JP2002301299A - Attachment for drying laundry - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an attachment for drying laundry, with which laundry can be efficiently dried by using an air conditioner. SOLUTION: In the attachment freely detachably mounted on an indoor machine (20) of the air conditioner, the attachment is composed of a bar attachment (27) having a pair of bar attaching arm (27c and 27d) equipped with bar attaching parts (27a and 27b) on the top end of the indoor machine (20) protruded forward from both the sides and a drying bar (28), which is freely detachably fitted to the bar attaching parts (27a and 27b) of the bar attaching arms (27c and 27d) to be almost horizontally positioned in front of a louver, for hanging laundry (26).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laundry drying attachment for drying laundry using an air conditioner having an indoor unit having an indoor fan and a louver.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an air conditioner can be operated in a heating operation mode, a cooling operation mode, or an automatic operation mode, and a selection means for selecting one of the operation modes is provided on a remote controller. Recently, it has been proposed to add a drying operation mode for drying laundry suspended in a room to these operation modes. If the drying operation method conventionally proposed is described, it can be summarized as follows. (1) In the drying operation, the operation is performed in the cooling operation mode or the heating operation mode in which the set temperature is automatically fixed to a specific value, and the normal cooling operation is performed even when the operation of the compressor in the refrigeration cycle is stopped. As in the case of the heating operation or the heating operation, the air volume of the indoor fan is reduced. (2) The direction of the air flow of the indoor unit, that is, the direction of the louver attached to the outlet of the indoor unit, but the louver during the cooling / drying operation starts and stops the compressor as in the normal cooling / heating operation. Regardless, the louvers during heating and drying operations are fixed diagonally downward. (3) Monitoring status (room temperature or outside temperature has not reached the temperature for cooling operation or heating operation, and the indoor fan is set to the minimum air volume operation to determine whether to perform cooling operation or heating operation. In the middle of “watching” operation, where the outside air temperature is monitored, the air flow of the indoor fan is reduced and the louver direction is fixed horizontally until the room temperature or the outside air temperature reaches the temperature at which the cooling or heating operation should be performed. As it is. (4) Drying operation mode can be selected only before starting operation. That is, once the air conditioner operation has been put into the cooling operation or the heating operation, it is not possible to shift to the drying operation while continuing the operation.

[0003]

The above items listed as the prior art have the following disadvantages. (1) In order to dry the laundry indoors when the operation of the compressor is stopped, although the blowing operation is effective,
It cannot be said that the indoor fan function is actively utilized during the drying operation. (2) When laundry is dried (dried) indoors, the laundry is generally arranged so as to be positioned obliquely downward and forward of the indoor fan. However, in the state where the compressor is operated in the cooling operation, even if the laundry is blown, the blowing temperature is low and the relative humidity is high, so that there is almost no dehumidifying effect. Therefore, the louvers may be fixed horizontally during the operation of the compressor. However, when the compressor is stopped, this is not done because air conditioning at room temperature only has a considerable drying effect, although cooling operation reduces indoor humidity. Regarding the louver during heating / drying operation, regardless of whether the compressor is on or off, from the viewpoint of drying the laundry, it is better to direct the wind of the indoor fan directly to the laundry instead of diagonally downward. However , it is not always possible to expect an effective drying effect with uniform downward fixing. (3) In the monitoring state in which it is not possible to determine whether the operation is the cooling operation or the heating operation, if the wind is applied to the laundry in the same temperature state, the laundry can be sufficiently dried, but it is not effectively used. (4) There are many situations in which it is desired to enter dry operation for reasons such as going out after entering cool operation. Nevertheless,
Conventionally, the air conditioner in operation cannot be switched to the dry operation until the air conditioner has been stopped once, giving the user a sense of discomfort.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a laundry drying attachment that can dry laundry more efficiently using a current air conditioner. I do.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a laundry drying attachment for drying laundry using an air conditioner equipped with an indoor unit having an indoor fan and a louver. There is a bar mounting tool that is detachably mounted on the indoor unit, has a pair of bar mounting arms that project forward from both sides of the indoor unit and has a bar mounting portion at the tip, and substantially horizontally in front of the louver. A laundry bar for hanging laundry, which is detachably attached to the bar attachment portion of the bar attachment arm so as to be located.

According to the present invention, the wind direction or air volume of the indoor fan is controlled in a preferable manner for the drying condition of the laundry, and a more detailed operation mode is selected. Drying operation is selected through the remote control. When the drying operation is selected with the air conditioner stopped, the content of the drying operation is determined according to the environmental condition at that time. When the remote controller is operated to switch the air conditioner from a state other than the drying operation to the drying operation, the content of the drying operation is mainly determined according to the previous operation mode. If the previous operation mode is “automatic operation / monitoring”, the content of the drying operation is determined according to the environmental condition at that time. Cancellation of the drying operation is performed through a setting change operation to another operation mode (cooling, heating or automatic) or a stop operation.

[0007]

[Function] During the drying operation of the air conditioner, an appropriate operation mode is selected from a plurality of operation modes including the strong air blowing operation mode, and from the viewpoint of the drying operation, a more reasonable blowing direction and blowing amount. By selecting the above, it is possible to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art and to achieve a much more efficient laundry drying effect.

The outline of the operation method of the air conditioner used for carrying out the method of drying laundry using the attachment according to the present invention is as shown in FIGS. FIG. 12 shows an operation method during the normal operation of the air conditioner (not a drying operation), FIG. 13 shows an operation method relating to the drying operation, and FIG. 14 shows an operation method relating to the automatic operation.

FIG. 12 shows that in the normal cooling operation mode and the heating operation mode, the room temperature Ta and the set temperature Ts are Ta ≧ Ts (cooling operation) or Ta ≦.
The four-way valve for switching between heating and cooling (heating) is roughly divided into a case of Ts (heating operation) and a case of not being such (that is, a case of Ta <Ts (cooling operation) or Ta> Ts (heating operation)). Off (cooling), compressor on / off, air flow of indoor fan (H = strong, M = medium, L = weak, UL = ultra-weak; every automatic setting or manual setting), indoor louver direction, humidifier operation (presence / absence) ), A description of the on / off timer function, which basically indicates a basic control mode of the air conditioner.

FIG. 13 shows three modes of the drying operation, that is, a cooling operation, a heating operation, and a blowing operation, and shows the operation state of each of the above-described devices. In this operation mode, control is performed according to the room temperature Ta, the set room temperature, and the set humidity.

FIG. 14 shows the normal automatic operation mode divided into the cooling operation, the heating operation and the monitoring mode. In the cooling / heating operation mode, control is performed in accordance with the relationship between the room temperature Ta and the set room temperature Ts. In the monitoring mode, only the blowing operation with an extremely weak air flow is performed, and all other operations are basically stopped.

The details of each of the above operation modes will be described later. Regardless of the control of the room temperature or the control of the humidity, in practice, a hysteresis of about 0.5 ° C. in temperature and about 5% in humidity is provided between the operating point and the return point in order to stabilize the control operation. Is common, but is omitted in FIGS. 12 to 14 and flowcharts described later.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the device configuration of an air conditioner used in connection with the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing an overall configuration of an air conditioner to which the present invention is applied. The refrigeration cycle of this air conditioner includes a compressor 1, a four-way valve 2,
It comprises an outdoor heat exchanger 3, an expansion valve 4, and an indoor heat exchanger 5. This air conditioner can be operated as both a heater and a cooler by switching the four-way valve 2 on and off. In the cooling operation (four-way valve 2 off), the refrigerant is supplied to the compressor 1 as shown by the solid line. The refrigerant is returned to the compressor 1 through the four-way valve 2, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, the expansion valve 4, the indoor heat exchanger 5, and the four-way valve 2 in this order. In the case of the heating operation (the four-way valve 2 is turned on), the refrigerant flows from the compressor 1 to the four-way valve 2, the indoor heat exchanger 5, the expansion valve 4, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, and the four-way valve 2, as indicated by the broken line.
To the compressor 1 in this order. The outdoor heat exchanger 3 is provided with an outdoor fan 6 for promoting heat exchange with the outside air, and the indoor heat exchanger 5 is provided with an indoor fan for blowing the heat exchanged air toward the room. 7 and a louver 8 for adjusting the direction of air flow. The compressor 1 is driven by a motor 9 at a variable speed. Compressor 1, four-way valve 2, outdoor heat exchanger 3, expansion valve 4, and outdoor fan 6
Constitutes an outdoor unit, an indoor heat exchanger 5, an indoor fan 7
And the louver 8 constitutes the indoor unit 20 (see FIG. 3).

The room temperature Ta is detected by the room temperature sensor 10, the room humidity Ha is detected by the humidity sensor 11, the outdoor temperature To is detected by the outdoor temperature sensor 12, and each detection signal is introduced to the arithmetic and control unit 14. The room temperature sensor 10 and the humidity sensor 11 are arranged near the air inlet of the indoor unit, and the outside air temperature sensor 12 is arranged near the air inlet of the outdoor unit. The arithmetic control unit 14 includes a wireless remote controller 30
, Various commands are given through the receiving unit 13 as described later. The arithmetic and control unit 14 controls the on / off and the rotation speed of the motor 9 so that the room temperature Ta approaches a preset room temperature Ts. The compressor 1 is turned on / off or speed controlled in conjunction with the motor 9. The arithmetic control unit 14 is constituted by a microcomputer including a central processing unit (CPU), and its arithmetic control operation is executed by software shown in a flowchart described later.

FIG. 1 shows a part controlled by the arithmetic and control unit 14 in a partially overlapping manner with FIG. The arithmetic control unit 14 controls the compressor 1 (on / off, operating frequency) via the driver 15 according to the result of the arithmetic processing.
The four-way valve 2 (on / off, that is, heating / cooling), the outdoor fan 6 (on / off), the indoor fan 7 (on / off, air flow), and the louver 8 (fixed / swing, fixed orientation) are controlled. . Speed control of the compressor 1, that is, the motor 9
Is controlled by the arithmetic and control unit 14 through the output frequency control of a frequency converter (not shown), for example, an inverter. Similarly, the indoor fan 7 is switched to high (H), medium (M), low (L), very low (UL), and stopped (off) through speed switching of a drive motor (not shown) by the arithmetic control unit 14. It is assumed that the air flow can be switched in five stages.

FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of the indoor unit 20 in a room. The indoor unit 20 is mounted on the upper part of the wall 21 of the room, and the indoor air sucked from the front as shown by the arrow is passed through the indoor heat exchanger 5 to exchange heat, and further, the louver 8 is arranged through the indoor fan 7. The air is blown into the room from the vent hole. The direction (angle) of the louver 8 will be described later.

FIG. 4 shows a situation in which a humidifier interlocking with an air conditioner is provided in a room. An indoor unit 20 is mounted on a wall 21 of a room, and is placed on a floor (or a table). ) Is provided with a humidifier 22. This type of humidifier 22 is mainly used to increase the room humidity, which has become too low during a heating period in winter or the like, to an appropriate level. The humidifier 22 is provided with a receiving unit 23, and the indoor unit 20 is provided.
By wirelessly transmitting a control signal based on the indoor humidity from the transmitting unit 24 to the receiving unit 23 of the humidifier 22, the humidifier 22 can be on / off controlled from the indoor unit 20 side.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show the arrangement of the indoor unit and the laundry when the laundry is hung in a room and dried.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a general laundry drying condition. The indoor unit 20 is attached to the upper part of the wall 21 in the room, and a portable (preferably assembled) indoor clothesline 25 is set in front of the indoor unit 20, and the laundry 2 is placed thereon.
6 is suspended. When the laundry is dried, the louver 8 may be fixed in the horizontal direction H or the obliquely downward direction K, may swing, or may be directed downward (not shown).

FIG. 6 shows the indoor unit 20 that projects forward from both sides of the indoor unit 20 and has bar mounting portions 27a, 2
A bar mounting tool 27 having a pair of bar mounting arms 27c and 27d provided with a bar 7b is removably mounted, and a clothes bar 28 is removably mounted at both ends of the bar mounting portions 27a and 27b. 26 shows a state in which 26 is suspended. The laundry 26 suspended from the clothes-line bar 28 is located in front of the louver 8 and is exposed to the air blown from the outlet of the indoor unit 20.

FIG. 7 shows a plan view of a remote controller (remote controller) 30 used in connection with the method of the present invention.
This is shown with the cover covering the lower half removed. As is well known, the remote controller has a function of wirelessly transmitting various command signals to the indoor unit 20.
In the case of the remote controller 30 shown, a start / stop key 3 is provided at the center.
1 is provided, and various function keys are provided below it, for example, an operation switching key 32 for selecting an operation mode (for example, cooling operation, heating operation or automatic operation), and a drying operation mode for drying laundry. Operation key 33, the air volume switching key 34 for switching the air volume of the indoor fan to H (strong), M (medium), L (weak), UL (ultra-weak), automatic air volume and off (stop), from the indoor unit Timer switching including a wind direction switching key 35 for switching the air blowing direction, a louvering (LSG) key 36, a reservation / confirmation key 38, a timer "on" key 39, a timer "off" key 40, and a timer "cancel" key 41. A part 37 and the like are provided. The louvering key 36 transmits a swing command signal each time the louvering key 36 is pressed. Above the run / stop key 31, set temperature change keys 42 and 43 for adjusting the set temperature Ts,
In addition to the humidity setting key 44, a display unit 45 for displaying a set temperature Ts and the like is provided. Humidity setting key 44
To set the humidity setting to H, M, L (for example, 6
0%, 50%, 40%), and the set value is displayed on the display unit 45 for a short time (for example, 3 seconds).

FIG. 8 summarizes the functions of the respective operation keys of the remote controller 30 in a list format. Run / Stop key 31
Is operated (ON operation when the air conditioner is stopped), an operation command is output, and the contents of various settings (for example, a set operation mode command, a set temperature, a set humidity, and the like) made so far are directed to the indoor unit 20. Is output. When the run / stop key 31 is stopped (turned on during the operation of the air conditioner), the air conditioner is stopped. Timer “ON” key 3
By the operation of the input timer 9, the set time TON and various setting contents are output together with the input timer command. The set time TOFF is output together with the off timer command by the off timer operation by the timer "off" key 40. By the drying operation by the drying operation key 33, a drying operation command is output together with the operation time TOFF. When the cooling operation is selected by the operation switching key 32, each command of the set temperature Ts and the set air volume by the air volume switching key 34 is output together with the cooling operation command. When the heating operation is selected by the operation switching key 32, the set temperature Ts,
Each command of the set humidity Hs and the set air volume by the humidity setting key 44 is output. When automatic operation is selected by the operation switching key 32, the correction set temperature Δ
Each command of T, set humidity Hs and set air volume is output. Here, the correction set temperature ΔT is set as follows. That is, during the automatic operation, the air conditioner is basically operated at a fixed set temperature (for example, 23 ° C.) selected by the air conditioner itself, but can be changed up and down by ± 2 ° C. according to the user's preference. This is the correction set temperature ΔT, which is set by the user in the automatic operation mode.
The selection can be made by operating the buttons 2 and 43. By the way, the display of the remote controller 30 shown in FIG.
The state of the correction set temperature ΔT = + 2 ° C. is set. Further, the operation of the louver swing key 36 outputs a louver swing command.

The swing operation of the louver 8 differs depending on the operation mode of the louvering key 36 and the equipment operating conditions at the start of the operation. As shown in FIG. )
Thereafter, each time the louvering key 36 is operated, swing-on (louvering) and swing-off are alternately repeated. At the time of drying / heating operation or drying / blowing operation, it is initially swing-on (loubusing),
Thereafter, every time the louver swing key 36 is operated, swing-off (louver fixed) and swing-on are alternately repeated. In the range of normal operation (cooling or heating) or automatic operation, even if the operation mode is changed between them,
The louver state before the change is maintained.

At the time of the drying / cooling operation, based on the relationship between the detected temperature Ta and the set temperature Ts, initially, the temperature deviation = Ta
When −Ts is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the compressor 1 is in a state to be operated (this state is referred to as a “thermo-on” state), the swing is initially off (the louver is fixed). The swing-on (loubusing) and the swing-off are alternately repeated each time the user operates the 36. Also, at the time of the drying / cooling operation, initially, the temperature deviation = T
When a-Ts is smaller than a predetermined value and the compressor 1 is in a state where the operation should be stopped (this state is referred to as a "thermo-off" state), the compressor 1 is initially in a swing-on state (loubusing), and thereafter, In the thermo-off state, every time the louvering key 36 is operated, swing-off (louver fixed) and swing-on are alternately repeated. In the drying / cooling operation, the rubbing state at the time of the thermo-on is stored even if the thermo-off is performed later, and is unrelated to the swing state at the time of the thermo-off from the beginning. Similarly,
In the drying / cooling operation, it is assumed that the rubbing state at the time of the thermo-off is stored even if the thermo-on is performed later, and has nothing to do with the swing state at the time of the thermo-on from the beginning. That is, when there is no operation input of the louver swing key 36, the following is performed: thermo-on (swing-on) → thermo-off → thermo-on (swing-on) (Swing on) Thermo off (Swing off) → Thermo on → Thermo off (Swing off).

Next, a remote control processing routine performed in connection with the operation of the remote controller 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, referring to FIG. 15, if the air conditioner is initially operating, a stop command is output by turning on the start / stop key 31 (steps 50, 51, 52), and various operations during the operation are performed. (Step 53) to prepare for a new operation command. If the run / stop key 31 has not been turned on during operation, it is checked whether the reservation / confirmation key 38 has been turned on (step 54), and if it has been operated, the process proceeds to step 61 (FIG. 16). If it has not been operated, it is further checked whether the drying operation key 33 has been turned on (step 55), and if it has been operated, the flow proceeds to step 67 (FIG. 17). If it has not been operated, other necessary key processing (Step 56) and the process returns to Step 50. At first, when the air conditioner has not been operated, the operation of the start / stop key 31
Various data set by various keys of the remote controller 30, for example, data relating to commands such as an operation mode, a set temperature T S, and an air volume are transmitted (step 59), and are stored during operation (step 60). Return.

Steps 61 to 66 (FIG. 16) are routines for confirming various key operations by the remote controller 30.
Step 61 is a step of displaying in the “display mode 1”. In this display mode 1, as shown in FIG. 10, an "automatic" mark indicating automatic operation, a timer mark indicating that an operation time timer is set by a clock symbol, and a drying operation being performed. Is displayed by a shirt symbol, and the remaining operation time set in advance by the timer, that is, the remaining operation time is displayed. After this display, the display timer is once cleared and restarted (step 62), and a predetermined display time, for example, three seconds, is waited for the end of the display time (step 6).
3, 64) The display timer is cleared again (step 6).
5) Display "display mode 2" (step 6)
6). In the display mode 2, as illustrated in FIG.
An "auto" mark, a timer mark and a drying operation mark are displayed. After this display, the process returns to step 50.

Steps 67 to 73 (FIG. 17) are a routine for setting the time by the remote controller 30 in the drying operation mode. In step 67, the display of the display mode 1 described above (FIG. 10) is performed, the "key timer" is temporarily cleared, and the key timer is counted up again (step 68). Each time the timer off key 40 is turned on once, the drying operation time is increased by the unit adjustment time Δt (for example, 0.5 hour) (steps 69 and 7).
0) Return to step 67. In that case, initially, for example, "3 hours" is displayed as a preset standard value.
Unless the timer off key 40 is turned on and the key timer time (for example, 3 seconds) has not elapsed, the count-up is continued (steps 68, 69, 71).
Every time is turned on once, the drying operation time is increased by Δt. When the circulating counter is used, it returns to one hour after exceeding the maximum value of the set time, for example, 12 hours, and the increasing process is performed again by Δt time. The display of the display mode 2 (FIG. 11) is performed when the key timer time (3 seconds) elapses, that is, the time when the timer off key 40 is not operated at all is 3 seconds or more (step 7).
2), a command of operation control data is transmitted to the indoor unit 20 (step 73), and the process returns to step 50. That is, when the drying operation is set, the cut-off timer is always set, and if the timer cut-off key 40 is not operated, three hours are set, and if it is operated, any time can be set within the range of 1H to 12H. .

As described above, the time for the laundry drying operation can be freely and easily set or changed by the remote controller 30 so that the user can go out during the operation of the air conditioner or at night. In addition, it is possible to secure a sufficient laundry drying time, and the display on the display unit 45 of the remote controller is accurately displayed in a time series corresponding to the drying operation mode, thereby being kind to the operator (user). Remote control display.

FIGS. 18 to 26 show a control flow mainly related to the drying operation of the air conditioner main body which is executed in accordance with a command from the remote controller 30.

If an operation stop command is issued during operation, stop processing of the air conditioner is executed to release the storage of "operating" (steps 80, 81, 82), and flags S1 and S2 of the rubbing memory are released. Respectively, S1 = 0,
S2 = 0 is set (step 83). Here, the flag S1
Is a louvering control flag other than when the thermostat is off during drying and cooling, and represents S1 = 0 ... louver fixing S1 = 1 ... loubusing. S2 = 0... Louver fixed S2 = 1.

If there is an operation command when not in operation (during stop), the fact that the air conditioner is "in operation" is stored together with the "setting contents" sent from the remote controller 30 (steps 80, 84, 84). 85). The settings here are
It shows the contents of the operation / stop command sent from the remote controller 30 and various settings associated therewith, and more specifically, data on the operation mode (described later), the set temperature Ts, the set humidity Hs, and the set air volume. Means
After the storage processing in step 85, the input timer TM1 is reset (step 86), and the flag processing in step 83 is executed.
= 0, S2 = 0. If there is no stop command during operation (steps 80 and 81), step 94 is executed.
(FIG. 19) Perform the following. If the operation is stopped and there is no operation command (steps 80 and 84), it is checked whether or not there is a drying operation command (step 87). If there is a drying operation command, steps 120 and thereafter are executed. If there is no drying operation command, it is checked whether an input timer (TM1) command has been input (step 88). If there is an input here, the input timer (TM1) is reset once and restarted (step 89), the set time TON and the set contents are stored (step 90), and the processing of step 83 is performed. If there is no input of the input timer in step 88, it is checked whether or not the input timer is operating (step 91). Here, if the operation is in progress, it is further checked whether or not the ON timer (counting time) TM1 and the set time TON are in the relationship of TM1 ≧ TON (step 92). If TM1 ≧ TON, the fact that “operation is in progress” is stored. Then (step 93), the process proceeds to step 83. If TM1 <TON, the process returns to step 80. After the flag processing in step 83, the process returns to step 80.

If it is determined in steps 80 and 81 that the vehicle is running and there is no stop command, the processing routine of step 94 and subsequent steps (FIG. 19) is executed. First, it is checked whether or not the automatic operation has started (step 94). If it is determined that the automatic operation is to be started, steps 140 and thereafter (FIG. 22) are executed. If the automatic operation is not started, it is checked whether or not there is a command to change the setting (step 95). If there is a change, the new setting contents are stored (step 96), and step 17 is executed.
0 (FIG. 24) and the following processing routines are executed. If there is no change in the setting contents, it is checked whether there is an input timer (TM1) command input (step 97). If there is an input, the input timer (TM1) is reset once and started again (step 98). The time TON and the set contents are stored (step 99), and the process proceeds to step 82 (FIG. 18) to stop the operation. If there is no ON timer command input in step 97, it is checked whether there is an OFF timer command input (step 100). If there is an input here, the off timer TM2 is reset and restarted (step 101), the off timer set time TOFF is stored (step 102), and then step 170 (FIG. 24)
Do the following: If there is no input of the off timer in step 100, the off timer count time TM2 and the set time TOF
A comparison is made as to whether F is in the relationship of TM2 ≧ TOFF (step 103). If TM2 ≧ TOFF, the process proceeds to step 82 (FIG. 18), and if TM2 <TOFF, the process proceeds to step 104.
(FIG. 20) Perform the following.

In step 104, the presence or absence of a swing command is checked. Step 15 if there is no swing command
0 (FIG. 23) and below. If there is a swing command,
It is checked whether the compressor is stopped (thermo-off) during drying and cooling (step 105). If it is stopped here, S2
Is checked (step 106). If S2 = 1, the process of S2 = 0 is performed (step 107).
If S2 = 0, the process of S2 = 1 is performed (Step 108), and Step 170 (FIG. 24) and subsequent steps are respectively performed. If the compressor is not stopped in the drying and cooling in Step 105, it is checked whether S1 = 1 (Step 109). If S1 = 1, the process of S1 = 0 is performed (Step 110). If there is, S1
= 1 (step 111) to step 170 (FIG. 24) and thereafter.

FIG. 21 (steps 120 to 126) shows a drying operation which is executed when a drying operation command is issued in a state where the operation is stopped and there is no operation command (see FIG. 18, steps 80, 84 and 87). 3 shows a processing routine for determining the operation mode. First, a humidifier off command is output (step 120), and the humidifier 22 is kept in a stopped state regardless of the temperature, and the room temperature Ta, the room humidity Ha, and the outside air temperature To
Is read (step 121). It is checked whether or not the read outside air temperature To is To ≧ 20 ° C. (step 122). If To ≧ 20 ° C., room temperature Ta
Is checked whether Ta ≧ 24 ° C. (Step 12)
3). If Ta ≧ 24 ° C., the operation mode is set to the “drying / cooling” operation, and that effect is set and stored (step 1).
24), the rouging flag S2 is set to S2 = 1
And the flag S1 is set to S1 = 0 (step 1
25). If To <20 ° C. in step 122, it is checked whether or not Ta ≧ 24 ° C. for the room temperature Ta (step 126). Here, when Ta ≧ 24 ° C.,
When Ta <24 ° C. in step 123, the operation mode is set to the “dry air blowing” operation, and the fact is set and stored (step 127), and the louvering flag S1 is set.
Is set to S1 = 1 (step 129). Step 1
At 26, if Ta <24 ° C., the operation mode is set to the “drying / heating” operation, and the fact is set and stored (step 128), and the routine goes to step 129. Step 121
After the operation mode in the drying operation is determined in steps 129 to 129, an off timer is set based on the set time (TOFF) data added to the drying operation command from the remote controller 30 in step 130 and subsequent steps. First, all operations of the off timer before that are reset, and the time data (TOFF
) Is stored, and the operation of the off timer TM2 is newly started (step 130). Then "Driving"
Is stored (step 131), and the process proceeds to step 170 (FIG. 24) for executing the actual driving process. In the case of an air conditioner without a heating function (for cooling only), there is no operation mode of “drying / heating”, so steps 126 and 128 are omitted, and in the case of “NO” in steps 122 and 123, The operation is "dry air blowing".

FIG. 22 shows an automatic operation mode selection routine executed when "YES" in step 94 (FIG. 19). First, the outside temperature To and the room temperature Ta are read (step 140). It is checked whether the read room temperature Ta is Ta> 23 ° C. (step 1).
41) If Ta> 23 ° C., the operation mode is “automatic cooling” operation, and the set room temperature Ts is stored as Ts = 23 ° C. + ΔT (step 142), and step 170
(FIG. 24) Perform the following. In step 141, T
When a ≦ 23 ° C., the outside temperature To
It is checked whether To ≦ 17 ° C. (step 143). T
If o.ltoreq.17.degree. C., the operation mode is set to the "automatic heating" operation, and the set room temperature Ts is stored as Ts = 23.degree. C. +. DELTA.T (step 144), and the steps from step 170 (FIG. 24) are executed. In Step 143, if To> 17 ° C., the operation mode is set to “automatic monitoring” (Step 145), and Step 160 and subsequent steps are executed. Here, automatic monitoring means that the room temperature is close to the set room temperature,
Without cooling operation or heating operation (with compressor 1 stopped),
This is a "wait-and-see" operating state in which the indoor fan 7 is set to "UL" (ultra-weak operation) and changes in the room temperature Ta are monitored.

FIG. 23 shows a processing routine when it is determined in step 104 (FIG. 20) that "no swing command". First, the presence or absence of a drying operation command is checked (step 150). This is a check as to whether or not a drying operation has been performed during operation. If there is a drying operation command, the operation mode is checked (step 151). If "cooling" or "automatic cooling", the process proceeds to step 152, "heating" or "automatic heating".
In the case of, the process proceeds to step 155, and in the case of "automatic monitoring", the process proceeds to step 157. Step 1
In step 52, the setting of the operation mode = drying / cooling is stored. Then, the flag S2 of the rubbing memory is set to S2 = 1 (step 153), and the flag S1 is set.
, S1 = 0 (step 154), and step 1
Go to 59. At step 155, the setting of the operation mode = drying / heating is stored, and then the flag S1 of the louvering memory is set to S1 = 1 (step 15).
6). At step 157, the outside temperature To is read, and then it is checked whether To ≦ 17 ° C. (step 15).
8). If To ≦ 17 ° C., the process proceeds to step 155. If To> 17 ° C., the process proceeds to step 152. After the operation mode in the drying operation is determined in steps 150 to 158, step 154 or step 156 is performed.
Then, the process proceeds to step 159, where the off timer is set based on the set time (Toff) data added to the drying operation command from the remote controller 30. First, the previous operation of the timer TM2 is reset (step 159).
The sent off timer set time TOFF is stored (step 160), and the operation of the off timer TM2 is newly started (step 161). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 170 (FIG. 24), which is the actual operation process.

If there is no drying operation command in step 150, it is checked whether the automatic operation / monitoring is being performed (162). If "YES", the outside air temperature To and the room temperature Ta are read (step 163). It is checked whether the read room temperature Ta is Ta> 23 ° C. (step 1).
64) If Ta> 23 ° C., the operation mode is set to automatic cooling, and the set room temperature Ts is set as Ts = 23 ° C. + ΔT.
The data is stored (step 165) and the steps from step 170 (FIG. 24) are executed. If Ta ≦ 23 ° C. in step 164, it is checked whether the outside air temperature To is To ≦ 17 ° C. (step 166). If To ≦ 17 ° C., the operation mode is set to automatic heating, and the set room temperature Ts is set to Ts. = 23 ° C +
Set and store as ΔT (Step 167) Step 1
70 (FIG. 24) and below are executed. Step 166
, When To> 17 ° C., monitoring is continued, and even when automatic operation monitoring is not being performed in step 162, step 170 (FIG. 24) and subsequent steps are executed.

In step 170 (FIG. 24), the room temperature Ta
And reading is performed for the indoor humidity Ha. Next, the operation mode is discriminated (step 171). If automatic cooling / normal cooling is performed, go to step 172. If normal heating / automatic heating is performed, go to step 175. If drying / heating is performed, go to step 181. 185, if dry cooling, step 186 (FIG. 2)
Go to 5). For this processing routine, see also FIGS. 12 to 14 already described.

Step 17 in case of automatic cooling / normal cooling
At Step 2, it is checked whether Ta ≧ Ts with respect to the room temperature Ta. If Ta ≧ Ts, the compressor 1 is turned on, the four-way valve 2 is turned off (cooling), and the indoor fan 7 outputs each command of the louver 8 horizontal as set ( Step 173) If Ta <Ts, the compressor 1 off, the four-way valve 2 off (cooling), the indoor fan 7 = L (weak), and the louver 8 horizontal are output (step 174). 193 (FIG. 26) and the following are executed.

In the case of normal heating / automatic heating, step 17
5, the room humidity Ha is set to the humidity H set by the remote controller 30.
s is checked, and if Ha ≧ Hs, a command to turn off the humidifier is output (step 176).
If Hs, a command to turn on the humidifier is output (step 17).
7) A check is made to see if Ta ≦ Ts (step 178). Here, if Ta ≦ Ts, the compressor 1 is turned on, the four-way valve 2 is turned on (heating), the indoor fan 7 = as set, the louver 8
= Perform each setting output from diagonally down to right down (step 17)
9) If Ta> Ts, compressor 1 is off and four-way valve 2
On (heating), the indoor fan 7 off, and the louver 8 = set output from obliquely downward to immediately below (step 180), and execute step 193 (FIG. 26) and subsequent steps.

In the case of drying and heating, it is checked in step 181 whether the room temperature Ta is 28 ° C. or less, and Ta ≦ 2
If the temperature is 8 ° C., the compressor 1 is turned on, the four-way valve 2 is turned on (heating), the indoor fan 7 = H (strong), and the louver 8 is output diagonally downward (step 182). . If Ta> 28 ° C. in step 181, the compressor 1 is turned off, the four-way valve 2 is turned on (heating), the indoor fan 7 = H (strong), and the louver 8 is diagonally down (step 183). , 193 (FIG. 26) and subsequent steps are executed.

In the case of dry air blowing, in step 184, the compressor 1 is turned off, the four-way valve 2 is turned off (cooling), the indoor fan 7 = H (strong), and the louver 8 is output obliquely downward. 26) Do the following:

In the case of automatic monitoring, step 185
In step 193, the compressor 1 is turned off, the four-way valve 2 is turned off (cooling), the indoor fan 7 is set to UL (ultra-weak), and the louver 8 is leveled.

In the case of drying and cooling, as shown in FIG.
Check whether the room temperature Ta is 22 ° C. or higher (Step 1)
86), if Ta ≧ 22 ° C., then the indoor humidity Ha is 80
% Is checked (step 187). Here, if Ha ≧ 80%, the compressor 1 is turned on, the four-way valve 2 is turned off (cooling), the indoor fan 7 = M (medium), and the louver 8 is output horizontally (step 188), and step 193 (FIG. 26). ) Do the following: In step 186, Ta <
In the case of 22 ° C. or in step 187, Ha <8
In the case of 0%, the compressor 1 is turned off, the four-way valve 2 is turned off (cooling), the indoor fan 7 = H (strong), the louver 8 is output diagonally downward (step 189), and the flag S2
Is checked (step 190). If S2 = 1, a louver swing-on command is output (step 19).
1) If S2 = 0, a command for rubbing off is output (step 192), and a series of routines ends (FIG. 26).

Step 1 executed after the processing in FIG.
In 93 (FIG. 26), it is checked whether or not S1 = 0 with respect to the flag S1. If S1 = 0, the indoor fan 7 swing-off (stop) command is output (step 1).
94), if S1 = 0 (ie, S1 = 1)
If it is, an instruction to turn on the indoor fan 7 is output (step 195), and a series of routines ends.

Steps 190 to 195 (FIGS. 25 and 26) relate to the rouging operation. Steps 193 to 195 are routines for determining whether or not rouging is possible in an operating state other than when the compressor for drying and cooling is stopped. , The rouging flag S1 determines whether or not rouging is possible. Here, if the louvering operation with the remote control is not performed, during normal or automatic heating,
During normal or automatic cooling, during automatic monitoring, and during compressor operation for drying and cooling, the louver is fixed without swing since the louvering flag S1 is set to "0" in the previous step. When dry air is blown, the rubbing flag S
Since “1” is set to 1 in steps 182 to 182
The louver is swung about the louver obliquely downward direction set at 184 (FIG. 24). On the other hand, step 190
Reference numerals 192 to 192 denote a routine for determining whether or not rubbing can be performed in the operating state of the compressor during the drying / cooling operation.
Here, if the rubbing operation with the remote control is not performed, since the rouging flag S2 is set to "1" in the previous step, step 189 is performed.
The louver is swung about the louver obliquely downward direction set in (FIG. 25).

The louver direction during each operation will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The a direction is the louver direction during normal or automatic cooling, automatic monitoring, and drying / cooling compressor operation. On the other hand, it is set almost horizontally. on the other hand,
The b direction is a louver direction for normal or automatic heating, and the a direction, ie, θ1 = 40 to 60 ° downward with respect to the floor,
Preferably, it is set to 50 °. When the compressor is stopped during drying and heating, during drying and blowing, and during drying and cooling, the direction c is
That is, θ2 is set to 30 to 40 ° downward, preferably 35 ° to the floor surface.

The reason that the direction b and the direction c are slightly different is to improve the temperature environment of the user in the room during normal or automatic heating, so that the user is generally placed on the floor more than the laundry to be dried. It is intended that the warm air that easily rises to reach a lower position because it is near.

FIG. 27 shows the transition of the drying rate when the laundry is dried by the above-described drying method in the air blowing operation mode (solid line) and in the cooling operation mode (dashed line). The operating conditions for obtaining this data are as follows: (1) Air volume H (strong) (2) The louver 8 is fixed in the direction of the laundry 26, and the room temperature Ta and the indoor humidity Ha at the start of operation in both operation modes are: Made the same. It can be seen from FIG. 27 that, for example, even in the case of the air blowing operation, the drying effect is improved more than that in the cooling operation by adjusting the direction of the louver 8 to make the air flow better by setting the direction of the louver 8 to be larger. It is possible to do. Here, the drying rate (%) is defined as follows. Drying rate = 100 x (amount of water evaporated from laundry) / (amount of water contained in laundry at the start of drying operation)

Next, some explanations will be given for some modifications. FIG. 28 shows the case where the drying instruction is output from the remote controller 30 and the room temperature Ta and the humidity Ha
In this embodiment, an operation mode is selected according to the detection result, and the drying operation is performed by controlling the operation frequency and operation / stop of the compressor. In this embodiment, the cooling operation is performed when Ta ≧ 22 ° C., and the compressor is set to the high frequency operation when the humidity is high, and the compressor is set to the low frequency operation when the humidity is low according to the humidity Ha. When the value drops to a preset value, for example, Ha ≦ 30%, the compressor is stopped. When the room temperature Ta drops from the cooling zone, in the region of 22 ° C ≧ Ta> 20 ° C., only air is blown. When the room temperature Ta further drops and Ta ≦ 20 ° C., the compressor is heated at a constant speed (medium). Driving. When the room temperature rises and the region shifts from the region where Ta ≦ 20 ° C. to the region where Ta> 20 ° C., the air-blowing operation mode is omitted and the cooling operation is performed at once, and the operating frequency of the compressor is changed according to the humidity Ha as described above. (Hz) is controlled. The operating frequency in this case is
As schematically shown in FIG. 25, for example, when Ha> 70%, the maximum speed is reached, when Ha.ltoreq.30%, stop, and when 30% <Ha.ltoreq.70.
In the range of%, the operating frequency may be adjusted stepwise in steps of 10% based on the humidity Ha. In this embodiment, the operation mode of the drying operation after the drying operation command changes depending on the conditions of the room temperature and the room humidity.
Also in this embodiment, the louvers are fixed horizontally when the compressor is operating in the cooling zone, and when the compressor is stopped (Ha <30%).
Then, the louver performs a diagonally downward swing operation. Also,
In the ventilation zone and the heating zone, the louver performs a diagonally downward swing operation.

FIG. 29 shows that in the cooling zone (Ta> 22 ° C. or Ta> 20 ° C.), the room temperature Ta = 2 as an initial condition.
28 shows the drying state of the laundry (drying rate: 0%) immediately after washing when the cooling drying operation is performed in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 28 assuming 7 ° C. and humidity Ha = 70%. After starting operation 3
It can be seen that a drying rate of 50% was achieved in about 0 minutes, and a drying rate of almost 100% was achieved in 1.5 hours. As described above, it is possible to perform good drying of the laundry by using the speed (frequency) control of the compressor in accordance with the room humidity.

[0053]

According to the present invention, the laundry can be easily attached to the air conditioner, and the laundry can be efficiently dried using the air conditioner.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a method of controlling an air conditioner used in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing an overall configuration of an air conditioner used in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an arrangement state and a wind direction state of an indoor unit.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a humidifier is provided in the indoor unit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a general relative arrangement relationship between an indoor unit and laundry.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a situation in which an attachment is attached to an indoor unit to dry laundry.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the external appearance of a remote controller attached to the air conditioner, with a cover covering a lower half removed.

FIG. 8 is a table showing a relationship between operation contents of a remote controller and output signals thereof.

FIG. 9 is a table showing a relationship between a key operation of a remote controller and an indoor unit swing operation.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display pattern in a drying operation mode displayed in response to a remote control key operation.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a display pattern in a drying operation mode displayed in response to a remote control key operation.

FIG. 12 is a table showing operating states of the respective devices during normal operation of the air conditioner.

FIG. 13 is a table showing operation states of the respective devices during a drying operation of the air conditioner.

FIG. 14 is a table showing the operating states of the respective devices during automatic operation of the air conditioner.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation of the remote control operation unit performed in connection with the operation of the remote control.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation of the remote control operation unit performed in connection with the operation of the remote control.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation of the remote control operation unit performed in connection with the operation of the remote control.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation of the air conditioner main body performed in connection with the operation of the remote controller.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation of the air conditioner main body performed in connection with the operation of the remote controller.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation of the air conditioner main body performed in connection with the operation of the remote controller.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process for determining an operation mode from a stop to a drying operation performed on the air conditioner main body side in connection with an operation of the remote controller.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the flow of automatic operation mode selection processing performed on the air conditioner main body side in connection with the operation of the remote controller.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed on the air conditioner main body side in connection with the operation of the remote controller.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed on the air conditioner main body side in connection with the operation of the remote controller.

FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed on the air conditioner main body side in connection with the operation of the remote controller.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed on the air conditioner main body side in connection with the operation of the remote controller.

FIG. 27 is a characteristic diagram for explaining a drying effect by a drying method using an air conditioner.

FIG. 28 is a characteristic diagram showing one mode of drying operation control according to a modification of the drying method using the air conditioner.

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing the dryness of the laundry, the humidity and temperature of the room, and the compressor operating frequency as a function of time when the drying operation is performed according to the characteristics of FIG. 28.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Compressor 2 Four-way valve 3 Outdoor heat exchanger 4 Expansion valve 5 Indoor heat exchanger 7 Indoor fan 8 Louver 9 Compressor drive motor 11 Humidity sensor 12 Outside air temperature sensor 13 Reception part 14 Operation control part 15 Driver 20 Indoor unit 22 Humidification Instrument 23 Transmitter / Receiver 24 Transmitter / Receiver 26 Laundry 27 Bar attachment 27a, 27b Bar attachment 27c, 27d Bar attachment arm 28 Drying bar 30 Remote control (remote controller)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Haruhiro Wakasugi 336 Tatehara, Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan Toshiba Fuji Plant (72) Inventor Nobusuke Shirakawa 336 Tatehara, Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Toshiba Fuji Plant ( 72) Inventor Shotaro Hamamoto 336 Tatehara, Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture F-term in Toshiba Fuji Plant (reference) 3L051 BJ10

Claims (1)

[Claims] A laundry drying attachment for drying laundry using an air conditioner having an indoor unit having an indoor fan and a louver, wherein the laundry drying attachment is detachably attached to the indoor unit, A bar mounting tool having a pair of bar mounting arms protruding forward from both sides of the machine and having a bar mounting portion at a tip end; and a bar mounting portion of the bar mounting arm so as to be located substantially horizontally in front of the louver. An attachment for drying laundry, comprising: a laundry bar for hanging laundry, which is detachably attached to the laundry.