JP2011144951A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner having energy-saving effect by reducing standby power in stopping an air conditioning operation. <P>SOLUTION: The air conditioner including an actuator 13 for adjusting air conditioning load, a control board of an indoor unit controlling the actuator 13, power supply wiring for supplying power to the control board, and an external input means 4 for setting and inputting at least start or stop of the air conditioning operation from the external, further includes a disconnection switch 9 for connecting or disconnecting the power supply wiring, a time measuring means 19 starting measurement of time when an operation stop signal is set and input from the external input means 4, and a power supply stopping means 24 for stopping the power supply by disconnecting the power supply wiring by the disconnection switch 9, when the time measured by the time measuring means 19 is over a prescribed time set and input in advance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to standby power suppression in an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner that automatically shuts off power supply and suppresses standby power consumption in a predetermined case.

  Generally, when it is determined that the user does not need to operate for a while considering the necessity of operating the air conditioner, the main power supply breaker of the air conditioner is manually operated to cut off the energization.

On the other hand, an air conditioner having a standby power suppression function is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 below. In this air conditioner, when the user determines that it is not necessary to operate for a while considering the necessity of the operation of the air conditioner, by operating the power switch provided in the indoor unit of the air conditioner The power consumption is made zero.

JP 2001-141291 A

  The air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 is configured to stop the air conditioning operation when receiving an operation stop signal from a remote controller. The indoor unit and the control board of the outdoor unit that are performing load control while the operation is stopped are in a standby state in which an operation signal from the remote controller can be received. Therefore, it is necessary to energize the control board while the operation is stopped. As a result, there is a problem that standby power to the control board must be consumed while the operation is stopped.

  Further, when the energization of the control board of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is cut off, data regarding communication information (address information, model information) between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is lost. Therefore, at the time of restart, the initialization process must be performed from the beginning, and there is a problem that it takes time to start.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can obtain an energy saving effect by reducing standby power while the air-conditioning operation is stopped.

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes an actuator for adjusting an air conditioning load, a control board for controlling the actuator, a power supply wiring for supplying power to the control board, and at least an air conditioning operation. In an air conditioner having external input means for setting and inputting start or stop from the outside, when a shut-off switch for connecting or cutting off the power supply wiring and an operation stop signal is set and input from the external input means Time keeping means for starting time keeping, and power supply stop means for shutting off the power supply wiring by the breaker switch when the time measured by the time keeping means exceeds a predetermined time input in advance. It is what.

  In the air conditioner of the present invention, when the time counted by the time measuring means when the operation stop signal is set and inputted from the external input means, the power supply stop means is Since it is comprised so that the power supply wiring to a control board may be interrupted | blocked by the switch for interruption | blocking, the standby electric power during the operation stop of an air conditioner can be reduced. In addition, during the elapse of a predetermined time until the operation is stopped, for example, operation data of the actuator immediately before the operation is stopped and communication information data between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner can be stored. Thereby, the initial setting at the time of starting can be performed using the preserve | saved driving | operation data and communication information data, and it can start in a short time. By the way, in recent years, with the increase in the number of homes that own multiple air conditioners, and the installation of multiple air conditioners by building air conditioning, standby power can no longer be ignored, reducing standby power to the control board. Reduction has a great effect in terms of reducing power consumption.

It is a schematic block diagram of the air conditioner in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is an electrical wiring diagram in the indoor unit of the air conditioner in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block block diagram of the microcomputer in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the power supply interruption | blocking operation | movement in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the power supply restart operation | movement in Embodiment 1 of this invention.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an electrical wiring diagram of an indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a microcomputer in FIG.
In each figure, the air conditioner of this embodiment is provided with one outdoor unit A and one indoor unit B. The outdoor unit A and the indoor unit B are connected via connection pipes C and C for circulating the refrigerant, and transmission lines 5 and 5 for exchanging data signals between the outdoor unit A and the indoor unit B. . The outdoor unit A controls the compressor 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 12 that exchanges heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant, the blower 15 that sends outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 12, and the control that controls the compressor 11 and the blower 15. And a control box 17 having a substrate (not shown). The indoor unit B includes an electronic expansion valve (an example of an actuator) 13 that throttles the refrigerant, an indoor heat exchanger 14 that exchanges heat between indoor air and the refrigerant, a blower 16 that sends room air to the indoor heat exchanger 14, and a blower A blower motor 6 for driving 16 and a control board 1 for controlling the electronic expansion valve 13 are provided. The refrigerant circuit of this air conditioner includes a compressor 11, a four-way switching valve (not shown), an outdoor heat exchanger 12, a connecting pipe C, an electronic expansion valve 13, an indoor heat exchanger 14, a connecting pipe C, a four-way switching valve, And an accumulator (not shown) are sequentially connected in a ring shape. The electronic expansion valve 13 adjusts the flow rate and phase state of the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 14, and performs air conditioning control of the air blown into the room.

  A control box 2 is provided in the indoor unit B. In the control box 2, the control board 1, the power switch 7, and other electrical components are arranged, and a power supply 8 is supplied from the outside. At least one control board 1 is provided for each indoor unit B. The control board 1 is a non-volatile storage for storing a microcomputer 3 as a center for operating the indoor unit B, initial operation values of various actuators, data during operation, communication information data between the indoor unit B and the outdoor unit A, and the like. The memory (example of storage means) 10 and a timer (example of time measurement means) 19 for measuring the control processing time are provided. The microcomputer 3 detects the input of data signals from sensors such as the remote controller 4, temperature detector, pressure detector, etc., the function of the calculation means 21 that performs thermo on / off, device abnormality judgment, air conditioning capability control, etc. The function of the input detection means 22, the function of the communication means 23 for controlling the exchange of data signals with the control board of the control box 17 of the outdoor unit A, and the control board by operating the shut-off switch 9 in a predetermined case. 1 has a function of power supply stopping means 24 for stopping the power supply to 1 and a function of operation starting means 25 for starting the air conditioning operation using data stored in the nonvolatile memory 10 in a predetermined case. ing.

  A remote controller (external input means) 4 is connected to the control board 1 via a transmission line for a user to set and input a target room temperature, a blowing air direction, an operation mode, and the like from the outside of the apparatus. The remote controller 4 includes a button for the user to input a setting for starting or stopping the air conditioning operation. The microcomputer 3 receives the input from the remote controller 4 and the inputs from the sensors to perform start / stop control of the blower motor 6 and control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 13 so as to adjust the air conditioning load to the target load. It is carried out. Thus, the control board 1 of the indoor unit B and the control board 17 of the control box 17 of the outdoor unit A are connected via the transmission line 5 so that data can be transmitted and received.

  A power supply 8 is connected to the blower motor 6, and a power switch 7 for the blower motor is provided in the middle of the wiring. Further, a power supply wiring 20 is branched in the middle of the wiring from the power supply 8, and the power supply wiring 20 is connected to the control board 1 to supply the power supply 8 to the control board 1. The power supply wiring 20 is provided with a disconnecting switch 9 for connecting or disconnecting the power supply wiring 20. The breaker switch 9 is provided in the control board 1 or the control box 2 and is controlled to be opened and closed by the microcomputer 3. Further, a power supply wiring 18 is branched in the middle of the power supply wiring 20, and the power supply wiring 18 is connected to the remote controller 4 so as to supply power 8 to the remote controller 4. As described above, by separating the power supply to the control board 1 and the remote controller 4, even when the power supply to the control board 1 is cut off, the input operation from the remote controller 4 is possible and the configuration can be restarted. .

The operation of the power supply cutoff mode by the indoor unit B of the air conditioner configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, when an operation stop signal is set and input from the remote controller 4 by the user from the outside (step S1), the computing means 21 of the microcomputer 3 stops driving the blower motor 6 and the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 13 is initialized. The control circuit board 1 is put into a standby state by shifting to the valve opening degree (the valve opening degree when the normal operation is stopped). At the same time, the timer 19 starts measuring time (step S2). Subsequently, the calculation means 21 of the microcomputer 3 stores the operation data of the electronic expansion valve 13 immediately before the operation stop in the nonvolatile memory 10 (step S3). The data content stored in the nonvolatile memory 10 in step S3 is the valve opening value (pulse value) of the electronic expansion valve 13. If the storage in the nonvolatile memory 10 is not normally performed, the process does not proceed to step S4.

In the subsequent step S4, it is determined by the computing means 21 of the microcomputer 3 whether the operation stop this time is due to a command signal from the remote controller 4 or other forced abnormal stop. Further, it is determined whether or not the time T measured by the timer 19 has passed a predetermined time T0 (for example, 15 minutes) stored in the nonvolatile memory 10 in advance. Therefore, if the stop time is not an abnormal stop and the time T after the stop command from the remote controller 4 has passed the predetermined time T0 (YES in step S4), the process proceeds to the next step S5. When the operation is stopped due to an abnormal stop, the process does not proceed to step S5. The predetermined time T0 is a margin for collecting data relating to communication information (address information, model information, etc.) between the indoor unit B and the outdoor unit A and valve opening degree data of the electronic expansion valve 13 immediately before the operation is stopped. If it is a certain time, it will not specifically limit, For example, it is about 10 to 30 minutes.

  In step S <b> 5, the microcomputer 3 operates the electronic expansion valve 13 to change the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 13 to the valve opening value stored in the nonvolatile memory 10. Further, communication information data between the indoor unit B and the outdoor unit A is collected and stored in the nonvolatile memory 10. By storing the communication information data and the operation data of the electronic expansion valve 13 in this way, the initialization process (initialization process) at the time of restart is extremely reduced, and the operation can be resumed in a short time.

  In the next step S <b> 6, the power supply stopping means 24 of the microcomputer 3 operates the power cutoff switch 9 to open it, and cuts off the power supply to the control board 1. As a result, the power supply cutoff mode for the control board 1 is set. Even during standby in this power supply cut-off mode, power supply to the remote controller 4 is continued by the power supply wiring 18, so that it can be restarted by operating the remote controller 4.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the power supply to the control board 1 is automatically stopped when there is no operation input for a predetermined time in the indoor unit B while the operation is stopped (normal signal standby state). Since it is configured as described above, standby power can be reduced while the operation of the indoor unit B is stopped. Incidentally, in the indoor unit B of about 20 horsepower having a casing of about 1.8 m in width, about 0.65 m in depth, and about 1.9 m in height, the standby power of the control board 1 when the operation is stopped is about 4. It is 6 W, and this standby power can be saved. In addition, while a predetermined time until the operation is stopped, for example, operation data of the electronic expansion valve 13 immediately before the operation is stopped and communication information data between the indoor unit B and the outdoor unit A can be stored.

Next, the restarting operation from the power supply cutoff mode by the indoor unit B will be described using the flowchart of FIG.
First, when an operation start command signal is set and inputted by the user from the remote controller 4 (step S11), the operation start command signal passes through the transmission line 5 and returns as a signal via the outdoor unit A, and the power shut-off switch 9 is turned on. Close (ON). Thereby, supply of the power supply 8 to the control board 1 of the indoor unit B is resumed (step S12). The operation start means 25 of the microcomputer 3 stores data and electronic data related to communication information (address information, model information, etc.) between the indoor unit B and the outdoor unit A, which are stored in the nonvolatile memory 10 before the operation is stopped. The valve opening data of the expansion valve 13 is used as an initial setting value at the time of activation (step S13). Then, the communication information data and the valve opening degree data are used as initial setting values at the time of resuming operation, and restart is performed (step S14). Therefore, at the time of restarting, it is possible to omit the initial setting process from scratch, and restarting in a short time can be performed. That is, it can be said that this air conditioner is extremely effective in executing energy saving.

In the above embodiment, the example in which the function specific to the present invention is applied to the indoor unit has been described. However, the present invention may be applied to the outdoor unit or to both the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. Is also possible.
Moreover, although the example which applied the electronic expansion valve as an actuator was shown above, as an actuator of this invention, if an air-conditioning load can be adjusted, it will not specifically limit, For example, the air blower of an indoor unit, the air blower of an outdoor unit It can also be applied.

  In the above description, an air conditioner is illustrated in which one indoor unit is connected to one outdoor unit. However, an air conditioner system in which a plurality of indoor units are connected to one outdoor unit. Even so, the present invention can be applied. In that case, if the microcomputer having the function of the specific means according to the present invention and the power supply configuration are arranged on the control boards respectively owned by a plurality of indoor units, the energy saving effect when the number of indoor units is large is great. It will be something. In addition, since the individual indoor units can be restarted in a short time, there is also an advantage that the start-up dead time of the entire system can be greatly reduced.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control board, 3 Microcomputer, 4 Remote control, 5 Transmission line, 6 Blower motor, 8 Power supply, 9 Shutoff switch, 10 Non-volatile memory, 13 Electronic expansion valve, 19 Timer, 20 Power supply wiring, 23 Communication means, 24 Power supply stop means, 25 operation start means, A outdoor unit, B indoor unit.

Claims (2)

An actuator for adjusting the air conditioning load, a control board for controlling the actuator, a power supply wiring for supplying power to the control board, and an external input means for inputting at least the start or stop of the air conditioning operation from the outside In an air conditioner having
A disconnecting switch for connecting or disconnecting the power supply wiring;
Timing means for starting timing when an operation stop signal is set and inputted from the external input means;
And a power supply stop means for shutting off the power supply wiring by the shut-off switch after a predetermined time that has been set and input has elapsed. Air conditioner to do. Comprising an outdoor unit and an indoor unit,
Furthermore, storage means for storing the operation data of the actuator immediately before the operation stop and the communication information data between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit from the start of the time measurement by the time measurement means until the power supply stop by the power supply stop means,
When an operation start signal is set and input from the external input means, the circuit breaker switch is operated to supply power to the control board, and the operation of the actuator immediately before stopping the operation stored in the storage means The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising operation start means for starting operation using data and communication information data between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

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