 and the bottom of the dust collection unit 38.

As shown in fig. 3, a suction device 44, which is an example of a discharge device that discharges the dust collected in the dust collection unit 38 by an air flow, is connected to one end of the discharge passage 42 (not shown in fig. 3). The suction device 44 is a device that sucks dust in the discharge passage 42. An opening 42A is provided at the other end of the discharge passage 42.

Fig. 6 is a side view showing components related to the suction device 44. As shown in fig. 6, the suction device 44 includes a suction tube 46 and a suction fan 48 that generates a suction force in the suction tube 46. One end of the suction tube 46 is connected to one end of the dust collection unit 38, and the other end 46A of the suction tube 46 is open. The other end 46A of the suction pipe 46 is connected to an exhaust hose (not shown) having one end opened outdoors so that dust passing through the suction pipe 46 can be discharged outdoors. The suction fan 48 is driven when the dust receiving portion 36 and the dust collecting portion 38 form the discharge passage 42, and sucks dust in the discharge passage 42.

Next, an example of an operation of cleaning dust adhering to the air filter 18 will be described. During the operation of cleaning the dust adhering to the air filter 18, the dust receiver 36 is in an upward orientation (see fig. 4). The cleaning operation of the air filter 18 is performed under the control of a control unit, not shown.

When the gear 26 rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise in fig. 2) from the state of fig. 2, the air filter 18 is conveyed from the 1 st holding space 20A to the 2 nd holding space 20B. When the tip portion of the air filter 18 passes between the brush holder 34 and the shaft 24, the brush holder 34 rotates in the forward direction (clockwise direction in fig. 2), and the tip portion of the brush 30 contacts the air filter 18 so as to straddle the tip portion and the mesh portion of the air filter 18.

When the gear 26 further rotates in the positive direction, the air filter 18 is further conveyed toward the 2 nd holding space 20B. During this conveyance, the brush holder 34 fixes the brush 30 at a position in contact with the air filter 18. Thus, the dust attached to the air filter 18 is caught by the brush 30 fixed at the fixed position, and is accumulated on the upstream side of the brush 30 in the conveyance direction of the air filter 18. At this time, the dust accumulated in the brush 30 and the dust attached to the air filter 18 are entangled with each other and twisted into a paper shape. This improves the efficiency of removing dust adhering to the air filter 18. Part of the dust adhering to the brush 30 passes through the gap S1 and falls into the dust collecting unit 38. In order to keep the pressing force of the brush 30 against the air filter 18 constant, an elastic member such as a damper may be provided to the brush 30. This further improves the efficiency of removing dust adhering to the air filter 18.

When the gear 26 further rotates in the forward direction and the air cleaner 18 reaches the 2 nd holding space 20B, the rotation of the gear 26 in the forward direction is stopped. At this time, at least a part of the front end of the brush 30 is in contact with the rear end (frame portion) of the air filter 18 located outside the cleaning region of the air filter 18.

Thereafter, the brush holder 34 rotates in the reverse direction (counterclockwise in fig. 2), and the brush 30 swings at a position contacting the wiper blade 32. Thereby, the remaining part of the dust attached to the brush 30 enters the dust collecting portion 38 through the gap S1 and is received by the dust receiving portion 36. In this case, the brush 30 may swing, and the blade 32 may swing. This can improve the efficiency of removing dust adhering to the brush 30.

When the removal of the dust adhering to the brush 30 by the blade 32 is completed, the brush holder 34 rotates in the reverse direction, and the brush 30 returns to the position of contact with the air filter 18. Thereafter, the gear 26 rotates in the reverse direction, and the return conveyance of the air filter 18 starts.

During the transportation of the return path of the air filter 18, the brush holder 34 fixes the brush 30 at a position in contact with the air filter 18. Thus, the dust attached to the air filter 18 is caught by the brush 30 fixed at the fixed position, and is accumulated on the upstream side of the brush 30 in the conveyance direction of the air filter 18. A part of the dust attached to the brush 30 is received by the dust receiving portion 36.

When the return conveyance of the air filter 18 is finished, the reverse rotation of the gear 26 is stopped. Thereafter, the brush holder 34 rotates in the reverse direction (counterclockwise in fig. 2), and the brush 30 swings at a position contacting the wiper blade 32. Thereby, the remaining part of the dust attached to the brush 30 enters the dust collecting portion 38 through the gap S1 and is received by the dust receiving portion 36. In this case, as described above, not only the brush 30 but also the blade 32 may swing.

When the removal of the dust adhering to the brush 30 by the blade 32 is completed, the cleaning operation of the air filter 18 is completed.

Next, the operation of discharging the dust in the dust receiving unit 36 and the dust collecting unit 38 will be described. The operation of discharging the dust is shown in the operation flowchart of fig. 15. The control is performed under the control of a control unit, not shown.

When the transportation of the air filter 18 to the outward route or the return route is completed during the cleaning operation, the cleaning operation of the air filter 18 is completed (step S101 in fig. 15), and the operation is shifted to the dust discharging operation. In the dust discharging operation, the brush 30, which is an obstacle when the dust receiving portion 36 rotates, is moved to a retracted position where it does not cause an obstacle (step S102), and then the rotating device 40 is driven to rotate the dust receiving portion 36 from an upward orientation (see fig. 4) to a downward orientation (see fig. 5). Thus, the dust received in the dust receiving portion 36 is collected into the dust collecting portion 38, and the dust receiving portion 36 and the dust collecting portion 38 form a cylindrical discharge passage 42.

Since the suction fan 48 of the suction device 44 is driven as the operation of the discharge device (step S103), an air flow is generated in the suction pipe 46, and the suction force is generated by the air flow. By this air flow, the dust in the discharge passage 42 is discharged to the outside of the room through the suction pipe 46.

During the air discharging operation by the suction device 44, the control of the upward and downward postures of the dust receptacle 36 is repeated a plurality of times (for example, 3 times) (steps S104, S105, and S106), the brush 30 is once moved to the maintenance position (step S107), and then the brush 30 is again placed at the position near the shaft 24 (step S108). Then, the suction device 44 as the discharge device is stopped (step S109), and the operation of discharging the dust in the dust receiving portion 36 and the dust collecting portion 38 is ended (step S110).

According to the air conditioner of the present embodiment, the dust receiving portion 36 and the dust collecting portion 38 form a cylindrical discharge passage 42, and an air flow for generating suction force is generated in the discharge passage 42 to discharge the dust. With this configuration, it is not necessary to remove the dust in the dust collecting unit 38 by taking out the dust collecting unit 38 from the main body 2. This can reduce the work of removing dust in the dust collecting unit 38.

Further, according to the air conditioner of the present embodiment, when the dust receiving portion 36 is in the upward orientation, the gap S1 is provided between the dust receiving portion 36 and the dust collecting portion 38. With this configuration, a part of the dust removed from the air filter 18 can be directly collected into the dust collection unit 38 through the gap S1. This eliminates the need for the dust receiver 36 to receive all of the dust removed from the air filter 18.

Further, according to the air conditioner of the present embodiment, the gap S1 is provided substantially vertically below the area where the air filter 18 and the brush 30 contact. Particularly preferably, the gap S1 is provided at a position upstream of the brush 30 in the conveyance direction of the air filter 18 during the outward conveyance of the air filter 18. With this configuration, the amount of dust directly collected by the dust collection unit 38 through the gap S1 can be increased.

Further, according to the air conditioner of the present embodiment, when the suction device 44 discharges the dust in the discharge passage 42 by the air flow, the blade 32 is positioned in the discharge passage 42, and therefore the dust adhering to the blade 32 can be removed by the air flow.

Further, according to the air conditioner of the present embodiment, since the other end portion of the discharge passage 42 has the opening 42A (see fig. 3), the air flow can be generated over substantially the entire length of the discharge passage 42, and the efficiency of removing dust in the discharge passage 42 can be improved.

Further, if the opening 42A at the other end of the discharge passage 42 is always opened, strong wind such as typhoon may flow into the discharge passage 42 from the suction device 44 side, flow backward in the discharge passage 42, and be discharged from the opening 42A. At this time, when dust exists in the discharge passage 42, the dust can be discharged from the opening 42A. In this case, the opening 42A is normally located in the room, and dust is discharged into the room. Therefore, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, it is preferable that the opening/closing valve 50 is attached to rotate integrally with the dust receiver 36 such that the opening 42A is opened when the dust receiver 36 is in the downward position (see fig. 7), and the opening 42A is closed when the dust receiver 36 is in the upward position (see fig. 8). With this configuration, the opening 42A can be opened and closed by the force of the rotation of the dust-receiving portion 36, and the release of dust into the room can be suppressed.

The opening 42A of the discharge passage 42 is not necessarily provided in the dust collecting unit 38. For example, the opening 42A of the discharge passage 42 may be provided in the dust receiver 36. At this time, by providing the opening 42A so as to face upward, even if strong wind flows from the suction device 44 side to the rotating device 40 side, the dust is not easily discharged from the opening 42A due to the influence of gravity. This eliminates the need to provide the on-off valve 50.

Further, generally, the suction force of the suction device 44 becomes smaller as it goes away from the suction device 44. Therefore, the discharge passage 42 is preferably configured such that the opening area becomes smaller as it is farther from the suction device 44. Fig. 9 is a side view of a member related to the dust collecting unit 38, fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 of fig. 9, and fig. 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of fig. 9. As shown in fig. 9 to 11, the opening area of the discharge passage 42 is reduced as it is separated from the suction device 44, and thus the suction force at a position distant from the suction device 44 can be increased. This makes the suction force in the discharge passage 42 more uniform.

As shown in fig. 9, the bottom of the discharge passage 42 is preferably inclined downward as it approaches the suction device 44. With this configuration, the dust in the discharge passage 42 can be guided toward the suction device 44 by gravity, and the efficiency of removing the dust in the discharge passage 42 can be improved.

Further, a support member 52 that supports the dust-receiving portion 36 from below is preferably provided at a longitudinally intermediate portion of the dust collection portion 38. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a member related to the dust receiving portion 36, fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing a configuration of the periphery of the support member 52 of fig. 12, and fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of fig. 12 taken along line 14-14. As shown in fig. 12 to 14, by providing the support member 52 that supports the dust-receiving portion 36 from below, the support member 52 can suppress the dust-receiving portion 36 from being bent. Further, the support member 52 is preferably provided above the lower end of the dust receiver 36 in the downward position. For example, it is preferable that a groove 36C for receiving the support member 52 is provided in the middle portion of the dust receiving portion 36 in the longitudinal direction, and the support member 52 is placed on the step portion 38A of the dust collecting portion 38. With this configuration, the opening area of the discharge passage 42 can be suppressed from being narrowed by the presence of the support member 52. This makes it possible to smooth the flow of the air flow in the discharge passage 42 and improve the efficiency of removing dust in the discharge passage 42. The dust receiving portion 36 may be divided into 2 members, and the 2 members may be connected by the groove portion 36C.

Further, when the blade 32 is held by the dust receiving portion 36, a pressure generated when the blade 32 and the brush 30 are in contact is applied to the dust receiving portion 36. At this time, the dust receiving portion 36 is a long member, and therefore the dust receiving portion 36 may be deformed. Therefore, as shown in fig. 14, the dust receiver 36 preferably has a curved surface 36D curved in a convex shape in a cross section taken in the direction of rotation by the rotating device 40, and the blade 32 is provided on the top of the curved surface 36D. With this configuration, the strength of the dust-receiving portion 36 can be increased as compared with the case where the dust-receiving portion 36 is flat.

The surface of the dust receiving portion 36 is preferably processed so that dust containing oil components does not adhere to it. For example, it is preferable that a plurality of convex protrusions are provided on the surface of the dust receiving portion 36 at intervals to such an extent that the dust does not clog. According to this configuration, the efficiency of removing dust can be further improved.

Further, a fine through hole is preferably provided on the surface of the dust receiving portion 36. According to this configuration, even if dust is fixed to the surface of the blade 32, as shown in fig. 5, when an air flow is generated in the discharge passage 42 in a state where the blade 32 is positioned in the discharge passage 42, the air flow passes through the through-hole and the dust can be removed from the surface of the dust-receiving portion 36.

The dust receiver 36 and the rotator 40 are preferably configured to be separable. For example, the dust receiver 36 and the rotating device 40 may have gears, respectively, and the gears may be engaged with each other to transmit the rotational power. Thus, for example, when the user removes the dust receiver 36 and the dust collector 38 from the main body 2, the user does not need to remove the rotator 40 as a power source.

(embodiment 2)

Next, an air conditioner according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. Fig. 16 is a sectional view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present embodiment.

The air conditioner of the present embodiment differs from the air conditioner of embodiment 1 in that an air blower 60 for pushing out dust in the discharge passage 42 by blowing air is provided as a discharge device instead of the suction device 44.

In the present embodiment, the air blowing device 60 includes the fan 8 and the wind direction switching device 62 that switches the wind direction so as to blow the air blown out from the fan 8 into the discharge passage 42. That is, in the present embodiment, the fan 8, which is normally provided in the air conditioner, is shared as the wind power source of the air blowing device 60.

The wind direction switching device 62 includes: a blower pipe 64 for communicating the ventilation passage 16 with one end of the discharge passage 42; and an on-off valve 66 for opening and closing the opening 64A of the air supply duct 64. The opening/closing valve 66 closes the opening 64A of the air supply duct 64 during air conditioning operation such as cooling or heating. Therefore, the air blown out from the fan 8 does not flow in the discharge passage 42. On the other hand, the opening/closing valve 66 opens the opening 64A formed in the air passage 16 during the dust discharging operation in the dust receiving portion 36 and the dust collecting portion 38. Accordingly, the ventilation path 16 and one end of the discharge path 42 communicate with each other through the blower pipe 64, and the air blown out from the fan 8 flows in the discharge path 42 in the form of an airflow.

In fig. 16, the on-off valve 66 is provided at the end of the blower pipe 64 on the side of the air passage 16 (the opening 64A), but an on-off valve (not shown) may be provided at the end on the side of the discharge passage 42 in this configuration or in a different configuration. In this case, the opening/closing valve (not shown) is attached to the dust receiver 36 so as to rotate integrally therewith, and can be configured to close the ventilation passage 16 when the dust receiver 36 is in the upward orientation and to open the ventilation passage 16 when the dust receiver 36 is in the downward orientation. That is, the opening/closing valve (not shown) may be attached to rotate integrally with the dust receiver 36, and may be formed as an opening/closing valve that closes the ventilation passage 16 during normal operation and opens the ventilation passage 16 only during dust discharge operation.

In the present embodiment, the other end portion of the discharge passage 42 is provided to communicate with the outside. For example, the other end of the discharge passage 42 is open to the outside of the room through an exhaust hose (not shown). Therefore, the dust in the discharge passage 42 is pushed out by the air flowing in the discharge passage 42, and is discharged to the outside from the other end portion of the discharge passage 42. During this discharge operation, the air outlet 10 is closed by the vertical airflow direction-changing blades 12, and most of the air blown out from the fan 8 flows into the air duct 64.

According to the air conditioner of the present embodiment, since the fan 8 is used as the wind power source of the air blower 60, it is not necessary to provide a separate wind power source for blowing the dust in the discharge passage 42. Thereby enabling cost reduction. Further, since space can be saved, by effectively utilizing this space, for example, performance can be improved by increasing the size of the heat exchanger or the length of the fan, and functional improvement can be also achieved by providing additional functional components. Further, a wind source other than the fan 8 may be used as the wind source of the air blower 60.

According to this configuration, the dust collecting unit is disposed in the air conditioner main body, and the air flow is generated in the air conditioner main body, and the air flow is discharged from the air conditioner main body. Thus, the work of removing the dust in the dust collecting part can be reduced.

The discharge device may be a suction device that sucks dust in the discharge passage.

In general, the suction force of the suction device decreases as the suction device moves away from the suction device. Therefore, the discharge passage may be configured such that the opening area becomes smaller as it is separated from the suction device. According to this configuration, the suction force at a position distant from the suction device can be increased, and the suction force in the discharge passage can be made more uniform.

Further, the bottom of the discharge passage may be inclined downward as approaching the suction device. According to this configuration, the dust in the discharge passage can be guided to the suction device side by gravity, and the efficiency of removing the dust in the discharge passage can be improved.

The discharge device may be an air blower that blows air to push out dust in the discharge passage.

In this case, the air conditioner may include a heat exchanger and a fan for blowing air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger into the room, and the air blowing device may include an air direction switching device for switching an air direction so that the air blown from the fan is blown into the discharge passage. According to this configuration, the fan normally provided in the air conditioner can be used as the wind power source of the air blowing device, and it is not necessary to provide a separate wind power source for blowing the dust in the discharge passage. Thereby enabling cost reduction. Further, since space can be saved, performance and functions can be improved by effectively utilizing the space.

Further, the blade may be held by the dust receiving portion and positioned in the discharge passage when the dust receiving portion is in a downward facing posture. According to this configuration, when the discharging device discharges the dust in the discharge passage by the air flow, the blade is positioned in the discharge passage, and therefore the dust adhering to the blade can be removed by the air flow.

The dust collecting unit may have a projecting portion projecting downward so as to be spaced apart from the blade positioned in the discharge passage. According to this configuration, the gap between the wiper blade and the bottom of the dust collection unit can be enlarged, and clogging of dust between the wiper blade and the bottom of the dust collection unit can be suppressed.

Further, when the blade is held by the dust receiving portion, a pressure generated when the blade and the brush are in contact is applied to the dust receiving portion. In this case, the dust receiving portion is generally a long member, and thus the dust receiving portion may be deformed. Therefore, the dust receiver may have a curved surface curved in a convex shape in a cross section cut in the direction of rotation by the rotating device, and the wiper blade may be provided on the top of the curved surface. According to this configuration, the strength of the dust-receiving portion can be improved as compared with the case where the dust-receiving portion is flat.

One end of the discharge passage may be connected to the discharge device, and the other end of the discharge passage may have an opening. According to this configuration, the air flow can be generated over substantially the entire length of the discharge passage, and the efficiency of removing dust in the discharge passage can be improved.

Further, if the opening at the other end of the discharge passage is always opened, strong wind such as typhoon may flow into the discharge passage from the discharge device side, flow backward in the discharge passage, and be discharged from the opening. At this time, when dust exists in the discharge passage, the dust is discharged from the opening. Since the opening is usually located in the room, dust is discharged into the room. Therefore, the opening/closing valve may be provided so as to be attached to the dust receiving portion so as to rotate integrally therewith, and open the opening portion of the discharge passage when the dust receiving portion is in the upward facing posture and close the opening portion of the discharge passage when the dust receiving portion is in the downward facing posture. According to this configuration, the opening can be opened and closed by the force of the rotation of the dust receiving portion, and the release of dust into the room can be suppressed.

When the dust receiver is in the upward orientation, a gap may be provided between the dust receiver and the dust collection unit, through which a part of the dust removed from the air filter by the brush passes. According to this configuration, a part of the dust removed from the air filter can be directly collected into the dust collection unit through the gap. Thus, the dust receiver does not need to receive all of the dust removed from the air filter.

In addition, the gap may be provided substantially vertically below the area where the air filter and the brush contact. According to this configuration, the amount of dust directly collected to the dust collection unit through the gap can be increased.

Further, a support member for supporting the dust-receiving portion from below may be provided at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the dust collecting portion, and the support member may be provided above a lower end portion of the dust-receiving portion in a downward posture. According to this configuration, the support member can suppress the dust-receiving portion from being bent, and the opening area of the discharge passage can be suppressed from being narrowed by the presence of the support member. This makes it possible to smooth the flow of the air flow in the discharge passage and improve the efficiency of removing dust in the discharge passage.

Further, the dust may be discharged by driving the exhaust device with the dust receiving portion in the upward facing posture and then rotating the dust receiving portion to the downward facing posture. By controlling in this order, the dust in the dust collecting unit gradually starts moving to the exhaust side from before the exhaust passage is completely formed by the dust receiving unit, so that the dust is smoothly exhausted, and the efficiency of removing the dust in the exhaust passage can be improved.

Further, the operation of rotating the dust receptacle to the upward and downward orientations may be repeated a plurality of times. This also makes it possible to separate fine dust adhering to the exhaust passage and the dust collecting unit due to electrostatic force or the like, dust wound around the blade, and the like, and improves the efficiency of removing dust in the exhaust passage.

Industrial applicability of the invention

As described above, the air conditioner of the present invention can reduce the trouble of removing dust in the dust collecting unit, and is therefore useful as various air conditioners including air conditioners used in general households.

Description of the reference numerals

2 main body

2a front opening

2b upper surface opening part

4 front panel

6 Heat exchanger

8 Fan

10 blow-out port

12 vertical wind direction changing blade

14 left and right wind direction changing blade

16 ventilating path

Opening part of 16A

18 air filter

20 Filter holding Member

20A 1 st holding space

20B No. 2 holding space

22 Filter delivery device

24 shaft

26 Gear

28 guide member

30 brushes

32 scraping blade

34 Brush holder

36 dust receiving part

36A rotary shaft

One end part of 36B

36C groove part

36D curved surface

38 dust collecting part

38A step part

38B projection

40 rotating device

42 discharge passage

42A opening part

44 suction device (discharge device)

46 suction tube

46A another end portion

48 suction fan

50 open/close valve

52 support member

60 air supply device

62 wind direction switching device

64 blast pipe

Opening part of 64A

66 open and close the valve.

Claims

1. An air conditioner having a filter cleaning function of cleaning dust adhering to an air filter built in an indoor unit, the air conditioner comprising:

a brush for removing dust attached to the air filter;

a wiper blade that scrapes off dust attached to the brush;

a dust receiving portion for receiving the dust scraped off by the blade;

a dust collecting unit disposed below the dust receiving unit;

a rotating device that rotates the dust receiving portion from an upward orientation to a downward orientation to collect the dust received by the dust receiving portion by the dust collecting portion; and

a discharge device for discharging the dust collected in the dust collection unit by an air flow,

a cylindrical discharge passage configured by the dust receiving unit and the dust collecting unit when the dust receiving unit is in the downward orientation, the discharge device discharging dust by generating an air flow in the discharge passage,

in the dust discharging operation, the discharging device starts to operate, and then the dust receiving portion is rotated.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the rotation of the dust receiving portion is repeated during the dust discharging operation.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that:

the discharge device is a suction device that sucks dust in the discharge passage.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that:

the discharge passage is configured such that an opening area thereof becomes smaller as it is separated from the suction device.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that:

the bottom of the discharge passage is inclined downward as it approaches the suction device.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that:

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the discharge device is an air blower for pushing out the dust in the discharge passage by blowing air.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein:

the air conditioner includes a heat exchanger and a fan for blowing out air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger to the indoor,

the air blowing device includes an air direction switching device that switches an air direction so that air blown out from the fan is blown into the discharge passage.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the blade is held by the dust receiving portion and is disposed so as to be located in the discharge passage when the dust receiving portion is in the downward posture.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein:

the dust collection unit has a protruding portion that protrudes downward so as to be spaced apart from a blade located in the discharge passage.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein:

the dust receiving portion has a curved surface curved in a convex shape in a cross section cut in a direction of rotation by the rotating device, and the wiper blade is provided on a top portion of the curved surface.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that:

one end of the discharge passage is connected to the discharge device, and the other end of the discharge passage has an opening.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 12, wherein:

the dust collector further includes an opening/closing valve attached to rotate integrally with the dust receiver, the opening of the discharge passage being opened when the dust receiver is in the upward orientation, and the opening of the discharge passage being closed when the dust receiver is in the downward orientation.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that:

when the dust receiving unit is in the upward orientation, a gap through which a part of the dust removed from the air filter by the brush passes is provided between the dust receiving unit and the dust collecting unit.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein:

the gap is provided substantially vertically below a region of the air filter in contact with the brush.

16. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein:

a support member that supports the dust receiving portion from below is provided at a longitudinal intermediate portion of the dust collecting portion, and the support member is provided above a lower end portion of the dust receiving portion in the downward posture.