JP2011169589A - Filter cleaning unit and air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an indoor unit including a new cleaning unit improving maintenance performance by securely compressing dust scraped off by a brush. <P>SOLUTION: The cleaning unit 16 disposed in the indoor unit includes: the brush 70 scraping off the dust attached to an air filter; a compression rod 71 arranged in a position opposing to the brush 70; and a dust box 72 storing the dust. The brush 70 and the compression rod 71 are arranged in the state adjacent to each other and both of the brush 70 and the compression rod 71 are arranged along the width direction of the air filter. Both of the brush 70 and the compression rod 71 are rotatably journaled and their rotating directions are opposite to each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a filter cleaning unit having an air filter cleaning function and an air conditioner including the filter cleaning unit.

  In an air conditioner, the indoor air sucked from the suction port is cooled or heated by passing through a heat exchanger and blown out into the room, but dust floating in the air sucked from the suction port causes the heat exchanger to In order to prevent contamination, an air filter is provided upstream of the heat exchanger. If dust adheres to the air filter, resulting in clogging and an increase in ventilation resistance, the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner decreases and the power consumption increases. In order to eliminate such inconvenience, various air conditioners including a filter cleaning unit that automatically cleans dust adhering to an air filter have been proposed.

In an air conditioner equipped with this type of filter cleaning unit, dust scraped from the air filter by the cleaning brush is accommodated in the dust box, and the user periodically removes the dust box and puts it in the dust box. It is necessary to throw away the contained dust.
Therefore, in order to reduce the load of maintenance work related to the dust box, an air conditioner has been developed in which the amount of dust that can be accommodated in the dust box is increased by compressing the dust accommodated in the dust box (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-347246 A

  In the air conditioner disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a scraping unit that scrapes dust separated from the air filter by a brush into the inside of the dust box, and a pushing unit that pushes dust scraped by the scraping unit, Are provided, and the scraping portion and the pushing portion are rotated by separate drive motors, respectively, so that the dust contained in the dust box is compressed.

  However, in the air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to compress the dust separated from the air filter by the brush with the pressing portion, it is necessary to transport the dust from the brush to the pressing portion using the scratching portion. is there. For this reason, there is an inconvenience that uncompressed bulky dust is scattered in the dust box while being transported by the scraping portion. As a result, uncompressed bulky dust exists in the dust box, the amount of dust that can be stored in the dust box is limited, the number of times the dust stored in the dust box is discarded, and maintenance is poor. There is a problem.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and a novel filter cleaning unit and an air conditioner that are improved in maintainability by reliably compressing dust scraped by a brush. The purpose is to provide a machine.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, a filter cleaning unit includes a brush for scraping dust attached to an air filter, a dust transport unit disposed at a position facing the brush, and a dust box for storing the dust, and the brush and the dust transport. The means are arranged in close proximity.

In this filter cleaning unit, by arranging the brush and the dust transporting unit in close proximity, almost all the dust scraped off by the brush can be reliably compressed between the brush and the dust transporting unit. As a result, the amount of dust that can be accommodated in the dust box increases, and the number of times that the dust accommodated in the dust box is discarded is reduced, so that maintainability is improved.
Moreover, since almost all the dust scraped off by the brush can be immediately compressed between the brush and the dust transporting means, it is possible to suppress the dust scraped from the air filter from being scattered. .

  The filter cleaning unit according to a second aspect of the present invention is the filter cleaning unit according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein both the brush and the dust transfer means are arranged along the width direction of the air filter.

  In this filter cleaning unit, dust can be compressed with a uniform force over the entire width of the air filter because the dust can be compressed by the brush and the dust conveying means arranged along the width direction of the air filter. As a result, it is possible to suppress variation in the size of the compressed dust, so that the amount of dust that can be accommodated in the dust box can be further increased.

  A filter cleaning unit according to a third aspect of the present invention is the filter cleaning unit according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein both the brush and the dust transfer means are pivotally supported so that the rotation direction of the brush and the dust transfer The direction of rotation of the means is opposite.

  In this filter cleaning unit, dust can be compressed by the entrainment force between the brush and the dust transport means.

  A filter cleaning unit according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the filter cleaning unit according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, further comprising dust removing means for removing dust attached to the brush.

  In this filter cleaning unit, it is possible to remove the dust that has entered the brush.

  A filter cleaning unit according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the filter cleaning unit according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, wherein the brush is an air filter at a position different from the proximity portion where the dust transfer means and the brush are close to each other. A filter contact portion is provided in contact with the dust. The dust scraped off at the filter contact portion is guided to the proximity portion as the brush rotates.

  In this filter cleaning unit, dust is guided from the filter contact portion to the proximity portion as the brush rotates, so that the dust attached to the air filter can be smoothly accommodated in the dust box.

  A filter cleaning unit according to a sixth aspect is the filter cleaning unit according to the fifth aspect, wherein the filter contact portion is provided above the proximity portion.

  In this filter cleaning unit, dust can be transported from the upper filter contact portion to the lower adjacent portion without countering the direction of gravity.

  A filter cleaning unit according to a seventh aspect is the filter cleaning unit according to the fifth or sixth aspect, wherein the dust adhering to the filter contact portion is not conveyed in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity.

  In this filter cleaning unit, dust removed at the filter contact portion can be smoothly conveyed in the direction of gravity.

  The filter cleaning unit according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the filter cleaning unit according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects of the present invention, wherein the portion of the brush facing the portion between the filter contact portion and the proximity portion has A first guide portion having a shape along the rotation direction is provided.

In this filter cleaning unit, dust can be reliably compressed in a gap having a predetermined passage length formed between the first guide portion and the brush.
Moreover, since it becomes possible to adjoin the 1st guide part and a brush, it can further suppress that dust is scattered.

  A filter cleaning unit according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the filter cleaning unit according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, wherein the first guide portion and the dust transfer means are close to each other and provided between the first guide portion and the dust transfer means. The gap to be formed is formed along a direction substantially orthogonal to the rotation direction of the brush.

  In this filter cleaning unit, the width of the gap provided between the first guide portion and the dust transport means is reduced, and the gap is substantially perpendicular to the rotation direction of the brush. Can be prevented from entering the gap. As a result, it is possible to smoothly convey the dust to the dust inlet.

  A filter cleaning unit according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the filter cleaning unit according to any one of the fifth to ninth aspects, further comprising dust detaching means for detaching dust attached to the brush, wherein the proximity portion is the dust detaching means. It is arranged immediately below or in the vicinity thereof.

In this filter cleaning unit, by providing the dust removing means, it is possible to remove the dust that has entered the interior of the brush.
Further, since the dust separated from the brush falls near the proximity portion, the dust can be efficiently compressed and accommodated in the dust box.

  A filter cleaning unit according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the filter cleaning unit according to any one of the fifth to tenth aspects of the present invention, wherein the dust is guided to the dust box on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the brush with respect to the dust transfer means. A guide portion is provided, and the dust that has passed through the proximity portion is guided to the dust box through a gap provided between the dust transfer means and the second guide portion.

  In this filter cleaning unit, before the dust reaches the dust inlet, it is compressed at two places between the adjacent dust transfer means and the brush and between the dust transfer means and the second guide portion.

  A filter cleaning unit according to a twelfth aspect of the invention is the filter cleaning unit according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects of the invention, wherein the air filter is movable while contacting the brush.

  In this filter cleaning unit, it is possible to remove dust over the entire range of the air filter.

  An air conditioner according to a thirteenth aspect includes any one of the above-described filter cleaning units.

  If comprised in this way, the air conditioner provided with the novel filter cleaning unit which improved the maintainability by compressing the dust scraped off with the brush reliably can be obtained.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

In the first invention, by arranging the brush and the dust conveying means in a close proximity, almost all dust scraped by the brush can be reliably compressed between the brush and the dust conveying means. As a result, the amount of dust that can be accommodated in the dust box increases, and the number of times that the dust accommodated in the dust box is discarded is reduced, so that maintainability is improved.
Moreover, since almost all the dust scraped off by the brush can be immediately compressed between the brush and the dust transporting means, it is possible to suppress the dust scraped from the air filter from being scattered. .

  In the second aspect of the invention, the dust can be compressed by the brush and the dust conveying means arranged along the width direction of the air filter, so that the dust can be compressed with a uniform force over the entire width of the air filter. . As a result, it is possible to suppress variation in the size of the compressed dust, so that the amount of dust that can be accommodated in the dust box can be further increased.

  In the third invention, the dust can be compressed by the entrainment force between the brush and the dust conveying means.

  In the fourth invention, the dust that has entered the brush can be removed.

  In the fifth aspect of the invention, the dust is guided from the filter contact portion to the dust inlet as the brush rotates, so that the dust adhering to the air filter can be smoothly accommodated in the dust box.

  In the sixth aspect of the invention, dust can be conveyed from the upper filter contact portion to the lower proximity portion without countering the direction of gravity.

  In the seventh invention, the dust removed at the filter contact portion can be smoothly conveyed in the direction of gravity.

In the eighth invention, dust can be reliably compressed in a gap having a predetermined passage length formed between the first guide portion and the brush.
Moreover, since it becomes possible to adjoin the 1st guide part and a brush, it can further suppress that dust is scattered.

  In the ninth aspect of the invention, the width of the gap provided between the first guide portion and the dust transfer means is reduced, and the gap is substantially perpendicular to the rotation direction of the brush, so that the gap is transferred by the dust transfer means. Can be prevented from entering the gap. As a result, it is possible to smoothly convey the dust to the dust inlet.

In the tenth invention, by providing the dust removing means, it is possible to remove the dust that has entered the brush.
Further, since the dust separated from the brush falls near the dust intake, the dust can be efficiently compressed and accommodated in the dust box.

  In the eleventh aspect, before the dust reaches the dust inlet, it is compressed at two places between the adjacent dust transfer means and the brush and between the dust transfer means and the second guide portion.

  In the twelfth invention, dust can be removed over the entire range of the air filter.

  In the thirteenth invention, an air conditioner including a novel filter cleaning unit with improved maintainability by reliably compressing dust scraped by the brush can be obtained.

  Hereinafter, an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[Basic configuration]
Drawing 1 is a typical perspective view which looked at indoor unit 1 concerning the embodiment of the present invention from the diagonally upper front.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the indoor unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the front.
3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the indoor unit 1 shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram in which the front panel 20 of the indoor unit 1 shown in FIG. 2 is removed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the indoor unit 1 of this embodiment has an elongated shape in one direction as a whole, and is attached to a wall surface in the room so that the longitudinal direction is horizontal. In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 1 is simply referred to as “longitudinal direction”. Further, the direction protruding from the wall to which the indoor unit 1 is attached is referred to as “front”, and the opposite direction is referred to as “rear”.

  The indoor unit 1 includes a main body unit 10 (main body) and a front panel 20 attached to the front surface of the main body unit 10.

[Main unit]
As shown in FIG. 3, the main unit 10 includes a main body casing 11, an indoor heat exchanger 12, a cross flow fan 13, an electrical component unit 14, a filter unit 15, a cleaning unit 16, and a front grill 17. It is comprised.

  The indoor heat exchanger 12, the cross flow fan 13, the electrical component unit 14, and the filter unit 15 are attached to the main body casing 11.

  The electrical component unit 14 includes electrical components such as a terminal board, an AC circuit unit, a DC high voltage circuit unit, a DC low voltage circuit unit, and a CPU control unit as a power input unit connected to a commercial power source (AC 100V or AC 200V); The electric component box 41 that accommodates the electric component therein and a light emitting display unit 42 (see FIG. 4) attached to the front surface of the electric component box 41 are configured.

  The electrical component box 41 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape that is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the main unit 10, and is a case that covers the periphery of the electrical component accommodated therein. The electrical component box 41 is arranged with the light emitting display 42 facing forward at a position in front of the drain pan 11c in a state of being arranged substantially parallel to the drain pan 11c extending in the longitudinal direction of the main unit 10.

  The light emitting display unit 42 includes a plurality of LEDs arranged side by side, and these LEDs emit light to display predetermined characters and the like. The front of the light emitting display unit 42 is covered by the front panel 20, but by emitting light that passes through the front panel 20, the display of the light emitting display unit 42 can be visually recognized from the outside.

  The light emitting display unit 42 is provided so as to protrude forward from the front surface of the electrical component box 41. In other words, the display surface of the light emitting display unit 42 is arranged in front of the front surface of the electrical component box 41. Thereby, the back surface of the front panel 20 can be reliably brought into close contact with the display surface of the light emitting display unit 42, and as a result, the display of the light emitting display unit 42 is easily visible from the outside.

  The front grille 17 is attached to the front surface of the main body casing 11 so as to cover components such as the indoor heat exchanger 12, the cross flow fan 13, the electrical component unit 14, and the filter unit 15.

  The indoor heat exchanger 12 is a plate fin type heat exchanger configured by arranging a front heat exchanger 12 a and a rear heat exchanger 12 b in an inverted V shape with respect to the main body casing 11. In addition, in the indoor unit 1 of this embodiment, the auxiliary heat exchanger 12c is attached to the front surface of the front side heat exchanger 12a. An auxiliary heat exchanger 12d is attached to the rear surface of the rear heat exchanger 12b. The auxiliary heat exchanger 12c and the auxiliary heat exchanger 12d are for promoting heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front grill 17 has a top surface inlet 17 a formed in the ceiling portion. The top surface suction port 17a is formed with the ceiling portion of the front grill 17 in a lattice shape.
As shown in FIG. 4, front openings 17 b and 17 c are formed in the front upper portion of the front grill 17. The front openings 17b and 17c are each formed as one opening.
The front grille 17 is formed with an opening 17d that extends in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 1 below the front openings 17b and 17c. The cleaning unit 16 is fitted in the opening 17d.
Further, the front grille 17 is formed with an opening 17e for exposing the light emitting display part 42 forward at the center in the longitudinal direction, below the opening 17d. The opening 17 e is formed in a shape substantially corresponding to the front shape of the light emitting display portion 42, and the light emitting display portion 42 is inserted from the inside of the front grill 17 toward the outside.

  As shown in FIG. 1, with the front panel 20 closed, external air is supplied from the top suction port 17 a of the front grille 17 and the front suction port 20 a located at the top of the front panel 20 to the front grille 17. Is sucked into the inside.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a cross flow fan 13 is provided inside the inverted V shape of the indoor heat exchanger 12. The cross flow fan 13 is called an axial fan, and is arranged such that its axial direction is along the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 1. The main body casing 11 is formed with a scroll portion 11 a having a curved wall surface behind the cross flow fan 13. With the scroll portion 11a, air can be smoothly guided from the cross flow fan 13 to the air outlet 17f that opens to the lower front side of the front grill 17.

  The main body casing 11 has an upper wall surface 11b so as to be positioned above the air outlet 17f. The upper wall surface 11 b is formed integrally with a drain pan 11 c located below the front heat exchanger 2.

  An electrical component unit 14 is disposed at a position between the drain pan 11 c and the front panel 20. A rear drain pan 11d is disposed below the rear heat exchanger 12b.

  The main casing 11, the front grille 17, and the front panel 20 are horizontally long. Further, the air outlet 17 f is formed so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the front grill 17.

  In the indoor unit 1, the indoor air sucked by the crossflow fan 13 from the top surface suction port 17 a and the front surface suction port 20 a on the upper surface is passed through the indoor heat exchanger 12 to exchange heat with the refrigerant. Air cooling or heating is performed. The air after the heat exchange is blown out into the room from the blower outlet 17f on the lower surface.

[Filter unit]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the filter unit.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the air filter and the cleaning unit.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship among the air filter, the brush, the compression rod, and the bearing member.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a meshed state of the rack portion of the air filter and the pinion.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the filter unit.

  The filter unit 15 is a unit for removing dust contained in the room air sucked from the top surface suction port 17a and the front surface suction port 20a. As shown in FIG. It is lined up along the direction. Each filter unit 15 includes an air filter 50 that collects dust contained in the room air, a frame unit 51 that movably houses the air filter 50, and a predetermined moving direction of the air filter 50 inside the frame unit 51. And a moving mechanism 52 for moving to the position.

  The air filter 50 is disposed between the top surface suction port 17a and the front surface suction port 20a and the indoor heat exchanger 12, and on the flow path from the top surface suction port 17a and the front surface suction port 20a to the indoor heat exchanger 12. To collect dust contained in room air. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the air filter 50 includes a frame body 53 and a mesh portion 54 provided inside the frame body 53. The frame 53 has a vertical support frame 53a formed along the moving direction of the air filter 50 and a horizontal support frame 53b orthogonal to the vertical support frame 53a assembled in a lattice shape, and these vertical support frames 53a. Further, the mesh portion 54 is supported by the lateral support frame 53b so as not to loosen. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, rack portions 55 that mesh with pinions 60 of a moving mechanism 52 described later are formed at both ends in the width direction of the frame 53.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the frame unit 51 is formed with a movement path (normal guide path 50a, turn-back guide path 50b, and retraction guide path 50c) of the air filter 50 accommodated therein. Here, the normal guide path 50a is provided on the front panel 20 side, and the retraction guide path 50c is provided on the indoor heat exchanger 12 side. The folding guide path 50b connects the normal guide path 50a and the retreat guide path 50c described above at the lower part of the frame unit 51. During the air conditioning operation, the air filter 50 is disposed in the normal guide path 50a, and during the automatic cleaning of the air filter 50 by the cleaning unit 16 described later, the air filter 50 moves between the normal guide path 50a and the retraction guide path 50c. To do. The frame unit 51 includes a guide member 56 that forms a normal guide path 50a, an under cover 57 that forms a folded guide path 50b, a guide member 58 that forms a retraction guide path 50c, and a guide member 56 and a guide member 58. And a partition member 59 disposed therebetween. Note that a pinion 60 of the moving mechanism 52 described later is disposed between the under cover 57 and the partition member 59. The under cover 57 is opened so that a brush 70 of the cleaning unit 16 described later comes into contact with the air filter 50 that passes through the folded guide path 50b.

  The moving mechanism 52 moves the air filter 50 to the normal guide path 50a and the retraction guide path 50c described above so that the entire area of the air filter 50 is in contact with a brush 70 of the cleaning unit 16 described later when the air filter 50 is automatically cleaned. Move between. The moving mechanism 52 includes a motor 61 serving as a driving source, a plurality of intermediate gears (not shown) that transmit the driving force of the motor 61, and a pinion 60 that meshes with the rack portion 55 described above. The pinion 60 is arranged so that the rotation axis is in the horizontal direction, and moves the air filter 50 in a direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction.

[Cleaning unit]
FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the compression rod.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of the corrugated shape of the protrusions of the compression rod.
13A is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the gaps S1 and S2 between the compression rod and the guide portion, and FIG. 13B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line BB shown in FIG. 13A. It is.

  The cleaning unit 16 is provided to remove dust adhering to the air filter 50. As shown in FIG. 6, the brush 70, the compression rod 71, the dust box 72, the comb member 73, the brush 70, And a rotation mechanism 74 that rotationally drives the compression rod 71.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the brush 70 is disposed below the under cover 57 and is in contact with the air filter 50 exposed from the opening of the under cover 57. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the brush 70 is disposed along the width direction of the air filter 50, and is rotatably supported with the width direction as an axial direction. The bristles 70a contacting the surface of the air filter 50 are opposite to the rotation direction D2 of the brush 70 and the rotation direction D1 of the pinion 60 that moves the air filter 50, and the movement direction of the air filter 50 in the turn-back guide path 50b. It is moving to go against. The brush 70 includes a rotating shaft 70b, brush bristles 70a provided radially around the rotating shaft 70b, and a gear mounting portion 70c provided at a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction. A drive gear 70d that meshes with a driven gear 71e attached to a compression rod 71, which will be described later, is attached to the gear attachment portion 70c. The drive gear 70d is provided in a portion corresponding to a region provided between the two air filters 50.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the brush 70 scrapes off dust adhering to the surface of the air filter 50 at the filter contact portion A where the brush 70 and the air filter 50 are in contact with each other, and scrapes off at the filter contact portion A. The generated dust is guided to the proximity B where the brush 70 and the compression rod 71 are close to each other. The filter contact portion A and the proximity portion B are provided at positions spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the rotation direction of the brush 70, and the filter contact portion A is provided above the proximity portion B and a dust inlet 72a described later. ing. Thereby, the dust adhering in the filter contact part A can be conveyed in the direction of gravity.

  The compression rod 71 is provided to compress the dust scraped by the brush 70 described above. Specifically, the dust scraped by the brush 70 is compressed between the compression rod 71 and the brush 70 before being accommodated in the dust accommodating portion 72b of the dust box 72, and will be described later with the compression rod 71. It is compressed between the second guide portion 79 of the bearing member 77. Further, the dust accommodated in the dust box 72 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the dust box 72 (particularly, the check wall 78a of the bearing member 77) by the rotation of the compression rod 71 in the dust accommodating portion 72b which is a substantially sealed space. Compressed.

  The compression rod 71 is disposed below the brush 70 as shown in FIG. Moreover, the compression rod 71 is arrange | positioned along the width direction of the air filter 50, and is rotatably supported by making the width direction into an axial direction. Further, the rotation direction D3 of the compression rod 71 and the rotation direction D2 of the brush 70 are opposite to each other, and the compression rod 71 compresses so as to entrain dust between the brush 70. In the present embodiment, the compression rod 71 and the brush 70 are disposed to face each other in a close proximity. Here, the “close state” means a “substantially contacted state”, specifically, not only the state where the compression rod 71 and the brush 70 are in contact but also the compression rod 71 and the brush. There is only a very small gap with respect to 70, which means a state in which dust can be compressed while being transported between the compression rod 71 and the brush 70. Furthermore, depending on the shape of the protrusion 71b described later, the case where the compression rod 71 (protrusion 71b) and the brush 70 are partially contacted and partially not contacted is also included.

  As shown in FIG. 13 (a), the compression rod 71 comes in contact with the dust in the dust conveyance path up to the dust inlet 72a and has a function of conveying the dust to the dust container 72b. And a compressing portion 71t having a function of moving and compressing the dust in contact with the dust accumulated to some extent in the dust accommodating portion 72b. The transport unit 71s is disposed above the compression unit 71t. The transport part 71s is provided on the upper part of the compression rod 71 and is provided so as to be exposed to the external space of the dust container 72b. On the other hand, the compression part 71t is provided in the lower part of the compression rod 71, and is provided so as to be exposed to the internal space of the dust container 72b. With this configuration, there is no need to separately provide a means for conveying dust to the dust intake 72a and a means for compressing the dust accommodated in the dust accommodating portion 72b, so the configuration of the filter cleaning unit 16 is simple. It is possible to achieve compactness.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the compression rod 71 includes a cylindrical rotary shaft 71a, a protrusion 71b provided so as to protrude radially outward from the surface of the rotary shaft 71a, and a predetermined length along the axial direction. And a plurality of support portions 71c provided at a distance from each other, and a gear attachment portion 71d provided at a substantially central portion in the axial direction. The compression rod 71 includes a right rod 71R and a left rod 71L that can be attached to the gear attachment portion 71d.

  Further, the protrusion 71b is erected radially outward from the surface of the rotation shaft 71a, and as shown in FIG. 12, the dust placed on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the protrusion 71b is rotated in the rotation direction. Extrude to D3. In each of the rods 71R and 71L, the protrusions 71b are provided at two positions on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft 71a at positions 180 ° apart in the rotation direction. Any protrusion 71b is formed in a corrugated shape extending along the longitudinal direction. Thus, by making the protrusion 71b into a corrugated shape, it is possible to restrict the movement of dust in the longitudinal direction at a portion that becomes a valley with respect to the rotation direction of the compression rod 71. In the present embodiment, the corrugated valley of the protrusion 71b provided at the rotation angle of 0 ° of the left rod 71L is the wave shape of the protrusion 71b provided at the rotation angle of 180 °. It is shifted in the longitudinal direction with respect to the portion that becomes the valley of the. Similarly, in the right rod 71R, the corrugated valley of the protrusion 71b provided at the rotation angle of 90 ° is the corrugated valley of the protrusion 71b provided at the rotation angle of 270 °. It is shifted in the longitudinal direction with respect to the part. The wave shape of the protrusion 71b of the present embodiment has the same amplitude and frequency, and the two wave shapes of the rods 71L and 71R are provided with a phase difference of 180 °.

  Moreover, the support part 71c is provided in six places including both ends, and is rotatably supported by each of the six bearing parts 77a provided in the bearing member 77 mentioned later. As shown in FIG. 7, the support portion 71 c is provided in a portion corresponding to the vertical support frame 53 a of the air filter 50 described above.

  A driven gear 71e that meshes with the drive gear 70d is attached to the gear attachment portion 71d. And the driven gear 71e is provided in the part corresponding between the two air filters 50, as shown in FIG.

  The dust box 72 is provided to accommodate the dust compressed by the compression rod 71. As shown in FIG. 10, the dust box 72 includes a bottom member 75, a bearing member 76 that rotatably supports the brush 70, and a bearing member 77 that rotatably supports the compression rod 71. By assembling the bearing member 76 and the bearing member 77 to the material 75, a box shape capable of accommodating dust is obtained. The bearing member 76 and the bearing member 77 are disposed so as to face each other, and the brush 70, the compression rod 71, and the comb member 73 are disposed therebetween. The dust box 72 is provided with a dust inlet 72a for taking in dust, and a dust container 72b for storing the dust taken in from the dust inlet 72a. The dust inlet 72a is provided in the vicinity of the lower end portion of the brush 70 and upstream of the lower end portion in the rotation direction D2.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the bearing member 76 is provided with a bearing hole 76 a that rotatably supports both ends of the brush 70, and a bearing portion 76 b that rotatably supports the gear mounting portion 70 c of the brush 70. It has been. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the bearing member 76 is provided with a convex portion 76 c for attaching the comb member 73. The convex portion 76 c protrudes in a direction opposite to the direction in which the comb member 73 receives a force from the rotating brush 70.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the bearing member 77 has six bearing portions 77 a that rotatably support the six support portions 71 c of the compression rod 71 and a gear mounting portion 71 d of the compression rod 71 that is rotatably supported. Bearing portion 77b is provided. As shown in FIG. 7, the six bearing portions 77 a are provided at portions corresponding to the support portion 71 c of the compression rod 71 and the vertical support frame 53 a of the air filter 50. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the bearing member 77 is provided with a first guide portion 78 and a second guide portion 79 with a compression rod 71 supported on the shaft interposed therebetween. The first guide portion 78 is provided on the upstream side in the dust conveyance direction with respect to the compression rod 71, and the second guide portion 79 is provided on the downstream side in the dust conveyance direction with respect to the compression rod 71. The first guide portion 78 is provided in a portion facing the portion between the filter contact portion A and the proximity portion B of the brush 70, and has a shape along the rotation direction D2 of the brush 70.

  Further, the first guide portion 78 is provided with a check wall 78a. The check wall 78 a is provided in a portion facing the dust container 72 b, and the dust stored in the dust container 72 b is pressed against the check wall 78 a by the rotation of the compression rod 71. A protruding portion 78b (see FIG. 13A) that protrudes in the direction opposite to the rotation direction D3 of the compression rod 71 is formed at the tip of the check wall 78a. The tip of the protrusion 78b has a tapered shape so that the outer peripheral surface of the compression rod 71 and the check wall 78a are smoothly connected in the proximity portion D where the compression rod 71 and the protrusion 78b are close to each other. Configured. In this way, by configuring the outer peripheral surface of the compression rod 71 and the check wall 78a to be smoothly connected, it is possible to prevent excessive accumulation of dust near the check wall 78a. Therefore, not only can the rotational torque of the compression rod 71 be prevented from increasing, but also the dust conveyed by the compression rod 71 flows out (backflow) out of the dust container 72b through the gap S1. Can be prevented.

  Between the first guide part 78 and the second guide part 79, the above-described dust intake 72a is formed. A compression rod 71 is disposed inside the dust inlet 72a. As shown in FIG. 13, between the compression rod 71 and the first guide portion 78, and between the compression rod 71 and the second guide portion 79. Clearances S1 and S2 are provided between the two. The first gap S1 between the compression rod 71 and the first guide portion 78 is a second gap between the compression rod 71 and the second guide portion 79 due to the proximity of the compression rod 71 and the first guide portion 78. The passage width is smaller than the gap S2. The first gap S1 is formed along a direction D4 that is substantially orthogonal to the rotation direction D21 of the brush 70 in the first gap S1. The second gap S2 between the compression rod 71 and the second guide portion 79 is a passage that guides dust compressed between the brush 70 and the compression rod 71 to the dust container 72b. And since the surface 79a which opposes the compression rod 71 of the 2nd guide part 79 is a curved surface form along the rotation direction D3 of the compression rod 71, the said clearance gap S2 becomes a channel | path which has predetermined | prescribed channel | path length. Thereby, dust continues to be compressed between the compression rod 71 and the second guide portion 79 while passing through the gap S2.

  The comb member 73 is provided in order to remove dust adhering to the brush bristles 70 a of the brush 70. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13A, the above-described dust intake 72a is disposed in the vicinity of the comb member 73, so that the dust removed from the brush bristles 70a of the brush 70 is removed from the dust intake. It falls in the vicinity of 72a. The comb member 73 includes a plurality of brush contact portions 73a disposed inside the brush bristles 70a of the brush 70, a concave portion 73b fitted to the convex portion 76c of the bearing member 76, and a plurality of brush contact portions. A root portion 73c for holding 73a is provided. Since the fitting direction of the convex portion 76c and the concave portion 73b and the direction of the force that the comb member 73 receives from the brush 70 are substantially the same direction, the comb member 73 can be used while the brush 70 is used for a long time. The separation from the bearing member 76 can be prevented.

  The uneven | corrugated | grooved part E formed between the above-mentioned several brush contact part 73a and the root part 73c is provided in the position close | similar to the compression rod 71, as shown in FIG.13 (b). As a result, the dust accumulated in the concavo-convex portion E of the comb member 73 can be scraped out by the protrusion 71 b of the compression rod 71.

The rotation mechanism 74 rotates the compression rod 71 and the brush 70 in conjunction with each other when the air filter 50 is automatically cleaned. The rotating mechanism 74 includes a motor 80 (see FIG. 5) serving as a driving source and a plurality of intermediate gears (not shown) that transmit the driving force of the motor 80. The rotating mechanism 74 transmits the driving force from the motor 80 to the driving gear 70d of the brush 70 and the driven gear 71e of the compression rod 71 via a plurality of intermediate gears, thereby causing the brush 70 and the compression rod 71 to move. Rotate in conjunction. In the present embodiment, since the drive gear 70d and the driven gear 71e are directly meshed with each other, the rotation direction D2 of the brush 70 and the rotation direction D3 of the compression rod 71 are opposite to each other.
[Automatic air filter cleaning]

  In the indoor unit 1 of this embodiment, the automatic cleaning operation | work of the air filter 50 is performed after completion | finish of an air conditioning driving | operation. 14 and 15 are diagrams for explaining a method of moving the air filter in the filter unit. Hereinafter, the automatic cleaning operation of the air filter 50 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.

  When the air conditioning operation is completed, each motor 61 of the moving mechanism 52 of the filter unit 15 is driven to rotate the pinion 60, and the motor 80 of the rotating mechanism 74 is driven to rotate the brush 70 and the compression rod 71. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 14, the air filter 50 having the rack portion 55 that meshes with the pinion 60 starts to move from the normal guide path 50a toward the folded guide path 50b. Then, the air filter 50 that has reached the folding guide path 50b makes a U-turn in the folding guide path 50b along the shape of the under cover 57, moves toward the retraction guide path 50c, and as shown in FIG. The air filter 50 is disposed in the retraction guide path 50c. At this time, the brush 70 contacts the surface of the air filter 50 exposed from the opening of the under cover 57 to scrape off dust adhering to the surface. The rotation of the brush 70 is continued until the air filter 50 reaches the retraction guide path 50c from the normal guide path 50a. When the air filter 50 is completely stored in the retraction guide path 50c, the pinion 60 and the brush 70 are driven. Is stopped and the outward cleaning work is completed.

When the forward path cleaning operation is completed, the return path cleaning process is performed with the rotation directions of the pinion 60 and the brush 70 being opposite to those in the forward path cleaning operation.
[Dust compression work by the cleaning unit]

In the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, the dust scraped out by the above-described automatic cleaning operation of the air filter 50 is stored in the dust storage portion 72b of the dust box 72 in a compressed state. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a method of compressing (secondary compression) dust stored in the dust storage unit. Hereinafter, the dust compression operation by the cleaning unit 16 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 and 16.
[Primary compression (compression before storing in dust box)]

  The dust scraped out of the air filter 50 by the above-described automatic cleaning operation of the air filter 50 is compressed (primary compression) before being stored in the dust storage portion 72b of the dust box 72. In this primary compression, (i) first, dust adhering to the brush 70 is compressed between the brush bristles 70 a and the first guide portion 78 in the proximity portion C where the brush 70 and the first guide portion 78 are close to each other. The (Ii) And the dust which passed the said proximity part C is compressed between the brush bristles 70a and the compression rod 71 in the proximity part B of the dust conveyance direction downstream from the proximity part C. (Iii) Furthermore, the dust that has passed through the proximity part B is compressed between the compression rod 71 and the second guide part 79 in the gap S2 (see FIG. 13) downstream from the proximity part C in the dust conveyance direction. The That is, in the filter contact portion A, the dust scraped by the brush 70 is stored in the dust storage portion 72b of the dust box 72 after undergoing the above-described three-stage compression.

The dust that has entered the inside of the brush bristles 70 a passes through the comb member 73 as the brush 70 rotates, and is separated from the brush 70 and falls near the compression rod 71. As a result, (ii) compression between the brush 70 and the compression rod 71 and (iii) between the compression rod 71 and the second guide portion 79 against the dust that has entered the brush bristles 70a. Can be done with compression.
[Secondary compression (compression after storing in dust box)]

  The dust compressed to some extent by the primary compression described above is also compressed after being accommodated in the dust accommodating portion 72b of the dust box 72 (secondary compression). In this secondary compression, as shown in FIG. 16, when the amount of dust stored in the dust storage portion 72b reaches a predetermined amount, the dust is stored in the dust storage portion 72b, which is a substantially sealed space, by the rotation of the compression rod 71. It is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the dust box 72 (in particular, the check wall 78a of the bearing member 77). Thereby, the dust accommodated in the dust accommodating part 72b is compressed.

  As described above, the primary unit and the secondary compression are performed on the dust adhering to the air filter 50, thereby reducing the number of times and labor required for discarding the dust accumulated in the dust box 72 and excellent in maintainability. 1 can be obtained.

[Features of indoor unit of this embodiment]
The indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment has the following characteristics.

  In the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, by arranging the brush 70 and the compression rod 71 in a close proximity, almost all dust scraped by the brush 70 is surely disposed between the brush 70 and the compression rod 71. Can be compressed. As a result, the amount of dust that can be accommodated in the dust box 72 is increased, and the number of times that the dust accommodated in the dust box 72 is discarded is reduced, so that maintainability is improved.

  Further, in the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, the brush 70 and the compression rod 71 are arranged in the proximity of each other, so that almost all the dust scraped by the brush 70 is immediately removed between the brush 70 and the compression rod 71. Therefore, the dust scraped out from the air filter 50 can be prevented from being scattered.

  Further, in the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, dust can be compressed by the brush 70 and the compression rod 71 arranged along the width direction of the air filter 50, so that the dust can be generated with uniform force over the entire width of the air filter 50. Can be compressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress variation in the size of the compressed dust, so that the amount of dust that can be accommodated in the dust box 72 can be further increased.

  In the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, dust is compressed by the entrainment force between the brush 70 and the compression rod 71 by reversing the rotation direction D2 of the brush 70 and the rotation direction D3 of the compression rod 71. be able to.

  Moreover, in the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, by providing the comb member 73, it is possible to remove the dust that has entered the brush 70.

  Moreover, in the indoor unit 1 of this embodiment, since dust is guide | induced to the proximity part B from the filter contact part A with rotation of the brush 70, the dust adhering to the air filter 50 can be accommodated in the dust box 72 smoothly. it can.

  Moreover, in the indoor unit 1 of this embodiment, since the filter contact part A is provided above the proximity part B, dust is conveyed from the upper filter contact part A to the lower proximity part B without countering the direction of gravity. can do.

  Further, in the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, the dust removed at the filter contact portion A is not conveyed in the direction opposite to the gravity direction, so the dust removed at the filter contact portion A is removed from the gravity direction. Can be transported smoothly.

  Further, in the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, the first guide portion having a shape along the rotation direction D2 of the brush 70 at a portion facing the portion between the filter contact portion A of the brush 70 and the dust inlet 72a. By providing 78, dust can be reliably compressed in a gap having a predetermined passage length formed between the first guide portion 78 and the brush 70.

  Moreover, since it becomes possible to adjoin the 1st guide part 78 and the brush 70, it can further suppress that dust is scattered.

  In the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, the first guide part 78 and the brush 70 are brought close to each other, and the gap S1 provided between the first guide part 78 and the brush 70 is set in the rotation direction D2 of the brush 70. By forming along the substantially orthogonal direction, the width of the gap S1 provided between the first guide portion 78 and the compression rod 71 is reduced, and the gap S1 is substantially orthogonal to the rotation direction of the brush 70. Therefore, the dust conveyed by the compression rod 71 can be prevented from entering the gap. As a result, the dust can be smoothly conveyed to the dust intake 72a.

  Further, in the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, by providing the proximity part B directly below or in the vicinity of the comb member 73, the dust released from the brush 70 falls near the proximity part B. Can be compressed and accommodated in the dust box 72.

  Further, in the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, the second guide portion 79 that guides the dust to the dust box 72 is provided on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the brush 70 with respect to the compression rod 71 to compress the dust that has passed through the proximity portion B. By adopting a configuration that guides the dust box 72 through a gap S2 provided between the rod 71 and the second guide portion 79, before the dust reaches the dust inlet 72a, the adjacent compression rod 71 and brush 70 And at two locations between the compression rod 71 and the second guide portion 79.

  Further, in the indoor unit 1 of the present embodiment, dust can be removed over the entire range of the air filter 50 by configuring the air filter 50 to be movable while in contact with the brush 70.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described based on drawing, it should be thought that a specific structure is not limited to these embodiment. The scope of the present invention is shown not only by the above description of the embodiments but also by the scope of claims for patent, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims for patent.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the air filter 50 is moved by the filter unit 15 to clean the air filter 50 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the cleaning unit is moved to clean the air filter. May be. By relatively moving the air filter and the cleaning unit, the entire range of the air filter can be cleaned.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which provided the protrusion part 71b of the compression rod 71 so that it might extend in the rotating shaft direction, this invention is not restricted to this, At least one part of the outer peripheral surface of a compression rod By providing the protrusions on the surface, dust can be pushed out and moved.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which provides the waveform-shaped projection part 71b in the compression rod 71, when a compression rod rotates in the rotation direction, it has a surface which can convey dust. If it is, the shape of the said projection part will not be limited.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which provides the waveform-shaped projection part 71b in the compression rod 71, this invention is not restricted to this, Like the compression rod 171 which concerns on the 1st modification shown in FIG. The projecting portion 171b may be formed into a pulse waveform. The corrugated protrusion 171b extends in the rotational axis direction, and a portion 171c corresponding to the corrugated mountain extends along the rotational direction D3. If comprised in this way, it will become possible to push out and move the said dust, restrict | limiting that the dust arrange | positioned between the said adjacent parts 171c moves to a rotating shaft direction.

  Further, the compression rod of the present invention is configured by disposing projections 271b extending in the rotation axis direction at a predetermined angular interval in the rotation direction D3 like the compression rod 271 according to the second modification shown in FIG. Alternatively, it may be formed in a gear shape.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which provides the protrusion part 71b extended in a rotating shaft direction in two places of the position 180 degrees away in the rotation direction D3, this invention is not limited to this, and a protrusion part is 1 You may provide only in a location and may provide three or more protrusion parts in the position away in the rotation direction D3. As an example, like the compression rod 371 according to the third modification shown in FIG. 19, the protrusions 371 b may be provided at four positions that are 90 ° apart in the rotation direction D <b> 3. At this time, it is preferable to shift the corrugated valleys of the protrusions 371b provided at the rotation angles of 0 °, 90 °, 180 °, and 270 ° to each other in the rotation axis direction. Here, the corrugated shape of each protrusion 371b is provided with a phase difference of 90 °.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the indoor unit 1 provided with the two air filters 50 was demonstrated, this invention is not limited to this, One air filter may be sufficient as three sheets or more. .

  By using the present invention, it is possible to obtain a novel filter cleaning unit and air conditioner having improved maintainability by reliably compressing dust scraped off by a brush.

The typical perspective view showing the indoor unit concerning the embodiment of the present invention. The front view of the indoor unit shown in FIG. AA sectional drawing of the indoor unit shown in FIG. The figure which removed the front panel of the indoor unit shown in FIG. The perspective view of a filter unit. The disassembled perspective view of an air filter and a cleaning unit. The schematic diagram which showed the positional relationship of an air filter, a brush, a compression rod, and a bearing member. The perspective view which showed the meshing state of the rack part and pinion of an air filter. Sectional drawing of a filter unit. The expanded sectional view of a cleaning unit. The perspective view of a compression rod. The figure which showed the positional relationship of the waveform shape of the protrusion part of a compression rod. (A): Expanded sectional view showing gaps S1 and S2 between the compression rod and the guide part (b): BB cross-sectional schematic diagram shown in FIG. 13 (a). The figure for demonstrating the movement method of the air filter in a filter unit. The figure for demonstrating the movement method of the air filter in a filter unit. The figure for demonstrating the method to compress the dust accommodated in the dust accommodating part (secondary compression). The perspective view which showed the compression rod which concerns on a 1st modification. The perspective view which showed the compression rod which concerns on a 2nd modification. The perspective view which showed the compression rod which concerns on a 3rd modification.

1 Indoor unit (air conditioner)
16 Cleaning unit (filter cleaning unit)
50 Air filter 70 Brush 71, 171, 271, 371 Compression rod (dust transport means)
72 dust box 72a dust inlet 73 comb member (dust removal means)
78 1st guide part 79 2nd guide part A Filter contact part B Proximity part

Claims (13)

A brush that scrapes off dust adhering to the air filter;
Dust transport means disposed at a position facing the brush;
And a dust box for storing dust,
The filter cleaning unit, wherein the brush and the dust transfer means are arranged in proximity to each other.   2. The filter cleaning unit according to claim 1, wherein both the brush and the dust transporting unit are arranged along a width direction of the air filter. Both the brush and the dust conveying means are pivotally supported rotatably,
3. The filter cleaning unit according to claim 1, wherein a rotation direction of the brush is opposite to a rotation direction of the dust transporting unit.   The filter cleaning unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising dust removing means for removing dust attached to the brush. A filter contact portion where the brush contacts the air filter is provided at a position different from the proximity portion where the dust conveying means and the brush are close to each other,
The filter cleaning unit according to claim 1, wherein dust scraped off at the filter contact portion is guided to the proximity portion as the brush rotates.   The filter cleaning unit according to claim 5, wherein the filter contact part is provided above the proximity part.   The filter cleaning unit according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the dust adhering to the filter contact portion is not conveyed in a direction opposite to a gravitational direction.   The first guide portion having a shape along a rotation direction of the brush is provided in a portion of the brush facing a portion between the filter contact portion and the proximity portion. The filter cleaning unit of any one of -7.   The first guide part and the dust transfer means are close to each other, and a gap provided between the first guide part and the dust transfer means is formed along a direction substantially orthogonal to the rotation direction of the brush. The filter cleaning unit according to claim 8, wherein It further comprises dust removing means for removing dust adhering to the brush,
10. The filter cleaning unit according to claim 5, wherein the proximity portion is disposed directly below or in the vicinity of the dust removing means. A second guide portion for guiding dust to the dust box is provided on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the brush with respect to the dust conveying means,
The dust that has passed through the proximity portion is guided to the dust box through a gap provided between the dust transfer means and the second guide portion. The filter cleaning unit according to item.   The filter cleaning unit according to claim 1, wherein the air filter is movable while being in contact with the brush. An air conditioner comprising the filter cleaning unit according to any one of claims 1 to 12.