ES2716627B2 - AIR CONDITIONER - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

AIR CONDITIONER

Technical field

The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

State of the art

As a cleaning technique for an indoor fan (fan) of an air conditioner, Patent Document 1 discloses, for example, "a fan cleaning device for removing dust adhered to a fan." In addition, Figure 1 in Patent Document 1 illustrates a fan cleaning device arranged around an outlet of an indoor fan.

State of the art documents

Patent documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-071210

Description of the invention

Problems to solve

In the technique described in Patent Document 1, the fan cleaning device is disposed around the inside fan outlet, as described above. Consequently, dust scraped from the inner fan by the fan cleaning device can be blown out into the space to be conditioned during the subsequent air conditioning operation. What is desired is a technique of cleaning the components such as an indoor fan, including the components an indoor heat exchanger, while also providing the comforts of air conditioning, but such a technique is not described in the Document of Patent 1.

Next, the present invention is intended to provide an air conditioner that Clean components that include an indoor fan.

Solution to the problems

In order to solve the problems identified above, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes: an indoor heat exchanger; an indoor fan; a condensation receiving tray that is arranged under the indoor heat exchanger; a fan cleaner that is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger and the indoor fan to clean the indoor fan, in which at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the condensation receiving tray is located under the fan cleaner.

Alternatively, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes: an indoor heat exchanger; an indoor fan; a dust receptacle that is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger; and a fan cleaner that is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger and the indoor fan to clean the indoor fan, wherein at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the dust receptacle is located under the fan cleaner.

Advantageous effects of the invention

The present invention provides an air conditioner that cleans components including an indoor fan.

Brief description of the figures

Figure 1 illustrates a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an indoor unit included in the air conditioner in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit, which has a part thereof cut out, of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 illustrates an air flow around a fan cleaner, during the air conditioning operation, in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a flow chart of a process executed by an air conditioner controller in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7A illustrates the indoor fan being cleaned in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7B illustrates an indoor heat exchanger thawing in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of an indoor unit included in an air conditioner in accordance with a modification of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor fan and a fan cleaner included in an air conditioner in accordance with another modification of the present invention.

Detailed description of the achievements

<Air conditioner configuration>

Figure 1 illustrates a refrigerant circuit Q of an air conditioner 100 in accordance with one embodiment. Note that the continuous arrow lines in Figure 1 indicate a flow of a refrigerant during the heating operation. In addition, the dashed arrow lines in Figure 1 indicate a refrigerant flow during the cooling operation. As shown in Figure 1, the air conditioner 100 includes a compressor 11, an external heat exchanger 12, an external fan 13 and an expansion valve 14. In addition to the components described above, the air conditioner 100 further includes an internal heat exchanger 15, an internal fan 16, and a four-way valve 17.

The compressor 11 is a device that is driven by a compressor motor 11a to compress gas refrigerant at low temperature, low pressure, and discharges it as a gas refrigerant at high temperature, high pressure. The external heat exchanger 12 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant flowing through a heat transfer tube (not shown) and the ambient air fed from the fan 13.

The outdoor fan 13 is a fan that is driven by a motor 13a of the outdoor fan to feed the ambient air to the outdoor heat exchanger 12, and is arranged throughout the external heat exchanger 12. The expansion valve 14 is a valve that decompresses the condensed refrigerant by a "condenser" (one of the external heat exchanger 12 and the internal heat exchanger 15). Note that the decompressed refrigerant in the expansion valve 14 is guided to an "evaporator" (the other of the external heat exchanger 12 and the internal heat exchanger 15).

The indoor heat exchanger 15 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tubes "g" (see Figure 2) and the indoor air (air in the space to be conditioned) fed from the indoor fan 16. The indoor fan 16 is a fan that is driven by a motor 16c of the indoor fan (see Figure 5) to feed the indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 15, and is disposed throughout the indoor heat exchanger 15 More specifically, in the air flow when the indoor fan 16 is rotating in the normal direction, the indoor fan 16 is disposed on the downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 15.

The four-way valve 17 is a valve that changes the refrigerant flow path according to the mode of operation of the air conditioner 100. During the cooling operation (see dashed arrow lines in Figure 1), for example, The refrigerant circulates through the refrigeration cycle in the refrigerant circuit Q which has the compressor 11, the external heat exchanger 12 (condenser), the expansion valve 14 and the internal heat exchanger 15 (evaporator) sequentially connected through the four-way valve 17 to form a circular shape.

On the contrary, during the heating operation (see continuous arrow lines in Figure 1), the refrigerant circulates through the refrigeration cycle in the refrigerant circuit Q that has the compressor 11, the internal heat exchanger 15 (condenser ), the expansion valve 14 and the external heat exchanger 12 (evaporator) sequentially connected through the four-way valve 17 to form a circular shape.

Note that in the example shown in Figure 1, the compressor 11, the external heat exchanger 12, the external fan 13, the expansion valve 14 and the four-way valve 17 are arranged in an outdoor unit Uo. In contrast, the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16 are arranged in an indoor unit Ui.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the indoor unit Ui. Note that the Figure 2 shows a fan cleaner 24 in a state without cleaning the indoor fan 16. In addition to the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16 as described above, the indoor unit Ui includes a condensation receiving tray 18, a housing base 19, filters 20a and 20b, a front panel 21, a horizontal vent 22, a vertical vent 23, and the fan cleaner 24.

The internal heat exchanger 15 has fins "f" and heat transfer tubes "g" that penetrate the fins "f". In addition, from another aspect, the inner heat exchanger 15 has a front inner heat exchanger 15a and a rear inner heat exchanger 15b. The front inner heat exchanger 15a is arranged on a front side of the inner fan 16. In contrast, the rear inner heat exchanger 15b is arranged on a rear side of the inner fan 16. An upper end of the front inner heat exchanger 15a is connects to an upper end of the rear interior heat exchanger 15b.

The condensation receiving tray 18 receives the condensed water in the interior heat exchanger 15, and is arranged under the interior heat exchanger 15 (front internal heat exchanger 15a in the example shown in Figure 2).

The inner fan 16 is, for example, a cylindrical shaped cross flow fan, and is disposed throughout the inner heat exchanger 15. The inner fan 16 includes fan blades 16a, a split plate 16b in which these blades fan 16a are established, and an internal fan motor 16c (see Figure 5) as a drive source.

Note that the inner fan 16 is preferably coated with a hydrophilic coating agent. Such a coating material may include a solution of silica dispersed in isopropyl alcohol, such as a hydrophilic material, added with a binder (silicon compound having a hydrolyzable group), butanol, tetrahydrofuran and an antimicrobial agent.

This shape is a hydrophilic film on a surface of the inner fan 16 to make the surface of the inner fan 16 have a lower electrical resistance value, preventing dust from easily adhering to the inner fan 16. That is, the static electricity caused by the air friction barely occurs on the inside fan surface 16 while the inner fan 16 is being operated, to prevent dust from adhering to the inner fan 16. In this way, the coating agent as described above also serves as an antistatic agent for the inner fan 16.

The housing base 19 of Figure 2 is a housing in which devices such as the internal heat exchanger 15 and the internal fan 16 are disposed. The filter 20a filters the dust from the air flowing into a front air inlet h1, and is disposed on the front side of the indoor heat exchanger 15. The filter 20b filters the dust from the air flowing into an upper air inlet h2, and is disposed on the upper side of the indoor heat exchanger 15.

The front panel 21 is a panel arranged to cover the filter 20a on the front side, and to swing forward on its lower end like an axis. Note that the front panel 21 can be configured not to swing.

The horizontal vent 22 is a plate member that regulates a side-to-side flow of the air blown in a room as the indoor fan 16 is rotated. The horizontal ventilation grill 22 is arranged in a blown air flow duct h3 and is arranged so that it can pivot from side to side by a motor 25 of the horizontal ventilation grill (see Figure 5). The vertical vent 23 is a plate member that regulates a vertical flow of the air blown into the room as the indoor fan 16 is rotated. The vertical vent 23 is arranged around an air outlet h4 and is arranged so that it can pivot vertically through a motor 26 of the vertical vent (see Figure 5).

The air drawn through the air inlets h1 and h2 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tubes "g" of the indoor heat exchanger 15, and the air exchanged with heat is directed to the duct blown air flow h3 The air flowing through the blown air flow duct h3 is guided in a predetermined direction by the horizontal vent 22 and the vertical vent 23, and is further blown into the room through of the air outlet h4.

Note that most of the dust that goes to the air outlets h1, h2 as the air flows, is collected by the filters 20a, 20b. However, occasionally fine dust may pass through the filters 20a, 20b and adhere to the internal heat exchanger 15 and the internal fan 16. Accordingly, the internal heat exchanger 15 and the fan Interior 16 are desirably cleaned on a regular basis. Next, the present embodiment is designed to rinse the inner heat exchanger 15 with water, after the inner fan 16 is cleaned by the fan cleaner 24 which will be described below.

The fan cleaner 24 in Figure 2 cleans the inner fan 16, and is disposed between the inner heat exchanger 15 and the inner fan 16. More specifically, the fan cleaner 24 is disposed in a recess "r" of the heat exchanger. frontal internal heat 15a having a dog paw shape in the longitudinal cross-sectional view. In the example shown in Figure 2, the interior heat exchanger 15 (lower part of the front internal heat exchanger 15a) and the condensation receiving tray 18 are located under the fan cleaner 24.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit Ui having a part thereof cut out. The fan cleaner 24 includes, in addition to an axis 24a and a brush 24b shown in Figure 3, a motor 24c of the fan cleaner (see Figure 5). The shaft 24a is a rod-like member parallel to an axial direction of the inner fan 16, and both ends of the shaft 24a are pivotally supported.

Brush 24b removes dust that adheres to fan blade 16a, and is fixed on shaft 24a. The fan cleaner motor 24c (Figure 5) is, for example, a stepper motor and has the function of rotating the shaft 24a at a predetermined angle.

When the indoor fan 16 is cleaned by the fan cleaner 24, the engine 24c of the fan cleaner (see Figure 5) is driven so that the brush 24b contacts the inner fan 16 (see Figure 7A), and the indoor fan 16 rotates in reverse. Once the cleaning of the inner fan 16 by the fan cleaner 24 has been completed, the motor 24c of the fan cleaner is driven again to swing the brush 24b so that the brush 24b is separated from the inner fan 16 (see Figure 2).

In the present embodiment, the front edge of the brush 24b is made to face the internal heat exchanger 15, as shown in Figure 2, except when cleaning the inner fan 16. More specifically, the brush 24b is separated from the fan interior 16 in order to orient in the lateral (substantially horizontal) direction, except when cleaning the interior fan 16 (even during normal operation of the air conditioner).

The reason for arranging the fan cleaner 24 in this manner will be described with reference to Figure 4.

Figure 4 illustrates an air flow around the fan cleaner 24 during the air conditioning operation. Note that the direction of each arrow line in Figure 4 indicates the direction of air flow. In addition, the length of each line with an arrow indicates the speed of the air flow. During normal operation of the air conditioner, the indoor fan 16 is rotated in the normal direction so that the air passing through the spaces between the fins "f" of the front inner heat exchanger 15a flows into the inner fan 16. In particular, around the recess "r" of the front inner heat exchanger 15a, air flows in the lateral direction (substantially horizontal direction) towards the inner fan 16 as shown in Figure 4.

The fan cleaner 24 is placed in the recess "r" in order to have the brush 24b oriented in the lateral direction, as described above. In other words, during normal operation of the air conditioner, the brush 24b is oriented parallel to an air flow direction. As described above, the extension direction of the brush 24b is substantially parallel to the direction of the air flow, and therefore the fan cleaner 24 almost does not impede the air flow.

In addition, the fan cleaner 24 is disposed in an upstream area instead of an intermediate running area or a downstream area of the air flow (near the air outlet h4 in Figure 2) when the indoor fan 16 is made turn in the normal direction. Next, the air flowing in the lateral direction along the brush 24b is accelerated by the fan blades 16a, and the accelerated air is directed to the air outlet h4 (see Figure 2). As described above, the fan cleaner 24 is disposed in an upstream area, in which the air flows at a relatively low speed, to reduce a decrease in the volume of air caused by the fan cleaner 24. Note that the fan cleaner 24 can be held in the same position as in Figure 4, even when the indoor fan 16 is stopped.

Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the air conditioner 100. The indoor unit Ui of Figure 5 includes, in addition to the components described above, a remote control transceiver 27 and the internal control circuit 31. The control transceiver remote 27 exchanges default information with a remote controller 40. Although not shown, the indoor control circuit 31 includes a CPU (Central Unit of Processing), a ROM (read-only memory), a RAM (random access memory) and electronic circuits, such as several interfaces. The programs stored in the ROM are recovered and loaded into the RAM of the CPU to execute several processes.

As shown in Figure 5, the internal control circuit 31 includes a storage unit 31a and an internal control unit 31b. The storage unit 31a stores, in addition to the predetermined programs, the data received through the remote control transceiver 27, the values detected by various sensors (not shown), and the like. The indoor control unit 31b drives the motor 24c of the fan cleaner, the engine 16c of the indoor fan, the engine 25 of the horizontal ventilation grill, the engine 26 of the vertical ventilation grill, and the like, based on the stored data in storage unit 31a.

The outdoor unit Uo includes, in addition to the components, as described above, an outdoor control circuit 32. Although not shown, the outdoor control circuit 32 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM and electronic circuits such as several interfaces, and is connected to the internal control circuit 31 through a communication line. As shown in Figure 5, the external control circuit 32 includes a storage unit 32a and an external control unit 32b.

The storage unit 32a stores, in addition to the predetermined programs, the data received from the internal control circuit 31, and the like. The external control unit 32b controls the compressor motor 11a, the motor 13a of the external fan, the expansion valve 14 and the like, based on the data stored in the storage unit 32a. Hereinafter, the internal control circuit 31 and the external control circuit 32 are collectively referred to as "controller 30".

Figure 6 is a flow chart of a process executed by controller 30 (see Figure 2 according to the case). Note that it is assumed that the air conditioning does not work in "START" in Figure 6, and the brush 24b has its front edge oriented towards the front inner heat exchanger 15a (position in Figure 2).

In step S101 in Figure 6, the controller 30 cleans the inner fan 16 by the fan cleaner 24. Note that an activator for starting the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 will be, for example, a condition that the accumulated time of the air conditioning operation since the last cleaning has reached predetermined time.

Figure 7A illustrates the indoor fan 16 being cleaned. Note that Figure 7A shows the internal heat exchanger 15, the internal fan 16 and the condensation receiving tray 18, but no other members are shown. The controller 30 controls the fan cleaner 24 so that it contacts the inner fan 16, and controls the inner fan 16 to rotate it in a direction opposite to that it has during the air conditioning operation (reverse direction).

That is, the controller 30 controls the brush 24b which is pivoted about the axis 24a at approximately 180 degrees from the position in which the brush 24b has a front end oriented towards the internal heat exchanger 15 (see Figure 2), so that the brush 24b has its front end facing the inner fan 16 (see Figure 7A). This causes the brush 24b to contact the blade 16a of the indoor fan fan 16.

Note that in the example of Figure 7A, as indicated by a chain line of a point L, the internal heat exchanger 15 (front internal heat exchanger) 15a), as well as the condensation receiving tray 18 is located below a contact position K in the state of the fan cleaner 24 in contact with the indoor fan 16.

As described above, the inner fan 16 is rotated in the reverse direction to cause the front edge of the brush 24b to deviate as the fan blade 16a moves, so that the brush 24b is pressed to hit the rear surface of fan blade 16a. Next, the dust accumulated around the front edge of the fan blade 16a (the end in the radial direction) is removed by the brush 24b.

In particular, dust tends to accumulate around the front edges of fan blades 16a. This is because the fan blade 16a is hit with the air on its front surface around the front edge, during the air conditioning operation having the inner fan 16 turned in the normal direction L (see Figure 4), to make the powder adhere to the fan blade 16a around the front edge. The air hitting the fan blade 16a around the front edge passes through the space between adjacent fan blades 16a to flow along the curved front surface of the fan blade 16a.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the brush 24b is brought into contact with the fan blade 16a, and then the inner fan 16 is rotated in the reverse direction. This causes the brush 24b to contact the rear surface of the fan blade 16a around the front edge, whereby dust accumulated on both of the front and rear surfaces, around the front edge, of the fan blade 16a is collectively removed As a result, most of the dust accumulated in the indoor fan 16 is removed.

In addition, causing the indoor fan 16 to rotate in the reverse direction generates a smooth air flow in a direction opposite to that in the normal direction (see Figure 4) inside the indoor unit Ui (see Figure 2). Accordingly, the dust "j" removed from the indoor fan 16 is not directed to the air outlet h4 (see Figure 2), and is guided to the condensation receiving tray 18, as shown in Figure 7A, through of the space between the front inner heat exchanger 15a and the inner fan 16.

More specifically, the dust "j" extracted from the inner fan 16 by the brush 24b is pressed lightly against the inner heat exchanger 15a by the wind pressure. Next, the powder "j" falls into the condensation receiving tray 18 along the inclined surface (the edge of the fin "f") of the front inner heat exchanger 15a (see an arrow line in the Figure 7A). Therefore, the powder "j" barely adheres to the rear surface of the vertical vent 23 (see Figure 2) through a tiny gap between the inner fan 16 and the condensation receiving tray 18. This prevents that the powder "j" is injected into the room during the next air conditioning operation.

Note that the dust "j" removed from the inner fan 16 can partially adhere to the front inner heat exchanger 15a without falling into the condensation receiving tray 18. The powder "j" adhered to the front inner heat exchanger 15a in this way is lava by the process of step S103 which will be described later.

In addition, while the indoor fan 16 is cleaning, the controller 30 can control the indoor fan 16 to operate at the turning speed in the medium to high speed range, or it can control that the indoor fan 16 is operated at the turning speed. in the low speed interval. The turning speed of the indoor fan 16 in the medium to high speed range is, for example, 300 min-1 or more and less than 1700 min-1. Turn on Inner fan 16 rotated in the medium to high speed range allows the powder "j" to be easily directed towards the front internal heat exchanger 15a, whereby the powder "j" barely adheres to the rear surface of the grid of vertical ventilation 23 (see Figure 2), as described above. Therefore, this prevents dust "j" from blowing into the room during the next air conditioning operation.

The turning speed of the indoor fan 16 in the low speed range is, for example, 100 min-1 or more and less than 300 min-1. Making the indoor fan 16 rotate at a low speed interval allows the indoor fan 16 to be cleaned with low noise.

In step S102 after the process of step S101 in Figure 6 is completed, the controller 30 controls the fan cleaner 24 to move it. That is, the controller 30 controls the brush 24b to pivot it 180 degrees around the axis 24a of the position where the front edge of the brush 24b is oriented towards the inner fan 16 (see Figure 7A), so that the front edge of the brush 24b is oriented towards the internal heat exchanger 15 (see Figure 7B). This prevents the fan cleaner 24 from interfering with the air flow during the subsequent air conditioning operation.

Then in step S103, the controller 30 controls the indoor heat exchanger 15 to freeze and thaw sequentially. First, the controller 30 controls the indoor heat exchanger 15 to serve as an evaporator to freeze the moisture contained in the air taken in the indoor unit Ui in the indoor heat exchanger 15 for freezing. Note that the freezing of the indoor heat exchanger 15 is included in a wording "causing the condensed water to adhere" to the indoor heat exchanger 15.

While the indoor heat exchanger 15 is frozen, the controller 30 preferably controls the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant flowing to the indoor heat exchanger 15 to reduce it. That is, while controlling the indoor heat exchanger 15 to serve as an evaporator for self-freezing (causing the condensed water to adhere to itself), the controller 30 controls the pressure of the refrigerant flowing to the indoor heat exchanger 15 to be regulated so that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is lower than what it has during normal operation of the air conditioner.

Controller 30 controls the opening level of expansion valve 14 (see Figure 1) to reduce it, for example, to allow refrigerant having low pressure and low evaporation temperature to flow in the indoor heat exchanger 15. This allows frost and ice (symbol i shown in Figure 7B) to grow easily in the exchanger of internal heat 15, so that the internal heat exchanger 15 is washed with a large amount of water during subsequent defrosting.

In addition, in the interior heat exchanger 15, an area under the fan cleaner 24 is preferably not an area downstream of the refrigerant flow through the interior heat exchanger 15 (i.e., an upstream area or a intermediate current area). This allows the two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant with a low temperature to flow at least below the fan cleaner 24, so that the frost and ice adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 increases in thickness. Accordingly, the indoor heat exchanger 15 is washed with a large amount of water during subsequent defrosting. Note that the region of the internal heat exchanger 15 located below the fan cleaner 24 may have the dust scraped off the fan 16 by the fan cleaner 24 easily adhered thereto. Next, the two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant with low temperature in the region of the indoor heat exchanger 15 located below the fan cleaner 24 allows frost and ice to grow easily, and the additional melting of such frost and ice allows that the powder in the indoor heat exchanger 15 be washed properly.

In addition, while controlling the indoor heat exchanger 15 to serve as an evaporator for self-freezing (causing the condensed water to adhere to itself), the controller 30 preferably controls the vertical vent 23 (see Figure 2) to be near or oriented towards a direction higher than the horizontal direction. This prevents the low temperature air cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 15 from seeping into the room, so that the freezing of the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the like is executed, so as not to make the user feel uncomfortable.

After the indoor heat exchanger 15 is frozen in this manner (S103 in Figure 6), the controller 30 defrosts the indoor heat exchanger 15 (S103). For example, the controller 30 controls the devices to keep them stopped and allow the indoor heat exchanger 15 to defrost, naturally, to room temperature. Note that the control unit 30 can control the heating operation or the blowing operation that will be executed to melt the frost and ice adhered to the indoor heat exchanger 15.

Figure 7B shows that the indoor heat exchanger 15 defrosting. When the indoor heat exchanger 15 defrosts, the frost and ice adhered to the indoor heat exchanger 15 melts and a large amount of water w flows to the condensation receiving tray 18 along the fins "f". This is the cause that the powder "j" that adheres to the indoor heat exchanger 15 during the air conditioning operation is washed.

Since the inner fan 16 is cleaned with the brush 24b, the powder "j" that adheres to the front inner heat exchanger 15a is also washed away and flows down to the condensation receiving tray 18 (see line with arrow in Figure 7B). Water w flowing to the condensation receiving tray 18 is thus discharged to the outside through a drain hose (not shown), together with the powder "j" that has been dropped directly into the tray of condensation reception 18 while cleaning the indoor fan 16 (see Figure 7A). As described above, a large amount of water flows down during defrosting of the indoor heat exchanger 15, and therefore, a drain hose (not shown) or the like is hardly clogged with the dust "j".

Note that although it is not shown in Figure 6, the controller 30 can control the heating operation or the blowing operation to be executed after the indoor heat exchanger 15 freezes and thaws (S103), to dry the indoor unit indoor Ui. This prevents bacteria from growing in the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the like.

<Advantageous effects>

In accordance with the present embodiment, the indoor fan 16 is cleaned by the fan cleaner 24 (S101 in Figure 6) to prevent dust "j" from blowing into the room. In addition, the fan cleaner 24 is disposed between the front inner heat exchanger 15a and the inner fan 16 to guide the scraped dust "j" from the inner fan 16 by the brush 24b to the condensation receiving tray 18. In addition, the controller 30 controls the indoor fan 16 to rotate it in the reverse direction while the indoor fan 16 is cleaned. This prevents the dust "j" from moving towards the air outlet h4.

Additionally, brush 24b is oriented in the lateral direction during normal operation of the air conditioner (see Figure 4), so as not to impede the flow of air under the influence of the brush 24b. In addition, this reduces the decrease in air volume caused by the fan cleaner 24 during normal operation of the air conditioner together with the fact that the fan cleaner 24 is disposed in the area upstream of the air flow, and also prevents the power consumption of the indoor fan 16 from increasing.

Note that if a large amount of dust adheres to the indoor fan 16, the temperature for blowing air can be reduced in some cases during the cooling operation to compensate for the degradation of the performance of the indoor fan 16, to cause the Condensation water drip into the room. To cope with this situation, the indoor fan 16 is adequately cleaned in the present embodiment to reduce the decrease in the air volume of the indoor fan 16 caused by the dust adhering thereto, as described above. Therefore, the present embodiment prevents the dripping of condensation water caused by the dust in the indoor fan 16.

In addition, the controller 30 controls the indoor heat exchanger 15 to sequentially execute the freezing and thawing (S103 in Figure 6) to cause the powder "j" adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 to be washed with water "w" and flow down to the condensation receiving tray 18. In this way, the present embodiment cleans the inner fan 16, and also cleans the inner heat exchanger 15. Therefore, the air conditioner 100 provides an air conditioning comfortable. In addition, the air conditioner 100 reduces the time and effort of the user required to clean the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16, and maintenance costs.

Modifications

Until now, the realization of the air conditioner 100 according to the present invention has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto and several modifications are possible. Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of an indoor unit UAi of an air conditioner according to a modification. In the modification shown in Figure 8, a groove member M having a concave shape in longitudinal cross-section is disposed below the front inner heat exchanger 15a. In addition, a rib 28 extending upwardly from the bottom surface of the groove member M is provided in the groove member M. The other features are the same as in the embodiment.

In the groove member M shown in Figure 8, a front section of the rib 28 serves as a condensation receptacle 18A which receives water condensed by the internal heat exchanger 15. In addition, a rear section of the rib 28 in the groove member M it serves as a dust receptacle 29 that receives the dust that falls from the inner heat exchanger 15 and the inner fan 16. The dust receptacle 29 is disposed below the inner heat exchanger 15.

Next, the inner heat exchanger 15 (front internal heat exchanger 15a), as well as the dust receptacle 29 are located below the fan cleaner 24. More specifically, although not shown, located below a contact point wherein the fan cleaner 24 is in contact with the interior fan 16, there is the interior heat exchanger 15 and the dust receptacle 29. Even with such a configuration, the advantageous effects similar to those of the embodiment, such as described above, are obtained. Note that at the time of defrosting the internal heat exchanger 15, water flows down to the condensation receptacle 18A as well as to the dust receptacle 29. Consequently, there will be no difficulty in discharging the accumulated dust into the receptacle of powder 29.

In addition, in the modification of Figure 8, the upper end of the rib 28 is not in contact with the front inner heat exchanger 15a, but is not limited to this configuration. That is, the upper end of the rib 28 may be in contact with the front internal heat exchanger 15a.

Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of the interior fan 16 and a cleaner 24A fan included in an air conditioner according to another modification. In the modification shown in Figure 9, the fan cleaner 24A includes a bar-shaped shaft 24d that is parallel to the axial direction of the inner fan 16, a brush 24e that sets the shaft 24d, a pair of brackets 24f that They are arranged at both ends of the shaft 24b. In addition to these, although not shown, the fan cleaner 24A also includes a movement mechanism that moves the fan cleaner 24A such as in the axial direction.

As shown in Figure 9, the length of the fan cleaner 24A in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the inner fan 16 is shorter than the axial length of the inner fan 16 itself. The fan cleaner 24A is configured to move in the axial direction of the indoor fan 16 (right and left direction as seen from the front of the indoor unit), while cleaning the indoor fan 16. That is, the fan cleaner 24A It is configured to sequentially clean the inner fan 16 for each predetermined section corresponding to the length of the fan cleaner 24A in the axial direction of the inner fan 16. Thus, this modification is configured to move the fan cleaner 24A which has a length relatively short, to reduce the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner compared to the embodiment.

Note that a bar (not shown) extending parallel to the axis 24d can be provided near the fan cleaner 24A (for example, above the axis 24d), such that a predetermined movement mechanism (not shown) moves the cleaner 24A of the fan along the bar. In addition, the movement mechanism (not shown) can properly swing or move the fan cleaner 24A after cleaning by the fan cleaner 24A, to move the cleaner 24A away from the fan of the indoor fan 16.

In addition, such a description has been provided in the embodiment in which the controller 30 controls the fan cleaner 24 to come into contact with the inner fan 16, and then controls the inner fan 16 to rotate in a direction opposite to the which you have during normal operation of the air conditioner (in the reverse direction), but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, the controller 30 can control the fan cleaner 24 to contact the inner fan 16, and then control the inner fan 16 to rotate it in the same direction as it has during normal operation of the air conditioner ( in the normal direction).

Placing the brush 24b in contact with the inner fan 16 and then rotating the inner fan 16 in a normal direction effectively eliminates the adhesion of dust to the fan blade 16a on its front surface around the front edge. Additionally, a circuit element for rotating the inner fan 16 in the reverse direction becomes unnecessary so that the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner 100 is reduced. Note that the rotational speed when the inner fan 16 is rotated in the Normal direction during cleaning can be any of the low speed range, medium speed range and high speed range as in the embodiment.

In addition, such a description has been provided in the embodiment in which the brush 24b is pivoted on the axis 24a of the fan cleaner 24, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the controller 30 can control the axis 24a to move towards the inner fan 16 when the inner fan 16 is cleaned, so that the brush 24b contacts the inner fan 16. Then, the controller 30 can control that the shaft 24a moves away from the inner fan 16 to separate the brush 24b from the inner fan 16, after the cleaning of the inner fan 16 has been completed.

Even more, such a description has been provided in the embodiment in which the fan cleaner 24 includes the brush 24b, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration. That is, a sponge or the like can be used as long as you can clean the indoor fan 16.

Even more, such a description has been provided in the embodiment in which, in the indoor heat exchanger 15, the area under the fan cleaner 24 is not the area downstream of the refrigerant flow, but the present invention It is not limited to this setting. For example, in the interior heat exchanger 15, the area whose height is greater than that of the fan cleaner 24 may not be the area downstream of the refrigerant flow flowing through the interior heat exchanger 15 (i.e. area is the upstream area or intermediate current area). More specifically, in the front inner heat exchanger 15a, an area located on the downstream side of the air flow during normal operation of the air conditioner, whose height is greater than that of the air cleaner 24, is preferably not the downstream area of the refrigerant flow flowing through the internal heat exchanger 15. According to such a configuration, in the front internal heat exchanger 15a, the thick frost adheres to the area located on the downstream side of air flow during operation normal of the air conditioner, whose height is greater than that of the fan cleaning section 24 (right side, in the plane of the paper, of the interior heat exchanger 15a in Figure 2), as the interior heat exchanger 15 freezes. Then, when the indoor heat exchanger 15 is subsequently defrosted, a large amount of water flows down through the fins "f". As a result, the dust (including dust removed from the indoor fan 16) that adheres to the indoor heat exchanger 15 is washed in the condensation receiving tray 18.

Moreover, such a description has been provided in the embodiment in which the controller 30 controls the brush 24b of the fan cleaner 24 to be in contact with the inner fan 16 while the inner fan 16 is being cleaned, but the The present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, the controller 30 can control the brush 24b of the fan cleaner 24 to approach the indoor fan 16 while the indoor fan 16 is cleaned. More specifically, the controller 30 controls the brush 24b to approach the inner fan 16 to such an extent that dust, which has accumulated on the front edge of the fan blade 16a and that has grown outward in the radial direction beyond dl front edge, is removed. With such a configuration, the dust accumulated in the indoor fan 16 is properly removed as well.

Even more, such a description has been provided in the embodiment in which the indoor heat exchanger 15 is frozen, followed by some other processing, to clean the indoor heat exchanger 15, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be condensed, and the condensation water (condensed water) can be used to clean the indoor heat exchanger 15. For example, the controller 30 will calculate the dew point of the room air based on ambient air temperature and relative humidity. Next, the controller 30 will control the degree of opening of the expansion valve 14 and the like so that the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 15 is equal to or less than the dew point and higher than the predetermined freezing temperature.

The "freezing temperature" mentioned above is a temperature at which the humidity contained in the indoor air starts freezing in the indoor heat exchanger 15 as the room air temperature is reduced. Condensing the internal heat exchanger 15 allows the dust of the internal heat exchanger 15 to be washed with condensation water (condensed water).

As an alternative, the controller 30 can control the internal heat exchanger 15 to condense through cooling operation or dehumidification operation, and control the internal heat exchanger 15 to wash with the condensation water (condensed water).

Even more, such a description has been provided in the embodiment (see Figure 2) in which the internal heat exchanger 15 and the condensation receiving tray 18 are located under the fan cleaner 24, but the present invention does not It is limited to this setting. That is, at least one of the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the condensation receiving tray 18 can be found under the fan cleaner 24. For example, in a configuration in which the lower portion of the internal heat exchanger 15 having a dog-leg shape in a longitudinal cross-sectional view extends in the vertical direction, the condensation receiving tray 18 can be located below (just below) the fan cleaner 24.

Even more, such a description has been provided in the modification shown in Figure 8 in which the internal heat exchanger 15 and the dust receptacle 29 are located below the fan cleaner 24, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, at least one of the internal heat exchanger 15 and the dust receptacle 29 can be placed under the fan cleaner 24.

Even more, such a description has been provided in the embodiment in which an indoor unit Ui (see Figure 1) and an outdoor unit Uo (see Figure 1) are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, two or more indoor units connected in parallel can be provided, or two or more outdoor units connected in parallel can be provided. Additionally, in the embodiment, the wall-mounted type air conditioner 100 has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to other types of air conditioners.

The embodiment has been described in detail in order to illustrate the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to that which includes all the configurations described. In addition, part of the configuration in the embodiment can be removed, or added or replaced with another configuration. In addition, the mechanisms and configurations described above are those considered necessary for illustration, and are not necessarily all mechanisms and product configurations.

Legend of reference numbers

100 air conditioner

11 Compressor

12 External heat exchanger

13 Outdoor fan

14 Expansion Valve

15 Indoor heat exchanger

15a Front interior heat exchanger 15b Rear interior heat exchanger 16 Interior fan

17 Four way valve

18 Condensation receiving tray 22 Horizontal ventilation grill

23 Vertical ventilation grill

24, 24A Fan cleaner

24a, 24d Axis

24b, 24e Brush

24f Support

29 Dust Receptacle

30 Controller

K Contact point

Q Cooling circuit

r Sale

Claims (19)

1. An air conditioner comprising: an indoor heat exchanger; an indoor fan; a condensation receiving tray that is arranged under the indoor heat exchanger; and a fan cleaner that is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger and the indoor fan to clean the indoor fan, wherein at least one element selected between the indoor heat exchanger and the condensation receiving tray is located directly below the fan cleaner. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises: a dust receptacle that is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger; and wherein at least one element selected from the indoor heat exchanger, the dust receptacle and the condensation receiving tray is located directly below the fan cleaner. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one element selected between the internal heat exchanger and the condensation receiving tray is located below a contact point where the fan cleaner is in contact with the indoor fan. 4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one element selected between the internal heat exchanger and the dust receptacle is located below a contact point where the fan cleaner is in contact With the indoor fan. 5. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises: a controller that controls the fan cleaner to contact the indoor fan, and controls the indoor fan to rotate it at a predetermined rotational speed. 6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that the turning speed is 300 min-1 or more and less than 1700 min-1. 7. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that the turning speed is 100 min-1 or more and less than 300 min-1. 8. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that the controller controls that the fan cleaner comes into contact with the inner fan, and controls the inner fan to rotate it in a direction opposite to that it has during normal operation of the air conditioner. 9. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that the controller controls that the fan cleaner comes into contact with the inner fan, and controls the inner fan to rotate it in the same direction as it has during normal operation of the air conditioner. 10. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that the controller controls that the indoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator, after the fan cleaner has cleaned the indoor fan, to make the condensed water adhere to the indoor heat exchanger. 11. The air conditioner according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises: a vertical vent that regulates a flow of vertical air blown in a room as the indoor fan is rotated, in which the controller controls the vertical vent to close or orient towards a direction higher than the horizontal direction, while controlling the indoor heat exchanger function as an evaporator to make the condensed water adhere to the heat exchanger inside. 12. The air conditioner according to claim 10, characterized in that the controller controls the pressure of the refrigerant flowing to the internal heat exchanger for its regulation so that the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant is lower than it has during the Normal operation of the air conditioner, while controlling the indoor heat exchanger to serve as an evaporator to make the condensed water adhere to the indoor heat exchanger. 13. The air conditioner according to claim 10, characterized in that in the indoor heat exchanger, an area located below the fan cleaner is not an area downstream of the flow of refrigerant through the indoor heat exchanger. 14. The air conditioner according to claim 10, characterized in that the interior heat exchanger includes an interior interior heat exchanger which is arranged on a front side of the interior fan, in which in the indoor heat exchanger, an area located on the downward side of the air flow during normal operation of the air conditioner, whose height is greater than that of the fan, is not the downward area of the flowing coolant flow Through the interior heat exchanger. 15. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The indoor heat exchanger includes an indoor indoor heat exchanger that is arranged on a front side of the indoor fan, wherein the fan cleaner is disposed in a recess of the front internal heat exchanger having a dog's leg shape in a longitudinal cross-sectional view. 16. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fan cleaner includes a shaft that is a rod-shaped member parallel to an axial direction of the inner fan, and a brush on the shaft, in which the brush is oriented in the lateral direction during normal operation of the air conditioner. 17. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fan cleaner includes a shaft that is a rod-shaped member parallel to an axial direction of the inner fan, and a brush on the shaft, in which the brush is oriented parallel to an air flow direction, during normal operation of the air conditioner. 18. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the indoor fan is coated with a hydrophilic coating agent. 19. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the length of the fan cleaner in a direction parallel to an axial direction of the inner fan is shorter than the axial length of the inner fan itself, and The fan cleaner moves in the axial direction of the indoor fan, while cleaning the indoor fan.