JP2017207243A - Defrost control device and air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a decline in feeling temperature during defrosting operation and discomfort feeling due to noise of refrigerant flow generated between completion of defrosting operation and resume of heating operation.SOLUTION: A defrost control device includes a defrosting operation control part (41a) that, when receiving a defrosting start request signal at the time of heating operation, increases room temperature more than a preset temperature and then transmits a defrosting permission signal and blocks an air outlet of an indoor unit by an air guide panel (20) or changes an orientation of air blowing out from the air outlet to a direction other than a front direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a defrosting control device for controlling a defrosting operation for thawing a frozen heat exchanger of an outdoor unit in an air conditioner.

  In general, as an air conditioner, for example, in an air conditioner, when a heat exchanger of an outdoor unit is frozen during a heating operation, a defrosting operation for thawing the frozen heat exchanger is performed. However, with the defrosting operation, for example, the following problems (1) to (3) occur.

  (1) During the defrosting operation, the heating operation is temporarily stopped in order to circulate the refrigerant in the direction opposite to that during heating in order to defrost the frozen heat exchanger. For this reason, at the time of a defrost operation, room temperature falls from preset temperature and there exists a possibility that the sensible temperature of the person who exists indoors may fall.

  (2) During the defrosting operation, since the heating operation is stopped, the fan of the indoor unit is also stopped. However, during the period from the start of defrosting to the time when the indoor fan is completely stopped, weak cold air is blown out from the outlet of the indoor unit. For this reason, at the time of a defrost operation, there exists a possibility that the temperature of a person who is indoors may further fall.

  (3) At the end of the defrosting operation (between the end of the defrosting operation and the resumption of the heating operation), the refrigerant flows with the indoor fan stopped, so a sound different from that during the heating operation is generated. Leaked from the room and heard in the room, people in the room may feel uncomfortable.

  Therefore, in order to solve the problem (1), Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose that the room temperature is temporarily raised to a predetermined temperature before the defrosting operation, so that a person who is indoors during the defrosting operation. A technique for making it difficult to feel cold is disclosed.

  In order to solve the above problem (2), Patent Document 3 describes that the direction of the cool air blown from the outlet of the indoor unit at the start of heating operation or defrosting operation is changed indoors by changing the direction of the cold air. A technique for reducing the perception of cold air to a person who is present and reducing the decrease in the temperature of the body is disclosed.

  Furthermore, in order to solve the above problem (3), Patent Document 4 discloses a technique for making it difficult to hear the sound of the refrigerant flowing from the air outlet by closing the air outlet of the indoor unit during the defrosting operation. It is disclosed.

JP 2010-96474 A (published on April 30, 2010) JP 2015-42922 A (published March 5, 2015) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-26386 (published January 27, 1998) JP-A-8-189686 (released July 23, 1996)

  However, the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 only solve some of the various problems that occur during the defrosting operation, and all the problems (1) to (3) are solved. It has not been solved. In other words, in the conventional technology, there is a problem that during the defrosting operation, a person in the room feels a decrease in the temperature of the sensible temperature, or at the end of the defrosting operation, it is uncomfortable by hearing the sound of the refrigerant flowing. Arise.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and the object thereof is to make it difficult to sense a decrease in the temperature of the sensible temperature during the defrosting operation and to make it difficult to hear the sound of the refrigerant generated at the end of the defrosting operation. An object of the present invention is to provide a defrosting control device that can perform the above operation.

  In order to solve the above problems, a defrost control device according to one aspect of the present invention controls a defrost operation for thawing a frozen heat exchanger of an outdoor unit included in an air conditioner. When the start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation is received from the outdoor unit during the heating operation of the air conditioner, the heating control is performed so that the room temperature is increased from a set temperature to a preset temperature. Then, a defrost permission signal for permitting defrosting operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit, and the air outlet of the indoor unit is blocked by the air direction changing member or the direction of the wind blown from the air outlet is a direction other than the front direction. It is characterized by having a defrosting operation control section to be changed.

  In order to solve the above problems, a defrost control device according to one aspect of the present invention controls a defrost operation for thawing a frozen heat exchanger of an outdoor unit included in an air conditioner. When the start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation is received from the outdoor unit during the heating operation of the air conditioner, the heating control is performed so that the room temperature is increased from a set temperature to a preset temperature. After the defrosting operation signal is transmitted to the outdoor unit and the defrosting operation end signal is received from the outdoor unit, the fan for blowing the air from the indoor unit is heated. It is characterized by having a defrosting operation control unit that rotates in a direction opposite to the rotating direction at the time.

  In order to solve the above problems, a defrost control device according to one aspect of the present invention controls a defrost operation for thawing a frozen heat exchanger of an outdoor unit included in an air conditioner. When the start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation is received from the outdoor unit during the heating operation of the air conditioner, the heating control is performed so that the room temperature is increased from a set temperature to a preset temperature. Then, a defrost permission signal for permitting the defrosting operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit, and the air direction change member closes the air outlet of the indoor unit or the direction of the wind blown from the air outlet in a direction other than the front. A defrosting operation control unit that rotates the fan for blowing the air from the indoor unit in the direction opposite to the rotation direction during the heating operation when the signal is received and the defrosting operation end signal is received from the outdoor unit. It is characterized by.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that it is difficult to feel a decrease in the sensible temperature during the defrosting operation and it is difficult to hear the sound of the refrigerant flowing at the end of the defrosting operation.

It is a control block diagram of the air conditioner concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of an indoor unit when the wind guide panel is closed. It is a schematic sectional drawing of an indoor unit when a wind guide panel opens upwards. It is a schematic sectional drawing of an indoor unit when a wind guide panel opens downward. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process before the defrost start in the defrost control apparatus of the air conditioner shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process at the time of the defrost driving | operation in the defrost control apparatus of the air conditioner shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the time-dependent change of the room temperature before and behind a defrost operation.

Embodiment 1
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. In this embodiment, a separate type air conditioner that is divided into an indoor unit and an outdoor unit will be described as an air conditioner. That is, the air conditioner according to the present embodiment includes an indoor unit (indoor unit) 101 and an outdoor unit (outdoor unit) 102 as shown in FIG. A refrigerant is circulated between the indoor unit 101 and the outdoor unit 102.

(Outline of indoor unit)
FIG. 2 shows the appearance of an indoor unit (indoor unit) 101 of the air conditioner, and FIGS. 3 to 5 show schematic cross sections of the indoor unit 101.

  The indoor unit 101 includes a heat exchanger 1 and an indoor fan (fan) 2, which are housed in a cabinet 3. The cabinet 3 is formed in a box shape having a depth longer than the height, and has a curved surface from the front surface to the bottom surface. A suction port 4 is formed on the upper surface of the cabinet 3, and an outlet 5 is formed on the curved surface.

  An air passage 6 extending from the suction port 4 to the blowout port 5 is formed inside the cabinet 3, and the heat exchanger 1 and the indoor fan 2 are disposed in the air passage 6. A filter 7 is disposed between the suction port 4 and the heat exchanger 1, and dust is removed from indoor air sucked from the suction port 4. A cleaning device 8 for cleaning the filter 7 is provided. From the air outlet 5, air (warm air or cold air) heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger 1 is blown out.

  The cleaning device 8 moves the filter 7 in the cabinet 3 to pass through the dust removing unit 9, and the dust removing unit 9 removes dust attached to the filter 7. A guide path 10 that is curved in a U shape in a side view is formed on the front side in the cabinet 3, and a moving unit including a motor and a gear reciprocates the filter 7 along the guide path 10. In the dust removing unit 9, the rotating brush 11 scrapes off dust from the passing filter 7, and a suction fan causes air to flow in a direction substantially parallel to the filter 7 (left and right direction), and the scraped dust is sucked and discharged. To do.

  A wind guide panel (wind direction changing member) 20 that opens and closes the air outlet 5 is provided on the curved surface of the cabinet 3. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wind guide panel 20 can be opened both vertically and an opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the wind guide panel 20 is provided.

  The wind guide panel 20 is formed by a single curved panel, and the width of the wind guide panel 20 is the same as the width of the cabinet 3 and is larger than the width of the outlet 5. And the front panel 21 is formed in the front surface of the cabinet 3 so that it may become one step lower from the middle part of the front surface to the bottom surface. Thereby, a recessed part is formed in the whole width direction, and the wind guide panel 20 fits into the recessed part. An opening is formed in the front panel 21 that forms the recess, and this opening is the air outlet 5. Therefore, the wind guide panel 20 is positioned in front of the air outlet 5 and covers the air outlet 5 and the front panel 21 around the air outlet 5. At this time, the wind guide panel 20 is in the closed position shown in FIG.

  When in the closed posture, a gap is formed between the front end and rear end of the wind guide panel 20 and the cabinet 3. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the wind guide panel 20 opens and closes, the end of the wind guide panel 20 enters this gap. The wind guide panel 20 can rotate smoothly without hitting the cabinet 3. Further, when the wind guide panel 20 is opened to the maximum in the upper opening or the lower opening, the front and rear ends of the wind guide panel 20 are formed so that the wind guide panel 20 contacts the cabinet 3. Prevents the wind from leaking. In particular, in the case of cold air, condensation on the bottom surface side of the cabinet 3 can be prevented.

  Thus, the outer surface of the wind guide panel 20 constitutes a smooth curved surface extending from the front surface to the bottom surface of the cabinet 3. That is, the wind guide panel 20 is a member constituting a part of the front surface of the cabinet 3. In other words, a part of the panel of the cabinet 3 is used as the wind guide panel 20. Thereby, the wind guide panel 20 becomes a long panel having a long overall length as compared with the louver employed in the conventional air conditioner.

  The wind guide panel 20 opens in either the upper or lower direction by rotating in different directions around the upper and lower axes. As shown in FIG. 5, the air guide panel 20 opens downward around the lower shaft 22 during the cooling operation. In this downward opening posture, the wind guide panel 20 is connected to the lower wall of the air outlet 5, and a long nozzle is formed by the air guide panel 20 and the upper wall of the air outlet 5. The wind guide panel 20 guides the cool air obliquely upward, and the cool air blows out along the ceiling.

  As shown in FIG. 4, it opens upward around the upper shaft 23 during heating operation. In this upward-opening posture, the air guide panel 20 shields the front of the air outlet 5, suppresses the warm air blown forward, and guides the warm air toward the floor surface. Even at the initial stage of the cooling operation, the air guide panel 20 is in the upwardly open posture, and the cool air is blown out in the direction of the floor surface to perform rapid cooling. As shown in FIG. 2, the wind guide panel 20 is closed when the operation is stopped, covers the air outlet 5, and is integrated with the cabinet 3. In this way, the air guide panel 20 closes the outlet 5 and takes a closed posture not only when the operation is stopped, but also during the defrosting operation described later. Note that the closed posture of the wind guide panel 20 during the defrosting operation is not only the posture in which the blowout port 5 is completely closed, but also the direction of the wind blown out from the blowout port 5 is a direction other than the front, such as the lower side of the indoor unit 101. Including the attitude to change. The drive mechanism of the wind guide panel 20 includes the indoor unit control device 41 and the opening / closing motor 24 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the details of the indoor unit control device 41 will be described.

(Control block for air conditioner)
FIG. 1 shows a control block of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment. The indoor unit 101 includes an indoor unit control device 41, and the outdoor unit 102 includes an outdoor unit control device 51. The indoor unit control device 41 and the outdoor unit control device 51 constitute a defrost control device.

  The indoor unit control device 41 includes a room temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 42, a room heat exchange temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 1 detected by the room heat exchange temperature sensor 43, and a remote control by a person in the room (FIG. The open / close motor 24 that opens and closes the indoor fan 2 and the air guide panel 20 is driven in accordance with the operation mode by the operation and the set contents of the room temperature, and a control signal is output to the outdoor unit controller 51.

  The indoor unit control device 41 includes a defrosting operation control unit 41a for controlling the time of the defrosting operation. Details of the control by the defrosting operation control unit 41a will be described later.

  The outdoor unit control device 51 is based on the control signal output from the indoor unit control device 41, the outdoor air temperature detected by the outdoor temperature sensor 52, and the outdoor heat exchanger 34 detected by the outdoor heat exchange temperature sensor 53. The outdoor fan 31, the compressor 32, and the four-way valve 33 are driven while referring to the outdoor heat exchange temperature.

  The outdoor unit control device 51 includes a defrosting operation determination unit 51a that determines whether or not to perform a defrosting operation, and a defrosting operation execution unit 51b that executes the defrosting operation. Details of the determination process by the defrosting operation determination unit 51a and details of the defrosting operation process by the defrosting operation execution unit 51b will be described later.

(Defrosting operation control: Processing before starting defrosting)
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing before the start of defrosting in the defrosting operation control. The following processing is performed by the defrosting operation control unit 41a of the indoor unit control device 41 and the defrosting operation determination unit 51a of the outdoor unit control device 51.

  First, in step S11, when the heating operation is started, the defrosting operation determination unit 51a determines whether or not the defrosting operation is necessary (step S12). Specifically, the defrosting operation determination unit 51a determines whether or not the defrosting operation is necessary based on the temperatures detected by the outside air temperature sensor 52 and the outdoor heat exchange temperature sensor 53 during the heating operation. Here, when the outside air temperature sensor 52 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature and the temperature detected by the outdoor heat exchange temperature sensor 53 is a temperature indicating that the heat exchanger 34 of the outdoor unit 102 is frozen, the removal is performed. It is determined that frost operation is necessary.

  In step S12, when the defrosting operation determination unit 51a determines that the defrosting operation is necessary (YES), the defrosting operation determination unit 51a transmits a defrosting start request signal requesting permission for the defrosting operation (step S13). Specifically, the defrosting operation determination unit 51a transmits a defrosting start request signal to the defrosting operation control unit 41a of the indoor unit control device 41.

  Subsequently, control for increasing the room temperature is executed (step S14). Here, the defrosting operation control unit 41a receives (receives) the defrosting start request signal as a trigger to perform control for raising the room temperature. Specifically, the defrosting operation control unit 41a controls the heat exchanger 1 and the indoor fan 2 so that the room temperature becomes a predetermined temperature (for example, 2 ° C.) higher than the temperature set during the heating operation. That is, heating control for increasing the room temperature is performed before the defrosting operation.

  Next, the defrosting operation control unit 41a determines whether or not a predetermined condition has been cleared (step S15). Here, as the predetermined condition, the room temperature becomes higher by a predetermined temperature (for example, 2 ° C.) than the set temperature by the heating control, or the time during which the heating control is executed (heating duration) is predetermined. E.g., 10 minutes elapses. However, the predetermined condition is not limited to the predetermined temperature and the predetermined time.

  If it is determined in step S15 that the predetermined condition has been cleared (YES), the defrosting operation control unit 41a transmits a defrosting permission signal to the defrosting operation determination unit 51a of the outdoor unit 102 (step S16). Then, a driving signal for causing the air guide panel 20 to take the closed posture is transmitted to the opening / closing motor 24 (step S17).

  Finally, defrosting is started (step S18). Specifically, when the defrosting operation determination unit 51a receives the defrosting permission signal from the defrosting operation control unit 41a, the defrosting operation determination unit 51a transmits an execution signal for causing the defrosting operation execution unit 51b to execute the defrosting operation. .

(Defrosting operation control: Processing of defrosting operation)
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the defrosting operation in the defrosting operation control. The following processing is performed by the defrosting operation control unit 41a of the indoor unit control device 41 and the defrosting operation determination unit 51a of the outdoor unit control device 51.

  First, in step S21, the defrosting operation is started. Since the heating operation is stopped during the defrosting operation, the indoor fan 2 and the outdoor fan 31 are stopped. Further, at the start of the defrosting operation, the wind guide panel 20 takes a closed posture. Here, the air guide panel 20 is configured to completely close the air outlet 5 of the indoor unit 101, or the direction of the air blown from the air outlet 5 is changed to a direction other than the front, such as below the indoor unit 101. It is driven to become a posture to do.

  Next, the defrosting operation determination unit 51a determines whether or not the defrosting operation is finished (step S22). Specifically, the defrosting operation determination unit 51a determines whether or not the defrosting operation is ended based on the temperatures detected by the outside air temperature sensor 52 and the outdoor heat exchange temperature sensor 53 during the defrosting operation. Here, when the outdoor air temperature sensor 52 is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature and the temperature detected by the outdoor heat exchange temperature sensor 53 is a temperature indicating that the heat exchanger 34 of the outdoor unit 102 has been thawed, the removal is performed. The end of the frost operation is determined. In addition, determination of completion | finish of a defrost operation is not limited to said content, You may perform according to whether predetermined time (for example, 12 minutes) passed since the defrost operation start, and outdoor heat exchange. It may be performed depending on whether the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 53 has reached a temperature indicating that the heat exchanger 34 of the outdoor unit 102 has been thawed. That is, if a predetermined time (for example, 12 minutes) has elapsed since the start of the defrosting operation, the defrosting operation is terminated, and the temperature detected by the outdoor heat exchange temperature sensor 53 is defrosted by the heat exchanger 34 of the outdoor unit 102. If it becomes the temperature which shows that it is, you may make it complete | finish a defrost operation.

  In step S22, if it determines with the defrost operation determination part 51a having completed the defrost operation (YES), it will perform a noise countermeasure (step S23). Here, the noise is a sound generated when the refrigerant flows while the indoor fan 2 is stopped at the end of the defrosting operation, that is, between the end of the defrosting operation and the start of the heating operation again. The sound that occurs during heating operation is a different sound. Therefore, it is a noise countermeasure to make it difficult for people in the room to hear this sound. Specifically, a defrosting end signal indicating that the defrosting operation determination unit 51a has finished defrosting is transmitted to the defrosting operation control unit 41a. Accordingly, the defrosting operation control unit 41a rotates the indoor fan 2 in the direction opposite to that during the heating operation while maintaining the closed state of the wind guide panel 20, and the outdoor fan control device 51 is controlled by the outdoor fan 31. Start operation. The rotation direction of the outdoor fan 31 in this case is matched with the rotation direction during the heating operation, but the rotation speed is set smaller than that during the heating operation.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the heating operation should be resumed (step S24). Specifically, the defrosting operation control unit 41a determines that the heating operation should be resumed when the reverse rotation time of the indoor fan 2 exceeds a predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes). The predetermined time is not particularly limited as long as it is the reverse rotation time of the indoor fan 2 that can reduce the sound generated when the refrigerant generated at the end of the defrosting operation flows.

  If it is determined in step S24 that the heating operation should be resumed (YES), the heating operation is started (step S25). Specifically, the defrosting operation control unit 41 a transmits a signal indicating the start of the heating operation to the outdoor unit control device 51, while releasing the closed posture of the wind guide panel 20, and sets the opening angle of the wind guide panel 20. The opening / closing motor 24 is driven and controlled so as to return to the same opening angle as in the heating operation before the defrosting operation, and the indoor fan 2 is returned to the normal rotation. Furthermore, the outdoor unit control device 51 returns the rotational speed of the outdoor fan 31 to the same rotational speed as that in the heating operation before the defrosting operation by receiving the signal indicating the start of the heating operation transmitted from the indoor unit control device 41.

(effect)
The graph shown in FIG. 8 shows the change over time of the room temperature before and after the defrosting operation. In this graph, the thick line shows the change with time of room temperature by the defrost control of the present application, and the thin line shows the change with time of room temperature by the conventional defrost control. The time t on the horizontal axis is t0 <t1 <t2 <t3, and the temperature T on the vertical axis is T0>T1>T2> T3.

  Conventionally, when the defrosting operation is started at time t1, the heating operation is stopped, so that the room temperature starts to decrease from the set temperature T1 and decreases to the room temperature T3. When the defrosting operation is completed and the heating operation is resumed, the room temperature rises again to the set temperature T1. In contrast, in the present application, control is performed so that the room temperature rises from time t0 before the start of the defrosting operation at time t1 to room temperature T0 (T0> T1) higher than the set temperature T1, and then the time The defrosting operation is started at t1. During the defrosting operation, since the heating operation is stopped, the room temperature starts to decrease from T0 higher than the set temperature T1 and decreases to room temperature T2. When the defrosting operation is completed and the heating operation is resumed, the room temperature rises again to the set temperature T1.

  Here, when the defrosting operation is started during the heating operation at the set temperature T1, the room temperature is conventionally decreased from T1 to T3, and is decreased from T0 to T2 in the present application. However, from the relationship of T0> T1> T2> T3, the amount of decrease in temperature from T1 is the present application (T1-T2) as compared to the conventional (T1-T3). That is, by providing the heating period (t0-t1) before the start of the defrosting operation as in the present application, it is possible to satisfy (T1-T3)> (T1-T2). However, since the rate at which the temperature drops from the set temperature T1 during the defrosting operation is small, it becomes difficult to feel cold.

  Further, during the defrosting operation, the wind guide panel 20 is in the closed posture, so that heat can be accumulated inside the indoor unit 101. In order to effectively store heat inside the indoor unit 101, it is preferable that the air guide panel 20 be closed in a posture in which the air outlet 5 is completely closed. By using the heat accumulated in the indoor unit 101 for defrosting, the defrosting time can be shortened. In the graph shown in FIG. 8, the defrosting operation is started at time t <b> 1, the defrosting operation is finished, the heating operation is started again, and it is conventionally time t <b> 3 to return to the set temperature T <b> 1. In this application, it is time t2 (t2 <t3). Thus, in this application, it turns out that the defrost time is shorter than before.

  Furthermore, since the wind guide panel 20 is in the closed position as described above from the end of the defrosting operation to the resumption of the heating operation, noise due to the flow of the refrigerant while the indoor fan 2 is stopped is generated by the blowout port 5. It becomes difficult to leak from. In order to prevent noise leakage from the air outlet 5, it is preferable that the air guide panel 20 be closed in a posture in which the air outlet 5 is completely closed. Moreover, the noise is further reduced by rotating the indoor fan 2 in the direction opposite to that during the heating operation while maintaining the closed posture of the wind guide panel 20. At this time, noise can be further reduced if the air outlet 5 is completely closed by the air guide panel 20. In addition, the noise can be further reduced by starting the operation of the outdoor fan 31.

  In addition, during the defrosting operation, since the air guide panel 20 takes a closed posture, air that is not heated from the air outlet 5 (cold air) is not blown into the room, or the direction other than the front, such as below the indoor unit 101 In addition, people in the room are less likely to feel cold. Here, the blowing direction (wind direction) of the air blown out from the blowout port 5 that is changed by the wind guide panel 20 during the defrosting operation may be a direction in which the wind does not directly hit a person in the room.

  In the present embodiment, various problems caused by the defrosting operation are solved by the following three characteristic points. (1) The room temperature is set higher than the set temperature before the start of the defrosting operation, (2) the wind guide panel is closed during the defrosting operation, and (3) the rotation direction of the indoor fan at the end of the defrosting operation. To reverse the heating operation.

  However, it is not necessary to include all of (1) to (3), and a combination of (1), (2), (1), and (3) may be used.

[Embodiment 2]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described as follows. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  In the defrost control in the present embodiment, the following three characteristic points are shown in the first embodiment, and the problems that occur during the defrost operation are as follows: (1) Before starting the defrost operation, the room temperature is set higher than the set temperature. (2) Out of the defrosting operation, the wind guide panel is closed, and (3) When the defrosting operation is finished, the rotation direction of the indoor fan is reversed to that during the heating operation. ). Specifically, in the present embodiment, the noise countermeasure execution process in step S23 is omitted from the process shown in FIG. 7 described in the first embodiment. Thus, even if the process shown in FIG. 6 is executed at least without considering the noise caused by the refrigerant flow generated at the end of the defrosting operation, it is appropriate to take measures against the cold during the defrosting operation for a person in the room. Can be done.

[Embodiment 3]
The following will describe still another embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  In the defrost control in the present embodiment, the following three characteristic points are shown in the first embodiment, and the problems that occur during the defrost operation are as follows: (1) Before starting the defrost operation, the room temperature is set higher than the set temperature. (2) Of making the air guide panel in a closed position during the defrosting operation, (3) Reversing the rotation direction of the indoor fan at the time of the heating operation at the end of the defrosting operation (1) (3 ). Specifically, in this embodiment, step S17 (blocking of the outlet 5 by the air guide panel 20) of the processing shown in FIG. 6 described in the first embodiment is omitted. Thus, even if the outlet 5 is not blocked by the wind guide panel 20 during the defrosting operation, the remaining processing in FIG. 6 takes measures against the cold during the defrosting operation for the person in the room by the processing in FIG. It is possible to make it difficult to hear the sound of the refrigerant flowing at the end of the defrosting operation.

[Example of software implementation]
The control block of the indoor unit control device 41 (particularly the defrosting operation control unit 41a) and the control block of the outdoor unit control unit 51 (particularly the defrosting operation determination unit 51a and the defrosting operation execution unit 51b) are integrated circuits (IC chips). It may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in the same manner, or may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

  In the latter case, the indoor unit control device 41 and the outdoor unit control device 51 have a CPU for executing instructions of a program which is software for realizing each function, the program and various data are recorded so as to be readable by a computer (or CPU). In addition, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a storage device (these are referred to as “recording media”), a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program, and the like are provided. And the objective of this invention is achieved when a computer (or CPU) reads the said program from the said recording medium and runs it. As the recording medium, a “non-temporary tangible medium” such as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used. The program may be supplied to the computer via an arbitrary transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) that can transmit the program. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[Summary]
The defrost control apparatus which concerns on aspect 1 of this invention is the defrost control apparatus which controls the defrost operation for defrosting the frozen heat exchanger 34 of the outdoor unit (indoor unit 102) with which an air conditioner (air conditioner) is provided. When the start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation is received from the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102) during the heating operation of the air conditioner (air conditioner), the room temperature is set to a temperature set in advance from a set temperature. And the defrost permission signal for permitting the defrosting operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102), and the indoor unit is operated by the wind direction changing member (wind guide panel 20). A defrosting operation control unit 41a that closes the air outlet 5 of the (indoor unit 101) or changes the direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 5 in a direction other than the front is provided.

  According to the above configuration, after receiving a start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation from the outdoor unit during the heating operation, the heating control is performed so that the room temperature is increased from the set temperature to the preset temperature. Since the defrost permission signal for permitting the defrost operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit, the defrost operation is started in a state where the room temperature has risen from the set temperature. As a result, it is possible to offset the decrease in the room temperature during the defrosting operation with the increase in the room temperature, and thus it is possible to make it difficult to lower the temperature of the person in the room during the defrosting operation. Become.

  In addition, during the defrosting operation, the air direction changing member closes the air outlet of the indoor unit or changes the direction of the air blown from the air outlet to a direction other than the front, so that air from the air outlet of the indoor unit (set temperature) (Air of lower temperature) is not blown out directly by people in the room. Thereby, the fall of the sensible temperature of the person who exists indoors can be reduced.

  During the defrosting operation, the air direction changing member closes the air outlet of the indoor unit or changes the direction of the wind blown from the air outlet to a direction other than the front, so that heat can be accumulated inside the indoor unit. By using this heat for defrosting, it is possible to shorten the defrosting time.

  Further, the state in which the air outlet of the indoor unit is blocked or changed in the direction other than the front by the air direction changing member at the time of the defrosting operation is changed to the direction other than the front. If it is maintained until the operation is resumed, it is difficult to hear the sound from the air outlet (for example, the sound of the refrigerant flowing) generated at the end of the defrosting operation, and as a result, discomfort due to the noise of people in the room Can be reduced.

  Accordingly, it is possible to make it difficult to feel a decrease in the sensible temperature during the defrosting operation and to make it difficult to hear the sound of the refrigerant flowing at the end of the defrosting operation.

  The defrost control apparatus which concerns on aspect 2 of this invention is the defrost control apparatus which controls the defrost operation for defrosting the frozen heat exchanger 34 of the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102) with which an air conditioner (air conditioner) is provided. When the start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation is received from the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102) during the heating operation of the air conditioner (air conditioner), the room temperature is set to a temperature set in advance from a set temperature. After the warming control is performed so as to rise, a defrost permission signal for permitting the defrosting operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102), and the defrosting operation is completed from the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102). Until the heating operation is restarted, the fan (indoor fan 2) for blowing air from the indoor unit (outdoor unit 102) is rotated in the direction opposite to the rotation direction during the heating operation. It is characterized in that it comprises a control unit 41a.

  According to the above configuration, after receiving a start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation from the outdoor unit during the heating operation, the heating control is performed so that the room temperature is increased from the set temperature to the preset temperature. Since the defrost permission signal for permitting the defrost operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit, the defrost operation is started in a state where the room temperature has risen from the set temperature. As a result, it is possible to offset the decrease in the room temperature during the defrosting operation with the increase in the room temperature, so that it does not feel cold during the defrosting operation.

  Moreover, at the end of the defrosting operation, the fan for blowing the air from the indoor unit is rotated in the direction opposite to the rotation direction during the heating operation, thereby causing the refrigerant to flow while the fan of the indoor unit is stopped. It becomes possible to make it difficult to hear noise and to reduce discomfort caused by noise of people in the room.

  Accordingly, it is possible to make it difficult to feel a decrease in the sensible temperature during the defrosting operation and to make it difficult to hear the sound of the refrigerant flowing at the end of the defrosting operation.

  The defrost control apparatus which concerns on aspect 3 of this invention is a defrost control apparatus which controls the defrost operation for defrosting the frozen heat exchanger 34 of the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102) with which an air conditioner (air conditioner) is provided. When the start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation is received from the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102) during the heating operation of the air conditioner (air conditioner), the room temperature is set to a temperature set in advance from a set temperature. After the heating control is performed so as to rise, a defrost permission signal for permitting the defrosting operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102), and the indoor unit ( The air outlet 5 of the indoor unit 101) is closed or the direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 5 is changed to a direction other than the front, and a signal indicating the completion of the defrosting operation is received from the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102). It is characterized in that it comprises a defrosting operation controller 41a for rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the fan during the heating operation (the indoor fan 2) for blowing air in the indoor (indoor unit 101).

  According to the above configuration, when receiving a start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation from the outdoor unit during the heating operation, after controlling the heating so that the room temperature rises from the set temperature to the preset temperature, Since the defrost permission signal for permitting the defrost operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit, the defrost operation is started with the room temperature rising from the set temperature. As a result, it is possible to offset the decrease in the room temperature during the defrosting operation with the increase in the room temperature, so that it does not feel cold during the defrosting operation.

  In addition, during the defrosting operation, the air direction changing member closes the air outlet of the indoor unit or changes the direction of the air blown from the air outlet to a direction other than the front, so that air from the air outlet of the indoor unit (set temperature) (Air of lower temperature) is not blown out directly by people in the room. Thereby, the fall of the sensible temperature of the person who exists indoors can be reduced.

  During the defrosting operation, the air direction changing member closes the air outlet of the indoor unit or changes the direction of the wind blown from the air outlet to a direction other than the front, so that heat can be accumulated inside the indoor unit. By using this heat for defrosting, it is possible to shorten the defrosting time.

  Further, during the defrosting operation, the state in which the air direction changing member closes the air outlet of the indoor unit or changes the direction of the wind blown from the air outlet to a direction other than the front is changed to the state at the end of the defrosting operation (from the end of the defrosting operation). If it is maintained until the heating operation is resumed, it is possible to make it difficult to hear the sound from the outlet (for example, the sound of the refrigerant) generated at the end of the defrosting operation. Discomfort can be reduced.

  Moreover, at the end of the defrosting operation, the fan for blowing the air from the indoor unit is rotated in the direction opposite to the rotation direction during the heating operation, thereby causing the refrigerant to flow while the fan of the indoor unit is stopped. It is possible to make it difficult to hear noise and to further reduce discomfort caused by the noise of people in the room.

  Accordingly, it is possible to make it difficult to feel a decrease in the sensible temperature during the defrosting operation and to make it difficult to hear the sound of the refrigerant flowing at the end of the defrosting operation.

  When the defrost control apparatus 41a which concerns on aspect 4 of this invention is the said aspect 2 or 3 and the said defrost operation control part 41a receives the signal of the completion | finish of a defrost operation from the said outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102), the said outdoor A control signal for operating the fan (outdoor fan 31) of the machine (outdoor unit 102) may be transmitted to the outdoor unit (outdoor unit 102).

  According to said structure, if the signal of completion | finish of a defrost operation is received from an outdoor unit, the fan of an outdoor unit will be transmitted with the completion | finish of a defrost operation by transmitting the control signal which operates the fan of the said outdoor unit to the said outdoor unit. Operate. Thereby, at the end of the defrosting operation, the fan of the indoor unit rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction during the heating operation, and the fan of the outdoor unit also starts to operate, so it becomes more difficult to hear the sound of the refrigerant flowing, The noise caused by the sound of the refrigerant flowing can be made harder to hear, and the discomfort caused by the noise of the people in the room can be further reduced.

  The air conditioner which concerns on aspect 5 of this invention contains the indoor unit provided with the defrost control apparatus of any one aspect of the said aspects 1-4, and the outdoor unit which circulates a refrigerant | coolant between the said indoor units. It is characterized by that.

  According to said structure, it can be made hard to perceive the fall of a sensible temperature at the time of a defrost operation, and it can make it difficult to hear the sound which the refrigerant | coolant which arises at the time of completion | finish of a defrost operation.

  The defrost control device according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the defrost control device is operated by causing the computer to operate as each unit (software element) included in the defrost control device. A defrosting control program for a defrosting control device that realizes the above in a computer and a computer-readable recording medium that records the program also fall within the scope of the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat exchanger 2 Indoor fan 3 Cabinet 4 Inlet 5 Outlet 6 Air passage 7 Filter 8 Cleaning device 9 Dust removal part 10 Guide path 11 Rotating brush 20 Wind guide panel (wind direction change member)
21 Front panel 22 Lower shaft 23 Upper shaft 24 Opening and closing motor 31 Outdoor fan 32 Compressor 33 Four-way valve 34 Heat exchanger 41 Indoor unit controller 41a Defrosting operation control unit 42 Indoor temperature sensor 43 Indoor heat exchange temperature sensor 51 Outdoor unit control Device 51a Defrosting Operation Determination Unit 51b Defrosting Operation Execution Unit 52 Outdoor Air Temperature Sensor 53 Outdoor Heat Exchange Temperature Sensor 101 Indoor Unit (Indoor Unit)
102 Outdoor unit (outdoor unit)

Claims (5)

A defrosting control device for controlling a defrosting operation for thawing a frozen heat exchanger of an outdoor unit provided in an air conditioner,
When the start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation is received from the outdoor unit during the heating operation of the air conditioner, the heating control is performed so as to increase the room temperature from the set temperature to a preset temperature. A defrosting permission signal for permitting defrosting operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit, and the air direction changing member is used to block the air outlet of the indoor unit or change the direction of the wind blown from the air outlet to a direction other than the front. A defrost control device comprising a frost operation control unit. A defrosting control device for controlling a defrosting operation for thawing a frozen heat exchanger of an outdoor unit provided in an air conditioner,
When the start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation is received from the outdoor unit during the heating operation of the air conditioner, the heating control is performed so as to increase the room temperature from the set temperature to a preset temperature. When the defrosting permission signal for permitting the defrosting operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit and the defrosting operation end signal is received from the outdoor unit, the rotation direction of the fan for blowing the air of the indoor unit during the heating operation A defrosting control device comprising a defrosting operation control unit that rotates in the opposite direction to the above. A defrosting control device for controlling a defrosting operation for thawing a frozen heat exchanger of an outdoor unit provided in an air conditioner,
When the start request signal for requesting the start of the defrosting operation is received from the outdoor unit during the heating operation of the air conditioner, the heating control is performed so as to increase the room temperature from the set temperature to a preset temperature. A defrost permission signal for permitting the defrosting operation is transmitted to the outdoor unit, the air outlet of the indoor unit is blocked by the air direction changing member or the direction of the wind blown from the air outlet is changed to a direction other than the front, When a defrosting operation end signal is received from the outdoor unit, a defrosting operation control unit that rotates a fan for blowing out air from the indoor unit in a direction opposite to the rotation direction during the heating operation is provided. Defrost control device. The defrosting operation control unit is
4. The defrost control device according to claim 2, wherein when the defrosting operation end signal is received from the outdoor unit, a control signal for operating the fan of the outdoor unit is transmitted to the outdoor unit. 5.   An air conditioner including an indoor unit including the defrosting control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and an outdoor unit that circulates a refrigerant between the indoor unit.

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