JP2019152417A - Filter cleaning device of air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a filter cleaning device of an air conditioner effectively utilizing a space at an inner face side of a filter reversed at an U-turn portion formed on a moving path of the filter.SOLUTION: A filter cleaning device 11 is a filter cleaning device mounted on an air conditioner 1, and includes a filter guide 15 housing a flexible filter 7 for capturing dust D in air G sucked to a suction port 6 of the air conditioner, and having a moving path 13 allowing the filter to slide on a going path and a returning path, and having an U-turn portion 14, a filter driving body 17 executing the sliding of the filter, a driving mechanism 21 for driving the filter driving body, and a filter cleaning unit 41 for removing the dust D captured by the filter. The filter cleaning unit includes a cleaning rotary brush 43 for scraping off the dust D captured by the filter, and a dust receiving portion 49 for receiving the dust D, and the filter 7 is disposed at an inner face side of the filter 7 in a state of being reversed by the U-turn portion 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a filter cleaning device for cleaning a filter attached to an air conditioner.

  As a filter cleaning device of this type of air conditioner, a device described in Patent Document 1 can be cited. This filter cleaning device for an air conditioner stores a collapsible filter that collects dust in the air sucked into the air inlet of the air conditioner, and allows the forward and backward paths of the filter to slide. A filter guide having a turn-type rail, a filter roller that drives the filter, a brush that scrapes off dust collected by the filter, and a comb that scrapes off the dust attached to the brush.

JP2013-142251A

The conventional filter cleaning device includes a filter in which a brush that scrapes off dust collected on the filter and a comb that scrapes off dust adhering to the brush are U-turned at a filter roller portion of a filter guide. It is arranged on the outer surface side. Therefore, a space for installing a brush or the like is required on the outer surface side of the filter, and there is a problem that hinders downsizing.
In addition, useless dead space exists on the inner surface side of the U-turned filter.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a filter cleaning device for an air conditioner that effectively uses a space on the inner surface side of a U-turned filter for filter cleaning in a structure in which the filter is reciprocated through a U-turn portion. There is to do.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the filter cleaning device for an air conditioner according to the first aspect of the present invention is a filter cleaning device mounted on an air conditioner, and is in the air sucked into a suction port of the air conditioner. A flexible filter that collects dust is housed, a filter guide having a moving path in which a forward path and a return path of the filter can slide and a U-turn portion is present, and the sliding of the filter are executed. A filter driving body that drives the filter driving body, and a filter cleaning unit that removes dust collected by the filter, and the filter cleaning unit removes dust collected by the filter. A cleaning rotary brush that scrapes off, and a dust receiving portion that receives the dust that is scraped off, and the filter is inverted by the U-turn portion. Characterized in that it is arranged on the side.

  Here, the “filter driving body” means a rotating body such as a gear, a disk, a pulley, or a roller that is in contact with the filter in a state where a feed force can be applied to the filter. For example, it is a rotating body in which convex portions or concave portions are arranged in the feed direction on the contact surface with the filter, and an example is a gear. Or the rotary body of the structure which gives a feed force to a filter with the frictional force of a contact part may be sufficient.

According to this aspect, since the filter cleaning unit is arranged on the inner surface side of the filter in a state where the filter is inverted by the U-turn portion, the space on the inner surface side of the filter in the U-turned state is cleaned with the filter. Can be used effectively. As a result, downsizing of the filter cleaning device can be realized.
Here, it is preferable from the viewpoint of effective use of the space that the filter cleaning unit is disposed on the inner surface side of the filter in a state where the filter is inverted by the U-turn portion and adjacent to the filter driver.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the filter cleaning device for an air conditioner according to the first aspect, the filter cleaning unit includes a removal member that removes the dust attached to the cleaning rotary brush. Features.
Here, the “removing member” is not limited to a brush, and may be a comb or a blade as long as it can remove the dust attached to the cleaning rotary brush.

  According to this aspect, since the filter cleaning unit includes the removing member that removes the dust attached to the cleaning rotary brush, the dust attached to the cleaning rotary brush can be easily removed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the filter cleaning device for an air conditioner according to the second aspect, the removal member moves by itself to the cleaning rotary brush to dynamically contact and scrape the dust. It is characterized by that.
Here, “dynamic contact” in “moving by itself and dynamically contacting and scraping off the dust” is a cleaning rotary brush in a state where the removal member itself has kinetic energy such as rotation or swinging itself. This means that dust adhering to the cleaning rotary brush is scraped off by this contact.
“Dynamic” includes not only continuous driving but also intermittent driving.

According to this aspect, the removal member itself also moves due to rotation, swinging, etc., and contacts the cleaning rotary brush in a state having kinetic energy. The dust adhering to the cleaning rotary brush is scraped off by the dynamic contact while moving by itself.
In other words, the removing member is actively moved by itself and contacts the cleaning rotary brush while having kinetic energy. Thereby, the dust removing force is increased by the kinetic energy of the removing member. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively remove the dust adhering to the cleaning rotary brush with less remaining.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the filter cleaning device for an air conditioner according to the third aspect, the removal member is a rotary brush that rotates in the same direction as the rotary brush for cleaning.

  According to this aspect, the rotary brush that is the removal member rotates in the same direction as the cleaning rotary brush. Therefore, since both the brushes rotate in the same direction, the brush tip portions that are the contact portions between the brushes contact each other while moving in opposite directions. As a result, it is possible to effectively remove the dust adhering to the cleaning rotary brush with less remaining.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the filter cleaning device for an air conditioner according to the fourth aspect, the cleaning rotary brush has a higher rotational speed than the rotary brush as the removal member.

  According to this aspect, the rotating brush for cleaning has a higher rotating speed than the rotating brush that is the removal member, so that the dust collected by the filter is scraped off at a high speed while the rotating brush rotates at a low speed, that is, the speed is increased. The effect due to the difference is added, and the dust adhering to the cleaning rotary brush can be effectively removed with little remaining.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the filter cleaning apparatus for an air conditioner according to the fourth aspect or the fifth aspect, the brush drive mechanism that rotates the cleaning rotary brush is a member that removes the rotational force of the drive source. A second transmission gear that transmits to the second brush drive shaft of a certain rotating brush, and a first transmission gear that transmits the rotational force of the second brush drive shaft to the first brush drive shaft that becomes the rotation shaft of the cleaning rotary brush And a one-way clutch provided on the second brush drive shaft, wherein the one-way clutch moves when the filter moves along the forward path and is cleaned by the cleaning rotary brush. The brush drive shaft and the second brush drive shaft are allowed to rotate, and when the cleaned filter moves along the return path to the original position, the first brush drive shaft and the second brush drive shaft rotate. It is characterized by restricting.

According to this aspect, the brush driving mechanism that rotates the rotating brush for cleaning and the rotating brush that is the removing member is configured by one motor, a gear train, and a one-way clutch as a driving source. Can be made compact.
Further, when the one-way clutch is cleaned with the cleaning rotary brush, the first brush drive shaft and the second brush drive shaft are allowed to rotate, and the cleaned filter moves along the return path to return to the original position. When moving to, the rotation of the first brush rotation shaft and the second brush drive shaft is restricted. Due to this rotation restriction, there is a risk that the dust scraped off from the filter by the cleaning rotary brush and received by the dust receiving portion may come out when the cleaned filter moves in the return path to the original position. Can be reduced.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the filter cleaning device for an air conditioner according to the fifth aspect, the filter cleaning unit is detachable from the air conditioner, and is attached to the first brush drive shaft. The rotation can be transmitted to the cleaning rotary brush, and the rotation of the second brush drive shaft can be transmitted to the rotary brush as the removal member.

  According to this aspect, when dust accumulates to some extent in the dust receiving part, the filter cleaning unit can be removed from the air conditioner, the dust inside can be discarded, reattached, and used again.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the air conditioner filter cleaning apparatus according to the seventh aspect, wherein the second brush drive shaft is disposed between the first brush drive shaft and the mounting hole of the cleaning rotary brush. And an anti-rotation mechanism that allows relative movement in the axial direction but restricts relative rotation in the rotational direction. And

  According to this aspect, the attachment / detachment operation of the filter cleaning unit with respect to the air conditioner can be realized with a simple structure, and the attachment / detachment operation becomes smooth.

  According to the present invention, in the structure in which the filter is reciprocated through the U-turn portion, the space on the inner surface side of the U-turned filter can be effectively used for filter cleaning.

The figure which shows embodiment of this invention, and is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the air conditioner which removed the cover. The figure which shows embodiment of this invention, and is a perspective view from diagonally backward showing the internal structure of the filter cleaning apparatus of the left side facing. It is a figure which shows embodiment of this invention, and is a perspective view from diagonally forward showing the internal structure of the drive mechanism of the filter cleaning apparatus of the right side facing. It is a figure which shows embodiment of this invention, and is the perspective view from diagonally forward which fractures | ruptures and represents the filter cleaning apparatus and filter on the left side facing. The figure which shows embodiment of this invention, and is a perspective view showing the positional relationship of the filter and filter drive body at the time of the forward path sliding of a filter. The figure which shows embodiment of this invention, and is a perspective view showing the positional relationship of the filter and filter drive body at the time of the completion | finish of the forward path sliding of a filter. The figure which shows embodiment of this invention and is a sectional side view showing the operation | movement of the filter cleaning unit at the time of the outward slide of a filter. The figure which shows embodiment of this invention, and is sectional drawing which represents operation | movement of the filter cleaning unit at the time of the return path | route sliding of a filter. The figure which shows embodiment of this invention, and is a perspective view showing the state which removed the filter cleaning unit from the air conditioner main body. It is a figure which shows embodiment of this invention, and is a perspective view showing a mode that the dust collected in the filter cleaning unit is discharged | emitted out of a filter cleaning unit.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a filter cleaning device for an air conditioner according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, taking the illustrated embodiment as an example.
In the following description, an outline of the overall configuration of the air conditioner 1 equipped with the filter cleaning device 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be first described based on FIG. Next, the configuration of the filter cleaning device 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.

Next, based on FIGS. 5 to 8, the operation of the filter cleaning device 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described separately for the operation during the forward sliding of the filter and the operation during the backward sliding of the filter.
Furthermore, based on FIG.9 and FIG.10, the disposal method of the dust collected in the filter cleaning unit is demonstrated, and finally about other embodiment of this invention which differs in a partial structure from the said embodiment. Mention.

(1) Outline of overall configuration of air conditioner (see FIG. 1)
The air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 indicates an indoor unit of an air conditioner used for indoor heating or cooling. The air conditioner 1 includes an air conditioner body 5 having a heat exchanger 3 therein, a cover 2 that covers the top and front surfaces of the air conditioner body 5, and indoor air G sucked from the suction port 6. And a flexible filter 7 for collecting the contained dust D.
In addition, a filter position sensor 9 including a limit switch is provided at the lower front portion of the air conditioner body 5 as an example of detecting whether or not the filter 7 is attached by contacting the terminal end 7 b of the filter 7.
In addition, a filter cleaning device 11 according to the present embodiment is provided inside the air conditioner body 5. The filter cleaning device 11 automatically cleans the filter 7 when the operation of the air conditioner 1 is stopped, or periodically or irregularly cleans the filter 7 based on a preset program or a user instruction. Is to be executed.

(2) Configuration of filter cleaning device (see FIGS. 2 to 4)
The filter cleaning device 11 of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment is a filter cleaning device mounted on the air conditioner 1 and includes a filter 7 and a moving path 13 that enables sliding between the forward path and the return path of the filter 7. A filter guide 15 having a filter drive body 17 that performs sliding of the filter 7, a drive mechanism 21 that drives the filter drive body 17, a filter cleaning unit 41 that removes dust D collected by the filter 7, and Is basically configured.
The filter cleaning unit 41 includes a cleaning rotary brush 43 that scrapes off the dust D collected by the filter 7, and a removal brush 47 that is a removal member 45 that scrapes off the dust D attached to the cleaning rotary brush 43. And a dust receiving portion 49 for receiving the dust D drawn off.

In the present embodiment, two sets of filter cleaning devices 11 including the filter 7, the filter guide 15, the filter driving body 17, the driving mechanism 21, and the filter cleaning unit 41 are provided so as to be aligned in the width direction X. .
When identifying these two sets of constituent members, for those located on the left side facing, “L” is appended to the end of each symbol, and for those located on the right side, the respective symbol It is identified by adding “R” at the end. For example, when identifying the filter 7, one is described as “7L” and the other as “7R”.
The filter 7 includes a flexible, for example, synthetic resin-made rectangular plate-like grid-like frame member 8 and a sheet-like filter body 10 attached to the window portion 8a of the frame member 8. Has been. A plurality of rack-like teeth 12 (FIG. 4) are provided at a predetermined pitch on one side of the left and right side edges of the frame member 8 and one surface of the vertical beam 8b provided as an example between them. . Further, two vertical bars 8b on the left and right sides of the four vertical bars 8b are configured to be guided by being fitted into the concave part 13a or the concave part 5a (FIG. 4) forming the moving path 13 of the filter guide 15. Has been.

The filter guide 15 includes guide side plates 16L, 16M, and 16R that are L-shaped in side view, provided as an example between the left and right ends, and an intermediate guide between the inner wall surfaces of the guide side plates 16L and 16R at the left and right ends. Four curved upper and lower guide ridges 13b (FIG. 4) provided on the left and right wall surfaces of the side plate 16M, and a total of four sets of four upper and lower guide ridges 13b (FIG. 4). The guide protrusion 5b (FIG. 4) provided with respect to the air conditioner main body 5 is provided.
The guide ridges 13b provided for the guide side plate 16 and the guide ridges 5b provided for the air conditioner main body 5 are connected in a loop at a rear position where the filter driver 17 described below is provided. The U-turn part 14 (FIG. 4) is formed, and the space between the two upper and lower guide ridges 13b or the two upper and lower guide ridges 5b extending in parallel is a recess that forms the moving path 13 described above. 13a and 5a.

The filter driver 17 is a member that contacts the filter 7 and applies a feeding force. In this embodiment, it is comprised by the four filter drive gears 19 which mesh with the rack-shaped tooth | gear part 12 currently formed in the four vertical bars 8b.
The filter driving body 17 is not limited to the filter driving gear 19 as described above, and may be a disc having no irregularities on the circumferential surface or a pulley having irregularities formed on the circumferential surface. It is also possible to use a roller or the like. Further, when the filter driving body 17 is constituted by a rotating body such as a disk or a roller having no irregularities on the peripheral surface, the friction coefficient of the contact portion is increased and the feed force is applied to the filter 7 by the friction force of the contact portion. It is also possible to adopt a configuration to give.

The U-turn portion 14 of the moving path 13 in the filter guide 15 has a structure formed by winding the filter around the four filter drive gears 19 constituting the filter drive body 17 by about 180 °.
Then, the filter 7 that has reached the U-turn portion 14 through the concave portion 5a between the lower guide ridges 5b is inverted by the U-turn portion 14, and the concave portion 13a between the upper guide ridges 13b. Configured to enter.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the filter cleaning unit 41 described below is arranged on the inner surface side of the filter 7 that is inverted by the U-turn portion 14 as shown in FIGS. The filter cleaning unit 41 is preferably disposed on the inner surface side of the filter 7 and adjacent to the filter driver 17 from the viewpoint of effective use of space.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drive mechanism 21 includes a brush drive mechanism 22 that drives a cleaning rotary brush 43 and a removal brush 47 of the filter cleaning unit 41 described below, and a filter drive mechanism 23 that slides the filter 7. Is a drive mechanism that is integrated.
Among these, the brush drive mechanism 22 includes a second transmission gear 33 that transmits the rotational force F of the motor 25 that is a drive source to the second brush drive shaft 31 of the removal brush 47 that is the removal member 45, and a cleaning rotary brush. A first transmission gear 29 for transmitting the rotational force F of the second brush drive shaft 31 to the first brush drive shaft 27 serving as a rotation shaft of 43, a one-way clutch 35 provided on the second brush drive shaft 31, Is basically configured.

In the present embodiment, the one-way clutch 35 is constituted by a torsion coil spring, and the driving force is transmitted or interrupted when the torsion coil spring rotates in the winding or rewinding direction. . That is, the one-way clutch 3 transmits only the rotation of either the CW direction or the CCW direction of the second brush drive shaft 31 to the first brush drive shaft 27. More specifically, the one-way clutch 35 allows the first brush drive shaft 27 and the second brush drive shaft 31 to rotate when the filter 7 slides in the forward path and is cleaned by the cleaning rotary brush 43. When the filter 7 after cleaning slides along the return path and returns to the original position, the rotation of the first brush drive shaft 27 and the second brush drive shaft 31 is restricted.
Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the drive mechanism 21 in which the brush drive mechanism 22 and the filter drive mechanism 23 are integrated will be described.

Two drive mechanisms 21 (21L, 21R) are provided on the outer side of the guide side plate 16L on the left end side and on the outer side of the guide side plate 16R on the right end side.
The drive mechanism 21 includes a motor 25 as a drive source in a housing 37, and the rotational force F of the pinion gear 24 attached to the output shaft of the motor 25 is a second brush via a gear train 39 described below. The drive shaft 31, the first brush drive shaft 27, and the drive shaft 20 of the filter drive gear 19 are configured to be transmitted.

The gear train 39 includes a first gear 26 in which a large-diameter gear meshed with a pinion gear 24 attached to an output shaft of the motor 25 and a small-diameter gear are integrated, and a large-diameter gear meshed with a small-diameter gear of the first gear 26. And a second gear 28 in which the small-diameter gear is integrated, and a third gear 30 that meshes with the small-diameter gear of the second gear 28.
Then, the power is distributed by the third gear 30, a part of which is transmitted to the drive shaft 20 of the filter drive gear 19, and the remaining part is connected to the second brush drive shaft 31 and the second brush via the one-way clutch 35. 1 is transmitted to the brush drive shaft 27.

  Among these, the power toward the drive shaft 20 of the filter drive gear 19 is such that the large diameter gear meshing with the small diameter gear of the fourth gear 32 and the fourth gear 32 in which the large diameter gear meshed with the third gear 30 and the small diameter gear are integrated. Power is transmitted to the drive shaft 20 by being transmitted to the fifth gear 34 in which the gear and the small-diameter gear are integrated, and the small-diameter gear of the fifth gear 34 meshes with the sixth gear 36 provided on the drive shaft 20. As a result, four filter drive gears 19 that are also provided on the drive shaft 20 can be rotated in the forward direction A and the backward direction B.

On the other hand, the power to the second brush drive shaft 31 and the first brush drive shaft 27 is connected when the filter drive gear 19 rotates in the forward direction A, and when the filter drive gear 19 rotates in the return direction B. Is transmitted to the second brush drive shaft 31 via the one-way clutch 35 which is in a disconnected state.
A second transmission gear 33 is provided on the second brush drive shaft 31, and power is transmitted to the first transmission gear 29 that meshes with the intermediate gear 38 via the intermediate gear 38 that meshes with the second transmission gear 33. Thus, the rotational force F can be transmitted to the first brush drive shaft 27 to which the first transmission gear 29 is attached.

The filter cleaning unit 41 includes, as an example, a housing 51 that can open and close a dust receiving portion 49 provided on the bottom surface (FIG. 10), a removal brush 47 that is a removal member 45 that is housed in the housing 51, and a housing. 51 is configured to include a cleaning rotary brush 43 provided in a state in which most of the part is accommodated in 51 and a part of the part protrudes to the outside of the housing 51.
The housing 51 includes left and right side plates that horizontally support the removal brush 47 and the cleaning rotary brush 43, a main body portion 52 having a top plate and a rear plate, and a rotation shaft provided at a front end portion of the top plate of the main body portion 52. And a front and rear plate that rotates around a fulcrum 53, and an open / close lid 54 having left and right side plates and a bottom plate. The inner surface of the bottom plate of the opening / closing lid 54 is a dust receiving portion 49.

The removal brush 47 and the cleaning rotary brush 43 are cylindrical brushes having a length substantially the same as the width of the filter 7, and a mounting hole 55 (see FIG. 2) and a mounting hole 57 (FIG. 2) that fits around the first brush drive shaft 27 are formed.
Further, the second brush drive shaft 31 and the first brush drive shaft 27 are D-shaped shafts 31C and 27C with a part of the peripheral surface thereof being cut off, and the second brush drive shaft 31 is fitted inside. Similarly, the mounting hole 57 into which the mounting hole 55 and the first brush drive shaft 27 are fitted is also a hole 55C, 57C having a D-shaped cross section.

And between the 1st brush drive shaft 27 and the attachment hole 57 of the rotary brush 43 for cleaning by the shafts 31C and 27C and holes 55C and 57C of such a shape, the 2nd brush drive shaft 31 and the removal brush An anti-rotation mechanism 58 that allows relative movement in the axial direction but restricts relative rotation in the rotational direction is formed between the 47 mounting holes 55.
In addition, the filter cleaning unit 41 can be attached to and detached from the air conditioner body 5 by having the anti-rotation mechanism 58, and the rotation of the first brush drive shaft 27 can be changed to the cleaning rotary brush 43 by being attached. Thus, the rotation of the second brush drive shaft 31 can be transmitted to the removal brush 47.

Further, in this embodiment, the removal brush 47 is constituted by a rotating brush, and the dust D attached to the cleaning rotating brush 43 by moving and contacting the cleaning rotating brush 43 by itself is removed. The dust receiver 49 is configured to be scraped off.
Here, “dynamic contact” in “moving by itself and dynamically contacting and scraping dust D” means that the removal brush 47 itself has a kinetic energy such as rotating or swinging itself. This means contacting the rotating brush 43 and scraping off the dust D adhering to the cleaning rotating brush 43 by this contact. The “dynamic” includes not only continuous drive movement but also intermittent drive movement.
Further, the removing member 45 is not limited to the removing member that dynamically contacts like the removing brush 47, but may be a flat brush, a comb-like member, or a blade-like member that makes static contact.

Further, the removal brush 47 is constituted by a rotating brush that rotates in the same direction as the cleaning rotating brush 43. Specifically, the first transmission gear 29 and the second transmission gear 33 are connected with one intermediate gear 38 interposed therebetween. As a result, the second brush drive shaft 31 and the first brush drive shaft 27 rotate in the same direction, and the removal brush 47 attached to the second brush drive shaft 31 and the cleaning attached to the first brush drive shaft 27. The rotary brush 43 is also configured to rotate in the same direction.
By adopting such a configuration, the tip portions of the brushes 47 and 43 which are contact portions between the brushes 47 and 43 come into contact with each other while moving in opposite directions (FIGS. 4 and 7). As a result, the removal brush 47 can more effectively remove the dust D adhering to the cleaning rotary brush 43.

In this embodiment, the rotational speed of the cleaning rotary brush 43 is set to be higher than the rotational speed of the removal brush 47. Specifically, the number of teeth of the first transmission gear 29 provided on the first rotary brush drive shaft 27 to which the cleaning rotary brush 43 is attached is provided on the second brush drive shaft 31 to which the removal brush 47 is attached. This is executed as an example by reducing the number of teeth of the second transmission gear 33.
The rotational speed of the cleaning rotary brush 43 can be set to be the same as the rotational speed of the removal brush 47, and the rotational speed of the removal brush 47 is set higher than the rotational speed of the cleaning rotary brush 43. It is also possible to do.

(3) Operation of the filter cleaning device (see FIGS. 5 to 8)
Next, the operation of the filter cleaning device 11 according to the present embodiment will be described separately for the operation when the filter 7 slides in the forward direction and the operation when the filter 7 slides in the backward direction.
(A) Operation when the filter slides forward (see FIGS. 5 to 7)
When the motor 25 rotates and power is transmitted to the drive shaft 20 via the gear wheel train 39, the filter drive gear 19 rotates in the forward direction A or the backward direction B. FIG. 5 shows a state immediately after the filter drive gear 19 starts to rotate in the forward direction A.

When the filter drive gear 19 rotates in the forward direction A, the rack-like tooth portion 12 formed on the vertical beam 8b of the filter 7 meshes with the filter drive gear 19, and the U-turn portion 14 of the moving path 13 moves through the start end 7a of the filter. To send. In FIG. 5, the tooth portion 12 is partially omitted from the viewpoint of avoiding complication of the drawing.
At this time, since the one-way clutch 35 is in a connected state, the removal brush 47 attached to the second brush drive shaft 31 and the cleaning rotary brush 43 attached to the first brush drive shaft 27 are As shown in FIG. 7, it rotates in the same direction.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, when the filter 7 slides in the forward direction A, the dust D collected by the filter 7 and attached to the surface of the filter 7 is in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the filter 7. It is scraped off by the rotating cleaning brush 43 so as to be scooped up, and a part thereof is sent upward while adhering to the cleaning rotating brush 43.
Next, the dust D adhering to the cleaning rotary brush 43 sent upward by the rotation of the cleaning rotary brush 43 is scraped off by the removing brush 47 that rotates in a direction to wipe off the dust D downward. It is collected on the dust receiver 49.

When the filter 7 slides in the forward direction A and the end 7b of the filter 7 reaches the U-turn portion 14 of the moving path 13 as shown in FIG. 6, the sliding of the filter 7 in the forward direction A ends. At this time, the starting end 7a of the filter 7 enters the recess 13a between the upper guide projections 13b from the recess 5a between the lower guide projections 5b through the U-turn portion 14.
Further, during the sliding of the filter 7 in the forward direction A, the dust D adhering to the surface of the filter 7 is collected by the cleaning rotary brush 43 and the removing brush 47.

(B) Operation when the filter slides back (see FIGS. 5, 6, and 8)
When the sliding of the filter in the forward direction A and the collection of the dust D adhering to the surface of the filter 7 are finished, the motor 25 rotates in the reverse direction. As a result, power is transmitted to the drive shaft 20 via the gear train 39, and the filter drive gear 19 rotates in the backward direction B as shown in FIG.
When the filter drive gear 19 rotates in the backward direction B, the rack-like tooth portion 12 formed on the vertical beam 8b of the filter 7 meshes with the filter drive gear 19, and the end 7b of the filter 7 is moved downward from the U-turn portion 14. It feeds into the recessed part 5a between the guide ridges 5b.

At this time, since the one-way clutch 35 is in the disconnected state, the removal brush 47 attached to the second brush drive shaft 31 and the cleaning rotary brush 43 attached to the first brush drive shaft 27 are It does not rotate as shown in FIG.
Thereby, the dust D collected when the filter 7 slides forward is maintained in a state of being confined in the housing 51 of the filter cleaning unit 41.

When the filter 7 slides in the return direction B and the end 7b of the filter 7 reaches the detection position of the filter position sensor 9 on the front surface of the air conditioner body 5, the motor 25 stops and the filter 7 moves in the return direction B. The sliding ends.
At this time, the position of the starting end 7a of the filter 7 is located in the U-turn portion 14 as shown in FIG. 5, and the rack-like tooth portion 12 formed on the vertical beam 8b of the filter 7 is It is stopped while meshing with the filter drive gear 19.

(4) Dust disposal method (see FIGS. 9 and 10)
The filter cleaning device 11 according to the present embodiment is configured such that the filter cleaning unit 41 can be detached from the drive mechanism 21 and detachable from the air conditioner 1.
Therefore, when the dust D collected in the dust receiving portion 49 in the housing 51 of the filter cleaning unit 41 is discarded, the cover 2 covering the front surface and the top surface of the air conditioner 1 is expanded, and if necessary The filter cleaning unit 41 is taken out of the air conditioner 1 together with the housing 51 as shown in FIG.

At this time, in this embodiment, the filter cleaning unit 41 and the drive mechanism 21 are connected by fitting the first brush drive shaft 27 with the mounting hole 57 of the cleaning rotary brush 43, and removing the second brush drive shaft 31. The filter cleaning device 11 is pulled out in the axial direction of the first brush drive shaft 27 and the second brush drive shaft 31 because the fitting is performed at two places, the fitting with the mounting hole 55 of the brush 47 for use. Thus, the filter cleaning unit 41 can be easily taken out of the air conditioner 1.
Next, the opening / closing lid 54 of the housing 51 of the filter cleaning unit 41 taken out of the air conditioner 1 is expanded with the rotation shaft 53 as a fulcrum, thereby collecting in the housing 51 as shown in FIG. The discharged dust D is discharged out of the housing 51 and discarded. Thereafter, the filter cleaning unit 41 is attached to the air conditioner 1 in the reverse order of the above.

According to the filter cleaning device 11 according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the dynamic contact of the removing brush 47 as the removing member 45 with the dust D adhering to the cleaning rotating brush 43 accompanying the cleaning of the filter 7 is achieved. Can be effectively scraped off and removed.
In addition, since the rotation of the cleaning rotary brush 43 and the removal brush 47 is stopped when the filter 7 slides in the return path, the filter 7 is moved into the housing 51 of the filter cleaning unit 41 when the filter 7 slides in the return path B. There is no possibility that the collected dust D flows out of the housing 51.

Further, the filter cleaning unit 41 is disposed on the inner surface side of the filter 7 in a state where the filter 7 which has been a dead space in the past is inverted by the U-turn portion 14, so that the space can be effectively used, and the filter cleaning device 11 can be made compact. Can be achieved.
Further, the use of the filter cleaning unit 41 that is detachable from the air conditioner body 5 also improves the maintainability of the filter cleaning device 11.

[Other Embodiments]
The filter cleaning device 11 for an air conditioner according to the present invention is basically configured to have the above-described configuration, but changes or omissions of partial configurations within a scope that does not depart from the gist of the present invention. Of course, it is also possible to perform the above.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the rotation direction of the cleaning rotary brush 43 and the removal brush 47 is set in the same direction, but it is not always necessary to set in the same direction. In this case, the intermediate gear 38 can be omitted and the first transmission gear 29 and the second transmission gear 33 can be directly meshed with each other. In this case, the contact portions of the brushes 43 and 47 are in the same direction. To move. Therefore, in this case, the number of teeth of the first transmission gear 29 and the second transmission gear 33 is changed, or a separate gear wheel train or the like is added so that the rotational speeds of the brushes 43 and 47 are made different for cleaning. It is desirable to make it easy to remove dust D adhering to the rotating brush 43.

In addition, a plurality of small filter cleaning units 41 are provided in series on the moving path 13 of the filter 7, or a plurality of cleaning rotary brushes 43 and removal brushes 47 are provided in the housing 51 of the single filter cleaning unit 41. It is also possible to arrange. Incidentally, when such a configuration is adopted, the number of times or opportunities for scraping off the dust D increases, so that the effect of collecting the dust D is improved.
In the above-described embodiment, the brush driving mechanism 22 and the filter driving mechanism 23 are simultaneously driven using a single motor 25. However, a separate motor 25 is provided for each of the driving mechanisms 22 and 23 to be independent. It is also possible to configure so as to drive.

Moreover, in embodiment mentioned above, although the filter cleaning unit 41 grade | etc., Was installed in the upper space of the air conditioner main body 5, it does not necessarily need to install in the said upper space. For example, if there is a space in another part such as the front or back of the air conditioner body 5, the filter cleaning unit 41 or the like can be installed in the space.
Moreover, it is also possible to constitute one or both of the cleaning rotary brush 43 and the removal brush 47 with a vibrating brush so as to improve the dust collection effect.

Further, as described in the description of the above-described embodiment, the removing member 45 dynamically contacts the cleaning rotary brush 43 like the rotating removing brush 47 employed in the above-described embodiment. It is not limited to this, and a flat brush, comb-like or blade-like one may simply be in static contact.
Further, when the cleaning rotary brush 43 is made of a material or a structure that is difficult for the dust D to adhere to, the removing member 45 can be omitted.

1 ... air conditioner, 2 ... cover, 3 ... heat exchanger, 5 ... air conditioner body,
5a ... concave portion, 5b ... guide ridge, 6 ... suction port, 7 ... filter, 7a ... start end,
7b ... Termination, 8 ... Frame, 8a ... Window, 8b ... Vertical beam, 9 ... Filter position sensor,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Filter main body, 11 ... Filter cleaning apparatus, 12 ... Tooth part, 13 ... Moving path,
13a ... concave portion, 13b ... guide ridge, 14 ... U-turn portion,
15 ... Filter guide, 16 ... Guide side plate, 17 ... Filter driver,
19 ... filter drive gear, 20 ... drive shaft, 21 ... drive mechanism,
22 ... Brush drive mechanism, 23 ... Filter drive mechanism, 24 ... Pinion gear,
25 ... motor (drive source), 26 ... first gear, 27 ... first brush drive shaft,
27C: D-shaped cross section shaft, 28: second gear, 29: first transmission gear, 30: third gear,
31 ... Second brush drive shaft, 31C ... D-shaped cross-section shaft, 32 ... Fourth gear,
33 ... 2nd transmission gear, 34 ... 5th gear, 35 ... One-way clutch,
36 ... 6th gear, 37 ... housing, 38 ... intermediate gear, 39 ... gear train,
41 ... Filter cleaning unit, 43 ... Rotary brush for cleaning, 45 ... Removal member,
47 ... Removal brush (rotary brush), 49 ... Dust receiver, 51 ... Housing,
52 ... Main body, 53 ... Rotating shaft, 54 ... Opening / closing lid, 55 ... Mounting hole,
55C ... D-section hole, 57 ... Mounting hole, 57C ... D-section hole,
58: Anti-rotation mechanism, D: Dust, A: Forward direction, B: Return direction, G: Air,
X ... width direction, F ... rotational force

Claims (8)

A filter cleaning device mounted on an air conditioner,
A flexible filter that collects dust in the air sucked into the air inlet of the air conditioner is housed, and can move between the forward path and the backward path of the filter, and has a moving path in which a U-turn portion exists. A filter guide,
A filter driver that performs the sliding of the filter;
A drive mechanism for driving the filter driver;
A filter cleaning unit for removing dust collected by the filter, and
The filter cleaning unit is
A cleaning rotary brush that scrapes off dust collected by the filter;
A dust receiving part for receiving the dust that has been scraped off,
The filter is disposed on the inner surface side of the filter in a state inverted by the U-turn part.
A filter cleaning device for an air conditioner characterized by the above. In the filter cleaning apparatus of the air conditioner described in Claim 1,
The filter cleaning unit includes a removal member that removes the dust attached to the cleaning rotary brush.
A filter cleaning device for an air conditioner characterized by the above. In the filter cleaning apparatus of the air conditioner described in Claim 2,
The removing member moves by itself to the cleaning rotary brush and dynamically contacts and scrapes the dust.
A filter cleaning device for an air conditioner characterized by the above. In the filter cleaning apparatus of the air conditioner described in Claim 3,
The removal member is a rotary brush that rotates in the same direction as the cleaning rotary brush.
A filter cleaning device for an air conditioner characterized by the above. In the filter cleaning apparatus of the air conditioner described in Claim 4,
The cleaning rotary brush has a higher rotational speed than the rotary brush that is the removal member.
A filter cleaning device for an air conditioner characterized by the above. In the filter cleaning apparatus of the air conditioner described in Claim 4 or 5,
The brush drive mechanism for rotating the cleaning rotary brush is:
A second transmission gear for transmitting the rotational force of the drive source to the second brush drive shaft of the rotary brush which is a removal member;
A first transmission gear for transmitting a rotational force of the second brush drive shaft to a first brush drive shaft that is a rotation shaft of the cleaning rotary brush;
A one-way clutch provided on the second brush drive shaft,
The one-way clutch is
When the filter moves along the forward path and is cleaned with the cleaning rotary brush, the first brush drive shaft and the second brush drive shaft are allowed to rotate,
When the filter after cleaning moves along the return path to the original position, the rotation of the first brush drive shaft and the second brush drive shaft is restricted.
A filter cleaning device for an air conditioner characterized by the above. In the filter cleaning apparatus of the air conditioner described in Claim 6,
The filter cleaning unit is detachable from the air conditioner.
The rotation of the first brush drive shaft can be transmitted to the cleaning rotary brush,
The rotation of the second brush drive shaft can be transmitted to the rotary brush that is the removal member.
A filter cleaning device for an air conditioner characterized by the above. In the filter cleaning apparatus of the air conditioner described in Claim 7,
Relative in the axial direction is between the first brush drive shaft and the mounting hole of the cleaning rotary brush, and between the second brush drive shaft and the mounting hole of the rotary brush as the removal member. A filter cleaning device for an air conditioner, characterized in that a non-rotating mechanism is provided that allows a gentle movement but restricts a relative rotation in the rotational direction.

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