JP2008138913A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heating/cooling type air conditioner capable of constantly keeping an indoor-side heat exchanger in a clean state even in a heating operation mode. <P>SOLUTION: This air conditioner comprises an air distribution passage formed in an indoor unit main body and communicating a suction port and a supply port, an air filter disposed in the air distribution passage, an indoor-side heat exchanger disposed at a leeward side of the air filter, and provided with a resin coating having a dense corrugated face on a fin surface, a blower for distributing the air to the heat exchanger, and a moisture applying means for attaching the water to the fin surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner that can automatically clean a heat exchanger.

  Air conditioners are installed and used in various rooms. In particular, air conditioners installed in rooms such as dining kitchens have oil contained in indoor air in the indoor heat exchanger. It is sucked and passes through the air filter and adheres to the heat exchanger.

  And after a long period of use, oil accumulates on the surface of the fins of the heat exchanger, and by stickiness, adsorbs fine dust contained in the air passing through the heat exchanger and mold spores, and heat exchange efficiency It will cause the decrease.

  As a countermeasure against this, as shown in FIG. 10, the surface of the fin is coated with a water- and oil-repellent resin coating such as a fluororesin to prevent contamination and mold. Since the surface was a rough uneven surface, even if oil adheres, even if water is sprinkled from the top surface of the heat exchanger, the water will flow down the heat exchanger surface rapidly, so it will pass through the oil surface, There was a problem that the oil removal effect was insufficient.

  For this reason, the coating surface is made into a fine and dense uneven surface that allows water to penetrate into the gap, so that the hydrophilicity of the fin surface is enhanced, and the dust containing oil adhering to the surface is lifted by the moisture that has penetrated into the gap, and flows down. A heat exchanger having a resin coating that is configured to flow downward along with water droplets has been studied.

  However, in the heat exchanger configured as described above, during the cooling operation in summer, the heat exchanger acts as an evaporator and water droplets are generated on the surface, so that the oil adhering to the surface can be washed away along with the flow of the water droplets. Although it can be obtained, it acts as a condenser during heating operation, and no water droplets are generated. Therefore, there is a problem that the oil deposits in the winter.

In addition, in order to clean such dust containing oil, a device that sprays a cleaning agent to clean the heat exchanger has been studied, but a special cleaning solution must always be replenished. This causes a problem that the user is burdened and is not practical (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 11-337105 A

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can keep the indoor heat exchanger always clean even in the heating operation mode.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes an indoor unit body provided with a suction port for sucking room air and a blowout port for heat exchange air, and the suction port formed in the indoor unit body. And an air passage that communicates with the air outlet, an air filter disposed in the air passage, an indoor heat exchanger that is disposed on the leeward side of the air filter and that has been subjected to antifouling treatment on the fin surface, It is characterized by comprising a blower for blowing air to the heat exchanger and a moisture applying means for attaching water to the fin surface after heating operation.

  An air conditioner according to the present invention includes an indoor unit main body provided with an indoor air inlet and a heat exchange air outlet, and is formed in the indoor unit main body, and communicates the inlet and the outlet. The air passage, the air filter disposed in the air passage, the heat exchanger disposed on the leeward side of the air filter, and provided with a resin coating in which a dense uneven surface is formed on the fin surface, and the heat exchanger A fan cleaning mechanism that removes dust adhering to the fan of the blower or a filter cleaning device that cleans the air filter, a cleaning operation input means, and a cleaning command from the cleaning operation input means according to a cleaning command. Or, at the same time that the fan is cleaned, air conditioning cooling or dehumidifying operation is performed, and the dirt adhering to the indoor heat exchanger is controlled to be washed away with condensed water and removed. Characterized by comprising a control unit.

  According to the air conditioner according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner that can always keep the indoor heat exchanger in a clean state even in the heating operation mode.

  Hereinafter, an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The conceptual diagram of the refrigerating cycle integrated in the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, FIG. 2 is the control system figure.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment is housed in an indoor unit 2 and housed in an indoor heat exchanger 4 and an outdoor unit 5 each having an indoor fan 3. The four-way switching valve 6, the compressor 7, the outdoor heat exchanger 9 provided with the outdoor fan 8, and the expansion means 10 are sequentially connected by piping.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 11 of the air conditioner 1 includes an indoor control circuit 13 housed in the indoor unit 2, a remote controller 14 that can communicate with the indoor control circuit 13, and an outdoor room housed in the outdoor unit 5. And a control circuit 15.

  The indoor control circuit 13 includes an indoor unit MCU, an indoor unit operation command signal generation function, a calculation function (temperature calculation), a compressor restart 3-minute delay function, an indoor fan start compensation function, a timer function, and a filter automatic operation cleaning control The indoor unit control target element 12 including the indoor fan motor and the louver rotation motor is controlled.

  The remote controller 14 operates / stops the air conditioner 1 and selects an operation condition, and transmits a command signal to the indoor unit 2.

  The outdoor control circuit 15 includes an outdoor unit MCU connected to the indoor control circuit 13 that controls the entire air conditioner 1, and controls the inverter output frequency of the outdoor unit 5, the compressor restart control, the defrosting operation function, the outside Temperature estimation etc. are performed and control of the outdoor control object element 17 including the compressor 7 controlled by an inverter is performed.

  Moreover, the control apparatus 11 performs the heat exchanger clean operation mode which makes water adhere to the fin 4b surface of the indoor side heat exchanger 4 and removes oil etc. on the fin 4b surface after the heating operation in the heating operation mode. Is provided.

  This clean operation mode is an operation mode in which the four-way switching valve 6 is switched after the heating operation so that the indoor heat exchanger 4 acts as an evaporator, and moisture can be adhered to the indoor heat exchanger 4. It is a cooling operation or a dehumidifying operation.

  Next, the configuration of the indoor unit 2 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the indoor unit 2 has a front suction port 18a at the front surface, an upper suction port 18b at the upper surface, and an air outlet 18c at the lower portion. Is provided with a rotary louver 18d.

  An air filter 20, an indoor heat exchanger 4, and an indoor fan 3 are disposed in the air passage 19 that communicates the suction ports 18a and 18b with the air outlet 18c.

  Further, a drain pan 21 that receives condensed water is provided below the indoor heat exchanger 4, and the dew water received by the drain pan 21 is discharged from the drain hose to the outside of the room.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the surface of the fin 4b of the indoor heat exchanger 4 has hydrophilicity as a fine concavo-convex surface that allows water to permeate the gap, and the surface is repellent such as fluororesin. Antifouling treatment is performed by the resin coating 4b1 having a structure having water / oil repellency and an antifouling action.

  By forming this fine and dense uneven surface, the oil contained in the air adheres to the surface of the fin 4b, but the oil-repellent surface does not penetrate into the fine uneven surface, In this state, water droplets are generated on the surfaces of the fins 4b due to the evaporation action of the indoor heat exchanger 4, and when the water droplets penetrate into the fine uneven surface gap and the water droplets increase and the water flows down, the oil surface and the resin coating surface The water soaked in the gaps between the concave and convex surfaces can float the oil component from the inside and can push the oil component downward along with the water.

  In the figure, reference numeral 22 denotes an electric dust collector.

  Next, the heat exchanger clean operation mode of the air conditioner of the first embodiment will be described.

  The four-way switching valve 6 shown in FIG. 1 is set to the heating operation position by the outdoor control circuit 15 via the indoor control circuit 13 of the control device 11 shown in FIG. 2, and the air conditioner 1 is heated. When this heating operation is continued, dust mainly composed of oil adheres to and accumulates on the resin coating 4b1 on the surface of the fin 4b. Therefore, a heat exchanger clean operation is executed.

  This heat exchanger clean operation is performed by executing a control program stored in the ROM of the indoor control circuit 13, for example, after the heating operation for a predetermined time, the four-way switching valve 6 is switched to the cooling operation position, For example, a cooling operation is performed, and the indoor heat exchanger 4 is operated as an evaporator.

  As the indoor heat exchanger 4 acts as an evaporator, moisture is condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 4 and adheres to the fins 4b.

  The water adhering to the surface of the fin 4b has a dense uneven surface formed on the surface of the fin 4b, soaks into the gap between the oil surface and the uneven surface of the resin coating surface as shown in FIG. Push the oil down. The pushed oil component is received by the drain pan 21 together with moisture, and is discharged to the outside through the drain hose.

  The fin 4b is subjected to an antifouling treatment by a resin coating having an antifouling action such as a fluororesin having a water-repellent / oil-repellent property such that a fine uneven surface is densely formed on the surface having such an action. By applying moisture to the surface of 4b, the indoor heat exchanger 4 can always be maintained in a clean state, and energy-saving operation can be performed for a long time during heating operation.

  The cooling operation during the above-described heat exchanger clean operation is preferably performed by controlling the compressor 7 and at or below the rated cooling capacity of the air conditioner 1. As a result, the air-conditioned room does not cool even in the season when heating operation is performed, so that the indoor side heat exchanger can be cleaned while maintaining comfort in the room without causing discomfort to the user. It can be carried out.

  Further, during the cooling operation during the heat exchanger clean operation, the louver 18d is rotated by the louver motor via the indoor control circuit 13, so that the louver 18d is substantially fully closed or the air direction is set to a position where the wind direction is equal to or higher than the horizontal direction. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the cool air generated in the main body of the indoor unit 2 from flowing into the room from the air outlet 18c, and to perform a clean operation of the indoor side heat exchanger 4 without causing discomfort to the user. it can.

  After the heat exchanger clean operation, that is, after the cooling operation, it is preferable to perform the heating operation and the air blowing operation. As a result, it is possible to avoid the moisture remaining dripping on the drain pan 21 and the drain hose from being frozen due to the warm air or air blown by heating when the dew condensation water remains on the drain pan 21 or the drain hose when the heating time is low.

  In this air conditioner 1, it is possible to apply moisture to the indoor heat exchanger 4 by switching the four-way switching valve 6, so the resin coating on the fins of the indoor heat exchanger of a general air conditioner is improved. This makes it possible to clean the heat exchanger during heating operation. Further, a temporary cooling operation can be performed during normal heating operation, the fins can be kept clean, and the heating capacity can be maximized.

  According to the air conditioner of the first embodiment, the moisture applying means for applying the resin coating having a dense uneven surface formed on the fin surface of the indoor heat exchanger and attaching water to the fin surface after the heating operation. By performing the cooling operation and applying moisture on the fin surface, the heat exchanger during the heating operation can be automatically maintained in a clean state.

  In addition, an air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In the second embodiment, an exhaust device is added to the first embodiment.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the indoor unit 2A of the air conditioner according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a blower passage 19 on the downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 4 having the same structure as shown in FIG. An exhaust device 31 for exhausting air is provided at a position facing the air.

  The exhaust device 31 includes a casing 32 and an electric fan 33 accommodated in the casing 32, and the casing 32 is provided with a suction port 32 a that communicates with the air passage 19 and an exhaust port 32 b that communicates with the exhaust duct 34. It is done. And the exhaust apparatus 31 takes in the air which passed the indoor side heat exchanger 4 from the suction inlet 32a, and discharges it outside with the ventilation duct 34. FIG.

  Further, the exhaust operation by the exhaust device 31 is controlled in the same manner as other indoor unit controlled elements by the indoor control circuit 13 as shown in FIG. 2, and stored in advance in the exhaust command from the user's remote controller or in the ROM. The electric fan 33 is rotated based on a command from the control circuit based on the program.

  In the air conditioner of the second embodiment, the heat exchanger clean operation is performed in the heating operation mode. After the heating operation for a predetermined time, the four-way valve is switched to the cooling operation position to perform the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation. The inner heat exchanger 4 is caused to act as an evaporator to perform a cooling operation in which water is applied to the surfaces of the fins 4b, and the exhaust device 31 is operated to perform an exhaust operation.

  According to the air conditioner of the second embodiment, the cool air generated in the main body of the indoor unit 2A is discharged to the outside by the exhaust device, so that the cool air flows into the room even during the heating operation season. The heat exchanger can be cleaned without being cooled, uncomfortable for the user, and maintaining the comfort in the room.

  Since other configurations are not different from those of the first embodiment, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  An air conditioner according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In the third embodiment, a fan cleaning device is added to the first embodiment.

  For example, the air conditioner of the third embodiment includes an indoor unit similar to the indoor unit shown in FIG. 3, and in this indoor unit, as shown in FIG. 6, faces the lower side of the cross-flow type indoor fan 3. Then, the fan cleaning device 41 is arranged. The fan cleaning device 41 includes an arm 42, a brush 43 attached to the tip of the arm 42, and a brush moving mechanism 44 that horizontally moves the brush 43 along the indoor fan 3. A screw member 45 to which 42 is attached and a ball screw 47 which is screwed and rotated by a screw rotation motor 46 are formed.

  The screw rotation motor 46 is controlled by an indoor control circuit 13 as shown in FIG. 2 in the same manner as other indoor unit control target elements, and based on a command from a control circuit based on a program stored in advance in a ROM. .

  In the air conditioner of the third embodiment, during the heating operation mode, after the heating operation for a predetermined time, the four-way switching valve is switched to the cooling operation position, for example, the cooling operation is performed, and the indoor heat exchanger 4 is evaporated. As shown in FIG. 4, a cooling operation is performed in which water is applied to the surfaces of the fins 4b to clean the heat exchanger, and the fan cleaning device 41 is operated to start fan cleaning. When fan cleaning is started, the indoor fan 3 rotates at a low speed. The brush 43 is brought into contact with the indoor fan (fan blade) 4 a, and the brush 43 is spirally moved along the surface of the indoor fan 3 to remove dust from the indoor fan 3. The removed dust is discharged out of the machine through the exhaust device. The exhaust device is operated simultaneously with the operation of the fan cleaning device 41.

  According to the air conditioner of the third embodiment, since the cold air generated in the main body of the indoor unit 2 is discharged outside the device by the exhaust device, the cold air flows out into the room even during the heating operation season. It is not cooled down, it does not cause discomfort to the user, the comfort in the room is maintained, and the exhaust air is exhausted at the same time as the fan cleaning, so the heat exchanger, fan and room air are kept clean. It is.

  Moreover, the air conditioner which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  In the fourth embodiment, a filter cleaning device is added to the first embodiment.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the indoor unit 2B of the air conditioner according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a filter cleaning device 51 that automatically cleans the air filter 20 periodically. The filter cleaning device 51 automatically cleans dust adhering to the air filter 20, and is disposed between the air filter 20 including the front filter 20a and the upper filter 20b disposed in front of the indoor heat exchanger 4. A filter moving mechanism 52 using a rack and a pinion for moving the filter 20 up and down along the indoor heat exchanger 4, a dust container 53, and a rotating brush 54 are configured. The dust container 53 communicates with the exhaust device.

  In the air conditioner of the fourth embodiment, during the operation in the heating operation mode, after the heating operation for a predetermined time, the four-way valve is switched to the cooling operation position, for example, the cooling operation is performed, and the indoor heat exchanger 4 is connected to the evaporator. As shown in FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 4, the cooling operation for imparting water to the fin 4 b surface is performed, the indoor heat exchanger 4 is cleaned, the filter cleaning device 51 is operated, and the filter cleaning is started. The dust of the air filter 20 is removed. The removed dust is discharged out of the machine through the exhaust device.

  Filter cleaning by the filter cleaning device 51 is controlled by an indoor control circuit 13 as shown in FIG. 2 in the same manner as other indoor unit controlled elements, and based on a command from a control circuit based on a program stored in advance in a ROM. Rotate the electric fan.

  According to the air conditioner according to the fourth embodiment, the air filter can be automatically cleaned in accordance with the cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger, and the indoor heat exchanger and the filter are always clean. It can be kept in a state, and the energy saving effect can be kept for a long time.

The conceptual diagram of the refrigerating cycle integrated in the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The control system figure of the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram of the fin of the indoor side heat exchanger of the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the fan cleaning apparatus integrated in the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram of the filter cleaning apparatus integrated in the indoor unit of the air conditioner which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram of the fin of the indoor side heat exchanger of the conventional air conditioner.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Air conditioner, 2 ... Indoor unit, 3 ... Indoor fan, 4 ... Indoor side heat exchanger, 4b ... Fin, 4b1 ... Resin coating, 5 ... Outdoor unit, 6 ... Four-way switching valve, 7 ... Compressor, 8 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Outdoor fan, 9 ... Outdoor heat exchanger, 10 ... Expansion means, 11 ... Control device, 12 ... Indoor unit control object element, 13 ... Indoor control circuit, 14 ... Remote control, 17 ... Room control object element, 18a ... Front Suction port, 18b ... upper surface suction port, 18c ... outlet, 18d ... louver, 19 ... air passage, 20 ... air filter, 21 ... drain pan.

Claims (7)

An indoor unit main body provided with a suction port for sucking indoor air and a heat exchange air outlet, a blower passage formed in the indoor unit main body and communicating the suction inlet and the blower outlet, and disposed in the blower passage An air filter,
An indoor heat exchanger that is disposed on the leeward side of this air filter and has antifouling treatment on the fin surface;
A blower that blows air to the heat exchanger;
An air conditioner comprising a moisture applying means for attaching water to the fin surface after heating operation. The moisture applying means is a four-way valve for switching the refrigerant flow path of the refrigeration cycle to a cooling operation or a dehumidifying operation in order to cause the indoor heat exchanger to act as an evaporator, and a control means for controlling the operation of the four-way valve. The air conditioner according to claim 1. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the cooling operation capacity is executed below a rated cooling capacity of the air conditioner. The air conditioner according to claim 2, further comprising an exhaust device that exhausts air from the indoor unit body, wherein the exhaust device is operated during a cooling operation in which water is applied to a fin surface. 3. An air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein a blowout louver that can be opened and closed is provided at the blowout outlet, and the blowout louver is set to a position where the blowout louver is substantially fully closed or the wind direction is greater than or equal to the horizontal direction during cooling operation or dehumidification operation. Machine. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein a heating operation and an air blowing operation are performed after moisture is applied to the fins. An indoor unit body provided with an indoor air inlet and a heat exchange air outlet;
An air passage that is formed in the indoor unit main body and communicates the suction port and the air outlet, an air filter that is disposed in the air passage, and a concavo-convex surface on the fin surface that is disposed on the leeward side of the air filter. A heat exchanger with a resin coating on which a surface is formed;
A blower that blows air to the heat exchanger;
A fan cleaning mechanism for removing dust adhering to the fan of the blower or a filter cleaning device for cleaning the air filter;
Cleaning operation input means;
In accordance with a cleaning command from this cleaning operation input means, filter cleaning or fan cleaning is performed, and at the same time, air conditioning cooling operation or dehumidification operation is performed, and control is performed so that dirt adhering to the indoor heat exchanger is washed away with condensed water and removed. An air conditioner comprising control means.

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