JP2001355903A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner making noise generated under an operation of a drain pump inconspicuous. SOLUTION: There is provided an air conditioner 1 comprised of an indoor fan 7; a heat exchanger 16 for a cooling operation; a drain pan 22 for accumulating drain water generated by the heat exchanger 16 for the cooling operation; and a drain pump 12 for discharging drain water accumulated in the drain pan 22. There is further provided a drain pump control means 24 for use in controlling an operation of the drain pump 12. The drain pump 12 is controlled for its operation under a minimum number of rotations where the drain water can be discharged when an operation of the indoor fan 7 is stopped.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an air conditioner,
In particular, it relates to control of a drain pump used in an air conditioner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A ceiling-mounted air conditioner generally has a refrigeration cycle composed of a compressor, a condenser, a decompressor, an evaporator, etc., and drain water generated in the evaporator is collected in a drain pan and drained. It has a drain pump to make it work. An AC motor that can rotate only at a constant speed is used as a motor used in the drain pump, and water generated in the heat exchanger during cooling operation is stored in a drain pan provided at a lower portion of the heat exchanger. The accumulated drain water is lifted by a drain pump and drained outside the machine via a drain hose.
Since the rotation speed of the drain pump rotates only at a constant speed, even if the air conditioner is operated under conditions where the drain water is generated most, the rotation speed of the drain pump should be large so that the drain water can be drained. Is set.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the operation time of the drain pump and the operation time of the compressor and the indoor fan in the conventional normal operation. The operation of the drain pump is synchronized with the operation time of the compressor, and the indoor fan operates continuously regardless of whether the drain pump and the compressor are on or off. It has been drowned out by the sound, etc., and has become inconspicuous.

[0004]

By the way, when the drain pump is turned on and off in synchronization with the operation time of the compressor and the drain pump is stopped at the same time when the compressor is stopped, the water adhering to the heat exchanger at the time of the stoppage of the operation is reduced. The water in the drain hose flows down to the drain pan and increases the residual amount of drain water in the drain pan. With the passage of time, the temperature of the remaining drain water becomes the same as the ambient temperature, and especially in the hot summer months, the ambient temperature rises from 30 degrees Celsius to nearly 40 degrees Celsius,
Bacteria easily grow in the water. In particular, when algae such as agar called slag are generated and the algae multiply and clog the drain port of the drain pump, drain water may overflow from the drain pan.

Therefore, attempts have been made to continue the operation of the drain pump even after the cooling operation is stopped to drain the water. FIG. 8 is a graph showing an example of such an operation, showing the relationship between the operation time of the drain pump after the cooling operation is stopped and the operation time of the compressor and the indoor fan. After the cooling operation is stopped, the compressor stops and the indoor fan stops, and the drain pump operates alone. When the drain pump is operated alone,
Although the problem of drain water overflow is eliminated, noise such as draining noise of the drain pump becomes noticeable since the indoor fan is not operated.

Further, when the air conditioner is operated when the surroundings are quiet, such as at night, there is a problem that noise such as a draining noise generated by the drain pump becomes noticeable even during the operation of the indoor fan.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner having a drain pump, which makes noise generated by operation of the drain pump inconspicuous. Aim.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 provides an indoor fan, a heat exchanger for cooling, and drain water generated by the heat exchanger for cooling. In an air conditioner equipped with a drain pan for storing and a drain pump for draining drain water collected in the drain pan,
A drain pump control unit for controlling the operation of the drain pump is provided, and the operation of the drain pump is controlled at a minimum rotation speed at which the drain pump can be drained when the operation of the indoor fan is stopped.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an indoor fan, a heat exchanger for cooling, a drain pan for storing drain water generated by the heat exchanger for cooling, and a drain water collected in the drain pan. In an air conditioner including a drain pump, a drain pump control unit that controls operation of the drain pump is provided.The drain pump control unit has a timer, and based on the timer, overflows from a drain pan at night. The operation of the drain pump is controlled at the minimum rotation speed to be prevented.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an indoor fan, a heat exchanger for cooling, a drain pan for storing drain water generated by the heat exchanger for cooling, and drain water collected in the drain pan. In an air conditioner equipped with a drain pump, the air conditioner further includes drain pump control means for controlling the operation of the drain pump, the drain pump control means having an interpersonal sensor, and from a drain pan based on an occupancy input from the interpersonal sensor. The operation of the drain pump is controlled at the minimum rotation speed to prevent water overflow.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an indoor fan, a heat exchanger for cooling, a drain pan for storing drain water generated by the heat exchanger for cooling, and drain water collected in the drain pan. In an air conditioner equipped with a drain pump, a drain pump control means for controlling the operation of the drain pump is provided, and the drain pump control means has a sound sensor. It is characterized in that the operation of the drain pump is controlled at the minimum number of rotations to prevent overflow from the drain.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the drain pump control means stops the drain pump when the level of the drain water accumulated in the drain pan falls below a certain value. It is characterized by the following.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, a DC motor is used as driving means for the drain pump, and the operation of the DC motor is controlled by the drain pump controlling means. It is characterized by the following.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the drain pump and the drain pump control means are provided in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner. .

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an air conditioner main body and a decorative panel, and FIG. 2 is a bottom view (view from below) showing the air conditioner main body according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an air conditioner. The air conditioner 1 is provided with a refrigerating cycle including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger and the like in combination with an outdoor unit (not shown). As shown in the figure, it is suspended and fixed in the ceiling space 41 of the building 40. 1 and 2 are examples of a four-way ceiling cassette type air conditioner 1,
An air conditioner main body 2 and a decorative panel 3 are provided. A suction port 4 is opened in the center of the decorative panel 3, and an outlet 5 is opened around the suction port 4 of the decorative panel 3. Four bolts 42 are set vertically downward from the building 40, and these bolts 42 are fastened to hanging brackets 43 of the air conditioner main body 2.

In the air conditioner body 2, control devices such as a fan motor 6, an indoor fan 7 (turbo fan), a partition plate 8, a drain pump 12, a drain outlet 13, a refrigerant pipe 14, and a drain pump control means are provided. , An electrical box 15, a heat exchanger 16, and the like.

The indoor fan 7 is arranged corresponding to the fan nozzle 17. The heat exchanger 16 is bent in a substantially rectangular shape, and is disposed near the four outlets 5 so as to surround the indoor fan 7. The partition plate 8 is a tube plate 21 of the heat exchanger 16,
21 and the heat exchanger 1 partitioned by the partition plate 8
The space 20 outside the housing 6 houses a drain pump 12, a drain outlet 13, an indoor mechanical valve 18, and the like. Partition plate 8
Prevents the air from leaking from the indoor fan 7 during operation, and the presence of the partition plate 8 ensures that the heat exchanged air from the four outlets 5 is blown out to the room R. Has become.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 3 shows Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a main part configuration diagram of a drain pump control unit of the air conditioner in FIG.

In FIG. 3, a drain pan 22 is provided below the heat exchanger 16, a drain pump 12 is provided in the drain pan 22, and a drain port 13 of the drain pump 12 is provided.
Is connected to a drain hose 19 for draining drain water outside the machine.

The drain pump 12 is provided with a drain pump drive means 23 (hereinafter simply referred to as drive means) such as a DC motor, and the drive means 23 is provided with a drain pump control means 24 (hereinafter simply referred to as drive means) capable of controlling the number of rotations. Control means) is connected.

The control means 24 includes an indoor fan operation stop detecting means 2 for detecting whether the indoor fan 7 is operating.
6 (hereinafter simply referred to as fan operation detection means) and a rotation speed setting means 27 for setting the rotation speed of the drain pump 12.

When the fan operation detecting means 26 detects that the indoor fan 7 is operating, the rotational speed setting means 27 sets the drain pump 12 to the maximum rotational speed and outputs it to the driving means 23. After the fan operation detecting means 26 detects the stoppage of the indoor fan 7, the minimum number of rotations at which drainage is possible is output to the driving means 23. The driving unit 23 controls the drain pump 12 with the rotation speed output from the rotation speed setting unit 27.
To drive.

The operation of the control means of the air conditioner configured as described above will be described.

When the cooling operation of the air conditioner 1 is started,
The compressor and the indoor fan 7 start operating. When the indoor fan 7 starts operating, the fan operation detecting means 26 of the control means 24 detects that the indoor fan 7 is operating, the rotation speed setting means 27 sets the drain pump 12 to the maximum rotation speed, The driving means 23 operates the drain pump 12 at the maximum rotation speed. By operating the drain pump 12, the drain water accumulated in the drain pan 22 is swept up and drained outside the machine.

Next, when the cooling operation of the air conditioner 1 is stopped and the operation of the compressor and the indoor fan 7 is stopped, the fan operation detecting means 26 detects the stop of the operation of the indoor fan 7. When the indoor fan 7 is stopped, the rotation speed setting unit 27 sets the rotation speed of the driving unit 23 to the minimum rotation speed at which the water can be drained, and the driving unit 23 operates the drain pump 12 at this rotation speed. By operating the drain pump 12 at the minimum rotational speed at which the drain pump 12 can be drained, noise such as the draining noise of the drain pump 12 is minimized, and also adheres to the heat exchanger 16 and the like after the compressor and the indoor fan 7 are stopped. As a result, the drain water remaining in the drain pan 22 is drained, and the residual amount of the drain water causing slag can be reduced as much as possible.

Next, when the water level of the drain pan 22 falls below a certain value, the drain pump 12 cannot drain the water.
The operation of the drain pump 12 is stopped. The timing of the stop of the drain pump 12 may be set so as to stop after the indoor fan 7 stops, for example, for about 20 minutes, and then stop, and a drain level sensor or the like (not shown) is provided in the drain pan 22. A sensor may be provided to stop the operation of the drain pump 12 when the water level of the drain pan 22 becomes the minimum water level at which the water can be drained.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, while the indoor fan 7 is operating, noise such as the draining noise of the drain pump 12 is eliminated by the indoor fan 7, so that the heat exchanger 16
The drain pump 12 is operated at the maximum number of revolutions so that the drain water can be sufficiently drained even when the amount of drain water generated at the time is the highest. Further, after the indoor fan 7 stops, the compressor also stops and no drain water is generated. Therefore, the drain pump 12 is operated at a reduced rotation speed to a minimum rotation speed capable of draining, and the draining noise of the drain pump 12 is noticeable. Thus, the residual amount of drain water in the drain pan 22 can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, a DC motor capable of variably controlling the number of rotations is used as the driving means 23 of the drain pump 12, but instead of the DC motor, the number of rotations is set to two.
It is also possible to use a motor that can be changed in stages and switch to a higher rotation speed during operation of the indoor fan 7 and to a lower rotation speed after stopping operation.

Further, in this embodiment, after the indoor fan 7 is stopped, the operation is performed while the rotation speed of the drain pump 12 is reduced to the minimum rotation speed at which the drainage can be drained. Or the minimum number of rotations intermittently rotating.

Embodiment 2 Hereinafter, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a main part configuration diagram of a drain pump control means of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Note that the same components as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 4, the drain pump control means 31
Has a built-in 24-hour timer 33 and rotation speed setting means 35, and is equipped with an A / D converter for performing analog / digital conversion, a storage means (not shown) which can be written at any time, and the like.

A drain pan 22 is provided below the heat exchanger 16, and the drain pump 12 is provided in the drain pan 22. The drain pump 12 has a drain pump 12
Drive means 23 capable of changing the rotation speed of the
The control means 31 for controlling the number of rotations of the pump 3 is connected to the drain port 13 of the drain pump 12, and a drain hose 19 for draining drain water is connected to the drain port 13.

The control means 31 is connected to a first water level sensor 32a and a second water level sensor 32b each having a tip disposed in the drain pan 22, and the water surfaces of the water level sensors 32a and 32b touch the tips. Sometimes the position is detected. First water level sensor 32a
Is disposed at a position lower than the distal end of the second water level sensor 32b, and the distal end of the first water level sensor 32a is disposed at a position slightly above the minimum water level drained by the drain pump 12, and the second The tip of the water level sensor 32b is disposed at a further upper position.

The control means 31 includes a 24-hour timer 33, a water level rising speed detecting means 34 (hereinafter simply referred to as rising detecting means), and a rotating speed setting means 35 for setting the rotating speed of the drain pump 12. 24-hour timer 33
Divides a day into two parts. For example, night is divided from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am, and other times are classified as day, such as day and night.

The rising detecting means 34 has a counter 3
6 is built in, and the time detected by each of the water level sensors 32a and 32b is measured by the rise in the water level of the drain pan 22, and the rise speed of the water level is calculated from the time difference. Then, the value of the water level rising speed calculated by the rising detecting means 34 is stored in the storage means.

The water level rising speed of the drain pan 22 is measured, for example, by temporarily stopping the operation of the drain pump 12. When the drain pump 12 is operating at the maximum rotation speed, the drainage amount of the drain pump 12 is sufficiently larger than the drain water amount generated by the heat exchanger 16, and the water level of the drain pan 22 reaches the minimum water level that can be drained by the drain pump 12. Go down. If the operation of the drain pump 12 is stopped when the minimum water level is reached, the water level of the drain pan 22 gradually rises, so that the first water level sensor 32a first detects the water level, and then the water level rises and the second water level rises. The water level is detected by the water level sensor 32b. If the time difference between the two detected values is measured by the counter 36, the water level rising speed of the drain pan 22 can be calculated. After the measurement, the drain pump 12 is operated again. Since the water level of the drain pan 22 is at the lowest position even when the operation of the air conditioner 1 is started, the water level rising speed can be measured. Normally, the water level rising speed is measured and calculated several times a day, and the previously calculated value is rewritten and stored in a storage means incorporating a new value.

The rotation speed setting means 35 is a 24-hour timer 3
3 is set to daytime, the maximum number of revolutions is set and output to the driving means 23. When the 24-hour timer 33 is set to night, the number of revolutions is set based on the latest water level rise speed calculated by the rise detecting means 34. It is set and output to the driving means 23.
Then, the driving unit 23 operates the drain pump 12 at the rotation speed output from the rotation speed setting unit 27.

The operation of the control means of the air conditioner configured as described above will be described.

When the cooling operation of the air conditioner 1 is started,
The 24-hour timer 33 of the control means 31 discriminates between day and night, and when it is daytime, the rotation number setting means 35 sets the maximum rotation number, and the driving means 23 sets the maximum rotation number to the drain pump 1.
Drive 2 By operating the drain pump 12, the drain water accumulated in the drain pan 22 is swept up and drained outside the machine.

On the other hand, when the 24-hour timer 33 is set to night, the rotation speed setting unit 35 sets the rotation speed based on the latest water level rising speed calculated by the rising detection unit 34 and outputs the rotation speed to the driving unit 23. The driving unit 23 controls the drain pump 1 based on the rotation speed output from the rotation speed setting unit 35.
By operating 2, the drain water generation amount and the drainage amount of the drain pump 12 become substantially equal, and the water level of the drain pan 22 can be maintained substantially constant.

Since the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment is designed so that the amount of water stored in the drain pan 22 is sufficiently larger than the amount of drain water generated, the rotation speed setting means 35 is used.
Even if there is some error in the drainage amount of the drain pump 12 set by the above, the drain water does not overflow from the drain pan 22.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the daytime when the ambient noise is large, the drain pump 12 is operated at the maximum rotational speed to be sufficient for a large cooling load or a change in the cooling load. In response to a small cooling load and a quiet night around, the water level of the drain pan 22 is not raised by setting the rotation speed of the drain pump 12 based on the water level rising speed calculated by the rise detecting means 34. With such a drainage amount set, noise such as a draining noise of the drain pump 12 can be reduced to make it less noticeable.

In the present embodiment, the amount of drain water and the amount of drain water from the drain pump 12 are set to be substantially the same to keep the water level of the drain pan 22 substantially constant. In an air conditioner having an extremely large water storage amount, the operation may be performed by further reducing the drainage amount of the drain pump within a range where the drain water does not overflow from the drain pan.

Embodiment 3 Hereinafter, still another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 is a main part configuration diagram of a drain pump control means of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

The 24-hour timer 33 in the second embodiment
When the person is not in the room where the air conditioner 1 is installed, the rotation speed of the drain pump 12 is maximized, and the person is present in the room where the air conditioner 1 is installed. When detecting the room, the rise detection means 3
The number of rotations of the drain pump 12 is reduced based on the latest water level rise speed calculated in step 4, and noise such as a webbing noise generated from the drain pump 12 is reduced.

Embodiment 4 Hereinafter, still another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 is a main part configuration diagram of a drain pump control means of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

The 24-hour timer 33 in the second embodiment
The noise generated by the air conditioner 1 and the ambient sound other than the air conditioner 1 are compared by providing the noise sensor 38 instead of the noise sensor 38. When the ambient sound is louder, the rotation speed of the drain pump 12 is maximized. Alternatively, the operation can be performed up to the maximum rotation speed, and when the sound generated by the air conditioner 1 is louder, the rotation speed of the drain pump 12 is reduced according to the latest water level rising speed calculated by the rising detection means 34. Thus, noise such as a webbing noise generated from the drain pump 12 is reduced.

Although the present invention has been described based on various embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the four-way ceiling cassette type air conditioner 1 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the four-way ceiling cassette type air conditioner 1 and other air conditioners such as a ceiling mounted type and a floor mounted type. The present invention can be applied to any air conditioner provided with a drain pump.

Although the first to fourth embodiments have been described separately, a combination of these embodiments may be used. For example, the air conditioner 1 may be combined with the first and second embodiments. During the operation of the indoor fan 7 in the daytime, the drain pump 12 is operated at the maximum rotation speed, and during the operation of the indoor fan 7 at night, the drainage is performed in accordance with the latest water level rising speed calculated by the water level rising detecting means 26. The operation may be performed with the rotation speed of the pump 12 reduced, and further, after the indoor fan 7 is stopped, the rotation speed of the drain pump 12 may be operated at the minimum rotation speed at which the drain pump 12 can be drained day and night.

[0055]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In an air conditioner equipped with a drain pump, when operating the air conditioner, the drain pump is operated at the maximum rotation speed while the indoor fan is operating, and the drain pump is operated at the minimum rotation speed at which the indoor fan can be drained after the indoor fan is stopped. With this configuration, noise such as a draining noise caused by the drain pump after the indoor fan is stopped is reduced, and an air conditioner with less noise can be provided.

Further, according to the present invention, the drain pump is operated at the maximum rotation speed when the noise is inconspicuous, and the drain water does not overflow from the drain pan according to the amount of generated drain water when the noise is conspicuous at night or the like. Since the operation is performed while controlling the rotation speed of the drain pump, the amount of drain water remaining in the drain pan can be reduced while making noise such as draining noise of the drain pump inconspicuous.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an air conditioner body and a decorative panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the air conditioner main body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a main part configuration diagram of a drain pump control unit of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a main part configuration diagram of a drain pump control unit of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a main part configuration diagram of a drain pump control unit of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a main part configuration diagram of a drain pump control unit of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing an example of a relationship between an operation time of a drain pump and operation times of a compressor and an indoor fan in a conventional cooling operation.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the operation time of the drain pump and the operation times of the compressor and the indoor fan after the conventional cooling operation is stopped.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 air conditioner 2 air conditioner main body 3 decorative panel 4 suction port 5 blowout port 6 fan motor 7 indoor fan 8 partition plate 12 drain pump 13 drain drain port 14 refrigerant pipe 15 electrical box 16 heat exchanger 19 drain hose 22 drain pan 23 Drain pump drive means 24, 31 Drain pump control means 26 Indoor fan operation stop detection means 27, 35 Rotation speed setting means 32a First water level sensor 32b Second water level sensor 33 24-hour timer (timer) 34 Water level rise speed detection means 36 Counter 37 Interpersonal sensor 38 Noise sensor (sound sensor)

Claims (7)

[Claims] An indoor fan, a heat exchanger for cooling, a drain pan for storing drain water generated by the heat exchanger for cooling, and a drain pump for draining drain water collected in the drain pan. An air conditioner, comprising: a drain pump control unit that controls the operation of the drain pump; and wherein the operation of the drain pump is controlled at a minimum rotational speed capable of draining when the operation of the indoor fan is stopped. 2. An indoor fan, a heat exchanger for cooling, a drain pan for storing drain water generated by the heat exchanger for cooling, and a drain pump for draining drain water collected in the drain pan. In the air conditioner, a drain pump control means for controlling the operation of the drain pump is provided.The drain pump control means has a timer.Based on the timer, at a minimum rotation speed to prevent overflow from a drain pan at night. An air conditioner characterized by controlling the operation of a drain pump. 3. An indoor fan, a heat exchanger for cooling, a drain pan for storing drain water generated by the heat exchanger for cooling, and a drain pump for draining drain water collected in the drain pan. In the air conditioner, there is provided a drain pump control means for controlling the operation of the drain pump, the drain pump control means having an interpersonal sensor, and a minimum for preventing overflow from the drain pan based on the occupancy input from the interpersonal sensor. An air conditioner characterized in that the operation of a drain pump is controlled by the number of revolutions. 4. An indoor fan, a heat exchanger for cooling, a drain pan for storing drain water generated by the heat exchanger for cooling, and a drain pump for draining drain water collected in the drain pan. In the air conditioner, a drain pump control unit that controls the operation of the drain pump is provided. The drain pump control unit has a sound sensor, and when the input from the sound sensor is low noise, the overflow from the drain pan is prevented based on the input. An air conditioner characterized by controlling the operation of a drain pump at a minimum rotation speed. 5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the drain pump control means stops the drain pump when the level of the drain water accumulated in the drain pan falls below a certain value. 6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a DC motor is used for driving the drain pump, and the operation of the DC motor is controlled by the drain pump control unit. 7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the drain pump and the drain pump control unit are provided in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner.