JP2010096470A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner capable of removing moisture in an indoor unit in a short time, and saving energy without providing an user with a feeling of discomfort. <P>SOLUTION: This air conditioner includes a hermetic type compressor having two cylinders, a switch valve for switching an operation of one or two cylinders, an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan, and a control means. The control means performs a drying operation for removing moisture remaining inside of the indoor unit and drying the same after the termination of a cooling or dehumidifying operation, and the drying operation is executed by the operation of the indoor fan, and a heating operation by a heating cycle allowing a low-pressure refrigerant to flow into only one cylinder of the hermetic type compressor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner with improved operation control of a hermetic compressor.

  In general, an air conditioner performs cooling and dehumidification in addition to heating operation. At the end of this cooling and dehumidifying operation, dew generated in the heat exchanger in the indoor unit and dew condensation generated in the ventilation path remain, and if left as it is, it may cause mold.

  For this reason, after the operation is completed, the heat exchanger is heated for a predetermined time and the blower is operated so as to circulate in the apparatus, thereby performing a drying operation for removing the internal moisture without increasing the temperature in the room. .

  However, in the conventional drying operation, the drying operation is performed for a predetermined time in the heating mode or the air blowing mode to remove moisture remaining in the apparatus, but in the air blowing operation, it takes time to remove the water. . In addition, when heating and drying operation is performed with the minimum heating capacity with a low operating frequency of the compressor, the temperature rise of the heat exchanger suddenly increases and the moisture adhering to the heat exchanger evaporates into the room area or the room The temperature in the area has risen, causing discomfort to the user. Further, when the minimum heating capacity operation and the operation stop are performed intermittently, the start-up of the compressor is frequently repeated, resulting in a problem that power consumption increases and energy saving cannot be achieved.

An air conditioner that performs a cleaning operation for keeping the inside of an indoor unit clean has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2008-134004 A

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and provides an air conditioner that can remove moisture in the indoor unit in a short time and can save energy without causing discomfort to the user. For the purpose.

  To achieve the above object, an air conditioner according to the present invention is provided in an outdoor unit and includes two cylinders, and a hermetic compressor capable of selectively operating one or two cylinders. A switching valve provided on the suction side of the hermetic compressor, for switching to one or two operation of the cylinder, an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan housed in the indoor unit, and the hermetic compression In the air conditioner having control means for controlling the operation of the air conditioner, the indoor fan, and the cylinder number switching valve, the control means removes moisture remaining in the indoor unit after the cooling or dehumidifying operation. The drying operation is performed by an indoor fan operation and a heating operation by a heating cycle in which a low-pressure refrigerant flows into only one cylinder of the hermetic compressor. And wherein the door.

  According to the air conditioner according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner that can remove moisture in the indoor unit in a short time and can save energy without causing discomfort to the user.

  An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a refrigeration cycle used in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of a hermetic compressor provided with a switching valve that switches the number of cylinders used in the air conditioner. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 1 which is one Example of this invention is isolate | separated into the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3. As shown in FIG.

  The outdoor unit 2 is divided into a heat exchanger chamber and a machine room on the left and right sides by a partition plate, and the outdoor fan 6 and the outdoor heat exchanger 7 accommodated in the heat exchanger room, A hermetic compressor 8, a four-way valve 9, a buffer muffler 10, a cylinder number switching valve 11, and an electronic expansion valve 12 accommodated in the room are provided, and the indoor unit 3 is provided with an indoor heat exchanger 13 having an indoor fan 14. The outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 are sequentially communicated with each other via communication pipes 15 and 16 and packed valves 17 and 18 provided in the outdoor unit 2 to constitute a refrigeration cycle. Note that a dehumidifying valve 19 for performing a reheat dehumidifying operation is interposed in an intermediate portion of the indoor heat exchanger 13.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the hermetic compressor 8 includes a hermetic container 22, and a compression mechanism portion 23 is provided in the lower portion of the hermetic container 22, and an electric motor portion 24 is provided in the upper portion. And the motor part 24 are connected via a rotating shaft 25.

  The compression mechanism section 23 is a twin type having two cylinders, and is composed of a first cylinder 23A constituting the first compression mechanism section and a second cylinder 23B constituting the second compression mechanism section. The

The first cylinder 23A is provided on the upper side, the first rolling piston 23a ₁ is accommodated so as to be eccentrically rotatable, and the second cylinder 23B is provided at the lower part of the first cylinder 23A and separated by an intermediate partition plate 26. is, the second rolling piston 23b ₁ is eccentrically rotatably accommodated.

  The cylinder number switching valve 11 is constituted by a valve functioning as a three-way valve having a first connection port on the upper surface and second and third connection ports on the lower surface, and the first connection port and the third connection port are provided. It is set as the structure switched so that communication or a 2nd connection port and a 3rd connection port may communicate. Although this valve may be a three-way valve designed for this purpose, it is configured so that the valve operates in the horizontal direction, and is normally used for mass switching and used for switching the flow path of the refrigeration cycle. The switching valve may be used with one connection port closed.

  The first cylinder 23A has a first suction side pipe 27a connected to the suction side, while the second cylinder 23B has a second suction side pipe 27b connected to the suction side. A buffer muffler 10 for obtaining a refrigerant muffler effect is interposed in the side pipe 27b.

  The low pressure side pipe 29 for returning the refrigerant to the suction side of the hermetic compressor of the refrigeration cycle serves to prevent the refrigerant that has not been gasified by the evaporator from being sucked into the hermetic compressor 8 in a liquid state. An accumulator 28 having a cylindrical structure is interposed.

  In this accumulator 28, a low-pressure side pipe 29 for refrigerant inflow is inserted into the upper part from above, and two pipes for refrigerant outflow extend downward in the lower part, one of which is sealed as the first suction side pipe 27a. The pipe is always connected to the first cylinder 23A of the mold compressor. The other is connected to the second connection port of the cylinder number switching valve 11 by a low-pressure side communication pipe 29a.

  Further, a high pressure side pipe 31 communicating with the discharge pipe 30 of the hermetic compressor 8 is connected to the first connection port of the cylinder number switching valve 11, and a second suction side pipe 27 b provided with the buffer muffler 10 is provided. It is connected to the third connection port of the cylinder number switching valve 11.

  An oil reservoir 32 for collecting lubricating oil is provided at the inner bottom of the sealed container 22, and most of the second cylinder 23 </ b> B and most of the first cylinder 23 </ b> A are provided in the oil reservoir 32. Soaked in.

  The lowermost end surface of the rotating shaft 25 is exposed from the second bearing 25a, and an oil supply pump (not shown) is provided here. The oil supply passage communicates with the oil supply pump, and the oil supply pump sucks up the lubricating oil in the oil reservoir 32 as the rotary shaft 25 rotates, and guides it to the oil supply passage.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, in a normal operation using the two cylinders of the hermetic compressor 8, the cylinder number switching valve 11 is in a state where the second connection port and the third connection port communicate with each other. Retained. The gas refrigerant that has returned to the accumulator 28 is divided into two by the accumulator 28, one refrigerant gas is directly sucked into the first cylinder 23 </ b> A, and the other refrigerant gas passes through the cylinder number switching valve 11 to the second cylinder 23 </ b> B. The first cylinder and the second cylinder are compressed, and high-pressure gas is discharged from the discharge pipe 30 through the sealed container 22.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, in the energy saving operation using one cylinder of the hermetic compressor 8, the cylinder number switching valve 11 communicates with the first connection port and the third connection port. Kept in a state. Since the second cylinder 23B communicates with the discharge pipe 30 via the high pressure side pipe 31, the cylinder number switching valve 11, the buffer muffler 10, and the second suction side pipe 27b, the suction side of the second cylinder 23B has a high pressure. Therefore, the vane 23b ₂ which has been pressed against the second rolling piston 23b ₁ by the pressure difference in the compression chamber of the second cylinder 23B is separated and becomes free. In this state, the vanes are attracted and held by the small magnets 23b ₃ embedded on the back side of the vanes. Since there is no partition by a vane in a cylinder, it will be in an idling state and the compression action in the 2nd cylinder 23B will be in a stop state. For this reason, the gas refrigerant that has returned to the accumulator 28 is sucked into only the first cylinder 23A via the first suction side pipe 27a. As a result, only one cylinder is operated.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the indoor unit 3 has an indoor unit main body 41. The indoor unit main body 41 is provided with a front suction port 41a on the front surface thereof, and an upper surface suction port 41b on the upper surface. Furthermore, the blower outlet 41c is provided in the lower part of the front part.

  Further, an air passage 42 is formed in the indoor unit main body 41 so as to communicate both the suction ports 41a, 41b and the air outlet 41c, and the air passages 42 are opposed to both the air suction ports 41a, 41b. An indoor heat exchanger 13 configured in an inverted V shape is provided, an indoor fan 14 is provided on the downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 13, and a drain pan 45 is provided below the indoor heat exchanger 13. Is provided.

  Furthermore, the blower outlet 41c is provided with an upper louver 46a and a lower louver 46b which set the vertical direction of the heat exchange air and have a drive motor for blowing.

  Further, a front movable panel 47 constituting the front surface of the indoor unit main body 41 is attached to the front portion of the indoor unit main body 41 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The front movable panel 47 forms a smooth surface, and includes a control motor (see FIG. The front suction port 41a is closed and opened using a link mechanism 48 having a not-shown), and the lower end 47a of the front suction port 41a is in contact with the front suction port 41a. It extends to a position covering the upper front side.

  Accordingly, the front movable panel 47 is closed by bringing the front movable panel 47 into contact with the front suction port 41a and closing the lower end portion 47a so as to cover the upper front side of the outlet 41c. Suction port fully closed mode, front movable panel 47 is moved forward and obliquely upward from front suction port 41a, and front suction port fully open mode in which lower end portion 47a is positioned above blower port 41c and front panel 47 is sucked into front The front suction port half-open mode is provided in which the lower end portion 47a extends and is positioned so as to cover the upper front side of the air outlet 41c.

  Further, the air conditioner 1 includes a control unit (not shown) such as a microcomputer for controlling the control target components in the air conditioner 1 including the hermetic compressor 8, the indoor fan 14, and the cylinder number switching valve 11. In addition, both are provided with a humidity sensor and a room temperature sensor (not shown).

  In FIG. 5, reference numeral 49 denotes an electric dust collector, which is provided between the front suction port 41 a and the heat exchanger 13.

  Next, operation | movement of the air conditioner of this embodiment is demonstrated.

  When the outside air is at a low temperature such as in winter, the heating operation is performed by circulating the refrigerant as indicated by the dotted line in FIG.

  At the beginning of operation, normal operation using two cylinders is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in normal operation, the second cylinder 23 </ b> B communicates with the low-pressure side communication pipe 29 a, the cylinder number switching valve 11, and the second suction-side pipe 27 b with the buffer muffler 10 interposed therebetween. At this time, the cylinder number switching valve 11 is in a steady state and does not operate.

  In this state, the gas refrigerant returned to the accumulator 28 is divided into two by the accumulator 28, one refrigerant gas is directly sucked into the first cylinder 23A, and the other refrigerant gas passes through the cylinder number switching valve 11. The air is sucked into the second cylinder 23B and compressed by both the first cylinder 23A and the second cylinder 23B.

  On the other hand, when the normal operation is continued and the room temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, the energy saving operation is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the energy saving operation, the second cylinder 23 </ b> B is provided with the discharge pipe 30, the high-pressure side pipe 31, the cylinder number switching valve 11, and the buffer muffler 10 by the switching operation of the cylinder number switching valve 11. 2 is connected to the suction side pipe 27b.

Accordingly, the suction side of the second cylinder 23B becomes high, the pressure difference between the compression chamber of the second cylinder 23B is pressed against the second to the rolling piston 23b _1, it leaves vanes not follow, becomes free, Since there is no partition by the vane in the second cylinder 23B, it is in an idling state, and the compression action in the second cylinder 23B stops. For this reason, the hermetic compressor 8 is operated only by the first cylinder 23A, and is an energy saving operation with a low compression capacity.

  On the other hand, when the outside air is hot and humid, such as in summer, cooling and dehumidifying operations are performed by circulating the refrigerant as shown by the solid line in FIG.

  At the end of the cooling or dehumidifying operation, moisture remains in the ventilation path 42 of the indoor unit 3, the indoor heat exchanger 13, the indoor fan 14, and the like due to condensation. If the operation is stopped as it is, dust adheres to the moisture and causes mold.

  Therefore, after the cooling or dehumidifying operation is completed, a cleaning operation is performed to keep the interior of the indoor unit 3 clean. This cleaning operation includes a drying operation (light heating operation) in which moisture remaining in the indoor unit 3 is removed and dried.

  In the cleaning operation, the refrigeration cycle operates according to the flow shown in FIG.

  For example, when the operation of the refrigeration cycle is started (S1), the reheat dehumidifying operation is performed for t1 minutes prior to the drying operation (weak heating operation) (S2).

  This reheat dehumidification operation is performed with the outdoor throttle mechanism at the maximum flow rate side and the indoor throttle mechanism at the minimum flow rate side.

  Further, the operation time t1 is determined according to the operation time determination table shown in FIG.

  The room temperature sensor value (Ta) is taken on the horizontal axis, the humidity sensor value (Hu) is taken on the vertical axis, and the operation time t1 is determined from the intersection of both axes based on Ta and Hu measured by the room temperature sensor and the humidity sensor.

  For example, when Hu <40% and 15 ° C. <Ta <25 ° C., t1 is 10 minutes. For example, when 60% ≦ Hu <60% and 25 ° C. ≦ Ta, t1 is 25. Minutes.

  For example, when the operation of the refrigeration cycle is started (S1), the reheat dehumidifying operation is performed for t1 minutes prior to the weak heating operation (S2).

  After the reheat dehumidifying operation is performed, the menu of the remote controller that transmits the operation control input of the air conditioner determines whether or not the drying operation is set as a standard (S3).

  When the drying operation is set as a standard (YES in S3), the drying operation (weak heating operation) is performed for a maximum of 20 minutes (S4).

  In the dry operation, the operation using only the first cylinder 23A is performed as in the energy-saving operation during the heating operation.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 4, by the switching operation of the cylinder number switching valve 11, the second cylinder 23 </ b> B causes the second pipe 23, the high pressure side piping 31, the cylinder number switching valve 11, and the buffer muffler 10 to be interposed. It communicates with the suction side pipe 27b. Accordingly, the suction side of the second cylinder 23B becomes high pressure, and is pressed against the second rolling piston 23b1 by the pressure difference in the compression chamber of the second cylinder 23B, and the vane that has been followed is separated and becomes free. Since there is no partition by the vane in the cylinder 23B, the cylinder 23B is in an idling state and the compression action in the second cylinder 23B is stopped. For this reason, in the drying operation, the hermetic compressor 8 is operated only by the first cylinder 23A, and is an energy saving operation with a low compression capacity.

  The drying operation ends when the temperature sensor provided in the heat exchanger reaches 45 ° C. or higher, and the drying operation ends even if it is operated for 20 minutes or less than 45 ° C.

  The drying operation is completed according to a predetermined temperature or operation time (S5).

  In S3, when the drying operation is not set as a standard (NO in S3), the weak heating operation is not performed, and the cleaning operation is completed (S5).

  In this cleaning operation, as shown in FIG. 5, the front movable panel 47 of the indoor unit 3 is set in a half-open state, the upper louver 46a and the lower louver 46b are set upward, and the indoor fan 14 is operated weakly. Then, as shown by the arrow, the short circuit operation in which the air blown from the outlet 41c is guided to the suction side from the surface and the inner surface of the front movable panel 47 is executed, and the air cleaner 49 is also operated.

  In the cleaning operation, it is preferable to execute a short circuit operation, but this is not always necessary, and the front movable panel may be in any position.

  In the dry operation, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, it is possible to suppress the room temperature and humidity from rising in the room as compared with the 2-cylinder operation, and the comfort is maintained.

  In addition to the above drying operation, clean operation is performed in combination with filter cleaning operation by installing a filter cleaning device in the indoor unit body, sterilization operation by ozone generation, odor discharge operation by providing a ventilation fan, etc. can do.

  According to the air conditioner of the present embodiment, it is possible to remove the moisture in the indoor unit in a short time, and to realize an air conditioner capable of saving energy without causing discomfort to the user.

The conceptual diagram of the refrigerating cycle used for the air conditioner of one Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the hermetic compressor used for the air conditioner of one Embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram at the time of the normal driving | operation of the refrigerating cycle used for the air conditioner of one Embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram at the time of the energy saving operation | movement of the refrigerating cycle used for the air conditioner of one Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the indoor unit used for the air conditioner of one Embodiment of this invention. The operation | movement flowchart of the refrigerating cycle used for the air conditioner of one Embodiment of this invention. The reheat dehumidification driving | operation time determination table figure at the time of the cleaning driving | operation of the air conditioner of one Embodiment of this invention. The indoor temperature transition figure at the time of the cleaning driving | operation of the air conditioner of one Embodiment of this invention. The indoor humidity transition figure at the time of the cleaning driving | operation of the air conditioner of one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Air conditioner, 2 ... Outdoor unit, 3 ... Indoor unit, 6 ... Outdoor fan, 7 ... Outdoor heat exchanger, 8 ... Hermetic compressor, 9 ... Four-way valve, 10 ... Buffer muffler, 11 ... Switch number of cylinders Valves, 12: Electronic expansion valve, 13: Indoor heat exchanger, 14: Indoor fan, 15, 16 ... Communication pipe, 17, 18 ... Packed valve, 19 ... Dehumidification valve, 22 ... Sealed container, 23 ... Compression mechanism section, 23A ... first cylinder, 23B ... second cylinder constituting the second compression unit, 23a 1 _... first rolling piston, 23b 1 _... second rolling piston that constitutes the first compression mechanism portion, 23b ₂ ... vane, 23b ₃ ... small magnet, 24 ... motor part, 25 ... rotating shaft, 25a ... second bearing, 26 ... intermediate partition plate, 27a ... first suction side piping, 27b ... second suction side Piping, 28 ... Accumulator DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 29 ... Low pressure side piping, 29a ... Low pressure side communication pipe, 30 ... Discharge pipe, 31 ... High pressure side piping, 32 ... Oil sump part, 41 ... Indoor unit main body, 41a ... Front suction port, 41b ... Top suction port, 41c ... Air outlet, 42 ... Air blow path, 45 ... Drain pan, 46a ... Upper louver, 46b ... Lower louver, 47 ... Front movable panel, 47a ... Lower end, 48 ... Link mechanism, 49 ... Electric dust collector.

Claims (1)

A hermetic compressor provided in an outdoor unit and provided with two cylinders, the one or two cylinders being selectively operable;
A switching valve provided on the suction side of the hermetic compressor, for switching to one or two operation of the cylinder;
An indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan housed in the indoor unit;
In an air conditioner comprising control means for controlling operations of the hermetic compressor, the indoor fan, and the switching valve,
After the cooling or dehumidifying operation is completed by the control means, a drying operation is performed to remove moisture remaining inside the indoor unit and dry it,
The drying operation is performed by an indoor fan operation and a heating operation by a heating cycle in which a low-pressure refrigerant flows into only one cylinder of the hermetic compressor.

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