JP2008190748A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem wherein quick wind direction variable control cannot be enabled because a stepping motor does not rotate while a fixed starting pulse is output and so the stepping motor cannot be rotated when needed, in a situation where it is desired to instantaneously drive the stepping motor from a stationary state under the wind direction variable control. <P>SOLUTION: In this air conditioner having an indoor unit body 1 including at least one stepping motor for varying the wind direction, in the process of stopping the stepping motor 4 for varying the wind direction, a microcomputer 2 continues to excite one phase after the rotation is stopped, whereby in starting the drive instantaneously, the stepping motor 4 can be driven quickly and instantaneously without waiting for a fixed starting time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of setting a variable wind direction.

Conventionally, the driving method of a stepping motor used for changing the wind direction of this type of air conditioner is to rotate the rotor by a predetermined angle by sequentially applying a pulsed excitation current to the stator coil of each phase of the stepping motor. In the stepping motor drive apparatus configured as described above, at the time of starting the stepping motor, at least the pulse width of the excitation current flowing through the stator coil of the first pulse is made longer than the pulse width of the normal self-starting pulse. There has been a driving method in which the stepping motor is driven after the rotation is reliably driven and then returned to the normal pulse width (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-3-145996

  However, in the conventional driving method, since a start pulse is output from the moment when the stepping motor is to be driven, a constant start pulse is generated in a scene where the stepping motor is to be driven instantaneously after the stepping motor is stopped by the variable wind direction control. Since the stepping motor does not rotate during output and the stepping motor cannot rotate when necessary, there is a problem that rapid wind direction variable control cannot be performed.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and can instantly start a stepping motor without waiting for a certain starting time in a scene where the stepping motor is to be driven instantaneously while the stepping motor is stopped. An object is to provide an air conditioner having variable wind direction control.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, an air conditioner according to the present invention is an air conditioner having an indoor unit including at least one wind direction variable stepping motor. Wind direction variable control is used to keep the excitation.

  In the air conditioner of the present invention, in the scene where the stepping motor is to be driven instantaneously after the stepping motor is stopped, the wind direction variable control capable of instantaneously driving the stepping motor without waiting for a certain starting time is provided. Can be provided.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, in an air conditioner having an indoor unit provided with at least one wind direction variable stepping motor, while the wind direction variable stepping motor is stopped, a certain phase is output and continued to be excited. In a scene where it is desired to start the stepping motor instantly after the stepping motor is stopped, the stepping motor can be started instantly and quickly without waiting for a certain driving time.

  The second invention is caused when the rotor position of the stepping motor deviates from the excitation position by continuing the excitation in the phase selected last when the stepping motor for changing the wind direction is stopped. It is possible to eliminate the deviation at the start of the stepping motor rotation and to start the lubrication.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided switching means for continuing excitation at the time of stopping or not at the time of stopping in order to instantaneously drive the stepping motor while the stepping motor for changing the wind direction is stopped. Thus, it is possible to realize a reduction in standby power when there is no need to instantaneously drive the stepping motor.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which an indoor unit main body 1 includes at least one control unit including a microcomputer 2 and a control circuit 3. A wind direction variable stepping motor (hereinafter, “stepping motor”) 4 is provided (in this embodiment, one).

  In the figure, an indoor unit main body 1 has a configuration in which a microcomputer 2 that operates the whole is central, and a signal is transmitted to a control circuit 3 when a stepping motor drive instruction is input from the microcomputer 2 and the stepping motor 4 rotates. is there.

  The operation and action of the air conditioner configured as described above will be described below.

  First, it is assumed that the indoor unit main body 1 is rotating at a certain rotational speed by the wind direction variable control, and when the microcomputer 2 issues a rotation stop instruction, the microcomputer 2 displays the one phase after the rotation stop. Continue to excite. Thereafter, when the stepping motor 4 is instructed to be driven by the microcomputer 2, the stepping motor 4 is in a state of being excited by one phase when the rotation is stopped. Therefore, the stepping motor can be instantaneously and quickly performed without waiting for a certain starting time. 4 can be driven.

  FIG. 2 is a voltage waveform diagram at the start of driving from the rotation stop of the stepping motor for changing the air direction of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Here, the names of the phases are referred to as A phase, B phase, C phase, and D phase. Although one phase that is excited during the stop is the D phase, it may be the A phase, the B phase, or the C phase.

  Also, when the stepping motor is stopped, the rotor position of the stepping motor is compared to the case where the excitation is continued in the phase other than the last selected by performing the excitation during the stop in the phase selected last. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the deviation at the start of the stepping motor rotation caused by the deviation from the excitation position, and to start more smoothly.

  In addition, it is possible to provide a switching means (not shown) for the user to switch in advance whether to continue excitation at the time of stop or not to perform excitation at the time of stop, so that it is not necessary to drive the stepping motor instantaneously. Reduction of standby power can be realized. Further, when it is necessary to stop the driving of the stepping motor for a short time during the process of performing the complicated variable wind direction control, it may be built in the microcomputer and automatically switched in conjunction with the variable wind direction control. .

  Further, although the present embodiment has been described with a 1-2 phase excitation stepping motor, it is not limited to a 1-2 phase excitation stepping motor, and for example, a 2 phase excitation stepping motor may be used. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a stepping motor for changing the air direction of an air conditioner, and can be applied to stepping motors of various devices.

  As described above, the air conditioner of the present invention is very effective when the stepping motor is instantaneously stopped and driven by the wind direction variable control. The stepping motor driving method can also be applied to stepping motors of various devices.

The block diagram of the air conditioner in Embodiment 1 of this invention Voltage waveform diagram of stepping motor for changing air direction of air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Indoor unit body 2 Microcomputer 3 Control circuit 4 Stepping motor

Claims (3)

In an air conditioner having an indoor unit equipped with at least one wind direction variable stepping motor, the air conditioner includes a control unit for performing wind direction variable control that keeps exciting any or one predetermined phase while the wind direction variable stepping motor is stopped. An air conditioner characterized by that. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the phase that continues to be excited during the stop is the last selected phase immediately before the stop. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising switching means for switching between continuing excitation at the time of stopping or not performing excitation at the time of stopping.

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