JP2001201149A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an air conditioner in which energy is saved by exhibiting circulation effect sufficiently through correct circulation operation for circulating indoor air to eliminate vertical temperature difference thereby reducing radiation loss, and a user does not feel uncomfortable variation of operating sound or chill. SOLUTION: A compressor 1, indoor heat exchangers 5a, 5b and an outdoor heat exchanger 3 constitute a refrigerant circuit and an indoor unit 11 incorporating the indoor heat exchangers 5a, 5b and a fan 6 is disposed at a high position in a room. At the time of heating operation, compression capacity of the compressor 1 is lowered or operation thereof is stopped at a specified timing and the fan 6 is operated while sustaining the air supply quantity at the substantially same level as that of heating operation thus performing circulation operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to control of an air conditioner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The purpose of use of an air conditioner is to form an indoor environment in which a user can work comfortably, and the indoor temperature needs to be controlled to a temperature desired by a user. However, this room temperature causes temperature unevenness due to convection. In particular, during heating, high-temperature air stagnates near the ceiling due to the specific weight of the air, and wastefully heats the ceiling above the living area of humans, resulting in very inefficient heating and power consumption. There was a problem that it became large. That is, the height of the space in which the air conditioner is used is about 2.5 to 3.5 (m), and when the indoor unit is installed at this position, the high-temperature air has a small specific weight. There was a stagnation above and a vertical temperature difference occurred in the space.

In order to solve such a problem, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-131140, when the blower temperature or the room temperature reaches a predetermined value, the rotational speed of the compressor is reduced and the blower is cooled. There has been proposed an air conditioner in which the number of rotations of the air conditioner is increased so that the blowing direction is directed downward.
Therefore, the effect of the circulation operation of eliminating high and low temperature differences by circulating high-temperature air having a small specific weight has been achieved in a relatively short time by increasing the amount of air blown.

[0004]

However, in the configuration of the air conditioner as described above, the circulation convection in the room is large because the rotation speed of the blower is higher than in the heating operation to perform the circulation operation. Therefore, there is a problem that the heat transfer coefficient α on the walls of the walls, the floor, and the ceiling increases, and the amount of heat in the room escapes to the outside of the room, resulting in a large heat dissipation loss. In addition, when the rotation speed of the blower is changed between the normal heating operation and the circulation operation, a difference occurs in the operation sound due to the change in the blow sound, which may cause discomfort to the user. Was.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and a circulating effect of circulating indoor air to eliminate a vertical temperature difference is sufficiently exhibited, thereby reducing heat loss and saving energy. It is another object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner that does not allow a user to feel unpleasant changes in driving sounds or chills.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided an indoor unit having a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger, and having the indoor heat exchanger and a blower therein. An air conditioner arranged in a place, while reducing the compression capacity of the compressor or stopping the operation of the compressor at a predetermined timing during the heating operation, and maintaining the blowing amount substantially equal to that during the heating operation. A circulation operation for operating the blower is performed.

Further, the present invention has a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the indoor heat exchanger, the blower, the outlet, and the blowing direction provided at the outlet are defined. An air conditioner in which an indoor unit having a variable wind direction vane is disposed at an indoor high place, wherein the compressor capacity is reduced or the operation of the compressor is stopped at a predetermined timing during a heating operation. In addition, a circulating operation for operating the blower while operating the wind direction vane to change the blowing direction is performed.

Further, the present invention has a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger, and comprises an indoor unit having the indoor heat exchanger, a blower and one or a plurality of outlets. An air conditioner that is disposed at a high place, and reduces the compression capacity of the compressor or stops the operation of the compressor at a predetermined timing during a heating operation, and reduces the total opening area of the outlet. A circulation operation for operating the blower is performed.

Further, the present invention has a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the indoor heat exchanger, the blower, the air outlet, and the blow direction provided at the air outlet are defined. An air conditioner in which an indoor unit having a variable wind direction vane is disposed at an indoor high place, wherein the compressor capacity is reduced or the operation of the compressor is stopped at a predetermined timing during a heating operation. A circulating operation of operating the blower by controlling an angle of the wind direction vane within a predetermined angle from a horizontal direction according to an arrangement position of the air conditioner in a predetermined space.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing vertical temperature distribution in the height direction after 1, 2, and 3 minutes have passed, FIG. 5 is a control flow diagram of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a timing chart of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a compressor which is operated by varying the frequency or by repeatedly turning ON / OFF. Reference numeral 2 denotes a four-way valve for changing the direction of flow of the refrigerant in cooling operation and heating operation, and reference numeral 3 denotes an outdoor heat exchanger. The compressor 1, the four-way valve 2, and the heat exchanger 3 mainly constitute an outdoor unit 4. On the other hand, 5a and 5b are indoor heat exchangers, and 6 is a blower for circulating indoor air. 7 is a suction port for sucking air from the room into the blower 6, and 8a and 8b are blowers 6
The outlets 9a and 9b for blowing air into the room from the outlets are provided in the outlets 8a and 8b, respectively, and are wind direction vanes for changing the blowing direction. Further, reference numeral 10 denotes a temperature sensor such as a thermistor for measuring the air temperature in the room. The heat exchangers 5a, 5b, the blower 6, the inlet 7, and the outlet 8
a, 8b, wind direction vanes 9a, 9b and a temperature sensor 10 constitute an indoor unit 11. The indoor unit 11 is buried and installed on the ceiling of the room to be air-conditioned 12.

The indoor unit 4 and the outdoor unit 11
Are connected by pipes 13 and constitute a refrigeration cycle as a whole. Therefore, cooling and heating of the air-conditioned room 12 can be performed by operating the compressor 1 and switching the four-way valve 2. The indoor and outdoor units 4 and 11 are electrically connected to the control device 14 for transmitting and receiving control signals. Since the control device 14 is connected to the remote control 15, the setting operation of the remote control performed by the user is transmitted to the indoor / outdoor units 4 and 11 via the control device 14 in the form of a signal. Therefore, the operation of the air conditioner is performed so as to satisfy the indoor temperature setting desired by the user.

The remote controller 15 has input means for inputting the set temperature Trs. Set temperature Trs
Is a temperature set by the user and is transmitted from the remote controller 15 to the control device 14 by the user's input. The air temperature Tr of the room to be air-conditioned 12
Is an air temperature sensor 1 provided in the indoor unit 11.
0 is detected and the signal is sent to the controller 14. The control device 14 operates the air conditioner based on these control signals. Specifically, when the air conditioner is operated, a change in the number of revolutions of the compressor 1, a change in the number of revolutions of the indoor blower 6, and a change in the vane angle φ of the wind direction vane are performed by the control device 14.
This is performed at any time based on the control signal from.

In the heating operation, the temperature detected by the air temperature sensor 10 is corrected in the following manner in consideration of the vertical temperature difference in the height direction to estimate the indoor air temperature. Tri = Tr−α (° C.) Tr: temperature detected by the air temperature sensor 10 Tri: estimated indoor air temperature α: correction value (about 3 to 6 ° C.)

Next, a description will be given of the amount of air required for sufficiently circulating the air in the room to eliminate the vertical temperature difference so as to achieve a sufficient circulation effect. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the vertical temperature distribution in the height direction after 1, 2, and 3 minutes when the circulation speed is increased and the circulation speed is increased at a high wind speed. FIG. 4 is a view showing the vertical temperature distribution in the height direction after 1, 2, and 3 minutes when the circulation speed is reduced and the circulation speed is reduced at a low wind speed. Here, this strong wind speed is 20 [m
³ / min], and this low wind speed has a blowing rate of 16 [m ³ /
min].

3 and 4, one minute after the start of the circulation operation, the temperature at the foot (the height from the floor is 0 to 0.5 m) is higher at the higher wind speed. On the other hand, the temperature above the foot (the height from the floor is 0.5 to 2.5 m) is generally higher when the wind speed is low. Also, after a few minutes, the temperature at the foot (the height from the floor is 0 to 0.5 m) has little difference between the case where the wind speed is high and the case where the wind speed is low. In addition, above the feet (the height from the floor is 0.5 to 2.
The temperature of 5 m) is generally higher at a low wind speed than at a high wind speed. Therefore, at the point of time when one minute has passed from the start of the circulation operation, the strong wind speed with large circulating convection has a higher circulation effect of eliminating the vertical temperature difference,
After the lapse of 2 minutes, there is not much difference in the vertical temperature difference between the case where the wind speed is high and the case where the wind speed is low, and the heat quantity of the entire room is higher when the wind speed is low.

The higher the wind speed, the greater the circulating convection in the room, and the lower the warm air temperature near the ceiling in a short time. Further, since the heat transfer coefficient α on the wall surface such as the wall, the floor, and the ceiling also increases, the amount of heat escaping to the outside of the unit increases. On the other hand, if the wind speed is low, the circulating convection in the room is small, so that the warm air temperature near the ceiling decreases slowly. Further, since the heat transfer coefficient α on the wall, floor, and ceiling wall surfaces is also reduced, the amount of heat escaping to the outside of the unit is also reduced.

As described above, even in the case where the wind speed is low, the circulation effect becomes almost equal to that in the case where the wind speed is high after a few minutes, and the amount of heat in the room does not decrease so much that energy is saved. There is no problem even if the circulation operation is performed. In addition, since the temperature of the entire room is slightly higher when the wind speed is weak, the circulation operation time can be lengthened. On the other hand, if the rotation speed (wind speed) of the blower 6 is changed between the heating operation and the circulation operation, the blowing sound changes and a difference (for example, 2 to 4 (dB)) occurs in the driving sound. The driver recognizes the difference between the sound pressure during driving and the sound pressure during circulating driving, which causes discomfort in terms of noise.

Next, the first embodiment configured as described above is used.
The operation of the air conditioner at the time of heating will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, when the power switch (not shown) is turned on and the set room temperature Trs is input by the remote controller 15 (step S1), the information is input to the control device 14. Then, the information is transmitted from the control device 14 to the indoor and outdoor units 4 and 11, and the air conditioner starts operating (step S2).

FIG. 6 shows the transition of the room temperature from the start of the heating operation until the room temperature Tri reaches the set temperature Trs.
In FIG. 6, since the indoor temperature Tri is lower than the set temperature Trs, the indoor temperature Tri rises with the lapse of time due to the rated operation of the compressor 1, for example. When the indoor temperature Tri reaches the set temperature Trs, the controller 14 variably controls the capacity of the compressor 1 so that the indoor temperature Tri changes within a range of plus or minus 1 (° C.) with respect to the set temperature Trs. . Therefore, the room temperature Tri is kept substantially at the set temperature Trs. However, since the high-temperature air has a small specific weight and stagnates upward, and a vertical temperature difference occurs in the height direction of the space, there is a gap between the temperature near the floor where the user is located and the temperature near the ceiling.

FIG. 7 is a temperature distribution diagram in the height direction of the space indicating that there is a gap between the temperature near the floor where the user is located and the temperature near the ceiling. From this figure, the ceiling height is 3 (m)
In the case of, there is a temperature difference of about 7 ° C. or more between the vicinity of the floor surface and the vicinity of the ceiling, indicating that it is necessary to perform the circulation operation.

Next, the timing of performing the circulation operation will be considered. Trs-1 <T after starting heating operation
It is determined whether the condition of ri is satisfied (step S
3) If this condition is satisfied (YE in step S3)
S), the countdown of the duration is started (step S4). Next, it is determined whether or not the duration of the countdown exceeds a predetermined time (th) (step S5). If the continuation time exceeds the predetermined time (th) (YE in step S5)
S), start the circulation operation (step S)
6). The setting of the predetermined time (th) is arbitrary and t
The circulation operation may be performed immediately when h = 0, that is, when the condition of Trs-1 <Tri is satisfied.

The circulation operation is an operation in which high-temperature air stagnating near the ceiling and air near the floor are circulated. In the present embodiment, the compressor 1 is first stopped, or the inverter In the case of, the operation is performed with the rotation speed reduced (step S7). At this time, if the wind speed is changed between the heating operation and the circulation operation, a difference occurs in the operation sound, so that the rotation speed of the blower 6 is not changed (step S7). Even when the setting of the rotation speed of the blower 6 is set to a low value during the heating operation, as described above, the difference between the upper and lower temperatures can be eliminated two minutes after the start of the circulation operation, and the energy saving requirement It is because it can satisfy. At this time, the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b are also kept in the same direction as in the heating operation (step S7).

During the circulation operation, the temperature Tr of the temperature sensor 10 decreases and approaches the set temperature Ts. Then, when the temperature Tr is Tr> Trs-β (0
It is determined whether the condition of ≦ β ≦ 1 is satisfied (step S8), and when Tr <Ts−β (0 ≦ β ≦ 1) (YES in step S8), the vertical temperature difference is eliminated. It is estimated that the operation has been performed, the circulation operation is terminated (step S9), and the normal heating operation is restarted (step S2).

Therefore, the user does not feel discomfort due to the noise during the circulation operation and during the normal heating operation without feeling a change in the blowing sound of the blower 6. Further, when the setting of the wind speed during the heating operation is weak, the rotation speed of the blower 6 is not changed, so that the heat radiation loss in the room can be reduced and energy can be saved.

Embodiment 2 FIG. The circulation operation according to the first embodiment is based on the blowing amount of the blower 6 and the wind direction vane 9.
Although the vane angles of a and 9b were maintained and not changed in the same manner as during the heating operation, in the present embodiment, the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b were used.
A description will be given of a system that performs a circulation operation of blowing air while changing the vane angle. FIG. 8 is a control flowchart of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Note that the basic configuration of the air-conditioning apparatus is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and thus the description is omitted. Further, the same or corresponding parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

The operation of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS.
In the present embodiment, only the operation during the circulation operation will be described, and the other operation is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description will be omitted.

When the circulation operation is started (step S16), first, the compressor 1 is stopped, or
In the case of an inverter machine, the operation is performed at a reduced rotation speed (step S17). At this time, if the wind speed is changed between the heating operation and the circulation operation, a difference occurs in the operation sound, so that the rotation speed of the blower 6 is not changed (step S1).
7). At this time, in the first embodiment, the wind direction vanes 9 are used.
Although a and 9b are assumed to be maintained in the same direction as during the heating operation, if the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b are set downward during the heating operation, the user may be directly hit by the wind and feel chilly.

That is, since the vertical temperature difference becomes smaller during the circulation operation, the buoyancy from the floor to the ceiling becomes less effective than when the compressor 1 is operated, and the air flow velocity (wind velocity) in the blowing direction is reduced. Becomes larger. Therefore, when the circulation operation is performed with the blowing direction fixed, the user may feel chilly due to an increase in the air flow velocity.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, during the circulating operation, the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b perform the swing ventilation in which the vane angle is continuously changed from the horizontal direction to the downward direction at 30 to 70 ° in a cycle of, for example, 30 seconds (step). S
17). Therefore, the blowing direction continues to fluctuate with time, and the wind does not continuously hit the user, so that the user's chill (cold draft feeling) can be reduced.

During the circulation operation, the temperature Tr of the temperature sensor 10 decreases and approaches the set temperature Ts. Then, when the temperature Tr is Tr> Trs-β (0
It is determined whether the condition of ≦ β ≦ 1 is satisfied (step S18), and when Tr <Ts−β (0 ≦ β ≦ 1) (YES in step S18), the vertical temperature difference is eliminated. It is estimated that the operation has been performed, the circulation operation is terminated (step S19), and the normal heating operation is restarted (step S12).

Embodiment 3 FIG. In the circulation operation of the first embodiment, when the wind speed of the blower 6 is changed, a difference occurs in the operation sound, so that the rotation speed of the blower 6 during the heating operation and the circulation operation is not changed. In the embodiment, by closing a part of the plurality of outlets 8 with the wind direction vanes 9, the rotation speed of the blower 6, that is, the blowing amount of the entire blower 6 is not changed, and the opening area of the outlet 8 is reduced to increase the blowing speed. The one that performs the circulation operation will be described.

FIG. 9 is a control block diagram of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Embodiment 1
The same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, only the operation during the circulation operation will be described, and the other operation is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description will be omitted.

When the circulation operation is started (step S26), the compressor 1 is first stopped, or
In the case of an inverter machine, the operation is performed at a reduced rotation speed (step S27). At this time, the rotational speed of the blower 6 is not changed, and the vane angle of the wind direction vane 9a is changed by the operation of the control motor to close one of the outlets 8a and 8b (here, the outlet 8a) ( Step S27).

Here, although the wind speed from the open outlet 8b increases, the whole air volume does not change because the opening area of the entire outlet is reduced. Therefore, there is not much difference in the overall operation sound between the heating operation and the circulation operation, and no noise is generated for the user. On the other hand, since the wind speed from the outlet 8b increases, the effect of eliminating the vertical temperature difference, which is the original effect of the circulation operation, increases.

FIG. 10 shows one of the two outlets 8a and 8b.
The vertical temperature distribution at the height from the floor when the circulation operation is performed with one of the two outlets 8a and 8b closed and when the circulation operation is performed without closing both the two outlets 8a and 8b is shown. . In addition, since the rotation speed of the blower 6 is the same, the whole amount of air blows is the same. When one of the two outlets is closed, the vertical temperature distribution is smaller as shown by the thick line in FIG. 10 when neither of the two outlets is closed (the thin line in FIG. 10). From this, it can be seen that in order to eliminate the upper and lower temperature distribution, even if the blowing amount is the same, it greatly changes depending on the blowing speed.

During the circulation operation, the temperature Tr of the temperature sensor 10 decreases and approaches the set temperature Ts. Then, when the temperature Tr is Tr> Trs-β (0
It is determined whether or not the condition of ≦ β ≦ 1 is satisfied (step S28). When Tr <Ts−β (0 ≦ β ≦ 1) (YES in step S28), the vertical temperature difference is eliminated. It is estimated that the operation has been performed, the circulation operation is terminated (step S29), and the normal heating operation is restarted (step S22).

When one of the air outlets is closed, the blowing speed increases, and the user may feel chilly. Therefore, the vane angle of the unblocked wind direction vane 9a or 9b from the horizontal direction is changed. The flow may be 30 to 40 ° or less and flow along the ceiling so that the wind does not directly hit the user. Also, a case has been described in which the air flow rate is not changed during the heating operation and the circulation operation, but the air flow rate may be changed as long as the air flow is not affected by noise.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where one of the outlets is closed when there are two outlets has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, a method of closing the outlet of the part or a method of closing a part of one outlet to change the opening area may be used.

Embodiment 4 FIG. The circulation operation according to the first embodiment is based on the blowing amount of the blower 6 and the wind direction vane 9.
Although the vane angles of a and 9b were not changed, in this embodiment, the wind does not directly hit the user by changing the vane angles of the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b according to the ceiling height of the room where the air conditioning is performed. That performs the circulation operation will be described. FIG. 11 is a control block diagram of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a room where the air conditioner according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention is installed. The same or corresponding parts as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, only the operation of the circulation operation will be described,
Other operations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will not be repeated.

When the circulation operation is started (step S36), first, the compressor 1 is stopped, or
In the case of an inverter machine, the operation is performed at a reduced rotation speed (step S37). At this time, if the wind speed is changed between the heating operation and the circulation operation, a difference occurs in the operation sound, so that the rotation speed of the blower 6 is not changed (step S3).
7). Further, the vane angles of the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b are changed (step S37) so that the wind does not directly hit the user.

An example of a method for changing the vane angles of the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b will be described below. Assume that the vane angle of the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b during the heating operation before the circulation operation is θ, and that the angle θ is an angle that does not become a jet along the ceiling (30 to 40 ° or more downward from the horizontal direction). In FIG. 12, the line segments B and C represent the wall surface when only one air conditioner is installed in a predetermined space, and the center between the wall surface or the adjacent air conditioner when a plurality of air conditioners are installed. Line. The distance between the line segments BC is W, the intersection point between the extension line in the blowing direction and the side wall is a point A, the height from the floor to the ceiling is H, and the distance from the floor to the point A is X (= H−W / 2 · tan θ). If the height of the user is about 1.7 m, X <1.7
When it is m, the wind may directly hit the user and feel chilly. In this case, the vane angle θ is set to X> 1.7 m
(Step S3).
7).

Next, let us consider a case where the vane angle θ of the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b during the heating operation before the circulation operation is an angle (30 to 40 ° or less) at which the jet flows along the ceiling. In this case, since it is considered that X> 1.7 m is satisfied, the vane angle θ of the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b is not changed. The distance W between the line segments BC and the ceiling height H are set in advance by the remote controller 15, and the information is stored in the control device 14.

During the circulation operation, the temperature Tr of the temperature sensor 10 decreases and approaches the set temperature Ts. Then, when the temperature Tr is Tr> Trs-β (0
It is determined whether the condition of ≦ β ≦ 1 is satisfied (step S38), and when Tr <Ts−β (0 ≦ β ≦ 1) (YES in step S38), the vertical temperature difference is eliminated. It is estimated that the operation has been performed, the circulation operation is terminated (step S39), and the normal heating operation is restarted (step S32).

Embodiment 5 FIG. In the circulation operation of the first embodiment, the room temperature Tr is set to the set temperature Trs-β.
Although the circulation operation is continued until (0 ≦ β ≦ 1), in the present embodiment, even if the room temperature Tr is higher than the set temperature Trs−β (0 ≦ β ≦ 1), the predetermined time ( What changes the circulation operation when ts) has elapsed will be described. Note that the basic configuration of the air-conditioning apparatus is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and thus the description is omitted. Further, the same or corresponding parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

First, a method of calculating a predetermined time (ts) for stopping the circulation operation will be described below. 13 is a temperature distribution diagram in which the vertical axis represents the height of the room when the air in the room to be conditioned 12 is circulated 0.5 times, and FIG. 14 circulates the air in the room to be conditioned 1 times. FIG. 6 is a temperature distribution diagram in which the vertical axis represents the height of the room when the temperature is set. From the figure, it can be seen that compared to the temperature distribution diagram before the circulation operation (FIG. 7), the air temperature in the room to be air-conditioned 12 is sufficiently circulated 0.5 times to sufficiently eliminate the vertical temperature difference. In addition, if circulation is performed once, the temperature difference between the upper and lower sides is further eliminated, and 3.5 degrees from the floor.
It can be seen that the vertical temperature difference between the heights of (m) is within 3 ° C.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are diagrams in which the vertical temperature difference (° C.) is plotted on the vertical axis and the ventilation frequency is plotted on the horizontal axis. The vertical temperature difference in FIG. 15 is a comparison between the vicinity of the floor surface (0.05 (m) from the floor surface) and the height of 1.5 (m) from the floor surface, and the vertical temperature difference in FIG. Is a comparison between a height of 1.5 (m) from the height and a height of 3.5 (m) from the floor surface. From FIG. 16, it can be seen that if the air circulation of the conditioned room 12 is circulated 0.5 times, the vertical temperature difference between the vicinity of the ceiling and the height from the shoulder to the head of the user is eliminated. Further, from FIG. 15, if air circulation is performed about once, the vertical temperature difference between the vicinity of the user's foot and the head is sufficiently eliminated, so that the circulation operation time (t
s) may be any time required to perform about 0.5 to 1 ventilation. The following equation shows a circulation operation time for circulating room air n times. T = n · V / Q [min] Operating time: T [min] Room (room to be air-conditioned) Volume: V [m ³ ] Ventilation amount: Q [m ³ / min]

The operation time T calculated by substituting n = 0.5 to 1 (times) into the above equation is referred to as the circulation operation time (t
The information may be stored in the microcomputer in the control device 14 as s). Further, since the heating capacity of the installed air conditioner is determined by the volume of the room in which the air conditioner is used, the circulation operation time (ts) is calculated by replacing the room (air-conditioned room) volume with the heating capacity. You can also.

FIG. 17 is a control flow chart of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. Next, the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
A description will be given based on the flow of FIG. In the present embodiment, only the operation during the circulation operation will be described, and the other operation is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description will be omitted.

The circulation operation is started (step S46), and the compressor 1 is first stopped or, in the case of an inverter machine, operated at a reduced rotation speed (step S46).
47). At this time, the rotation speed of the blower 6 is not changed (step S47), and the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b are also kept in the same direction as in the heating operation.

Next, when the temperature Tr of the temperature sensor 10 is Tr>
It is determined whether the condition of Trs-β (0 ≦ β ≦ 1) is satisfied (step S48), and Tr <Ts−β (0 ≦
When β ≦ 1) (YES in step S48), it is estimated that the vertical temperature difference has been eliminated, the circulation operation is terminated (step S51), and the normal heating operation is restarted (step S42). ). Tr> Trs-β
When the condition of (0 ≦ β ≦ 1) is not satisfied (NO in step S48), the time for performing the circulation operation is measured in advance, and whether the circulation operation time exceeds a predetermined time (ts) is determined. Is determined (step S49).

If the predetermined time (ts) has been exceeded (YES in step S49), the rotational speed of the blower 6 is minimized, and
In order to make the air blowing direction horizontal (flow along the ceiling), the vane angles of the vanes 9a and 9b are, for example, 3 degrees from horizontal to downward.
The angle is changed to about 0 ° and the circulation operation is continued (step S50).

Therefore, after a lapse of a predetermined time (ts), Tr>
When the condition of Trs-β (0 ≦ β ≦ 1) is not satisfied, it is considered that the indoor temperature Tri substantially coincides with the set temperature Trs. , It is possible to perform energy-saving and lean heating operation.

In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the blower 6 is not changed, and the wind direction vanes 9a and 9b are kept in the same direction as in the heating operation. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The setting of the blowing amount and the blowing direction at the start of the circulation operation may be as described in the first to fourth embodiments.

[0056]

As is clear from the above invention, the air conditioner according to the present invention has a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger. An air conditioner in which an indoor unit having therein is disposed at an indoor high place, wherein the compression capacity of the compressor is reduced or the operation of the compressor is stopped at a predetermined timing during a heating operation, and the heating operation is performed during the heating operation. A circulation operation is performed in which the blower is operated while maintaining the blowing amount substantially equal to the above. As a result, the circulating effect of eliminating the vertical temperature difference by circulating the indoor air is sufficiently exhibited, the heat loss is reduced, energy is saved, and the user does not feel uncomfortable change in the driving sound. An air conditioner can be provided.

The air conditioner according to the present invention comprises a compressor,
An indoor unit having a refrigerant circuit including an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger, and having an indoor heat exchanger, a blower, an air outlet, and a wind direction vane provided at the air outlet, the air direction vane being indoors. An air conditioner placed at a high place,
At the time of heating operation, at a predetermined timing, the compression capacity of the compressor is reduced or the operation of the compressor is stopped, and the circulation operation of operating the blower while operating the wind direction vane to change the blowing direction is performed. Things. As a result, an air conditioner that circulates indoor air to sufficiently exhibit a circulating effect of eliminating a vertical temperature difference, and does not cause a user to feel uncomfortable changes in driving sounds and chills (cold draft feeling). Can be provided.

The air conditioner according to the present invention has a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor heat exchanger. The indoor heat exchanger, the blower, and one or more outlets are connected to each other. An air conditioner in which an indoor unit having an air conditioner is disposed at a high place indoors, wherein the compressor reduces the compression capacity of the compressor or stops the operation of the compressor at a predetermined timing during a heating operation, and performs a total opening of the air outlet. A circulation operation for operating the blower with a reduced area is performed. As a result, it is possible to provide an air conditioner that sufficiently circulates indoor air to eliminate a vertical temperature difference and that does not cause a user to feel unpleasant change in driving sound.

The air conditioner according to the present invention has a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor heat exchanger, and is provided at the indoor heat exchanger, the blower, the outlet, and the outlet. An air conditioner in which an indoor unit having a wind direction vane capable of changing a blowing direction is arranged at a high place indoors, wherein the compressor capacity is reduced or the compressor capacity is reduced at a predetermined timing during a heating operation. The operation is stopped, and the circulation operation of operating the blower is performed by controlling the angle of the wind direction vane within a predetermined angle from the horizontal direction according to the arrangement position of the air conditioner in a predetermined space. As a result, an air conditioner that circulates indoor air to sufficiently exhibit a circulating effect of eliminating a vertical temperature difference, and does not cause a user to feel uncomfortable changes in driving sounds and chills (cold draft feeling). Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner showing a configuration of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the air-conditioning apparatus showing the configuration of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a vertical temperature distribution diagram during a circulation operation showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical temperature distribution diagram during a circulation operation showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a control flow chart of the air-conditioning apparatus showing the configuration of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart of the air-conditioning apparatus showing the configuration of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a temperature distribution diagram of a room.

FIG. 8 is a control flow chart of the air-conditioning apparatus showing the configuration of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a control flowchart of the air-conditioning apparatus showing the configuration of Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a vertical temperature distribution diagram after indoor air circulation when a part of the air outlet is closed.

FIG. 11 is a control flowchart of the air-conditioning apparatus showing the configuration of Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a room in which an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention is installed.

FIG. 13 is a temperature distribution diagram after circulation of room air.

FIG. 14 is a temperature distribution diagram after the circulation of room air.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the relationship between the number of times of circulation of room air and the vertical temperature difference.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a relationship between the number of times of circulating indoor air and a vertical temperature difference.

FIG. 17 is a control flowchart of the air-conditioning apparatus showing the configuration of Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 compressor, 2 four-way valve, 3 outdoor heat exchanger,
4 outdoor unit, 5a, 5b indoor heat exchanger, 6
Blower, 7 inlet, 8, 8a, 8b outlet,
9, 9a, 9b wind direction vane, 10 temperature sensor,
11 outdoor unit, 12 conditioned room, 13 piping, 14 control device, 15 remote control.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takuya Kanba 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsui Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazuki Okada 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 3 Rishi Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Norio Ishikawa 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo F-term (reference) 3L060 AA03 AA05 CC02 CC08 DD01 DD02 EE02 EE05

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioner having a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor heat exchanger, and an indoor unit having the indoor heat exchanger and a blower therein at an indoor high place. A circulation operation in which the compression capacity of the compressor is reduced or the operation of the compressor is stopped at a predetermined timing during the heating operation, and the blower is operated while maintaining the blowing amount substantially equal to that during the heating operation. An air conditioner characterized by performing a circulation operation for performing the following. 2. A refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the indoor heat exchanger, a blower, an outlet and an air flow direction provided at the outlet are variable. An air conditioner in which an indoor unit having a vane is disposed at a high place indoors, wherein at a predetermined timing during a heating operation, the compression capacity of the compressor is reduced or the operation of the compressor is stopped, and An air conditioner characterized by performing a circulating operation of operating the blower while changing the blowing direction by operating the air conditioner. 3. An indoor unit having a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor heat exchanger, and having an indoor unit having the indoor heat exchanger, a blower, and one or a plurality of outlets is disposed at an indoor high place. Operating the blower by reducing the compression capacity of the compressor or stopping the operation of the compressor at a predetermined timing during a heating operation, and reducing the total opening area of the air outlet. An air conditioner characterized by performing a circulation operation. 4. A refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the indoor heat exchanger, a blower, an air outlet, and a wind direction provided at the air outlet are variable. An air conditioner in which an indoor unit having a vane is arranged at an indoor high place, wherein the compressor capacity is reduced or the compressor operation is stopped at a predetermined timing during a heating operation, and the operation of the compressor is stopped. An air conditioner that performs a circulation operation for operating the blower by controlling an angle of the wind direction vane within a predetermined angle from a horizontal direction according to an arrangement position of the air conditioner.