JP2004156794A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner equipped with an air filter cleaning means easy to clean and low in cost while allowing the use of a vacuum cleaner existing in an ordinary home. <P>SOLUTION: This air conditioner is constituted to suck indoor air from a suction port to condition the air and then to circulate the air indoors again via a blowoff port. The air conditioner is provided with a long sheet like air filter; an air filter driving device for carrying out the reciprocating travel of the air filter through the suction port; a brush brought into contact with the air filter to detach dust stuck to the air filter, from the air filter; and a suction part for allowing a suction port of the vacuum cleaner to face it to suck the dust detached from the air filter. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air conditioner that cleans by sucking indoor air by passing it through an air filter and adjusts temperature and humidity. In particular, the present invention relates to a rational and efficient removal of dust adhering to the air filter. The present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of processing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 1 shows an example of a general structure of a conventional air conditioner. In this air conditioner, room air sucked by a fan 3 from a suction port such as a suction grill provided on an upper surface or a front surface is heat-exchanged by passing through a heat exchanger 1, and then a louver 13 is provided. The air is blown into the room through the air outlet 20. At this time, an air filter 4 is attached to the suction port in order to remove the dust in the room mixed with the air to be sucked in, and the room air to be air-conditioned is cleaned. In a conventional air conditioner that removes dust using such an air filter 4, the air filter 4 becomes clogged with dust or the like captured as the use time elapses, and the air passage resistance of the indoor air increases to increase the air flow. There is a problem that the performance of the harmonic machine is reduced.
Therefore, in order to remove accumulated dust on the air filter 4, the air filter 4 is periodically removed from the air conditioner, and the dust is removed by a suction means such as a vacuum cleaner, or the air filter 4 is washed manually. Cleaning of the air filter is required. Reference numeral 2 in the figure is a drain pan for receiving moisture attached to the heat exchanger 1.
As an attempt to save the trouble of manually cleaning the air filter as described above, one disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In this known example, an air filter is configured as a long sheet of a wind-up type, and a ceiling installation type provided with a cleaning mechanism provided with a rotating roller and a dust receiver for suctioning and cleaning dust and the like attached to the air filter surface. An air conditioner has been proposed.
As another known example, Patent Document 2 proposes an air conditioner in which fixed air filters are arranged at appropriate intervals and a filter integrated with a suction port capable of moving left and right is provided on the front surface. Have been.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-9-184656 [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-185132
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in this Patent Document 1, dust removed from the air filter remains stored in the dust receptacle, and the accumulated dust adheres to the dust receptacle, and cleaning of the dust receptacle gives a new trouble to the user. There is. Further, this known example is structurally complicated and costly.
Further, in Patent Document 2, another new cleaning tool is required to remove dust adhering to the filter, which imposes a burden on the user in terms of cost. The present invention, which had to be said to have been made in view of these circumstances, has been made in view of these circumstances, and can be used with ordinary ordinary household vacuum cleaners, is easy to clean, and is inexpensive and economical. It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner provided with the cleaning means.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides
In an air conditioner in which room air is sucked in from the inlet and air-conditioned and then circulated indoors again through the outlet,
A long sheet-shaped air filter,
An air filter driving device for causing the air filter to reciprocate through the suction port,
Detaching means for contacting the air filter and detaching dust adhering to the air filter from the air filter;
A suction unit for facing a suction port of a suction unit for sucking dust separated from the air filter,
The air conditioner is characterized by comprising:
In this case, it is preferable that the air filter is repeatedly driven back and forth by the air filter driving device. Thus, the dust on the air filter can be easily removed.
The air conditioner further includes a dust collection chamber for temporarily storing dust removed by the separation unit, and when the suction unit is connected to the dust collection chamber, the air conditioner removes the dust by the separation unit. The dropped dust is collected by a suction means such as a vacuum cleaner cleanly and efficiently without scattering to the outside.
Further, in the air conditioner, a dust removal passage through which all or a part of the circulating air is blown through the air filter by a fan that sucks room air, and a normal case where all of the circulating air is blown into the room from the outlet. When the air passage is formed, the air from the fan can be blown to the air filter to be used for removing dust adhering from the air filter.
Therefore, by providing the first passage switching means that closes the dust removal passage during the air conditioning operation and opens the dust removal passage during the dust collection operation when the air conditioning operation is stopped, it is possible to improve the dust removal efficiency. it can.
In this case, by providing the second passage switching means for opening the normal air passage during the air conditioning operation and closing part or all of the normal air passage during the dust collection operation when the air conditioning operation is stopped, Dust collection can be achieved efficiently.
As the first passage switching means as described above, a first louver provided at the outlet can be used.
Further, as the second passage switching means, a second louver provided at a branch portion between the normal air passage and the dust removal passage can be used.
Since these louvers may use existing ones, the cost is not increased.
If the louver is further provided with an intermittent louver driving means for intermittently driving the second louver, the pressure of air for dust removal applied to the air filter can be intermittently varied, so that dust The rejection efficiency is significantly improved.
Furthermore, in this air conditioner, the suction unit may be provided in the front panel of the indoor unit, and may be configured as an opening that exposes the air filter. In this case, dust accumulated on the air filter in the air conditioning process can be easily removed directly from the air filter by a suction means such as a vacuum cleaner, so that an air filter having a simple configuration and a long life can be provided.
When shifting from the air-conditioning operation state to the air-conditioning operation stop state, the air filter driving device is reversed by a predetermined amount, and the operation is stopped in a state where the used air filter is located at the suction port on the ceiling surface, If the air filter is returned to the position before the stop of the operation when the operation is restarted, clogging of the air filter can be reduced as much as possible.
[0006]
Embodiment
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an air conditioner according to a conventional example, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of an air filter that can be used in the air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Is an external perspective view for explaining a use state of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the air conditioner according to the same embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view of a portion indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of a dust collection chamber in the air conditioner shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 9 is a front view of a portion viewed in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 7, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state of use in the air conditioner shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is a view taken in the direction of arrow B in FIG. It is a surface view.
First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 4, a cassette type air filter unit 6 is removably mounted in a front panel 11 of the indoor unit, which is indicated as a whole by 21a. As shown in FIG. 2, the air filter unit 6 includes a disposable long sheet-shaped air filter 4 wound around a shaft core 6b, and a cassette case 6a.
A large number of slits 10 are provided at both ends in the width direction (perpendicular to the winding direction) of the air filter 4, and a plurality of air filter driving gears 5 in the indoor unit 21 a mesh with the slits 10, and The air filter 4 is fed out of the cassette case 6a and collected in the cassette case 6a by rotating the air filter 4 and the air filter drive gear 5 by a drive motor (not shown). If necessary, the slack of the air filter 4 can be eliminated by separately providing the drive motor for the air filter drive gear 5 and the shaft core 6b.
[0007]
On the rear surface of the indoor unit 21a, a storage section 6c for storing the fed air filter 4 in a strip shape is provided.
A dust collecting chamber 22 is provided at the back of the front panel 11 of the indoor unit 21a indicated by an arrow A, and two-stage brushes (an example of detaching means) in the dust collecting chamber 22 that contact the surface of the air filter. ) 7 (upper brush 7a, lower brush 7b). The dust collecting chamber 22 is formed in a tapered shape so as to become narrower toward the right end as shown in FIG. 6 when viewed from the front of the indoor unit 21a. The upper brush 7a and the lower brush 7b are mounted along the partition walls of the tapered or horizontal dust collection chamber 22, respectively. A suction port 9 is provided at the narrow end of the dust collection chamber 22 on the taper as shown in FIG. An openable and closable lid (not shown) is attached to the suction port 9.
Further, as shown by the arrow X, the blow-out port 20 is shut off or opened at the blow-out port 20 of the normal air passage 23a through which the fan 3 blows out from the blow-out port 20 through the heat exchanger 1. A first louver 13 (an example of a first passage switching unit) for adjusting the direction of the first louver is provided.
Therefore, in the air conditioner 21a according to this embodiment, an air filter driving motor (not shown) is rotated at the start of operation, and the air filter 4 is sequentially fed out and arranged at a predetermined position covering the heat exchanger 1. Thereafter, as the operation time elapses, the air filter 4 is properly fed out, and when all the air filters 4 in the air filter unit 6 are fed out, the user is notified by a display or a warning sound that cleaning is necessary.
If the user selects cleaning by an input from a switch or a remote controller (not shown) provided on the indoor unit 21a, the air filter driving motor rotates in the reverse direction, and the shaft core 6b and the air filter driving are performed. The gear 5 is rotated, and the air filter 4 is collected in the air filter unit 6. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper and lower brushes 7a and 7b provided inside the front panel 11 and in contact with the air filter 4 wipe off dust and the like adhering to the surface of the air filter 4.
At the same time, as shown in FIG. 3, when a suction hose H of a suction means such as a vacuum cleaner is externally connected to the suction port 9 provided at a lower portion of the indoor unit front panel 11, and the suction means such as a vacuum cleaner is driven, The dust and the like that have been removed are continuously sucked by suction means such as a vacuum cleaner and collected. At this time, since the dust collecting chamber 22 is tapered as described above, the suction force in the dust collecting chamber 22 acts on the air filter 4 evenly, and the dust collecting efficiency is improved.
As described above, while collecting the air filter 4 in the air filter unit 6, the dust and the like attached to the air filter 4 are wiped off, and at the same time, the dust and the like that have been removed by suction means such as a vacuum cleaner are collected. The filter 4 is always collected in the air filter unit 6 in a new state from which dust has been removed.
When all the air filters 4 are collected in the air filter unit 6 in a state where dust and the like have been removed, the air filters 4 are arranged at predetermined positions in the same manner as described above, and normal operation is resumed.
When the air filter 4 is reversely rotated as described above, if the reverse rotation and the feeding are alternately performed at a ratio of, for example, 2: 1 and the air filter 4 is collected, the brush 7 can remove dust and the like more efficiently.
[0008]
Next, an indoor unit 21b according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, a second louver 14 (second passage switching means) that can be opened and closed is provided at a branch portion of the normal air passage 23 a and a dust removal passage 23 b branched from the normal air passage 23 a and reaching the dust collection chamber 22. ) And a motor (not shown) for driving it. Further, the dust removing passage 23b and the dust collecting chamber 22 communicate with each other through an opening 24. The opening 24 is opened between the brushes 7a and 7b as shown. This allows ventilation between the dust removal passage 32b and the dust collection chamber 22 through the air filter 4 and the opening 24.
When the air-conditioning operation is started, the air filter driving motor is rotated, and the air filter 4 is sequentially fed out and is arranged at a predetermined position covering the heat exchanger 1. Thereafter, as the operation time elapses, the air filter 4 is properly fed out, and all the air filters 4 in the air filter unit 6 are fed out. To be collected. By this operation, the brushes 7a and 7b provided near the air filter unit 6 come into contact with the air filter 4 to remove dust and the like adhering to the surface. At this time, the first louver 13 of the indoor unit 21b is closed, the second louver 14 is opened, and the fan 3 is operated. As a result, the suction air energized by the fan 3 passes through the dust removal passage 23b and enters the dust collection chamber 22 through the opening 24 because the first louver 13 is closed. At this time, since air is blown from the back surface of the air filter 4 to the front surface, dust and the like adhering to the surface of the air filter 4 are more easily separated from the surface of the air filter 4 by wind pressure in addition to the effect of the brushes 7a and 7b. Thus, it is efficiently collected from the suction port 9 by a suction means such as a vacuum cleaner. Hereinafter, the description is omitted because it is the same as the first embodiment.
Further, when the air filter driving motor is rotated in the reverse direction, the fan 3 is actuated while the first louver 13 is closed and the second louver 14 is opened or closed at a constant or variable speed. When the second louver 14 is closed, the sucked air stays in the normal air passage 23 a in a pressurized state by the fan 3. However, when the second louver 14 is opened, pressurized air enters the dust collection chamber 22 through the dust removal passage 23b and blows out from the back surface of the air filter 4 to the front surface. Since the pressure of the air flowing into the dust collection chamber 22 can be made non-stationary by repeating the opening and closing of the second louver 14 in this manner, dust and the like adhering to the air filter are effectively separated from the surface of the air filter 4. Can be done.
Next, an indoor unit 21c according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Also in this case, the air filter unit 6 is stored in the indoor unit front panel 11. Also, as in the first embodiment, the dust removal passage 23b is not provided, but a horizontally long opening 25 is formed in a part of the front panel 11 constituting the dust collection chamber 22, and a part of the air filter 4 is formed. It is exposed to the outside.
In this configuration, when all the air filters 4 in the air filter unit 6 are fed out and the air filter driving motor is rotated in the reverse direction to collect the air filters 4 in the air filter unit 6, as shown in FIGS. By bringing the suction port of a suction unit such as a vacuum cleaner close to the opening 25, the dust removed by the brushes 7a and 7b can be directly sucked and removed. That is, while collecting the air filter 4 in the air filter unit 6, the dust and the like attached to the air filter 4 can be wiped off, and at the same time, the dust and the like blown off by a vacuum cleaner or the like can be collected. When all the air filters 4 are collected in the air filter unit 6 in a state where dust is removed, the air filters 4 are arranged at predetermined positions as described above, and normal air conditioning operation is resumed.
It is also possible to provide a cover in the opening 25 of the front panel 11 so that the air filter 4 is exposed and not stained except during cleaning.
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment relates to an air conditioner having at least a suction port on a ceiling surface. In this case, when shifting from the operation state to the operation stop state, the motor for driving the air filter 4 is reversely rotated by a predetermined amount, and the used air filter 4 is positioned at the position facing the suction port on the ceiling surface. Stop operation. Conversely, when shifting from the operation stop state to the operation state, the air filter 4 is drawn out by a predetermined amount (the same amount as the reverse rotation amount). This prevents dust or the like that accumulates on the ceiling-side air filter 4 from adhering to the air filter 4 in use when the operation is stopped, thereby preventing the air filter 4 from being unnecessarily soiled.
[0009]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention,
In an air conditioner in which room air is sucked from an intake port, air-conditioned, and then circulated indoors again through an outlet, an air filter in the form of a long sheet, and an air filter that reciprocates the air filter through the intake port A drive unit, a release unit such as a brush for removing dust adhering to the air filter by contacting the air filter, and a suction unit such as a vacuum cleaner for sucking the dust separated from the air filter. Since it is configured as an air conditioner characterized by comprising a suction unit for approaching the mouth, it is possible to use a vacuum cleaner in a general household, and it is easy to clean and cost-effective. It is also possible to provide an air conditioner provided with an inexpensive air filter cleaning means.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an air conditioner according to a conventional example.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of an air filter that can be used in the air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an external perspective view for explaining a use state of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the air conditioner according to the same embodiment.
5 is a side sectional view of a dust collection chamber in the air conditioner shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a front view of a portion viewed from an arrow A in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of a dust collection chamber in the air conditioner shown in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a front view of a portion viewed from an arrow A in FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of an air conditioner according to another embodiment.
FIG. 11 is an exemplary perspective view showing a state of use in the air conditioner shown in FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a front view of a portion viewed from the arrow B in FIG. 10;
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 1 heat exchanger 2 drain pan 3 fan 4 air filter 5 air filter driving gear 6 air filter unit 7 brush (separation means)
9 Suction port 10 Slit 11 Front panel 12 Vacuum cleaner (suction means)
13 First louver 14 Second louver 25 Opening

Claims (10)

In an air conditioner in which room air is sucked in from the inlet and air-conditioned, and then circulated again indoors through the outlet,
A long sheet-shaped air filter,
An air filter driving device for causing the air filter to reciprocate through the suction port,
Detaching means for contacting the air filter and removing dust adhering to the air filter from the air filter;
A suction unit for facing a suction port of suction means for sucking dust separated from the air filter,
An air conditioner comprising: The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air filter driving device repeats reciprocating drive of the air filter to separate the dust from the air filter by the separation unit. The air conditioner according to claim 2, further comprising: a dust collection chamber for temporarily storing the dust removed by the detaching means, wherein the suction unit is connected to the dust collection chamber. A dust removal passage through which all or a part of the circulating air is blown through the air filter by the fan that sucks the indoor air, and a normal ventilation passage through which the entire circulating air is blown into the room from the outlet are formed. The air conditioner according to claim 1. A first passage switching unit that closes the dust removal passage during the air conditioning operation and opens the dust removal passage during the dust collection operation when the air conditioning operation is stopped; and opens the normal air passage during the air conditioning operation and performs air conditioning. 4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, further comprising: a second passage switching unit that closes a part or all of the normal air passage during a dust collection operation when the operation is stopped. 5. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the first passage switching means is a first louver provided at the outlet. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the second passage switching means is a second louver provided at a branch between the normal air passage and the dust removal passage. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a louver intermittent operation means for intermittently driving the second louver. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the suction unit is an opening provided on a front panel unit of the indoor unit and exposing the air filter. When shifting from the air-conditioning operation state to the air-conditioning operation stop state, the air filter driving device is reversed by a predetermined amount, and the operation is stopped in a state where the used air filter is located at the suction port on the ceiling surface, The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising control means for returning the air filter to a position before the operation is stopped when the operation is restarted.

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