JP2006162156A - Air-conditioning system and controller used therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inexpensively provide an air-conditioning system and a controller used therefor, capable of switching the operation mode of cooling and heating by controlling the temperature of a predetermined place. <P>SOLUTION: This air-conditioning system has an outdoor unit control part 2a for controlling operation of a compressor and a four-way valve, an indoor unit control parts 3a for controlling operation of an opening/closing valve, a controller 5 arranged in response to the respective indoor unit control parts 3a, one temperature detector connected to the whole controllers 5, and a communication wire 4 for communicating between the outdoor unit control part 2a and the whole indoor unit control parts 3a. The temperature detector sends out a signal different before and after the predetermined temperature to the controller 5, and the controller 5 indicates switching of the cooling and the heating to the indoor unit control part 3a by receiving a signal change from the temperature detector. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to an air-conditioning system in which a plurality of indoor units are connected to an outdoor unit, and an air-conditioning system capable of simultaneously switching the operation mode of cooling and heating of an indoor unit at a low cost and easily. It relates to the controller.

An air conditioning system in which a plurality of indoor units are connected to an outdoor unit includes a cooling / heating fixed type that fixes all the indoor units to one of the cooling or heating operation modes, and cooling or It is roughly divided into two types, a cooling / heating free type, in which an operation mode of heating can be arbitrarily selected.

The cooling / heating fixed type has a simple refrigerant circuit because the heat exchanger of all indoor units is fixed to either the evaporator or the condenser, whereas the cooling / heating free type has some indoor units. In order to operate the heat exchanger of the machine as an evaporator and the heat exchangers of the remaining indoor units as a condenser, a special refrigerant circuit is required. Therefore, each type is selected depending on the conditions of the tenant or building where the air conditioning system is installed, but the cooling and heating fixed type is inexpensive, so it is a small-scale air conditioning system with a small temperature change and a small number of installed indoor units. Many have been selected.

In particular, in the cooling / heating fixed type air conditioning system, when switching between the cooling operation mode and the heating operation mode depending on the temperature condition of each room, for example, in a situation where the air conditioning system is operating in the heating operation mode, some indoor units When the temperature sensor detects a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the cooling operation is attempted in some of the indoor units. However, since the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioning system is in the heating operation, only some of the indoor units are not allowed to perform the cooling operation, and the indoor unit is in an operation error or stopped, and the operation mode switching does not proceed any further. There's a problem.

Therefore, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, when some of the indoor units try to change the operation mode from the heating operation to the cooling operation depending on the temperature state, the indoor unit is temporarily stopped in the “cooling standby mode”. After the temperature sensors of all indoor units detect a predetermined temperature or more and stop in the cooling standby mode, the outdoor unit detects that all the indoor units are in the “cooling standby mode” and the refrigerant flow The cooling operation is started by reversing.

However, in the case of the invention described in Patent Document 1, special control is required for the indoor unit such as providing a “cooling standby mode” in order to switch the operation mode of the entire air conditioning system. Further, there is a temperature variation in each room where the indoor unit is installed. In order to switch between cooling and heating with the temperature sensor of each indoor unit, it is necessary for all the rooms to reach a predetermined temperature, so if one room is in a special state (shade, sun, etc.), the cooling and heating are switched Something happens. In addition, if control is performed in consideration of temperature variation, further special control is required.

On the other hand, in the invention described in Patent Document 2, a centralized control device that collectively controls all indoor units and outdoor units is provided with one temperature sensor in a certain air conditioning system, and the temperature value at one location is used as a reference. Switching between cooling and heating is possible. However, when there is no person who manages a small system or the entire system, the central control apparatus may not be provided. If a centralized control device is provided only for switching the operation mode of the air conditioning system, it is necessary to send a signal to the communication line between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, which requires a control device and interface with relatively high speed processing capability. It will be up.

Also, even in an air conditioning system with a centralized control device, when installing the air conditioning system, if it is installed as a centralized control device that allows only a fixed operating state of either cooling or heating, the cooling and heating In a situation where it is desired to add a switching function as a retrofit, it is necessary to add a new function to the centralized control device, and it becomes necessary to stop the entire system once, which is inconvenient for the user.

JP-A-4-353336 JP 2000-30433 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, the present invention provides an air conditioning system and a controller used therefor, which can switch between cooling and heating operation modes by managing the temperature at a predetermined location at low cost.

In order to solve the above problems, one compressor having a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a plurality of indoor heat exchangers, and an on-off valve provided corresponding to each of the indoor heat exchangers An outdoor unit control unit that configures a refrigerant circuit and controls the compressor and the flow path switching valve; and an indoor unit control unit that is provided corresponding to each of the on-off valves and controls the respective on-off valves; Communication is performed between a controller provided corresponding to each of the indoor unit control units, one temperature detector connected to all the controllers, and the outdoor unit control unit and all the indoor unit control units. An air conditioning system having a communication circuit, wherein the temperature detector sends different signals around a predetermined temperature to the controller, and the controller receives a signal change from the temperature detector to the indoor unit controller. It is characterized by an instruction to switch the operating mode of tufts and heating.

Further, it constitutes one refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a plurality of indoor heat exchangers, and an on-off valve provided corresponding to each of the indoor heat exchangers. An outdoor unit control unit that controls the operation of the compressor and the flow path switching valve, and an indoor unit control unit that is provided corresponding to each of the on-off valves and controls the respective on-off valves, and the same remote A controller provided for each of some of the indoor unit controllers controlled by the controller, one temperature detector connected to all of the controllers, the outdoor unit controller, and all the indoor unit controllers An air conditioning system that communicates with each other, wherein the temperature detector sends different signals before and after a predetermined temperature to the controller, and the controller receives a signal change from the temperature detector. Therefore, it is preferable to instruct the indoor unit controller to switch between the cooling and heating operation modes.

It is preferable that the controller receives a signal from the temperature detector and instructs the indoor unit control unit to stop, and instructs the start of operation after the cooling / heating switching after a predetermined time.

The controller is preferably attached separately from the indoor unit controller.

The controller is preferably connected to a remote control input terminal of the indoor unit controller.

It is preferable that the controller is provided with a function selection unit that can select an instruction to be given to the indoor unit controller in response to the signal change.

A controller provided for each of some indoor unit control units controlled by the same remote controller in an air conditioning system having an outdoor unit control unit and a communication circuit that performs communication between a plurality of indoor unit control units. An output unit connected in parallel to the wiring of the remote controller, an input unit connected to a temperature detector that outputs a different signal around a predetermined temperature, and a signal change from the input unit in response to a signal change from the input unit The apparatus control unit includes a signal sending unit that sends a stop signal to the output unit and an operation start signal in an operation mode after switching between cooling and heating to the indoor unit after a predetermined time.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, switching between the cooling and heating operation modes by managing the temperature at a predetermined location can be realized without a centralized control device, and an inexpensive air conditioning system can be provided. In addition, even when there is a centralized control device, when it is installed as a centralized control device that allows only one of the operation modes of cooling or heating when the air conditioning system is installed, the switching function between cooling and heating can be retrofitted. In the situation of addition, it is possible to provide an air conditioning system that is convenient for the user without having to stop the entire system.

Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 2, the number of controllers can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to avoid the situation where only one part of the indoor unit is in an operation mode different from that of the other indoor units, and to reliably switch between cooling and heating.

Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 4, the installation work is easy, and the air-conditioning system capable of switching between the cooling and heating operation modes by retrofitting after the air-conditioning system in which the cooling or heating operation mode is fixed is installed. Therefore, the installation can be performed with good convenience for the user because the entire system can be installed without stopping.

Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 5, it is inexpensive and installation work is easy without requiring a high-speed CPU or the like. In addition, after installing an air conditioning system with a fixed cooling or heating operation mode, it can be easily changed to an air conditioning system that can be switched between cooling and heating operation modes by retrofitting and can be installed without stopping the entire system. The installation work can be done with great convenience.

Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 6, the operation mode of cooling and heating is set by using a controller connected to other equipment already provided in the air conditioning system and connecting the temperature detector to the controller. It can be switched, and is cheaper and easy to install. Moreover, after installing the air conditioning system which fixed the operation mode to cooling or heating, it can change easily to the air conditioning system which can switch the operation mode of cooling and heating by retrofit.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, switching between the cooling and heating operation modes by managing the temperature at a predetermined location can be realized without installing a centralized control device. In addition, when installing an air conditioning system, if it is installed as a centralized control device that enables only one of the fixed operating states of cooling or heating, in the situation where a switching function between cooling and heating is added later, Since installation is possible without stopping the whole, installation work can be performed with good convenience for the user. Further, since a high-speed CPU or the like is not required, an inexpensive controller can be provided.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioning system 1 includes one outdoor unit 2 and a plurality of indoor units 3, and the outdoor unit 2 and all the indoor units 3 are connected by a single communication line 4. One indoor unit 3 is arranged in each of the rooms 101 to 105. Each of the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 has control units 2a and 3a, which are connected to each other via the communication line 4, and communicate with each other by the communication line 4, the control unit 2a of the outdoor unit 2, and the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3. A circuit is configured to enable communication. Moreover, the controller 5 demonstrated below is connected to the control part 3a of each indoor unit 3. FIG. One temperature detector 8 is connected to all the controllers 5.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 2, the outdoor unit 2 is provided with a compressor 21, a four-way valve 22, and an outdoor heat exchanger 23. The suction side of the compressor is connected to the gas pipe 10 a of the refrigerant pipe 10 via the four-way valve 22, and the side end of the outdoor heat exchanger 23 is connected to the liquid pipe 10 b of the refrigerant pipe 10. A blower 24 is disposed in the vicinity of the outdoor heat exchanger 23. Here, the four-way valve is a flow path switching valve provided to reverse the refrigerant flow flowing in the gas pipe 10a and the liquid pipe 10b.

Each of the indoor units 3 is configured by sequentially arranging an indoor side heat exchanger 31 and an on-off valve 33 in an indoor refrigerant pipe. The end of the indoor refrigerant pipe on the indoor heat exchanger 31 side is connected to the gas pipe of the refrigerant pipe 10, and the side end of the on-off valve 33 is connected to the liquid pipe 10 b of the refrigerant pipe 10. A blower 32 is disposed in the vicinity of the indoor heat exchanger 31. The valve opening degree of the on-off valve 33 is adjusted according to the air conditioning load.

When the four-way valve 22 is switched to the cooling side, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 reaches the outdoor heat exchanger 23 through the four-way valve 22, and is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 23. After flowing through the liquid pipe and diverted to each indoor unit 3, the pressure is reduced through the opening / closing valve 33 of each indoor unit 3, and then evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger 31 to cool the room. The refrigerant from the indoor heat exchanger 31 of each indoor unit 3 joins in the gas pipe 10 a and is returned to the compressor 21.

When the four-way valve 22 is switched to the heating side, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 flows through the gas pipe 10a through the four-way valve 22, and is divided into the indoor refrigerant pipes of the respective indoor units 3, It is condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 31 of the indoor unit 3 to heat the room. The refrigerant condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 31 is depressurized by the on-off valve 33, merged in the liquid pipe 10 b, evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger 23 of the outdoor unit 2, and then the four-way valve 22. After that, it is returned to the compressor 21.

Therefore, in the system as shown in FIG. 2, in each indoor unit 3, the four-way valve 22 is switched to the cooling side or the heating side, so that all the indoor units 3 except the stopped indoor unit 3 are in the cooling operation or It is set as an alternative to heating operation. That is, in each of the indoor units 3, one is not set to the cooling operation and the other is not set to the heating operation at the same time.

Here, returning to FIG. 1, communication between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit will be described. The control unit 2 a of the outdoor unit 2 and the control unit 3 a of the indoor unit 3 perform serial communication via the communication line 4. Each of the indoor units 3 is connected to a remote controller 9 described below, and the indoor unit 3 is operated and stopped, a set temperature is changed, and an operation mode such as cooling or heating is switched by manual operation of the remote controller 9. . In this case, signals indicating operation, stop, set temperature value, operation mode and the like are transmitted to the control unit 3a by the operation of the remote controller 9, and the control unit 3a correspondingly operates, stops, and opens / closes the blower 32. The opening degree adjustment of 33 and switching between the cooling and heating operation modes are performed, and each of the control units 3 a transmits its own operation state to the communication line 4.

The control unit 2a of the outdoor unit 2 reads the signal transmitted from the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3 from the communication line 4, and performs control according to the read operating state of the indoor unit 3. For example, when the operation of one indoor unit 3 is started from the state where all the indoor units 3 are stopped, the control unit of the indoor unit 3 transmits the operation state to the communication line 4 and the control unit 2a of the outdoor unit 2 Reads this, changes the direction of the four-way valve according to the operation mode of the indoor unit 3 that has started operation, and starts the operation of the compressor 21. Moreover, when the number of the indoor units 3 in operation increases, the rotation speed of the compressor 21 is increased according to the number.

Here, the operations of the remote controller 9, the controller 5, the temperature detector 8, and the indoor unit 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3 includes a CPU 3b and a remote control input unit 3c. The controller 5 includes a signal transmission unit 5a and a function selection unit 5b. The remote control input unit 3 c of the control unit 3 a of the indoor unit 3 is connected to the remote controller 9 via the remote control communication line 6.

By operating the remote controller 9 manually to operate and stop, change the set temperature, and change the operation mode such as cooling and heating, remote control signals that mean operation and stop, set temperature value, operation mode, etc., respectively, are indoor units. 3 is transmitted to the control unit 3a, converted into a signal by the remote control input unit 3c, which is an interface, and then processed by the CPU 3b to control the operation of the blower 32, the on-off valve 33 and the like, and transmit the operation state to the communication line 4.

The controller 5 is connected to the remote control input unit 3 c of the indoor unit 3 through the remote control communication line 6 in parallel with the remote controller 9. The signal sending unit 5a of the controller 5 has two input units SW1 and SW2, and has one output unit OUT. The remote control communication line 6 connected to the remote control input unit 3c of the indoor unit 3 is connected to the output unit of the signal transmission unit 5a in the controller 5, and another input is provided to the input unit SW1 of the signal transmission unit 5a. A temperature detector 8 is connected via the communication line 7.

Here, the temperature detector 8 is composed of a switch using bimetal, and an electric circuit that opens the switch at a predetermined temperature or higher and closes the switch at a predetermined temperature or lower is made to flow an electric current (short) when the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature. An output that does not allow current to flow (open) above a predetermined temperature is generated. In this embodiment, the predetermined temperature is set to 22 ° C., and the “short” and “open” signals are switched at 22 ° C. as a boundary.

When the input signal is switched from “open” to “short” and a rising edge as shown in FIG. 4 is detected, the signal sending unit 5a of the controller 5 sends an operation stop signal as an output signal to the output unit. And after predetermined time progress, the operation start signal in heating mode is sent out as an output signal. When the input signal is switched from “short” to “open” and a falling edge as shown on the right side of FIG. 4 is detected, an operation stop is sent to the output unit as an output signal. Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, an operation start signal in the cooling mode is sent as an output signal. The predetermined time in the signal transmission unit 5a in this embodiment is set to 1 minute.

Returning to FIG. 1 again, switching between the cooling and heating operation modes will be described. In this embodiment, the temperature detector 8 is installed in a room 104, and is normally operated in a cooling operation when the room temperature in the room 104 is 22 ° C or higher.

When the temperature of the room 104 decreases to 22 ° C. or lower in such a situation, the temperature detector 8 detects this, and the output of the temperature detector 8 is switched from “open” to “short”. In this case, since the controller 5 connected to the remote control input unit 3c of all the indoor units 3 is connected to the temperature detector 8 installed in the room 104, “open” is input from the input unit SW1 of the signal transmission unit at the same timing. ”To“ short ”are detected.

In this case, a remote control signal is output to the output unit OUT according to FIG. A remote control signal indicating stop is transmitted from the controller 5 connected to the indoor unit 3, and after signal conversion is performed by the remote control input unit 3c of the indoor unit, the CPU 3b processes to stop the blower 32 of the indoor unit 3, 33 is closed and the fact that it is stopped is transmitted to the communication line 4. Since this operation similarly occurs in all the controllers 5 connected to the temperature detector 8, it similarly occurs in all the indoor units 3 installed in the rooms 101 to 105. Accordingly, all the indoor units 3 are stopped, and the control unit 3a of each indoor unit 3 transmits to the communication line 4 that it is in a stopped state.

The control unit 2a of the outdoor unit 2 detects that all the indoor units 3 have stopped by reading the signal on the communication line 4, and stops the operation of the compressor 21. And the control part 2a sends out that the outdoor unit 2 is a stop state with respect to the communication line 4. FIG.

Next, after 1 minute has elapsed since the input part SW1 of the signal sending part 5a of the controller 5 detects the rising edge, an operation start signal in the heating operation mode is sent to the output part OUT of the signal sending part 5a. This signal is processed by the CPU 3b via the remote control input unit 3c, and the indoor unit 3 starts to operate in the heating operation mode. At this time, one minute or more has elapsed since the rising edge was detected, and all the indoor units have already stopped.

Therefore, the outdoor unit 2 is also stopped. Therefore, since the outdoor unit 2 transmits a signal to the communication line 4 that it is in the stopped state, the operation state of the indoor unit 3 can be set to the heating operation. Thereafter, the blower 32 is actually rotated and the control of the on-off valve 33 is started. And the control part 3a of the indoor unit 3 transmits that it is operating in the heating operation mode to the communication line 4, and the control part 2a of the outdoor unit 2 that has received this signal switches the four-way valve to the heating operation mode and compresses it. Start machine operation.

Since this operation similarly occurs in all the controllers 5 connected to the temperature detector 8, it similarly occurs in all the indoor units 3 installed in the rooms 101 to 105. Therefore, all the indoor units 3 are started to operate in the heating operation mode, and the outdoor units 2 are also started to operate in the heating operation mode.

Similarly, when the temperature detector 8 installed in the room 104 detects 22 ° C. or higher under the condition that the air conditioning system 1 is operating in the heating operation mode, the output of the temperature detector 8 is changed from “short” to “open”. Switch to. In this case, since the controller 5 connected to the remote control input unit 3c of all the indoor units 3 is connected to the temperature detector 8 installed in the room 104, the "short" is sent from the input unit SW1 of the signal sending unit at the same timing. ”To“ open ”falling edge.

In this case, a remote control signal is output to the output unit OUT according to FIG. In this case, the output signal is a signal indicating a stop, and an operation start signal in the cooling operation mode is transmitted after 1 minute has elapsed. As a result, all the indoor units 3 are started to operate in the cooling operation mode, and the outdoor units 2 are also started to operate in the cooling operation mode.

Next, the operation of the controller 5 when a part of the indoor unit 3 is stopped will be described. When a part of the indoor unit 3 is in a stopped state, in all the controllers 5, the signal sending unit 5a detects a signal change from the temperature detector 8, and sends a signal indicating that the operation is stopped and the operation is started after a predetermined time. Resulting in. Therefore, the indoor unit 3 that has been in a stopped state before the temperature detector 8 outputs a signal change due to a signal indicating the start of operation after a predetermined time will unintentionally start operation.

In order to avoid this, the controller 5 monitors the operating state of the outdoor unit from the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3 via the remote control communication line, and when the outdoor unit receives a change in signal from the temperature detector 8, the outdoor unit is in the operating state. Only in this case, a signal transmission operation is performed on the output unit OUT.

This air conditioning system stops the operation of all indoor units 3 at the same timing by connecting the input unit SW1 of the signal sending unit 5a of the controller 5 connected to all the indoor units 3 to one temperature detector 8. After all of the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 of the air conditioning system are stopped, all the indoor units 3 are started to operate in the heating operation mode or the cooling operation mode at the same timing. For this reason, the central control device is not required, and switching between the cooling and heating operation modes by managing the temperature at a predetermined location can be realized. Further, in the communication between the indoor unit 3 and the outdoor unit 2, special control such as a cooling operation standby state or a heating operation standby state is not necessary.

Furthermore, the controller 5 is connected to the remote control input unit 3c of the indoor unit, and sends out the stop signal and the operation start signal by a remote control signal. For this reason, the controller 5 does not require a high-speed CPU or the like and can be manufactured at low cost. As a result, it is possible to provide the air-conditioning system 1 that enables switching between an inexpensive cooling and heating operation mode. In addition, when adding an operation mode switching function for cooling or heating, the controller 5 can be connected to the remote control input unit 3c of the indoor unit 3 and connected to a single temperature detector 8 for installation work. Thus, it is possible to easily perform the signal confirmation work of the communication line 4 when the central control device is installed or when the function is added.

In addition, when the controller 5 detects a rising edge from the temperature detector 8, the signal sending unit sends a signal meaning stop once, and then sends a signal meaning heating or cooling operation start after a predetermined time, The transmission of a signal indicating a stop transmitted by some of the controllers 5 is delayed, the stop of some of the indoor units 3 connected to the controller 5 is delayed, the delay of the outdoor units 2 being stopped, Even if the signal transmission indicating that the vehicle is stopped is delayed, a signal indicating the start of heating operation or the start of cooling operation is transmitted after a predetermined time has elapsed, so that only some of the indoor units 3 are different from the other indoor units 3. It is possible to avoid the situation of the operation mode, and to reliably switch between the cooling and heating operation modes.

In addition, after installing the air conditioning system in buildings or tenants as an air conditioning system that can only perform cooling operation or heating operation at the time of installation, a centralized control device can be newly installed even if it is desired to change to an air conditioning system that can switch between the cooling and heating operation modes. Or installing a function for switching between the cooling and heating operation modes as software in the centralized control device that has already been installed since the installation. There is no work to confirm the communication status and operation with the machine 3. Therefore, since it can be performed only by connecting the controller 5 to the remote control input unit 3c of the control unit 3a of all the indoor units 3, and no new signal is added to the communication line 4, there is no need to stop the entire air conditioning system. . Therefore, it is highly convenient for the user who uses the installed air conditioning system.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 shows a system diagram when the indoor unit 3 of the air conditioning system 1 is installed in the rooms 201 to 205 and the rooms 301 to 305. The configuration of the refrigerant circuit, the inside of the indoor unit 3 and the outdoor unit 2 and their connection are the same as in the first embodiment. The rooms 202, 204, 205, 302, 304, and 305 have one indoor unit 3, the rooms 203 and 303 have two indoor units 3, the rooms 201 and 301 have three indoor units 3, Each is installed.

One remote controller 9 is connected to the remote control input unit 3 c of each indoor unit 3 so that the indoor units 3 in the rooms 201 to 205 are controlled by the same remote controller 9. Therefore, one controller 5 may be connected to the remote control communication line 6 to which the remote control input units 3c of the indoor units 3 in the rooms 201 to 205 are connected to each other. Here, the controller 5 of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Similarly, since the three indoor units 3 installed in the room 301 are connected to one remote controller 9 by one remote control communication line 6, one controller 5 is connected. Since the indoor unit 3 installed in the room 302 is independently connected to one remote controller 9, it is connected to one controller 5 via the remote control communication line 6. Since the two indoor units 3 installed in the room 303 are connected to one remote controller 9 by one remote control communication line 6, one controller 5 is connected. The indoor units 3 installed in each of the rooms 304 and 305 are controlled by the same remote controller 9 although the installed rooms are different. Connected to the remote controller 9, one controller 5 is connected.

Then, the temperature detector 8 is connected to the input part SW1 of the signal sending part 5a of all the controllers 5. In this embodiment, the temperature detector 8 is the same as that of the first embodiment and is installed in the room 303.

As a result, the “short” and “open” signals are switched before and after the temperature detector 8 is 22 ° C., so that the air conditioning system 1 operates in the cooling operation mode when the room temperature of the room 303 is 22 ° C. or higher. In this case, when the temperature detector 8 detects 22 ° C. or lower, the output of the temperature detector 8 is switched from “open” to “short”. In this case, the signal sending units 5a of all the controllers 5 detect the rising edge from “open” to “short”, and start the operation in the heating operation mode after one minute and a signal indicating a stop as shown in FIG. Send the meaning signal. For example, the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3 installed in the room 301 can receive the signal from one controller 5, and the three indoor units 3 are similarly stopped and started to operate in the heating operation mode.

Similarly, the other indoor units 3 receive a signal indicating that the operation is stopped and the operation start in the heating operation mode after one minute from the controller 5 to which the control unit 3a of each indoor unit 3 is connected. The operation is started in the operation mode. Accordingly, all the indoor units 3 are temporarily stopped, whereby the outdoor unit 2 is stopped, and then the heating operation is started, so that the indoor operation unit 3 can be surely switched to the heating operation. In addition, since one controller 5 is provided for the plurality of indoor units 3, the number of controllers 5 can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The controller 5 according to the present invention details functions not described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the configuration of the controller 5 will be described with reference to FIG.

The controller 5 according to the present invention inputs “short” and “open” signals to the input unit of the signal transmission unit 5 a, detects a rising edge or a falling edge, and transmits a remote control signal to the indoor unit 3. The output of the device is converted into a remote control signal to control the indoor unit 3.

FIG. 7 shows an example of use of the external input / output function of the controller 5. For example, by connecting the output of the contact switch of the card key 11 installed in the guest room of the hotel to the input part of the controller 5, the card insertion / removal can be linked to the operation on / off of the indoor unit 3. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the signal sending unit 5a of the controller 5 sends a signal indicating the start of operation from the output unit OUT when a rising edge from “open” to “short” of the input unit is detected, When a falling edge from “short” to “open” in the input unit is detected, a signal indicating operation stop is transmitted from the output unit OUT.

Thereby, the indoor unit 3 connected to the controller 5 interlocked with the card key 11 can be stopped when the card is removed, and can be started when the card is inserted.

Similarly, when the output of the window open / close detection switch 16 is connected to the input SW1 of the controller 5 and the controller 5 is operated as shown in FIG. It can be linked to the operation on / off of the machine 3.

Furthermore, the output of the temperature changeover switch 15 can be connected to the input part of the controller 5, and the temperature changeover switch can be turned on / off in conjunction with the temperature setting change of the indoor unit 3. In this case, the two input units SW1 and SW2 of the signal sending unit 5a of the controller 5 are used. The temperature changeover switch can be pressed to the left or right, and has two outputs. One of the outputs is connected to the input unit SW1 and the other to the input unit SW2. When the temperature changeover switch 15 is pressed to one side, the current is set to flow primarily through SW1. In addition, the current is temporarily set to flow through SW2 when pressed to the other side.

As shown in FIG. 9, the signal sending unit 5a of the controller 5 sends a remote control signal to the output unit OUT so that the set temperature is 27 ° C. when a rising edge is detected in the input unit SW1, and the input unit When a rising edge is detected in SW2, a remote control signal is set to be sent to the output unit so that the set temperature is 27 ° C. As a result, the user can set the temperature setting value of the indoor unit 3 to which the controller 5 is connected to either 20 ° C. or 27 ° C. by pressing the temperature changeover switch.

As described above, there are two input parts of the signal sending part 5a of the controller 5, SW1 and SW2. And the signal sent to an output part can be allocated with respect to the rising edge and falling edge of the signal input to each. This assignment is performed in the function selection unit 5b provided in the controller 5 shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, patterns as shown in FIGS. 4, 8, and 9 can be set in advance by a combination of switch on / off using a dip switch.

The two input units SW1 and SW2 of the signal sending unit 5a of the controller 5 are useful not only when used in conjunction with the temperature changeover switch but also when two devices are used in combination. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the air conditioning system 1 in which the indoor units 3 are installed in the rooms 401 to 405. Here, since the indoor units 3 installed in the rooms 401 to 405 are collectively controlled by one remote controller 9 for each room, one controller 5 is provided for each room. SW1 of all these controllers are connected to a temperature detector 8 installed in the room 403. As a result, the cooling and heating operation modes can be switched collectively according to the temperature of the temperature detector 8 installed in the room 403.

Further, card keys 11 are provided on the SW 2 of the controller 5 connected to the indoor units 3 in the rooms 402 to 405, respectively. As a result, all the indoor units 3 installed in the rooms 402 to 405 can be started and stopped by inserting and removing the card key 11 installed in each room.

According to the above embodiment, the controller 5 of the present invention can be shared with the controller 5 connected to other devices, so that it is cheaper and easy to install, and the operation mode is fixed to cooling or heating. After the system is installed, it is possible to provide an air conditioning system that can be easily changed to an air conditioning system that can be switched between cooling and heating operation modes by retrofitting.

Subsequently, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, the control unit 2a of the outdoor unit 2 and the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3 communicate in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the CPU 3b of the indoor unit 3 also functions as the signal transmission unit 5a that the controller 5 in the first embodiment has. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3 includes a CPU 3b and a setting storage unit 3d. The setting operation unit 13 is connected to the CPU 3b via an independent communication line. Further, a temperature detector 8 is connected to the CPU 3b via the external input communication line 7.

The temperature detector 8 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the “open” and “short” signals are switched before and after a predetermined temperature. When the CPU 3b detects a rising edge from “open” to “short” as shown in FIG. 11 (a), the CPU 3b determines that it is ON, and stops and operates in the heating operation mode after 1 minute as shown in FIG. 11 (b). Works to start. On the other hand, when a falling edge from “short” to “open” is detected, it is determined to be OFF, and as shown in FIG. 11B, the operation is stopped and the operation is started in the cooling operation mode after one minute.

The external input communication line 7 is similarly connected to the CPUs 3b of all the indoor units 3, and the CPUs 3b of all the indoor units 3 are set to operate similarly. As a result, as in the first embodiment, the temperature detector 8 outputs a rising edge or a falling edge before and after a predetermined temperature, all the indoor units stop operating, and the cooling operation is switched to the heating operation. Since the start or the heating operation is switched to the cooling operation and the operation is started, the cooling and heating operation modes of the air conditioning system 1 can be switched.

Here, the setting operation unit 13 connected to the CPU 3b of the indoor unit 3 is a function selection unit provided for setting the processing to be operated to correspond to ON / OFF of the external input signal in FIG. It is. Operation information that can be processed in advance is stored in the setting storage unit 3d, and processing corresponding to the ON signal and OFF signal of the input unit can be read and set by the setting operation unit. It has become.

Therefore, also in the present embodiment, if the processing is assigned such that the operation is started for the ON signal and the operation is stopped for the OFF signal, the card key 11, the window open / close detection switch 16 and the like are assigned to the indoor unit 3. A device that outputs open and short signals can be connected and interlocked with the operation of the device.

Accordingly, in the indoor unit 3 having the above function, as shown in FIG. 11B, the external setting input is “stop & HEAT after a predetermined time has elapsed” for ON, and “stop & COOL after a predetermined time has passed COOL for OFF. "Is set. Further, it is possible to provide an air conditioning system capable of switching between the cooling and heating operation modes that does not require a centralized control device by simply connecting the external input communication line 7 from the temperature detector 8 to the CPU 3b.

Although the present invention has been described based on the present embodiment, it is not limited thereto. For example, although the present embodiment has been described using an air conditioning system that does not have a centralized control device, it can also be applied to an air conditioning system that has a centralized control device. The centralized control device centrally monitors the operation status of an arbitrary indoor unit 3 and performs control such as operating and stopping necessary indoor units 3 using a predetermined schedule.

Although all the indoor units 3 have been described with the same numbers, they are not necessarily the same, and different indoor units such as installation methods and cooling capacities may be used. Moreover, although the on-off valve has been described as also serving as an expansion valve, it may be configured separately.

In the first embodiment, the controller 5 having the function selection unit 5b has been described. However, the presence / absence of the function selection unit 5b is arbitrary, and this controller only switches the operation mode between cooling and heating. If so, it is not necessary. Further, the setting operation unit 13 for performing function selection in the fourth embodiment may not be provided for the same reason.

Moreover, although the said Example demonstrated that communication between the indoor unit 3 and the outdoor unit 2 was serial communication, you may communicate by communication protocols, such as Ethernet (trademark) and LONWORKS (trademark).

In the first embodiment, only one outdoor unit is described in one refrigerant circuit, but a plurality of outdoor units may be provided. Further, a plurality of compressors may be provided in one outdoor unit 2. In addition, in the case where a plurality of refrigerant circuits are included in the air conditioning system, it is necessary to switch between the cooling operation mode and the heating operation mode for each refrigerant circuit. Therefore, one temperature detector is provided for each refrigerant circuit. All the controllers 5 connected to the indoor unit 3 in the refrigerant circuit may be connected to the temperature detector 8.

In the first embodiment, the controller 5 is connected to the remote control input unit 3c, and the controller 5 transmits the remote control signal to the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3. However, other formats or original formats are not used without using the remote control signal. The signal may be transmitted with. In this case, an interface unit for converting the signal from the controller 5 needs to be provided as appropriate.

In addition, although the connection between the controller 5 and the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3 in the first to third embodiments has been described using the wired remote control communication line 6, wireless communication may be used. For example, if the controller 5 has a wireless signal transmission unit and the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3 has a wireless signal reception unit, wireless communication connection is possible. Specifically, an infrared format for wireless remote control is preferably used as a communication method. In this case, the light receiving unit for the wireless remote controller can be used as the receiving unit provided in the control unit 3a of the indoor unit 3.

In the present invention, the cooling and heating operation modes are switched at the timing when the temperature detector 8 detects. However, as long as the signal as shown in FIG. 4 is sent, the cooling / heating is switched manually using the card key 11. It is also possible to make a simple system.

Further, in this embodiment, the temperature detector 8 uses a contact circuit using bimetal. However, the temperature detector 8 is not limited to this, and any device that outputs different signals at a predetermined temperature may be used, and a thermistor or the like is used. A suitable electronic temperature detector can be selected.

In addition, the temperature setting value that changes the signal has been described as 22 ° C., but a temperature that is comfortable for switching between the cooling and heating operation modes may be selected, and the present invention is not limited to this. Moreover, although it demonstrated that the temperature of a predetermined location was detected, you may detect a some point. For example, considering the outside air temperature, it is also possible to configure the temperature detector 8 so as to detect the temperature of one place in the room and one place outside the building and generate a signal change when they satisfy a predetermined condition. is there.

The dehumidifying operation is included in the cooling operation in the present invention because the direction of the refrigerant flowing through the gas pipe 10a and the liquid pipe 10b in the refrigerant circuit is the same as that in the cooling operation.

1 is a system diagram showing an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a circuit diagram which shows the refrigerant circuit in the air conditioning apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram of the controller and indoor unit which concern on the 1st Example of this invention. It is a relationship diagram of the output signal and input signal of the controller which concern on 1st Example of this invention. It is a systematic diagram which shows the air conditioning system which concerns on the 2nd Example of this invention. It is a systematic diagram which shows the air conditioning system which concerns on the 3rd Example of this invention. It is a usage example of the external input / output function of the controller which concerns on the 3rd Example of this invention. FIG. 9 is a relationship diagram between an output signal and an input signal when an input of a controller according to a third embodiment of the present invention is connected to a card key. It is a relationship diagram of an output signal and an input signal at the time of connecting the input of the controller concerning the 3rd example of the present invention to the temperature changeover switch. It is a block diagram about the controller and indoor unit which concern on the 4th Example of this invention. It is a relationship figure of the output signal and input signal of a controller concerning a 4th example of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air conditioning system 2 Outdoor unit 2a Control part 3 Indoor unit 3a Control part 3b CPU
3c interface unit 3d setting storage unit 4 communication line 5 controller 5a signal sending unit 5b function selection unit 6 remote control communication line 7 external input communication line 8 temperature detector 9 remote controller 10 refrigerant pipe 10a gas pipe 10b liquid pipe 11 card key 13 Setting operation unit 15 Temperature switch 16 Window open / close detection switch 21 Compressor 22 Four-way valve 23 Outdoor heat exchanger 24 Blower 31 Indoor heat exchanger 32 Blower 33 Open / close valve
101-105 rooms 201-205 rooms 301-305 rooms 401-405 rooms

Claims (7)

One refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a plurality of indoor heat exchangers and an opening / closing valve provided corresponding to each of the indoor heat exchangers,
An outdoor unit controller for controlling the compressor and the flow path switching valve;
An indoor unit controller that is provided corresponding to each of the on-off valves and controls the respective on-off valves;
A controller provided corresponding to each of the indoor unit control units;
One temperature detector connected to all the controllers;
An air conditioning system having a communication circuit that performs communication between the outdoor unit control unit and all the indoor unit control units,
The temperature detector sends different signals around the predetermined temperature to the controller,
The air conditioning system, wherein the controller receives a signal change from the temperature detector and instructs the indoor unit control unit to switch between an operation mode of cooling and heating. One refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a plurality of indoor heat exchangers and an opening / closing valve provided corresponding to each of the indoor heat exchangers,
An outdoor unit controller that controls the operation of the compressor and the flow path switching valve;
An indoor unit controller that is provided corresponding to each of the on-off valves and controls the respective on-off valves;
A controller that is provided one by one for some indoor unit control units controlled by the same remote controller,
One temperature detector connected to all the controllers;
An air conditioning system having a communication circuit that performs communication between the outdoor unit control unit and all the indoor unit control units,
The temperature detector sends different signals around the predetermined temperature to the controller,
The air conditioning system, wherein the controller receives a signal change from the temperature detector and instructs the indoor unit control unit to switch between an operation mode of cooling and heating. 3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller receives a signal from the temperature detector and instructs the indoor unit control unit to stop, and instructs the operation start after the cooling / heating switching after a predetermined time. . The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is attached separately from the indoor unit controller. 5. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is connected to a remote control input terminal of the indoor unit control unit. 6. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising a function selection unit that can select an instruction to be given to the controller in response to the signal change. A controller provided for each of some indoor unit control units controlled by the same remote controller in an air conditioning system having an outdoor unit control unit and a communication circuit that performs communication between a plurality of indoor unit control units. There,
An output unit connected in parallel to the wiring of the remote controller;
An input unit connected to a temperature detector that outputs different signals around a predetermined temperature;
Upon receiving a signal change from the input unit, a stop signal is sent to the indoor unit control unit, and an operation start signal in an operation mode after switching the cooling and heating to the indoor unit after a predetermined time is sent to the output unit. A controller comprising a signal transmission unit.

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