JP2000046377A - Outdoor unit and air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioner in which even when the spaces between corrugated fins in an outdoor heat exchanger are clogged with dust or the like, the operation is not hindered. SOLUTION: An outdoor unit 20 is provided with a meandering refrigerant piping 1 and an outdoor heat exchanger 20b with a plurality of corrugated fins 2 that are provided perpendicularly to the refrigerant piping 1 (vertical pacing), taking the intervals of spaces 3 as periods. A propeller fan 20c takes outdoor air via the spaces 3 from the outside to the inside so as to generate wind blowing through outside/inside the outdoor unit 20. The propeller fan 20c is provided with a detection device 4 for detecting the rotational speed thereof. When the spaces 3 are clogged with dust or the like, the resistance of the wind passing through the spaces 3 increase, the load borne on the propeller fan 20 increases, and the rotational speed of the propeller fan 20 decreases. The detection device 4 immediately conveys this rotational speed decrease to a user through an indicator 11b on an indoor unit 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for providing a comfortable indoor environment by heating or cooling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An air conditioner is composed of two major components, an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. Each of these is provided with an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger that perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor air and between the refrigerant and the outdoor air.

[0003] These indoor heat exchangers and outdoor heat exchangers are:
In addition, components such as a compressor and an expansion valve are added to constitute a refrigerant circuit. Refrigerant physically circulates through this circuit, and follows the circulating process of changing the state of high-temperature and high-pressure gas, low-temperature and low-pressure gas, high-temperature and high-pressure liquid, and low-temperature and low-pressure liquid. . The cooling and heating of the room is directly realized by heat exchange between the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger and room air.

[0004] Heating is realized by sending a gaseous refrigerant converted into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas by a compressor to an indoor heat exchanger and exchanging heat between the refrigerant and indoor air. Cooling also sends high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant to an outdoor heat exchanger and exchanges heat with outdoor air to form a high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant.
This is further realized by passing the gas through an expansion valve to lower the temperature and pressure and sending it to the indoor heat exchanger, and performing heat exchange between the refrigerant and room air.

[0005]

The outdoor heat exchanger in the outdoor unit is constituted by a refrigerant pipe having a large number of corrugated fins around it. The refrigerant pipes are arranged in a meandering form, and the corrugated fins are arranged perpendicular to the meandering refrigerant pipes at intervals of a gap. The refrigerant transmits heat to the corrugated fins while passing through the refrigerant pipe and dissipates it to the outside (during cooling operation), or conversely removes heat (during heating operation).

The outdoor unit is provided with a propeller fan that takes in outdoor air from the outside to the inside through the gap between the corrugated fins. This wind passes through the gap between the corrugated fins and blows through the inside and outside of the outdoor unit. As a result, new outdoor air is always supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger, that is, the gap between the corrugated fins, and the heat exchange rate between the refrigerant and the outdoor air is improved.

In the above-mentioned outdoor heat exchanger, there is a problem that dust stays in the gap between the corrugated fins. This occurs because dust and the like floating in the air are mixed in the wind generated by the propeller fan. If such a situation becomes worse and the gap between the corrugated fins is completely clogged, it becomes impossible for the wind generated by the propeller fan to blow through the outdoor heat exchanger. For this reason, the heat exchange rate drops significantly, and in some cases, the operation of the air conditioner itself is greatly affected.

[0008] In order to avoid such a situation, the outdoor unit may be provided with a fan guard for removing dust from the outdoor air. However, the installation environment of the outdoor unit is limited to a very large amount of dust. For example, when the location is such a place where the operation is performed, simply installing the fan guard does not solve the problem. In such a severe situation,
For example, it is assumed that an outdoor unit is installed in a desert area or the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide no hindrance to operation even if dust or the like is clogged in a space between corrugated fins in an outdoor heat exchanger. Such an outdoor unit and an air conditioner are provided.

[0010]

The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, the outdoor unit according to claim 1 includes an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor that sends a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger or the indoor heat exchanger, and a plurality of the outdoor heat exchangers. Corrugated fins, an outdoor fan that generates a wind that takes in outdoor air from the outside to the inside through a gap between the plurality of corrugated fins, and a detection unit that detects a rotation speed of the outdoor fan are provided. It is characterized by the following.

[0011] According to this, the load state of the outdoor fan can be known by knowing the rotation speed of the outdoor fan by the detecting means. Further, by knowing the load state of the propeller fan, it is possible to indirectly know the clogged state of the gap between the corrugated fins. This is because, if the air gap is clogged with dust or the like, the flow of air is blocked, an overload is applied to a driving source for rotating the propeller fan, and the number of revolutions is reduced. That is, the detecting means is an information source for knowing the degree of clogging of dust in the gap between the corrugated fins.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner comprising: an outdoor heat exchanger; a compressor for delivering a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger or the indoor heat exchanger; A plurality of corrugated fins, an outdoor fan that generates a wind that takes in outdoor air from the outside to the inside through a gap between the plurality of corrugated fins, and a detection unit that detects a rotation speed of the outdoor fan. An outdoor unit, a fan for sucking indoor air from the suction port and blowing it out from the outlet, and an indoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the indoor air and the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit. And an indoor unit provided.

This air conditioner can be said to be provided with the outdoor unit according to the first aspect. In other words, it can be said that the present air conditioner is an air conditioner having an effect of being able to indirectly know the state of dust or the like clogging the gap between the corrugated fins constituting the outdoor heat exchanger by the detection means.

The air conditioner according to a third aspect of the present invention includes an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor for sending a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger or the indoor heat exchanger, and the outdoor heat exchanger. A plurality of corrugated fins, an outdoor fan that generates a wind that takes in outdoor air from the outside to the inside through a gap between the plurality of corrugated fins, and a detection unit that detects a rotation speed of the outdoor fan. An outdoor unit, a fan for sucking indoor air from an inlet and blowing out from an outlet, an indoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between the indoor air and a refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit, An indoor unit provided with an indicator for displaying a detection result of the detection means.

According to this, the user of the air conditioner can know the number of rotations of the outdoor fan from the indicator of the indoor unit. That is, the user can know the state of dust or the like that is clogging the gap between the corrugated fins constituting the outdoor heat exchanger while staying in the room.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of the air conditioner. The air conditioner includes an indoor unit 10 and an outdoor unit 20. The indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 20 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 30 through which the refrigerant flows, an electric wiring (not shown), and the like. Two refrigerant pipes 30 are provided, and the refrigerant flows from the indoor unit 10 to the outdoor unit 20 on one side and flows from the outdoor unit 20 to the indoor unit 10 on the other side.

The indoor unit 10 has a base 11 and a front panel 12 integrally formed. The base 11 is provided with various devices such as a plate fin tube type indoor heat exchanger and a substantially cylindrical cross flow fan (fan). These are not both shown. The base 11 has another indoor unit 10
And a control unit 11a configured of various electric circuit elements for performing operation control and the like relating to the operation. The control unit 11a is provided with an appropriate indicator 11b for displaying an operation status and an error mode. The indicator 11b can be checked from the outside by a see-through portion 12a provided on the front panel 12.
A mounting plate 13 is provided behind the base 11,
This makes it possible to install the indoor unit 10 on a wall or the like in the room.

The front panel 12 has a suction grill (suction port) 12b formed on each of the front and top surfaces. The indoor air is drawn into the indoor unit 10 from these directions by the suction grills 12b. Incidentally, an air filter 12c is provided behind the suction grill 12b, and functions to remove dust such as sucked air. Also, on the front panel 12,
An air outlet 12d is formed below the air outlet, from which warmed or cooled air is blown out. In addition, this air suction and air blowing
This is performed by rotating the cross flow fan.

The outdoor unit 20 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 20b, a propeller fan (outdoor fan) 20 in a housing 20a.
c, a compressor 20f, a control box 20g, and the like. The outdoor heat exchanger 20b is configured by a refrigerant pipe having a large number of corrugated fins around it, and realizes heat exchange between the refrigerant and outdoor air. The propeller fan 20c has a wind that flows from the back to the front in the housing 20a (that is, the wind is generated by the outdoor heat exchanger 2).
0b), so that new air is always taken into the housing 20a to improve the heat exchange efficiency. In addition, the outdoor heat exchanger 20b
The propeller fan 20c will be described later in detail.

A finger 20d and a fan guard 20e are provided on the surface of the housing 20a where the outdoor heat exchanger 20b and the propeller fan 20c face the outside. The fingerings 20d are provided so that the corrugated fins are not damaged by an unexpected impact from the outside. Similarly, the fan guard 20e is provided for the purpose of protecting the propeller fan 20c from external impact similarly and for the purpose of preventing dust and the like contained in the outside air from being taken into the housing 20a. Things.

The compressor 20f supplies a low-temperature low-pressure gas refrigerant to the compressor 20f.
The refrigerant is converted into high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant and discharged, and plays the most central role in the components constituting the refrigerant circuit. Incidentally, the refrigerant circuit is the compressor 20f
In addition to the above, the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger 20
b, a refrigerant pipe 30, an expansion valve, and a four-way valve (the expansion valve and the four-way valve are not shown) for regulating the flow direction of the refrigerant.
This is a circuit that circulates between zero and zero.

The control box 20g controls the operation of the propeller fan 20c, the compressor 20f, and other various devices provided in the outdoor unit 20, and is made up of various electric circuit elements.

The outdoor unit 20 includes, in addition to the above, a housing 2
A pedestal 20h is provided to support Oa and to avoid a bad disturbance such as vibration. The wall of the housing 20a close to the compressor 20f has a removable panel 2 for performing maintenance and the like of the compressor 20f.
0i.

Hereinafter, the operation of the air conditioner having such a configuration will be described for each of the heating operation and the cooling operation. First, during the heating operation, the refrigerant converted into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas by the compressor 20f is supplied to the refrigerant pipe 3
0, and is sent to an unillustrated indoor heat exchanger in the indoor unit 10. In the indoor unit 10, heat is given to the room air taken in from the suction grill 12b by the cross flow fan from the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant passing through the indoor heat exchanger. This allows the front panel 1
Warm air is blown out from the outlet 12d below 2. At the same time, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is condensed and liquefied in the indoor heat exchanger and becomes a high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant.

The high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant is supplied to the refrigerant pipe 3 again.
0 through the outdoor heat exchanger 20 in the outdoor unit 20
b, the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 20b deprives the new outdoor air taken into the housing 20a by the propeller fan 20c of heat. As a result, the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant evaporates and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant. This is sent to the compressor 20f again, and the above process is repeated.

During the cooling operation, the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant circuit in a direction opposite to the above. That is, the refrigerant converted into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas by the compressor 20f passes through the refrigerant pipe 30 and is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 20b, where the outdoor air is given heat and condensed and liquefied to become a high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant. This high temperature and high pressure liquid refrigerant
After passing through an expansion valve (not shown), it becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant,
It is sent to the indoor heat exchanger (not shown) again through the refrigerant pipe 30. Here, the low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant takes heat from the room air to cool the room air, and the refrigerant itself evaporates and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant. This is again the compressor 20
f and the above process is repeated.

These operations are controlled by the control unit 11a housed in the indoor unit 10 and the control box 20g housed in the outdoor unit 20 working together.

Hereinafter, the characteristic portions of the present invention will be described. As described above, the outdoor unit 20 is provided with the outdoor heat exchanger 20b including a refrigerant pipe having a number of corrugated fins around the periphery. As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant pipe 1 is arranged in a meandering manner so as to cover the back and side surfaces of the housing 20a. The corrugated fins 2 are arranged perpendicularly to the meandering refrigerant pipe 1, that is, in a vertical position, with a gap 3 as a cycle while providing a gap 3.

The outdoor unit 20 includes a housing 20a.
It has also been described before that a propeller fan 20c for generating a wind flowing from the back to the front is provided therein. Since the propeller fan 20c has the function just described, the wind eventually occurs in the gap 3 between the corrugated fins 2 constituting the outdoor heat exchanger 20b. This wind is a wind that passes through the gap 3 from outside to inside and blows through the inside and outside of the outdoor unit 20. As a result, new outdoor air is always supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 20b, that is, the gap 3 between the corrugated fins 2, and the heat exchange efficiency between the refrigerant and the outdoor air is improved.

The propeller fan 20c is provided with a drive source (not shown) for realizing the rotation, and a detection device (detection means) 4 for detecting the number of rotations. The detection device 4 makes it possible to know the rotation speed of the propeller fan 20c. In other words, it makes it possible to know the load state of the drive source. The rotation speed of the propeller fan 20c is controlled by a control unit (not shown) in order to always keep an appropriate operation state such as avoiding freezing (during cooling operation) of the outdoor heat exchanger 20b.

The state of the load on the drive source of the propeller fan 20c is greatly affected by the degree of clogging of dust or the like in the gap 3 between the corrugated fins 2. That is, when no dust stays in the gap 3, the wind generated by the propeller fan 20 c passes through the gap 3 without any obstacle, and the propeller fan 20 c
The driving source of c does not receive a large load. On the other hand, when dust or the like starts to accumulate in the gap 3, the resistance of the wind to pass through the gap 3 increases, and the load on the drive source of the propeller fan 20c increases. Therefore, at this time, the rotation speed of the propeller fan 20c decreases.

The speed of the propeller fan 20c is normally operated at about 600 to 800 revolutions per minute by the control means. However, if dust or the like is completely clogged in the gap 3 between the corrugated fins 2, the number of rotations is reduced by half or less (about 300 rotations or less) for the above-described reason.
It has been confirmed that it will fall. In the present embodiment, the decrease in the number of rotations can be quickly known by the detection device 4. Therefore, the user of the air conditioner can immediately know whether or not clogging of dust or the like in the gap 3 between the corrugated fins 2 has occurred,
If clogging occurs, appropriate processing can be performed promptly.

It should be noted that the user can use the corrugated fin 2
Whether or not clogging has occurred in the gap 3 between them can be known through the indicator 11b in the indoor unit 10 described above. In this case, the detection device 4 transmits the decrease in the rotation speed of the propeller fan 20c to the control box 20g in the outdoor unit 20, and further transmits this to the control unit 11a in the indoor unit 10, and the indicator 11b notifies that effect. , That is the procedure.

The notification contents of the indicator 11b are as follows.
The notification may be made when the clogging situation causes an obstacle to the operation of the air conditioner, or the clogging situation may be known every moment. In addition, the appropriate processing in the case where the above-described clogging occurs is, specifically, a processing in which the user himself cleans the outdoor heat exchanger 20b with water. However, in some cases, the outdoor unit 20 may be provided with an automatic cleaning device that performs this water cleaning operation in cooperation with the detection device 4, the control box 20g, the control unit 11a, and the like.

Further, the specific configurations of the indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 20 are not particularly limited to the above-described embodiment. That is, the present invention is applicable to any type of air conditioner as long as the air conditioner includes an indoor unit, an outdoor unit, and a device corresponding to an outdoor heat exchanger and a propeller fan in the outdoor unit. is there.

[0036]

As described above, the outdoor unit according to the first aspect is provided with the detecting means for detecting the number of rotations of the outdoor fan, so that the user can operate between the corrugated fins constituting the outdoor heat exchanger. It is possible to indirectly know the state of clogging of dust and the like in the gaps. Therefore, when clogging occurs in the gap, the user can immediately perform appropriate processing.

Further, the air conditioner according to the second aspect can be said to be provided with the outdoor unit, so that the above effects can be enjoyed as it is. In other words, it can be said that the present air conditioner is an air conditioner that allows the user to know the clogging state in the gap between the corrugated fins and can immediately perform appropriate processing.

In the air conditioner according to the third aspect of the present invention, since the indoor unit is provided with an indicator for displaying the detection content of the detection means, the user of the air conditioner knows the number of rotations of the outdoor fan. It becomes possible.
That is, the user can know the state of dust or the like that is clogging the gap between the corrugated fins constituting the outdoor heat exchanger while staying in the room.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overall configuration of an air conditioner.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration around an outdoor heat exchanger and a propeller fan in the outdoor unit shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Corrugated fin 3 Gap 4 Detecting device (Detecting means) 10 Indoor unit 12b Suction grill (suction port) 12d Air outlet 20 Outdoor unit 20b Outdoor heat exchanger 20c Propeller fan (outdoor fan) 20f Compressor

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Kunihiro Kobayashi 3-1-1 Asahimachi, Nishibiwajima-cho, Nishi-Kasugai-gun, Aichi Prefecture Inside Air Conditioning Works of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. 3-1, Cho-cho Inside Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Air Conditioner Works

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An outdoor heat exchanger, and a compressor for delivering a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger or the indoor heat exchanger.
Detecting a plurality of corrugated fins constituting the outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan for generating a wind for taking in outdoor air from outside to inside through a gap between the plurality of corrugated fins, and detecting a rotation speed of the outdoor fan An outdoor unit comprising: a detection unit that performs detection. 2. An outdoor heat exchanger, and a compressor for sending a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger or the indoor heat exchanger;
Detecting a plurality of corrugated fins constituting the outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan for generating a wind for taking in outdoor air from outside to inside through a gap between the plurality of corrugated fins, and detecting a rotation speed of the outdoor fan An outdoor unit provided with a detection means for detecting the presence of air, a fan for sucking indoor air from an inlet and blowing out from an outlet, and performing heat exchange between the indoor air and a refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit. An air conditioner comprising: an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger. 3. An outdoor heat exchanger, and a compressor for delivering a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger or the indoor heat exchanger.
Detecting a plurality of corrugated fins constituting the outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan for generating a wind for taking in outdoor air from outside to inside through a gap between the plurality of corrugated fins, and detecting a rotation speed of the outdoor fan An outdoor unit provided with a detection means for detecting the presence of air, a fan for sucking indoor air from an inlet and blowing out from an outlet, and performing heat exchange between the indoor air and a refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit. An air conditioner comprising: an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger and an indicator for displaying a detection result of the detection unit.