JP2009204257A - Drain treatment device for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drain treatment device for an air conditioner capable of suppressing idling operation of a drain pump without providing a detecting switch or sensor of a lower limit water level, and achieving a long service life of the drain pump and energy saving. <P>SOLUTION: In the drain treatment device for the air conditioner 1, drain water collected in a drain pan 14 is pumped up by the drain pump 30 and is discharged to outside via a water discharge pipe 33. The drain pump 30 includes a control part 34 for performing delay starting of the drain pump 30 T1 time after start of operation of a compressor 5 during cooling operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a drain treatment apparatus for an air conditioner that draws drain water collected in a drain pan with a drain pump and discharges the drain water to the outside through a drain pipe.

  In a ceiling-mounted air conditioner such as a ceiling-embedded type or a ceiling-suspended type, a drain pan in which drain water generated by an indoor heat exchanger that functions as an evaporator during cooling operation is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger The drain water is pumped up to a predetermined height by a drain pump and then discharged to the outside through a drain pipe.

  The drain pump is started simultaneously with the start of operation of the compressor during the cooling operation, or as shown in Patent Document 1, when the drain water level in the drain pan is detected by a float switch or the like and reaches the lower limit water level It is configured to be started. Also, at the end of the cooling operation, the drain pump is stopped after a set time after the compressor operation is stopped, and when the drain water level rises abnormally, the compressor operation is continued while the drain pump is continuously operated. It is configured to stop and prevent drain water from overflowing.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-22319

  By the way, the said drain pump will be idle | operated if the water level of drain water is not raising from the height of a suction inlet from the structure. Therefore, if the drain pump is started simultaneously with the start of the cooling operation, the drain water level does not reach the lower limit water level that can be sucked up by the pump. There is a problem of consuming power.

  On the other hand, if a float switch or the like is provided to detect the lower limit water level and the drain pump is activated as in Patent Document 1, it is possible to prevent life reduction and wasteful energy consumption due to idling. However, additional installation of a float switch is indispensable, and there is a problem that the configuration is complicated and the cost is unavoidable.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, Comprising: Even if it does not provide the detection switch and sensor of a minimum water level, it can suppress the idle driving | running of a drain pump, and can aim at the lifetime extension and energy saving. It aims at providing the drain processing apparatus of an air conditioner.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the air treatment machine drain treatment apparatus of the present invention employs the following means.
That is, the drain treatment device for an air conditioner according to the present invention is the drain treatment device for an air conditioner that pumps drain water collected in a drain pan by a drain pump and discharges the drain water to the outside through a drain pipe. Is provided with a control unit that delays and activates the drain pump T1 time after the compressor starts operation during cooling operation.

  According to the present invention, during the cooling operation, the drain pump is delayed and started after T1 time from the start of operation of the compressor. Therefore, the drain water level during the T1 time when the drain pump is delayed and started. The drain pump can be started after sufficiently raising the pressure. The time T1 is determined based on the amount of drain water generated from the indoor temperature, humidity, heat exchanger temperature, and the like. In this way, the drain pump can be prevented from idling by starting the delay pump with a delay of T1 time. Therefore, without providing a switch or sensor for detecting the lower limit water level, the drain pump can be prevented from running idly, extending its life and saving energy, and eliminating the lower limit water level detection switch or sensor. Simplification and cost reduction can be realized. The T1 time is approximately 15 to 20 minutes, although it depends on the capacity of the air conditioner, the capacity of the drain pan, room temperature, humidity, heat exchanger temperature, and the like.

  Furthermore, the drain treatment device for an air conditioner according to the present invention is the above-described drain treatment device for an air conditioner, wherein the control unit is T2 hours after the compressor stops at the end of cooling operation or when the thermostat is OFF. The drain pump is delayed and stopped.

  According to the present invention, at the end of the cooling operation or when the thermo is OFF, the drain pump is delayed and stopped T2 hours after the compressor is stopped. Water can be sufficiently discharged, and the water level of the drain water staying in the drain pan can be sufficiently lowered to a stop state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent overflow due to the flow of the residual drain water or the reverse flow of the drain water from the drain pipe rising portion, and to improve the reliability with respect to the drain water overflow. The time T2 is set to about 5 minutes, for example, although it depends on the capacity of the drain pump, the capacity of the drain pan, the heat exchanger temperature, and the like.

  Furthermore, the drain treatment device for an air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the drain treatment device for the air conditioner, the control unit gradually stops the drain pump when the drain pump is stopped. And

  According to the present invention, when the drain pump is stopped, the rotational speed is gradually reduced to stop, so that the pump is pumped up by the drain pump and remains in the drain pipe start-up portion when the drain pump is stopped. Drain water can be gradually returned to the drain pan. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the unpleasant noise that is generated when the drain water rapidly flows backward.

  Furthermore, the drain treatment device for an air conditioner according to the present invention is the above-described drain treatment device for an air conditioner, wherein when the drain pump is stopped, the control unit stops intermittently while increasing the OFF interval gradually. It is characterized by doing.

  According to the present invention, when stopping the drain pump, since the intermittent pump operation is stopped while gradually increasing the OFF interval, pumping is performed by the drain pump, and when the drain pump is stopped, the drain pipe rising portion The drain water remaining in the water can be gradually returned to the drain pan. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the unpleasant noise that is generated when the drain water rapidly flows backward.

  Furthermore, the drain treatment device for an air conditioner according to the present invention is the drain treatment device for any one of the above air conditioners, wherein the control unit delays and starts the drain pump after the time T1 when the thermo is ON. And

  According to the present invention, even when the thermo is ON, since the drain pump is delayed after T1 time, the drain water level is raised during T3 time when the drain pump is delayed, and the drain pump The drain pump can be restarted after the ON / OFF operation is not repeated. Therefore, frequent ON / OFF of the drain pump and idling when the thermo is ON can be suppressed, and the life of the drain pump can be extended and energy saving can be achieved.

  According to the present invention, since it is possible to suppress the drain pump idling without providing a switch or sensor for detecting the lower limit water level, it is possible to extend the life of the drain pump and save energy, and to detect the lower limit water level. It is possible to eliminate the switch or the sensor, simplify the configuration, and reduce the cost.

An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 to which the air conditioner drain processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is applied, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1. The figure is shown. Here, an example in which one ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 is connected to the outdoor unit 2 is shown, but a plurality of ceiling-mounted air conditioners 1 are connected to the outdoor unit 2 in parallel. It may be a multi-type.

  The ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 is installed on an indoor ceiling or the like, and is used by being connected to an outdoor unit 2 installed at an appropriate outdoor location via a refrigerant pipe 3 and an electric wiring 4. In the outdoor unit 2, devices such as a refrigerant compressor 5, a four-way switching valve (not shown), an outdoor air heat exchanger 6, an outdoor fan 7, and an outdoor controller 8 are disposed. The outdoor unit 2 constitutes a refrigeration cycle together with an indoor heat exchanger 19 (described later) provided in the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 and has a function of adjusting the refrigerant supplied to the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1.

  The ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 includes a four-sided cabinet 10 having an open lower part and a four-sided panel 11 attached to the lower part of the cabinet 10. In the lower part of the cabinet 10, an air inlet 12, a bell mouth 13 provided around the air inlet 12, and a drain pan 14 are installed, and an air passage 15 is formed by a part of the drain pan 14. Further, an indoor fan 18 composed of a turbo fan that is rotationally driven by a motor 17 is installed at the center of the top plate of the cabinet 10, and the indoor heat exchange is configured to be bent into a quadrangular shape so as to surround the indoor fan 18. A container 19 is fixedly installed on the top plate via a bracket (not shown).

  As a result, the indoor air is guided from the air inlet 12 to the indoor fan 18 through the bell mouth 13 in the cabinet 10, and the air that is boosted by the indoor fan 18 and blown in the radial direction is disposed around it. An air flow passage 20 is configured to flow through the indoor heat exchanger 19 to the air passage 15 formed by the inner surface of the cabinet 10 and the outer peripheral surface of the drain pan 14.

  On the other hand, the rectangular panel 11 is provided with rectangular air outlets 21 for blowing conditioned air in four directions on the four sides thereof in communication with the air passage 15 and an opening 22 for sucking indoor air into the central portion. Is provided. A suction grill 24 in which an air filter 23 is installed is attached to the opening 22 through a wire 25 and the like as shown in FIG. Each air outlet 21 is provided with a wind direction adjusting louver 26 for adjusting the direction of the conditioned air blown from the air outlet 21 so as to be individually swingable by a stepping motor (not shown). Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, in one corner of the square-shaped cabinet 10, drain water that has condensed on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 19 and has flowed down to the drain pan 14 during cooling operation is discharged to the outside. A drain pump 30 is provided. The drain pump 30 is configured such that a pump unit 31 and a motor unit 32 are integrally coupled, and the bottom surface of the drain pan 14 disposed at the lower part of the indoor heat exchanger 19 outside the indoor heat exchanger 19. Is installed corresponding to the drain collecting part 14A which is deepened by one step.

  The pump part 31 of the drain pump 30 includes a casing 31B having a suction port 31A provided in the lower part, and an impeller (not shown) is rotatably supported therein, and is provided on an outer peripheral part of the casing 31B. The discharge port 31 </ b> C is connected to the rising portion 33 </ b> A of the drain pipe 33. The motor unit 32 includes a motor bracket 32 </ b> A for fixing the drain pump 30 to the cabinet 10, and a DC motor or AC fixed to the motor bracket 32 </ b> A and having a rotating shaft coupled to the impeller of the pump unit 31. And a motor 32B. The drain pipe 33 is extended to the outside of the building.

  Furthermore, the drain pump 30 includes a control unit 34 that controls ON / OFF of the drain pump 30 during the cooling operation, as shown in the timing chart of FIG. That is, the control unit 34 is configured to delay-start the drain pump 30 after T1 time after the compressor 5 starts operation during the cooling operation. This T1 time is determined based on the amount of drain water generated from the indoor temperature, humidity, heat exchanger temperature, and the like. In addition, since the generation amount of drain water is small at the beginning of the cooling operation, the time T1 depends on the capacity of the air conditioner, the capacity of the drain pan, the room temperature, the humidity, the heat exchanger temperature, and the like. About minutes.

  Further, when the room temperature reaches the set temperature and the compressor 5 is stopped due to the thermo-OFF of the air conditioner 1 or the end of the cooling operation, the control unit 34 delays the drain by a preset time T2. The pump 30 is configured to stop. Although this delay time T2 depends on the capacity of the drain pan 14, the capacity of the drain pump 30, etc., it is set to about 5 minutes. Here, when the drain pump 30 stops rotating at the same time as being stopped, the drain water remaining in the rising portion 33A of the drainage pipe 33 abruptly flows back to the drain pan 14 to generate an unpleasant sound (gobbling sound). Therefore, it stops by the following.

(1) When the motor employed in the motor unit 32 is a DC motor, control is performed such that the rotational speed is gradually reduced and stopped.
(2) When the motor employed in the motor unit 32 is a DC motor or an AC motor, control is performed so that the motor is intermittently operated and stopped while gradually increasing the OFF interval.
Accordingly, when the drain pump 30 is stopped, the drain water remaining in the rising portion 33A of the drain pipe 33 can be gradually returned to the drain pan 14.

  Further, the room temperature rises due to the thermo-off of the air conditioner 1, and when the temperature becomes equal to or higher than the set temperature, the air-conditioner 1 is thermo-ON and the operation is started again. Even when the compressor 5 is restarted by this thermo-ON, the control unit 34 is configured to delay-start the drain pump 30 after time T1.

  In addition, a float switch 35 for detecting an abnormal water level of the drain water is installed at an appropriate position of the drain pan 14 (here, the inner region of the indoor heat exchanger 19). The float switch 35 detects the abnormal water level. When operating, the control unit 34 is configured to forcibly stop the compressor 5. In this case, even if the compressor 5 is stopped, the drain pump 30 is continuously operated. With such a configuration, the drain water from the drain pan 14 is prevented from overflowing. Of course, the float switch 35 may be replaced with another water level sensor.

With the configuration described above, according to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.
In the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 described above, the refrigerant adjusted on the outdoor unit 2 side is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 19 of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1. The refrigerant and the indoor air sucked in via the suction grille 24, the air filter 23, the suction port 12, and the bell mouth 13 are exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 19 when the indoor fan 18 is driven to rotate, Air is heated or cooled. Then, the temperature-controlled air is blown into the room through the air outlets 21 provided in the four directions of the air passage 15 and the panel 11 so that the room is heated or cooled.

  During the cooling operation, the indoor heat exchanger 19 functions as an evaporator. For this reason, moisture in the air is condensed on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 19, which becomes drain water and flows down into the drain pan 14. This drain water is collected in the drain collecting part 14A, and when the water level gradually rises and reaches the lower limit water level at which the drain pump 30 can be sucked up, the drain pump 30 passes a predetermined part 33A of the drain pipe 33 through the rising part 33A. It is pumped up to a height and discharged to the outside through the drain pipe 33.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the drain pump 30 is ON / OFF controlled by the control unit 34 as follows during the cooling operation.
First, when the compressor 5 is activated (ON) by starting the cooling operation, the drain pump 30 is activated (ON) after T1 time from the activation of the compressor 5. Thus, since the drain pump 30 is delayed and started, the water level of the drain water rises during the delay time T1, so that the drain pump 30 is hardly operated idly when starting.

  As a result, idling of the drain pump 30 can be suppressed without providing a switch or sensor for detecting the lower limit water level for starting the drain pump 30, and adverse effects on the motor unit 32 can be eliminated. Therefore, the life of the drain pump 30 can be extended and energy saving can be achieved, and the detection switch or sensor for the lower limit water level can be eliminated to simplify the configuration and reduce the cost.

  Further, when the room temperature reaches the set temperature and the air conditioner 1 is thermo-OFF, the compressor 5 is also stopped (OFF). At this time, the drain pump 30 is delayed and stopped for a preset time T2. For this reason, the drain water can be sufficiently discharged during the time T2 when the drain pump 30 is delayed and stopped, and the water level of the drain water staying in the drain pan 14 can be sufficiently lowered to be stopped. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent overflow due to the flow of residual drain water from the indoor heat exchanger 19 or the reverse flow of drain water from the drain pipe start-up portion 33A, and to improve the reliability with respect to the overflow of drain water.

In addition, when the drain pump 30 is stopped, the rotational speed is gradually reduced, or the intermittent pump is intermittently operated and stopped so as to gradually increase the OFF interval. For this reason, the drain water remaining in the rising portion 33A of the drain pipe 33 can be gradually returned to the drain pan. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the unpleasant noise that is generated when the drain water rapidly flows backward.
Note that the delay stop of the drain pump 30 as described above is not limited to when the air conditioner 1 is turned off, and is naturally delayed when the compressor 5 is stopped at the end of the cooling operation. .

  Further, when the indoor temperature rises due to the thermo-off of the air conditioner 1 and the air-conditioner 1 is thermo-ON, the drain pump 30 is activated (ON) T1 hours after the compressor 5 is activated (ON). The Thus, by starting the drain pump 30 late, the water level of the drain water is raised during the delay time T1. For this reason, the drain pump 30 can be restarted in a state where the drain pump 30 does not repeat the ON / OFF operation. As a result, frequent ON / OFF of the drain pump 30 and idling when the thermo is ON can be suppressed, and the life of the drain pump 30 can be extended and energy saving can be achieved.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the invention concerning the said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary, it can change suitably. For example, in the above embodiment, the specific times of the time T1 and T2 for delay starting or stopping the drain pump 30 have been described, but these times are the capacity of the air conditioner 1, the capacity of the drain pan 14, the drain pump Needless to say, it is changed depending on the capacity of 30, the driving state, etc., and is not limited to the specific time described above.

  In order to gradually reduce the rotation speed when the drain pump 30 is stopped, the voltage or current supplied to the motor unit may be gradually reduced, or the frequency may be reduced by an inverter. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the ceiling-mounted air conditioner 1 described in the above embodiment, but can be applied to other types of air conditioners as well.

1 is a perspective view of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner to which a drain treatment device for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ceiling-mounted air conditioner shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan layout view of a drain treatment apparatus incorporated in the ceiling-mounted air conditioner shown in FIG. 2. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of drain processing apparatus installation shown in FIG. It is a timing chart figure of the drain processing device of the air harmony machine concerning one embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Ceiling-mounted air conditioner (air conditioner)
5 Compressor 14 Drain pan 30 Drain pump 33 Drain pipe 34 Control unit

Claims (5)

In the drain treatment device of an air conditioner that draws drain water collected in a drain pan with a drain pump and discharges it to the outside through a drain pipe,
The drain pump includes a control unit that delays and activates the drain pump after a time T1 after the compressor starts operation during cooling operation.   2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit delays and stops the drain pump after a preset time T <b> 2 after the compressor is stopped when the cooling operation is finished or when the thermo is OFF. Drain treatment equipment.   3. The drain processing device for an air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein when the drain pump is stopped, the control unit gradually reduces the number of rotations to stop.   3. The drain processing apparatus for an air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein when the drain pump is stopped, the control unit performs intermittent operation while gradually increasing an OFF interval and stops the drain pump. The drain control device for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit delays and starts the drain pump after the time T1 when the thermo is ON.

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