JP2010151364A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner improved in comfortableness in a living environment in heating operation, in an air conditioner having an automatic cleaning function of a filter. <P>SOLUTION: When automatic cleaning corresponding to an operation accumulation time is performed (step 102) during heating operation, according to conditions of an outdoor piping temperature, an outdoor temperature and a heating operation time up to this time (steps 104, 105), defrosting operation is performed simultaneously with automatic cleaning (steps 112, 113). An outdoor heat exchanger is thereby defrosted during automatic cleaning. As a result, the maximum heating capacity is exhibited after automatic cleaning, and a user's comfortableness is improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner equipped with an automatic filter cleaning device.

  Currently, home air conditioners are widely used, which are equipped with a filter device that automatically cleans an air filter installed in an indoor unit, such as scraping or sucking dust adhering to the filter. In this method, the operation of the air conditioner is temporarily stopped and the indoor fan is automatically cleaned in a stopped state. The cleaning operation is performed at a timing that has the least influence on the function of the air conditioning that is originally required for the user, such as before the start of operation of the air conditioner, after the end of operation, or when the accumulated operation time exceeds a certain time. Thus, performance degradation and power consumption increase due to filter clogging are prevented in advance (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, according to Patent Document 1, there is a case in which automatic cleaning is not performed unless a certain time or more has elapsed even when the operation accumulated time exceeds a predetermined time. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation method of the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 4, by limiting the cleaning operation to 10 minutes after the start of the operation of the air conditioner, the cleaning operation is performed at an optimal timing while giving priority to the air conditioning function necessary for the user. Various merit of operation control, such as improvement, is improved and the user merit is improved.
JP 2007-139351 A

  However, in the conventional configuration, for example, under continuous heating operation under low temperature and high humidity conditions, frost gradually grows in the outdoor heat exchanger. When the operation is performed, in addition to the operation stop by the cleaning, the operation in a state where the heating capacity is lowered continues after the cleaning. Furthermore, the heating operation stoppage by switching to the defrosting operation results in a state of insufficient heating capacity for a long time. Accordingly, the room temperature is greatly lowered, and there is a problem that comfort is deteriorated for the user.

  This invention solves the said conventional subject, and it aims at providing the air conditioner which improves the living environment comfort at the time of a user's heating operation.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, an air conditioner of the present invention is compressed with an outdoor unit including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a blower mechanism, and an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger and a blower mechanism. An air filter that collects indoor dust in the indoor unit and a dust removing unit that removes dust accumulated in the air filter, and a decompression mechanism that decompresses the refrigerant and a four-way valve that switches between cooling and heating operations. The filter device is an air conditioner having a function of performing automatic cleaning according to the accumulated operation time, and a condition for performing automatic cleaning according to the accumulated operation time during the heating operation. When the defrosting operation start condition is satisfied, the defrosting operation is performed simultaneously with the automatic cleaning.

  By using the above means, the maximum heating capacity can be exhibited after the automatic cleaning in order to defrost the outdoor heat exchanger during the automatic cleaning.

In the air conditioner of the present invention, the outdoor heat exchanger is defrosted by performing a defrosting operation as necessary during automatic filter cleaning under continuous heating operation. It can be maximized and user comfort can be improved.

  A first invention includes an outdoor unit including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a blower mechanism, an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger and a blower mechanism, a decompression mechanism that depressurizes the compressed refrigerant, and cooling and heating. A refrigeration cycle is configured with a four-way valve that switches operation, and includes a filter device that includes an air filter that collects indoor dust in the indoor unit and a dust removing unit that removes dust accumulated in the air filter, The filter device is an air conditioner having a function of performing automatic cleaning according to the accumulated operation time, and satisfies both a condition for performing automatic cleaning according to the accumulated operation time during the heating operation and a defrosting operation start condition. In such a case, the defrosting operation is performed at the same time as the automatic cleaning, so that the maximum heating capacity can be exhibited after the automatic cleaning in order to defrost the outdoor heat exchanger during the automatic cleaning. Break It can be.

  In the second invention, in particular, in the first invention, the defrosting operation is performed simultaneously with the automatic cleaning when the piping temperature of the outdoor unit is not more than a certain threshold value. This can prevent unnecessary defrosting operation.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, in particular, in the second aspect of the invention, an outdoor temperature sensor for detecting an outdoor temperature is provided, and a pipe temperature threshold value of the outdoor unit is a function of the outdoor temperature sensor output. . Thereby, the presence or absence of the defrosting operation can be determined more optimally.

  4th invention determines the presence or absence of defrost operation more optimally by determining the presence or absence of defrost operation transfer by the heating operation time until the timing which carries out automatic cleaning, and defrost operation operation only when needed The user's comfort can be further improved.

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

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a filter cleaning mechanism diagram of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, a filter device 200 for removing dust from the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 206 is composed of a filter frame 201 and an air filter 202, and a suction nozzle 203 movable along the surface of the filter device 200 is provided. Provided. The suction nozzle 203 can move smoothly with a certain distance from the air filter 202. The suction nozzle 203 is connected to a suction device 204, and dust adhering to the air filter 202 is sucked from the suction nozzle 203. When the automatic cleaning is started, the suction nozzle 203 is driven in the left-right direction, and the reciprocal operation thereof is confirmed by turning ON / OFF the limit SW 205, and the operation direction is switched.

  Moreover, FIG. 2 shows sectional drawing of the indoor unit of the air conditioner in this Embodiment. A filter frame 201 is formed on the windward side of the indoor heat exchanger 206 of the indoor unit. In normal use, the indoor fan 207 is operated to generate wind and perform heat exchange. Then, dust is removed by the upwind air filter 202 and accumulated on the air filter 202.

  In addition, an outdoor unit (not shown) of the air conditioner is provided with a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan as a blower mechanism, a capillary tube as a decompression mechanism, an air conditioning operation And a four-way valve for switching between, and constitutes a series of refrigeration cycles. Each of the outdoor units includes an outdoor temperature Tg and a temperature sensor that detects a pipe temperature Th (heat exchange temperature) of the outdoor unit.

  FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a control unit that controls the operation of the air conditioner in the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 3, first, during the heating operation (step 101), it is determined whether the accumulated time without automatic cleaning up to the previous time has passed a predetermined time A (step 102), and when the A minute has passed. Stops the indoor blower fan 207 (step 103) and starts preparation for automatic cleaning. Next, the outdoor heat exchanger temperature Th and the outdoor temperature Tg are detected, and it is determined whether these values satisfy Th ≦ aTg + b, which is a defrosting start condition (step 104). If the defrosting start condition is not satisfied, the air conditioner operation is stopped (step 106). If the defrosting start condition is satisfied, the heating operation time X for the previous time is further read to determine whether to stop the air conditioner operation or shift to the defrosting mode (step 105).

  If the defrosting start condition is not satisfied or the heating operation time has not elapsed for the predetermined time X minutes, it is determined that the outdoor heat exchanger is not frosted so as to affect the heating performance. Is stopped (step 106), that is, the compressor is stopped and the cleaning function is started (steps 107 to 109). If the defrosting start condition is satisfied and the heating operation time has elapsed for a predetermined time X minutes, it is determined that the outdoor heat exchanger is frosting so as to adversely affect the heating performance, and the defrosting mode is entered. (Step 110), the four-way valve is switched to start the defrosting operation. Further, the cleaning function is started simultaneously with the start of the defrosting mode (step 111). Further, in the defrosting operation, the defrosting operation is terminated when the defrosting return condition (the outdoor heat exchange temperature Th is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature To) at which the defrosting is terminated, and the compressor is stopped. (Step 114). At this time, if the time required for the suction nozzle to reciprocate N a predetermined number of times (the end of the automatic filter cleaning operation) comes first (step 112), even if the defrosting operation is in progress, the four-way valve is switched to the defrosting mode. (Step 115), the cleaning function is stopped (step 116), and the air conditioner is returned to the normal heating operation (step 117).

  By performing the operation control as described above, the defrosting operation can be performed simultaneously with the automatic filter cleaning even during the heating operation.

  That is, when the defrosting start condition is satisfied and it is determined that the heating operation is continuously performed sufficiently, the filter cleaning is performed as usual assuming that the room is in a comfortable state. Furthermore, when the defrost start condition is satisfied but the heating operation is not performed continuously for a sufficiently long time, it is determined that the room is not yet warm and is not in a comfortable state, and defrosting is performed while performing automatic cleaning. By this, normal heating operation is restored at an early stage. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in user comfort due to a shortage of heating capacity for a long time.

  In addition, by defrosting the outdoor heat exchanger during automatic cleaning, the outdoor heat exchanger can be defrosted to maximize its heating capacity after automatic cleaning, preventing performance degradation and user comfort Improvements can be made at the same time.

  As described above, the air conditioner according to the present invention defrosts the outdoor heat exchanger as necessary during automatic filter cleaning under the state of continuous heating operation. After automatic filter cleaning, it is possible to maximize the heating performance, and it can be applied to room air conditioners equipped with an automatic filter cleaning mechanism, large air conditioners, and the like.

The filter cleaning mechanism figure of the air conditioner in Embodiment 1 of this invention Cross section of indoor unit in the same air conditioner Flow chart showing operation control in the control unit of the air conditioner Flow chart showing operation control of a conventional air conditioner

Explanation of symbols

200 Filter Device 201 Filter Frame 202 Air Filter 203 Suction Nozzle 204 Suction Device 205 Limit SW
206 Indoor heat exchanger 207 Indoor fan 208 Left and right blades Th Outdoor piping temperature Tg Outdoor temperature To Defrost return temperature setting value A Cumulative time without cleaning from the previous time X Heating operation time from the previous time

Claims (4)

An outdoor unit including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a blower mechanism; an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger and a blower mechanism; a decompression mechanism that depressurizes the compressed refrigerant; and a four-way valve that switches between cooling and heating operations. And a filter device comprising an air filter that collects indoor dust in the indoor unit and dust removing means that removes dust accumulated on the air filter, and the filter device has an accumulated operation time. Is an air conditioner with a function of performing automatic cleaning according to the condition, and when the condition for performing automatic cleaning according to the operation cumulative time during heating operation and the defrosting operation start condition are satisfied, An air conditioner that performs defrosting operation simultaneously with automatic cleaning. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the defrosting operation is performed simultaneously with the automatic cleaning when the piping temperature of the outdoor unit is below a certain level. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the threshold value of the piping temperature of the outdoor unit is a function of the outdoor temperature. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein presence or absence of defrosting operation transition is determined based on a heating operation time until a timing for automatic cleaning.