EP1939544A1

EP1939544A1 - Air conditioner

Info

Publication number: EP1939544A1
Application number: EP05793621A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Takashi Sugio; Tsutomu Shimizu
Original assignee: Panasonic Corp; Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Corp
Priority date: 2005-10-13
Filing date: 2005-10-14
Publication date: 2008-07-02
Also published as: KR200444737Y1; JP2007107804A; TW200714847A; WO2007043184A1; CN200958808Y; KR20080045740A; CN101283222A; MY145707A; EP1939544A4; WO2007043184A9; KR20080001266U

Abstract

An indoor unit has an air flow passage defined therein so as to communicate between an air intake opening and an air delivery opening both defined in the indoor unit. The air flow passage accommodates an air filter, a heat exchanger, and a circulating fan. The indoor unit is provided with at least one of additional functional devices including an electric dust collector, a filter type dust collector, a deodorizer, and an ion generator. The air filter and the at least one of the additional functional devices require no maintenance to be performed thereon for a predetermined period of time.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an air conditioner that requires no maintenance such as, for example, cleaning of various component parts employed in an indoor unit thereof.

Background Art

Some of the conventional air conditioners are equipped with additional functional devices such as, for example, an electric dust collector, a filter type dust collector, a deodorizer, an ion generating means or the like, and some of the component parts employed in those additional functional devices require replacement and/or cleaning each time they have been operated for a few months to about three years. Further, an air filter requires cleaning every about two weeks and, in addition, it may often occur that a heat exchanger, a circulating fan and air flow passages must be cleaned by a skilled worker since they may constitute a cause of dust-induced and/or bacteria-induced obnoxious smells and/or a cause of reduction in performance.
However, the foregoing maintenance such as replacement and cleaning is indeed complicated and costly, and unless the maintenance is properly exercised, the user cannot enjoy the original functionalities of those devices.
For this reason, various attempts have been suggested to alleviate the foregoing inconveniences and, so long as the air filter, for example, is concerned, an air conditioner equipped with an air filter cleaning device such as shown in Fig. 8 has been suggested (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In the prior art air conditioner as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an air passage communicating between an air intake opening 2, defined in front upper and top portions of a body 1, and an air delivery opening 3 defined in a front lower portion of the body 1 is provided with an air filter 4, a heat exchanger 6, and a circulating fan 5, and an air filter cleaning device 9 for cleaning the air filter 4 is slidably mounted so as to sweep the air filter 4. The air filter cleaning device 9 includes a drive means 10 for driving the air filter 4 along an inside of the air filter cleaning device 9, a dust removal means 11 for removing dust particles on the air filter 4, and a dust collecting box 12 for collecting the dust particles so removed.
With the construction as hereinabove described, as the air filter cleaning device 9 moves along the air filter 4, dust particles deposited on the air filter 4 are sucked and then transported to the dust collecting box 12 by the air filter cleaning device 9. Since the air filtering device 9 can move leftwards and rightwards, one at a time, in a direction widthwise of the body 1 and the air filter 4 can be driven by the drive means 10 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the air filter cleaning device 9, the dust particles deposited on the entire surface of the air filter 4 can be sucked and removed.
· Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2002-340395

Disclosure of the Invention

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention)

The prior art air conditioner of the type discussed above requires no maintenance of the air filter, but if at least one of the additional functional devices employed in such prior art air conditioner requires maintenance, the air conditioner as a whole would require maintenance to be done. Also, depending on the conditions of use, it may often occur that the heat exchanger, the circulating fan or the air flow passage requires maintenance to be done.
The more minimized the maintenance is, the better. However, where even the lightest maintenance is required, a substantial difference in burden occurs on the part of the user as compared with the case in which no maintenance is required at all.
The present invention has been developed to overcome the above-described disadvantages and has for its objective to provide an air conditioner of a kind that requires the user to take no attention to the necessity of maintenance and that can be used with no reduction in functionality unique to the additional functional devices.

(Means to Solve the Problems)

In accomplishing the above objective, the present invention provides an air conditioner including an indoor unit having an indoor unit housing that accommodates therein a heat exchanger and a circulating fan for blowing into a house room a current of air which has been heat exchanged by the heat exchanger. An air flow passage is formed in the indoor unit so as to communicate between an air intake opening of the indoor unit and an air delivery opening of the indoor unit. The air flow passage accommodates an air filter, the heat exchanger, and the circulating fan. The indoor unit is provided with at least one of additional functional devices including an electric dust collector, a filter type dust collector, a deodorizer, and an ion generating means. The air filter and the at least one of the additional functional devices require no maintenance for a predetermined period of time. Similarly, none of the heat exchanger, the circulating fan and the air flow passage requires any maintenance.
The predetermined period of time referred to above, during which no maintenance is required, is the service life of the air conditioner.
Also, the indoor unit is so designed as to have neither an open/close panel nor any opening which would otherwise be required for removal of component parts in readiness for maintenance.
The indoor unit also includes a slidable suction nozzle movable along the air filter to automatically clean the air filter.

(Effects of the Invention)

According to the present invention, since the air filter and at least one of the additional functional devices such as, for example, the electric dust collector, the filter type dust collector, the deodorizer and the ion generating means require no maintenance for a predetermined period of time, the present invention is effective to provide the air conditioner that can be used without lowering the original functionalities of the devices and also with no need for the user to pay attention to the necessity of the maintenance.
Also, since the indoor unit is so designed as to have neither an open/close panel nor any opening which would otherwise be required for removal of component parts, not only can the number of component parts be minimized to facilitate the assemblage, but the air conditioner can have an appealing appearance with neither unnecessary wiring nor openings viewable from outside.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a filtering device employed in the indoor unit shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a suction nozzle assembly employed in the filtering device shown in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a chart showing a relation between the service life of the air conditioner and the timing at which various component parts of the conventional air conditioner are maintained or serviced;
Fig. 5 is a chart showing a relation between the service life of the air conditioner and the timing of maintenance, which is applicable where the period of service of the various component parts, by which the latter can be used with no maintenance, is increased;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the conventional indoor unit shown for the purpose of comparison with the indoor unit according to the present invention;
Fig. 7(a) is a side view of the indoor unit shown in Fig. 6;
Fig. 7(b) is a side view of the indoor unit according to the present invention; and
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the indoor unit of the conventional air conditioner.

(Reference Numerals)

1: Air conditioner indoor unit housing
2: Air intake opening
3: Air delivery opening
4: Air filter
5: Circulating fan
6: Heat exchanger
107: Air flow passage
113: Deodorizing filter
114: Ion generating device
114A: Electrode
115: Suction nozzle assembly
116: Dust discharge fan
117: Suction duct
118: Suction port
119: Brush
120: Open/close panel
120A: Front grille
121: Line
122: Front frame

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 illustrates a vertical sectional view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention, Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a filtering device employed in the indoor unit shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a suction nozzle assembly employed in the filtering device shown in Fig. 2.
As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, an indoor unit housing 1 is formed with an air intake opening 2 so as to extend from a front portion thereof to a top portion thereof and also with an air delivery opening 3 defined in a lower portion thereof. An air flow passage extending between the air intake opening 2 to the air delivery opening 3 accommodates an air filter 4 for removing relatively large dust particles afloat in the air, a circulating fan 5 driven by a fan motor, and a heat exchanger 6. A deodorizing filter 113 is also disposed between the air filter 4 and the heat exchanger 6, and an ion generating device 14 is positioned within the air delivery opening 3.
A generally elongated suction nozzle assembly 115 extending in a vertical direction is mounted at a location upstream of the air filter 4 for sliding movement along the air filter 4 in a direction leftwards and rightwards. This suction nozzle assembly 115 has a suction port 118 defined therein so as to open towards the air filter 4 and is provided with a brush 119 as a dust separating member secured thereto at a location adjacent to the suction port 118 so as to extend along the suction port 118. The suction nozzle assembly 115 has one end (a lower end) fluid connected through a suction duct 117 with a dust discharge fan 116 positioned in one end portion (a left end portion so far shown in Fig. 2) of the indoor unit housing 1.
Also, the heat exchanger 6 has fins having their surfaces applied with a surface treatment agent that is mixed with an antimicrobial and anti-fungus agent such as, for example, zinc pyrithione and, on the other hand, the circulating fan 5 and the air flow passage 107 is made of a resin that is applied with a paint mixed with an antimicrobial agent such as, for example, benzimidazole.
Although the operation of the air conditioner of the structure described above according to the present invention will be set forth in the following description, individual functions of the air conditioner will be described briefly since the gist of the present invention lies in the functionality of the air conditioner as a whole.
In the first place, the air filter 4 operable to catch relatively large dust particles to thereby protect the internal heat exchanger 6 and others will be described.
When the dist discharge fan 116 is driven, dust particles accumulating on the air filter 4 are sucked into the suction port 118 of the suction nozzle assembly 115 to clean the air filter 4 and are then discharged to an outdoor space through the suction duct 117 past the dust discharge fan 116. Also, when a combination of a movement of the suction nozzle assembly 115 in a direction widthwise of the indoor unit and a movement of the suction port 118 in a vertical direction is utilized to allow those movements to take place in a synchronized fashion, not only can the entire surface of the air filter 4 be cleaned, but also the provision of the brush 119 in the vicinity of the suction port 118 makes it possible to allow the entire surface of the air filter 4 to be cleaned assuredly, and no maintenance of the air filter 4 is required accordingly.
In the next place, an electric dust collector, which forms a means for collecting fine dust particles, will now be described.
The electric dust collector generally includes an electric charging unit and a dust collecting unit and is operable to electrically charge dust particles with the electrical charging unit so that the electrically charged dust particles can easily be trapped by the dust collecting unit to thereby efficiently collect the dust particles. However, if each of the electric charging unit and the dust collecting unit accumulates dust particles and is considerably contaminated with fine dust particles, the maintenance such as cleaning and/or flushing is required.
In this embodiment, however, an ion generating device 114 corresponding to the electric charging unit for electrically charging the dust particles afloat in the air applies a high potential to electrodes 114A, but since the ion generating device 114 is positioned downstream of the air filter 4 and the heat exchanger 6 and the current of air flowing successively past them contains no large dust particles, no cleaning is required. Also, while the air filter 4 serves as a dust collecting member for accumulating the electrically charged dust particles, no maintenance of the electric dust collector, which forms a dust collecting means for collecting fine dust particles, is required since the air filter 4 is automatically cleaned in the manner described hereinbefore.
It is to be noted that as a dust collecting means for collecting fine dust particles, a filter type dust collecting device utilizing an air filter for collecting those fine dust particles can be employed. In such case, a portion of the air filter 4 can be used as a filter for collecting those fine particles, and no maintenance is required since the air filter 4 itself can be automatically cleaned in the manner described above.
A deodorizing filter 113, which forms a deodorizing means, will now be described.
In general, since the deodorizing means loses a deodorizing function when a collector for trapping smell inducing components is saturated therewith, the deodorizing means must be replaced with a fresh one.
The deodorizing filter 113 employed in this embodiment carries cobalt oxide, which is a catalyst effective to chemically convert the smell inducing components (aldehyde), trapped by the deodorizing filter 113, into a component (acetic acid) that can be removed by the current of air. Accordingly, the collector (zeolite) does not saturate semi-permanently and does not therefore require replacement. Hence, the deodorizing filter 113 does not require any maintenance.
The ion generating means will now be described.
In this embodiment, the ion generating device 114 is of a type capable of generating minus ions, which do not require any maintenance such as cleaning. Accordingly, when the ions generated by the ion generating device 114 are laden on the current of air emerging from the air delivery opening of the air conditioner and are then released into the house room, bacteria and allergen can be inactivated by the action of those ions. Also, when bacteria and allergen are electrically charged with those ions, they can be increasingly and efficiently trapped by the air filter 4.
The electric dust collecting device, the filter type dust collecting device, the deodorizing means, and the ion generating means, all discussed hereinabove, are not necessarily equipped in the air conditioner in contrast to the functions of cooling and heating hitherto regarded as essential to the air conditioner. Accordingly, those devices are, in the description of the present invention, each referred to as an additional functional device.
In contrast thereto, the previously discussed air filter 4, the heat exchanger 6, the circulating fan 5, and the air flow passage 107, the last three of which will be described hereinafter, are essential components of the air conditioner and, unlike the additional functional devices that generally require the maintenance, no maintenance of those devices except for the air filter 4 has been considered as required.
Accordingly, when all of the air filter 4 and the additional functional devices are so designed as to require no maintenance, it is generally possible to use without allowing the original functionality of the air conditioner to be reduced and with no user required to pay attention.
However, in recent years, users who feel unpleasant about contamination and obnoxious smells occurring in and from the heat exchanger 6, the circulating fan 5 and/or the air flow passage 107 all inside the air conditioner, are increasing and a skilled worker is called for cleaning.
In view of the foregoing, the heat exchanger 6 employed in this embodiment will be described.
The fins of the heat exchanger 6 are coated with the surface treatment agent mixed with an antimicrobial and anti-fungus agent such as, for example, zinc pyrithione as hereinbefore described. Accordingly, when the fins of the heat exchanger 6 get wetted during the cooling mode, zinc pyrithione, which is the antimicrobial and anti-fungus agent, elutes from the surface treatment agent to act on funguses and bacteria proliferated in the presence of dust and/or moisture components on surfaces of the heat exchanger fins, to thereby suppress contaminations and obnoxious smells brought about by the funguses and bacteria. Accordingly, the heat exchanger fins can be kept clean.
Also, while the details are not described, a proper selection of the antimicrobial and anti-fungus agent, the composition of the surface treatment agent and/or the amount thereof is effective to adjust the duration of the antimicrobial and anti-fungus effects, and the maintenance of the heat exchanger 6 is no longer required.
In the next place, the circulating fan 5 and the air flow passage 107 will be discussed.
The circulating fan 5 and a resinous material for the air flow passage 107 are also coated with a paint containing an antimicrobial and anti-fungus agent such as benzimidazole mixed therein. In general, during the cooling mode the circulating fan 5 and the air flow passage 107 are exposed to high humidity air and, therefore, it often occurs that funguses and bacteria proliferate on the surfaces or in the dust particles deposited thereon. However, in this embodiment, because of the action of the antimicrobial and anti-fungus agent on those surfaces, the contaminations and smells that proliferate funguses and bacteria can be suppressed to keep the circulating fan 5 and the air flow passage 107 clean.
Although the details are not set forth, a proper selection of the antimicrobial and anti-fungus agent, the composition of the surface treatment agent and/or the amount thereof is effective to adjust the duration of the antimicrobial and anti-fungus effects, and the maintenance of the circulating fan 5 and the air flow passage 107 is no longer required.
Finally, the present invention will now be described in its entirety with particular reference to Figs. 4 and 5.
Fig. 4 illustrates a chart showing a relation between the service life of the air conditioner and the timing at which various component parts of the conventional air conditioner are maintained or serviced. Fig. 4 makes it clear that the period of use until the air filter 4 reaches the time at which the maintenance has to be performed thereon is short, and that even if the maintenance of the air filter 4 is made unnecessary, there are some component parts in the conventional air conditioner, of which the period of use until such component parts reach the time, at which the maintenance has to be performed thereon, is shorter than the service life of the conventional air conditioner.
On the other hand, Fig. 5 illustrates a similar chart applicable where cleaning of the air filter 4 is automated and, at the same time, the period of use of each of those component parts until such component part reaches the time, at which the maintenance has to be performed thereon, is increased. In this case, since the period of use of only one (the deodorizing filter in this embodiment) of the component parts until such component part reaches the time, at which the maintenance has to be performed thereon, is short, the period of use of the air conditioner as a whole is reduced down to such a short period of use of such component part.
In this embodiment, however, the period of use of such one of the component parts until such component part reaches the time, at which the maintenance has to be performed thereon, is extended to a value longer than the service life of the air conditioner as shown by a broken line in Fig. 5, so that the period of use of the air conditioner as a whole until the subsequent maintenance is performed can be increased to a value longer than the service life of the air conditioner. By so doing, the user can use the air conditioner with no attention paid to the necessity of the maintenance and without the original functionalities of the devices being lowered.
It is to be noted that according to the current socially accepted idea the service life of the air conditioners is considered about 10 years. Accordingly, it appears that based on this current socially accepted idea, manufacturers of the air conditioners design the air conditioners so as to meet with this service life. On the other hand, in some countries, tax regulations set the statutory service life of the air conditioners to six years. Accordingly, the service life referred to in this specification is intended to be six years to warrant the minimum performance.
Fig. 6 illustrates a conventional indoor unit shown for the purpose of comparison with the indoor unit employed in this embodiment. In particular, an open/close panel 120 is shown as opened in readiness of the maintenance of an air filter 4 and/or a deodorizing filter 113 both used in the conventional air conditioner indoor unit.
Fig. 7(a) illustrates the conventional air conditioner indoor unit and Fig. 7(b) illustrates the air conditioner indoor unit employed in this embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in Figs. 6 and 7(a), in the conventional air conditioner indoor unit, a line 121 for selectively opening and closing the open/close panel 120 is exposed to the outside and viewable from outside, but in the air conditioner indoor unit employed in the illustrated embodiment and shown in Fig. 7(b), since the user need not perform the maintenance during the period of use of the air conditioner and, therefore, the open/close panel 120 need not be opened nor closed, a front grille 130A is formed integrally with a front frame 122 with no line 121 exposed to the outside.
As hereinbefore described, the indoor unit employed in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention requires no maintenance to be done and, therefore, neither opening nor the open/close panel for the removal or replacement of the component parts need not be provided. Accordingly, there is no possibility that when the panel is opened, the panel may collide against a furniture positioned in the vicinity of the air conditioner indoor unit such as observable with the conventional air conditioner indoor unit; the air conditioner indoor unit can easily be assembled in a simplified structure with minimized number of component parts; and neither the line nor the opening, both being unnecessary in the indoor unit in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, appears in the air conditioner indoor unit. Accordingly, the air conditioner indoor unit according to the present invention can provide a pleasant appearance.

Industrial Applicability

As hereinbefore fully described, since the air conditioner according to the present invention does not require any maintenance of the air filter and the additional functional devices, it is possible to use it without being accompanied by reduction in original functionalities inherent in the devices, and the construction hereinabove described can be applied generally widely not only to the air conditioner, but also to any devices utilizing various filters.

Claims

An air conditioner including an indoor unit having an indoor unit housing that accommodates therein a heat exchanger and a circulating fan for blowing into a house room a current of air which has been heat exchanged by the heat exchanger, the indoor unit also having an air intake opening and an air delivery opening both defined therein, the air conditioner comprising:
an air flow passage formed in the indoor unit so as to communicate between the air intake opening and the air delivery opening with both the heat exchanger and the circulating fan accommodated in the air flow passage;

an air filter accommodated in the air flow passage;

at least one of additional functional devices including an electric dust collector, a filter type dust collector, a deodorizer, and an ion generator and installed in the indoor unit;
wherein the air filter and the at least one of the additional functional devices require no maintenance for a predetermined period of time.
The air conditioner as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger requires no maintenance to be performed thereon during the predetermined period of time.
The air conditioner as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the circulating fan requires no maintenance to be performed thereon during the predetermined period of time.
The air conditioner as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the air flow passage requires no maintenance to be performed thereon during the predetermined period of time.
The air conditioner as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined period of time during which no maintenance is required is a service life of the air conditioner.
The air conditioner as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the indoor unit is so designed as to have neither a open/close panel nor any opening which would otherwise be required for removal of component parts in readiness for maintenance.
The air conditioner as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, further comprising a slidable suction nozzle that is movable along the air filter to automatically clean the air filter.