JP2003247740A - Control method for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively deodorize and sterilize the inside of an indoor machine by spreading ozone to the corners of the inside of the indoor machine. <P>SOLUTION: When the inside of the indoor machine is deodorized and sterilized by generating the ozone from an electric dust collector 8 provided in an air inlet side and a minus ion generator 9 provided in an air outlet side, at first, main opening/closing panels 3a and 3b are closed, an auxiliary opening/ closing panel 3c is opened to generate the ozone from the electric dust collector 8, and a first clean mode of rotating a blower fan 7 in the normal direction is executed for a prescribed time with the ozone generated from the dust collector 8. Then, the auxiliary opening/closing panel 3c is closed and the ozone is generated from the minus ion generator 9, and a second clean mode of rotating the blower fan 7 in the inverse direction is executed for a prescribed time with the ozone generated from the minus ion generator. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for controlling an air conditioner, and more specifically, to sterilize the inside of an indoor unit,
The present invention relates to a clean operation control method for deodorizing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recent air conditioners have various functions for pursuing comfort. As an example, an electric dust collector (electric air cleaning unit) is installed in an indoor unit to collect fine dust such as cigarette smoke by charging it with high voltage to collect air dirt and improve the indoor environment. There are some that have been designed.

By the way, the condensed water adhering to the indoor heat exchanger during the cooling operation or the dry operation (for example, the weak cooling operation) is dropped into the drain pan and discharged to the outside of the room. It often remains on the heat exchanger or drain pan, and if dust or the like adheres to the residual condensed water, mold or the like is generated, and an unpleasant odor may be generated when the operation is restarted. In order to prevent this, in some models, ozone is generated from the electric dust collector to sterilize and deodorize the inside of the indoor unit.

[0004]

However, when the interior of the indoor unit is sterilized by ozone generated by the electrostatic precipitator, the concentration of ozone decreases as the distance from the installation position of the electrostatic precipitator decreases. If a dust container is installed on the air intake side of the indoor unit, the ozone concentration around the air outlet will inevitably become low, and the ozone concentration distribution inside the indoor unit will become uneven, reducing the sterilization effect inside the indoor unit. In addition, the bactericidal effect may not be obtained in some places.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to allow ozone to spread to every corner of an indoor unit when deodorizing and sterilizing the inside of the indoor unit with ozone. To provide a method of controlling the air conditioner.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has an air inlet and an air outlet, and performs heat exchange in an air passage extending from the air inlet to the air outlet. Including an indoor unit housing provided with an air blower and a blower fan, a part of the air suction port is a first suction port that is always open, and an electric dust collector is provided inside the air suction port. A main opening / closing panel and a sub opening / closing panel arranged near the air outlet are provided in the second inlet of the remaining portion of the mouth, and a wind direction plate and a negative ion generator are provided in the air outlet. In a clean operation, the main opening / closing panel is closed, the sub opening / closing panel is opened, and ozone is generated by the electrostatic precipitator during the clean operation. Fan for a predetermined time Or the first to intermittently normal rotation
A second mode in which the blower fan is continuously or intermittently reversely rotated for a predetermined period of time in a clean mode and in a state where the sub-opening / closing panel is also closed after the first clean mode is finished and ozone is further generated by the negative ion generator. It is characterized by executing a clean mode.

According to this, the blower fan is rotated in the normal direction (the direction of rotation is such that the wind direction is from the air inlet side to the air outlet side).
In the first clean mode described above, the front side heat exchanger and the blower fan are deodorized and sterilized solely by ozone generated from the electrostatic precipitator, and the blower fan is rotated in the reverse direction (the wind direction is from the air outlet side to the air side). In the second clean mode, which is the rotation direction toward the suction port side), ozone generated by the negative ion generator is used to deodorize and sterilize the air passage on the air suction port side and the rear heat exchanger. Become.

In order to reduce the leakage of ozone generated by the electrostatic precipitator into the room as much as possible, in the first clean mode, the wind direction plate is directed toward the sub-opening / closing panel side, and the air outlet and the air outlet are connected. It is preferable to form an air short circuit with the air suction port.
The clean operation may be performed in the heating mode or the cooling mode, but from the viewpoint of energy saving, it is preferably performed in the air blowing mode.

In order to more effectively deodorize and sterilize the inside of the indoor unit, a heating mode is selected for a predetermined time and a drying operation is performed to dry the inside of the indoor unit casing before executing the first clean mode. It is preferable to operate.

During the drying operation, the inside of the indoor unit can be dried more quickly by opening both the main opening / closing panel and the sub opening / closing panel and setting the airflow direction plate in a horizontal state.

When the clean operation is selected while the air conditioner is operating in a predetermined operation mode, the air conditioner is set to the operation mode immediately before the clean operation after the clean operation is completed. It is preferable to put it back,
This saves the user the trouble of resetting the operation mode after the completion of the clean operation.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the indoor unit, and FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a control system.

Regarding the control system, the control circuit 1 on the indoor unit side
And the control circuit 2 on the outdoor unit side.
2 performs the control necessary for room temperature control, and performs a clean operation of sterilizing and deodorizing the inside of the indoor unit by generating ozone by the air dust collector and the negative ion generator.

Referring to FIG. 2, according to this embodiment,
The indoor unit has air inlets formed on the front surface and the upper surface, and opening / closing panels (main opening / closing panels) 3a and 3b that are automatically opened / closed are provided on the respective air inlets.

An opening / closing panel 3a is provided at the front air intake port.
In addition to the above, a multi-panel (sub-opening / closing panel; also known as short circuit panel) 3c is located near the air outlet.
Is provided. In this case, the multi-panel 3c opens downward.

Between the open / close panels 3a and 3b, there is no open / close panel, and the air intake port 3 is always open, for example, in the shape of a bar.
d is provided, and an electric dust collector 8 as an air cleaning unit is provided inside the machine on the back side thereof.

This indoor unit is a wall-mounted type, and the indoor heat exchanger 6 included in the refrigeration cycle is provided in the air passage formed between the air outlet and the air inlet formed on the lower surface of the indoor unit.
a, 6b, 6c and blower fan (cross flow fan)
7 are provided. Indoor heat exchangers 6a, 6b, 6c
Are arranged in a Λ (lambda) type from the front side to the back side of the indoor unit. The blower fan 7 can be rotated forward and backward by a brushless motor, for example.

Inside the air outlet, in addition to the vertical wind direction plate 4 and the horizontal wind direction plate 5, a negative ion generator 9 capable of generating ozone is provided. In addition, as another configuration, the indoor unit includes a main body display unit 11 for displaying an operating state,
The indoor heat exchangers 6a, 6b, and 6c are provided with a drain pan 12 as a tray for the condensed water, and the outdoor unit is
Four-way valve 13 and compressor 14 included in the refrigeration cycle
And an outdoor fan 15.

The control circuit 1 of the indoor unit includes open / close panels 3a and 3b and a multi-panel 3 according to a setting operation of the remote controller 10.
While controlling c, the vertical wind direction plates 4a and 4b, the left and right wind direction plates 5 and the blower fan 7, the operation code of the compressor 14 according to the difference between the room temperature and the set temperature is transmitted to the control circuit 2 on the outdoor unit side. A signal necessary for room temperature control is exchanged with the control circuit 2 on the outdoor unit side, and the electrostatic precipitator 8 and the negative ion generator 9 are controlled according to the setting operation of the remote controller 10.

Therefore, the control circuit 1 of the indoor unit judges the remote control signal, and the judgment part 1a for judging the remote control signal and the timer part 1b to be used at the time of executing the routine shown in FIG. 1 and the condition judgment for judging the operating condition of the air conditioner. Section 1c and counter section 1
d and a rotation speed detection unit 1e that detects the rotation speed of the blower fan 7.

Further, the control circuit 2 of the outdoor unit includes a four-way valve 13
Also, an operation mode determination unit 2a that determines the operation mode from the indoor unit side for controlling the outdoor fan 15 and a compressor control unit 2b that controls the compressor 14 are provided.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. First, when a predetermined setting operation is performed by the remote controller 10, the control circuit 1 on the indoor unit side and the control circuit 2 on the outdoor unit side perform control necessary for room temperature control according to the setting operation.

In the operation, the control circuit 1 automatically controls the opening / closing panels 3a, 3b, the multi-panel 3c, the vertical airflow direction vanes 4a, 4b and the left / right airflow direction vanes 5 according to the operation mode of the setting operation, and the blower fan 7 is operated. Rotation control,
It also controls the electric dust collector 8 and the negative ion generator 9.

During such operation or during operation stop,
When the remote controller 10 transmits a clean operation signal and receives the clean operation signal, the control circuit 1
Executes the routine shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

In this clean operation routine, first, the 3-minute timer of the timer section 1b is started (step ST1), the operation mode is switched to heating, and the compressor 14
The operation code 0 (rotation speed 0 rps) is transmitted, the fan rotation speed of the blower fan 7 is set to, for example, 900 rpm, which is a weak blower, the open / close panels 3a and 3b and the multi-panel 3c are opened, and the vertical wind direction plate 4 is set horizontally. And the left and right wind direction plates 5 are set to the front blowing direction, and the main body display unit 11
The clean operation is displayed (step ST2). In this case, on the outdoor unit side, the heating operation is determined by the operation mode determination unit 2a, and at least the four-way valve 13 is switched to the heating cycle.

The interior of the indoor unit is dried by maintaining a heating operation (operation close to warm air blowing operation) for 3 minutes while the compressor 14 is stopped. Since the blower fan blows the air weakly, the indoor environment is not deteriorated.

When the 3-minute timer times out, the process proceeds from step ST3 to ST4, and the heating 0 code transmission counter of the counter section 1d is incremented by "+1". In this case, the heating 0 code transmission counter is 1 because it is the first heating 0 code transmission.

Then, it is judged whether or not the value of the heating 0 code transmission counter is a predetermined value (for example, 4) (step ST5). If the counter value is not 4, then the 2-minute timer of the timer unit 1b is started (step ST
6), the operation mode is set to heating, the operation code of the compressor 14 is set to 8 (for example, rotation speed 39 rps), and the fan rotation speed of the blower fan 7 is set to 900 rpm (step ST
7). In this case, on the outdoor unit side, the compressor control unit 2b controls the compressor 14 at a rotation speed of 39 rps, and the outdoor fan 15 is rotationally controlled as the compressor 14 operates.

It is determined whether or not the 2-minute timer has timed out (step ST8), and the timed-up causes the process to return to step ST1 to repeat the above-mentioned processing. In this way, the heating operation close to the air-blowing operation with the compressor 14 set to 0 code operation is performed for 3 minutes, after which the weak heating operation with the compressor 14 set to 8 code operation is performed for 2 minutes, and both operations are performed. By performing at least 3 times in succession, it is possible to sufficiently dry the inside of the indoor unit. For example, even if condensed water is accumulated in the drain pan 12, the condensed water is evaporated to dry the inside of the indoor unit. You can When the value of the heating 0 code transmission counter reaches 4, the process proceeds from step ST5 to ST9, the control of the blower fan 7 is stopped, that is, the blower stop control is performed.

Subsequently, the operation mode setting is set to blow,
The open / close panels 3a and 3b are fully closed, and the multi panel 3
c is opened, the vertical wind direction plate 4 is turned upward, the electrostatic precipitator 8 is turned on, and the negative ion generator 9 is turned off (step ST10).

Further, the 10-minute timer of the timer section 1b is started (step ST11), the blower fan 7 is operated for 5 seconds, and the rotation speed is, for example, 600 rpm forward rotation (step ST12), and then the blower fan 7 is kept for 1 second. It is turned off (step ST13). Then, the blower fan 7 is repeatedly operated for 5 seconds and stopped for 1 second until the 10-minute timer expires (step ST14).

As a result, ozone generated by energization of the electrostatic precipitator 8 is surely spread to the inside of the indoor unit in which the opening / closing panels 3a and 3b are closed to make it almost hermetically sealed. Since the multi-panel 3c is in the open state, the short circuit action thereof causes the leaked ozone to be sucked into the indoor unit again, so that the sterilization and deodorization inside the indoor unit are efficiently and effectively performed.

When the 10-minute timer times out, the process proceeds from step ST14 to step ST15, the blower fan 7 is stopped, the negative ion generator 9 is turned on to generate ozone, and the multi-panel 3c is also closed.

As a result, in addition to ozone produced by the electrostatic precipitator 8, ozone is also produced by the negative ion generator 9. At the same time, the 10-minute timer of the timer unit 1b is started (step ST16), the rotation speed of the blower fan 7 is detected by the rotation speed detection unit 1e, and it is determined whether or not this rotation speed is 0 rpm (step ST17). ). in this case,
The rotation speed may be detected by a detection signal from the position sensor of the blower fan 7.

The rotation speed of the blower fan 7 becomes 0 rpm,
When the blower fan 7 is completely stopped, it waits for 1 second (step ST18), after which the blower fan of the blower fan 7 is reversely rotated (in the air suction direction), and its reverse rotation speed is set to, for example, about 920 rpm ( Step ST1
9). This is because the blower fan 7 does not completely stop,
This is because the control of the blower fan may not be properly performed if the fan rotates in the reverse direction.

By the reverse rotation of the blower fan 7, at least ozone generated by the negative ion generator 9 can be spread to the inside of the indoor unit which is almost sealed, and the diffusion of ozone into the room can be suppressed.

Subsequently, it is judged whether or not a signal for setting another function is inputted by the remote controller 10 during the reverse rotation of the blower fan 7 (step ST20), and if the setting operation is not performed, the operation is started. It is determined whether or not a stop signal is input (step ST21). The other functions are, for example, an operation start signal, a dehumidification signal, an air cleaning operation signal or a clean operation signal.

When the operation for setting the operation stop is not performed, it is judged whether or not the 10-minute timer is up (step ST22). If 10 minutes have not elapsed, the process returns to step ST20, and the above-mentioned judgment is made. The process is repeated, and when 10 minutes have elapsed, the clean operation is stopped (step ST18), and the routine ends.

In this way, the reverse rotation of the blower fan 7 is continued for a maximum of 10 minutes, and not only the ozone generated by the electrostatic precipitator 8 arranged in the upper part of the indoor unit but also the lower part of the indoor unit ( In this example, ozone generated by the negative ion generator 9 arranged in the air outlet) is also used to sterilize every corner of the interior of the indoor unit, particularly the heat exchanger 6a on the rear side, the vicinity of the outlet, and the air passage. , Can be effectively deodorized.

If the operation stop operation is performed by the remote controller 10 before the 10-minute timer expires, the process proceeds from step ST21 to ST23, the clean operation is stopped, and the routine ends. Also,
When a signal for setting another function is input by the remote controller 10, the process proceeds from step ST20 to ST24,
The electric dust collector 8 is turned off. Note that the negative ion generator 9 may be turned off depending on other set functions.

Subsequently, the blower fan 7 is stopped and controlled (step ST25), and the rotation speed of the blower fan is detected (step ST26). When the rotation speed of the blower fan 7 becomes 0 rpm, after waiting for 1 second (step ST27), the operation process of another set function (for example, heating operation) is executed (step ST28).

As one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, unless the clean operation is forcibly ended by another function setting from the remote controller 10 during the clean operation, at the end of the clean operation, the immediately before the clean operation is automatically performed. It is also possible to return to the operation mode. According to this, the remote control 1
There is no need to operate 0.

In the above embodiment, the reverse rotation of the blower fan 7 is continuously operated for a maximum of 10 minutes, but the reverse rotation operation time is changed according to the usage environment of the air conditioner, and the reverse rotation and stop are performed. It may be intermittent operation.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention,
During clean operation in which ozone is generated from the electric dust collector and negative ion generator to deodorize and sterilize the interior of the indoor unit, the main opening / closing panel is closed and the sub opening / closing panel (multi-panel) is opened to use ozone by the electric dust collector. In this state, the blower fan is continuously or intermittently rotated forward for a predetermined period of time, and the sub open / close panel is also closed after the first clean mode is completed, and ozone is generated from the negative ion generator. By performing the second clean mode in which the blower fan is continuously or intermittently rotated in the reverse direction for a predetermined time in such a state, ozone can be spread to every corner inside the indoor unit, It can effectively deodorize and sterilize.

Further, since the condensed water accumulated in the drain pan of the indoor unit is evaporated by performing the heating operation for the predetermined time before the start of the clean operation, the deodorization / sterilization inside the indoor unit is more effective. Becomes

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the indoor unit according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Indoor unit side control circuit 1a Judgment unit 1b Timer part 1c State determination unit 1d counter section 1e Rotation speed detector 2 Outdoor unit side control circuit 2a Operation mode determination unit 2b Compressor control unit 3a, 3b Open / close panel (main open / close panel) 3c Multi panel (Sub-opening / closing panel) 4 Vertical wind direction plate 5 Left and right wind direction plate 6a, 6b, 6c Indoor heat exchanger 7 Blower fan 8 Electric dust collector 9 Negative ion generator

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) F24F 13/15 F24F 1/00 371B

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An indoor unit housing having an air intake port and an air outlet port, wherein a heat exchanger and a blower fan are provided in an air passage extending from the air inlet port to the air outlet port. A part of the air suction port is a normally open first suction port, an electric dust collector is provided inside the machine, and a main opening / closing panel is provided at the second suction port of the remaining part of the air suction port. A method for controlling an air conditioner in which a sub-opening / closing panel arranged at a position near the air outlet is provided, and a wind direction plate and a negative ion generator are provided in the air outlet, During a clean operation, the main clean opening / closing panel is closed, the sub open / close panel is opened, and ozone is generated by the electrostatic precipitator, and the blower fan is normally or continuously rotated for a predetermined period of time in the first clean mode. Mode and First
After the end of the clean mode, the sub-opening / closing panel is also closed, and the second clean mode in which the blower fan is continuously or intermittently reversely rotated for a predetermined time in a state where ozone is generated from the negative ion generator is executed. A method for controlling an air conditioner, which is characterized by the above. 2. In the first clean mode,
2. The method for controlling an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the wind direction plate is directed toward the sub opening / closing panel, and an air short circuit is formed between the air outlet and the air inlet. 3. The method for controlling an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the clean operation is performed in a blowing mode. 4. The heating mode is selected for a predetermined time period before the first clean mode is executed, and a drying operation for drying the inside of the indoor unit casing is performed. A method for controlling an air conditioner according to. 5. The method for controlling an air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein during the drying operation, the main opening / closing panel and the sub opening / closing panel are both open, and the wind direction plate is in a horizontal state. . 6. When the clean operation is selected when the air conditioner is operating in a predetermined operation mode, the air conditioner is set to the operation mode immediately before the clean operation after the clean operation is completed. The method for controlling an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the method is returned.