JP2021004696A - Cleaning device for drain pan, drain pan, and air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device, etc. that can easily realize cleaning of a drain pan, and can restrain clogging of a drainage part of a drain pump, etc.SOLUTION: A cleaning device 10 is used when a drain pan 2 of an air conditioner 1 is cleaned. The cleaning device 10 comprises: a rail 23 provided along a peripheral edge of a drain pan 2; a moving body 11 capable of moving along the rail 23; a brush 21 connected to the moving body 11 via a connection part 59, and capable of sliding on a bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2; and a movement command receiving unit for receiving a signal indicating that the moving body 11 is moved along the rail 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present disclosure relates to a cleaning device used when cleaning a drain pan. The present disclosure also relates to a drain pan of an air conditioner and an air conditioner.

Conventionally, as an air conditioner, there is one described in Patent Document 1. The indoor unit of this air conditioner includes an indoor fan, a heat exchanger on the indoor unit side, a drain pan, and a drain pump. The indoor fan sucks in the indoor air, brings the sucked air into contact with the heat exchanger, and then blows it out into the room. Further, the heat exchanger exchanges heat with the refrigerant, and for example, when cooling is performed, heat is taken away by the evaporation of the refrigerant and the heat exchanger is cooled. In addition, the drain pan receives the drain water condensed and generated by the heat exchanger during the cooling operation. The drain pan has a drain reservoir for accommodating drain water. When a certain amount of drain water is accumulated in the drain reservoir, the drain pump sucks up the drain water in the drain reservoir and discharges it to the outside through the drain pipe.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-283057

Various types of dust such as organic substances, dust, and microorganisms are floating in the indoor air of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and these dust sucked together with the air in the indoor unit accumulate in the indoor unit such as the drain pan and drain pump. Will be done. Furthermore, the inside of the indoor unit is humid, and the drain pan and the drain pump are kept wet with the drain water for a long time, and a muddy slime is formed on the surface of the drain pan due to the propagation of microorganisms. When dust, slime, etc. accumulate and become large in size, the drainage portion of the drain pump or the like is likely to be clogged, and the drain water overflowing from the drain pan may cause water leakage into the room.

In such a background, it is necessary to clean the area around the drain pan in order to prevent such water leakage. However, it is necessary to disassemble the indoor unit in order to perform the work, and the work requires man-hours and time.

Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a drain pan cleaning device and an air conditioner capable of easily realizing cleaning of a drain pan and suppressing clogging of a drainage portion such as a drain pump. Further, the present disclosure is to provide a drain pan which can be easily washed and can easily suppress clogging of a drainage part such as a drain pump.

In order to solve the above problems, the cleaning device according to the present disclosure is a cleaning device used when cleaning the drain pan of the air conditioner, and is provided along the rail provided along the peripheral edge of the drain pan and along the rail. Receives a signal indicating that the moving body is connected to the moving body via a connecting portion and is slidable on the bottom surface of the drain pan, and the moving body is moved along the rail. A mobile command receiving unit and a mobile command receiving unit are provided.

According to the present disclosure, a signal transmitter is used in a maintenance computer (hereinafter, simply referred to as a maintenance controller), a remote controller for an air conditioner, or an information processing device for monitoring one or more facilities including an air conditioner. Alternatively, the moving body can be moved along the rail simply by wirelessly transmitting a signal indicating that the moving body is moved to the moving command receiving unit, and the cleaning unit is slid on the bottom surface of the drain pan accordingly. Can be done. Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust and slime from accumulating and increasing on the bottom surface of the drain pan, and it becomes easy to discharge the foreign matter together with the drain water to the outside by the drain pump before the foreign matter becomes large. Therefore, foreign matter on the bottom surface of the drain pan can be easily discharged without disassembling the air conditioner, so that the bottom surface of the drain pan can be easily cleaned and clogging of the drainage portion of the drain pump or the like can be suppressed.

Further, in the present disclosure, the drain pan is provided, and the drain pan projects substantially parallel to the annular water receiving portion that receives the drain water in the height direction and is located outside the water receiving portion. It may have the rail that guides the body, an inclined wall that connects the upper end portion of the water receiving portion and the lower end portion of the rail, and moves toward the water receiving portion side as it goes downward. ..

According to the above configuration, the moving body can be moved outside the water receiving portion, and can be moved at a position where it does not come into contact with the condensed water that is condensed and dropped by the heat exchanger. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a failure of the moving body due to contact with the condensed water. Further, the upper end portion of the water receiving portion and the lower end portion of the rail are connected by an inclined wall that moves toward the water receiving portion side as it goes downward. Therefore, the dew condensation water that has fallen and is received on the inner surface of the inclined wall can be smoothly guided to the water receiving portion side by the inclined wall. Further, as compared with the case where the drain pan and the rail are separate members, a mechanism in which the moving body moves around the water receiving portion of the drain pan can be constructed inexpensively and compactly.

Further, in the present disclosure, a photographing device that moves integrally with the moving body and a photographing operation command receiving unit that receives a signal including information on the operation of the photographing device may be provided.

The shooting operation command receiving unit may be provided separately from the moving command receiving unit. Alternatively, the movement command receiving unit may also serve as the shooting operation command receiving unit. Further, the signal including information on the operation of the photographing device may be a signal indicating that the moving body is moved, and while the moving body is moving, the shooting is executed, and when the moving body is stopped, the shooting is terminated. You may try to do it.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to sequentially check the contamination status of the drain pan around the moving body without disassembling the air conditioner only by moving the moving body while the photographing apparatus is operating. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not full-scale cleaning that requires disassembly of the air conditioner is necessary without disassembling the air conditioner.

Further, in the present disclosure, a lighting device that moves integrally with the moving body and can emit light to a shooting area shot by the shooting device, and a lighting operation command reception that receives a signal including information on the operation of the lighting device. A unit and may be provided.

The lighting operation command receiving unit may be provided separately from the movement command receiving unit, or may be provided separately from the photographing operation command receiving unit. Alternatively, the movement command receiving unit may also serve as the lighting operation command receiving unit, and the shooting operation command receiving unit may also serve as the lighting operation command receiving unit. Further, the signal including the information on the operation of the photographing device may also be used as the signal including the information on the operation of the lighting device. For example, while the photographing device is shooting, the lighting device irradiates light. When the shooting is finished, the lighting device may finish irradiating the light.

The inside of the air conditioner is often dark, and the darkness becomes remarkable especially when the air conditioner is for business use and is installed in the attic or the like. According to the above configuration, the lighting device can illuminate the shooting area of the shooting device. Therefore, it is possible to reliably photograph the contamination status of the drain pan.

Further, in the present disclosure, a movement direction command receiving unit that receives a signal for controlling the movement direction of the moving body with respect to the rail may be provided.

The moving direction command receiving unit may be provided separately from the moving command receiving unit, may be provided separately from the photographing operation command receiving unit, or may be provided separately from the lighting operation command receiving unit. Alternatively, the movement command receiving unit may also serve as the moving direction command receiving unit, the shooting operation command receiving unit may also serve as the moving direction command receiving unit, and the lighting operation command receiving unit may also use the moving direction command receiving unit. You may also use the part.

According to the above configuration, a person can control the moving direction of the moving body. Therefore, for example, when a heavily soiled portion can be found by photographing with the photographing apparatus, the contaminated portion can be repeatedly and intensively cleaned by the cleaning unit, and the bottom surface of the drain pan can be efficiently cleaned.

Further, in the present disclosure, the mobile body includes a base having a charging unit that is electrically connected to an external power source and is used to supply electric power to the moving body and is exposed to the outside, and the moving body has a secondary battery. Then, when the moving body is located at a predetermined relative position with respect to the base in a state where the base is electrically connected to the external power source, the secondary battery may be charged by the electric power from the charging unit.

According to the above configuration, it is not necessary to connect the wiring for power supply to the mobile body. Therefore, the wiring for power supply is not entangled during the movement of the moving body, and the moving body can be moved smoothly.

Further, in the present disclosure, the drain pan is provided with a foreign matter accommodating recess on the bottom surface for accommodating a foreign matter, the cleaning portion is a spatula, and when the moving body moves along the rail, the spatula moves the drain pan. The foreign matter on the bottom surface of the spatula may be pushed forward in the moving direction of the spatula, and the moving body may be movable to a position where at least a part of the foreign matter pushed out by the spatula can be accommodated in the foreign matter accommodating recess.

According to the above configuration, at least a part of the foreign matter on the bottom surface of the drain pan can be pushed out to the foreign matter accommodating recess with a spatula and accommodated in the foreign matter accommodating recess. Therefore, the cleaning unit can be constructed at low cost, and cleaning can be easily performed.

Further, in the present disclosure, a brush may be provided that includes a motor that moves integrally with the moving body, and the cleaning unit is attached to a rotating shaft that is rotated by driving the motor.

According to the above configuration, the bottom surface of the drain pan can be rubbed with a rotating brush. Therefore, foreign matter on the bottom surface of the drain pan can be easily crushed and peeled off, and the drain pan can be efficiently cleaned.

Further, in the present disclosure, the bottom surface of the drain water accommodating recess for accommodating the drain water sucked to the outside by the drain pump and the foreign object accommodating recess located at a position different from the drain water accommodating recess for accommodating the foreign matter. The moving body can move to a position where at least a part of the brush overlaps with the opening of the foreign matter accommodating recess when viewed from the height direction, and the moving body can be moved from the height direction. A foreign matter scraping portion that comes into contact with at least a part of the brush at a portion that overlaps the foreign matter accommodating recess when viewed may be provided.

According to the above configuration, at least a part of the foreign matter adhering to the brush can be dropped into the foreign matter accommodating recess only by rotating the brush at a position where the brush comes into contact with the foreign matter scraping portion. Therefore, the foreign matter can be dropped into the foreign matter accommodating recess, and at the same time, the brush can be cleaned. Therefore, not only can the foreign matter be efficiently stored in the foreign matter accommodating recess, but also the foreign matter removing performance of the brush can be improved.

Further, in the present disclosure, the drain pan may have a foreign matter discharging portion that selectively executes whether the foreign matter accommodating recess and the space under the drain pan are communicated or blocked.

According to the above configuration, the foreign matter accumulated in the foreign matter accommodating recess can be easily taken out of the air conditioner without disassembling the air conditioner.

Further, in the present disclosure, a container that moves integrally with the moving body is provided, and the container overlaps at least one of the cleaning portion and the annular water receiving portion that receives drain water when viewed from a height direction. The container is filled with a cleaning liquid, and the space inside the container and the space outside the container are at least for a part of the period during which the moving body is moving. May communicate through the supply port.

According to the above configuration, the drain pan can be cleaned cleanly and neatly by using the cleaning liquid.

Further, the cleaning device according to the present disclosure is a cleaning device used for cleaning the drain pan of the air conditioner, and includes a motor and a brush fixed to a rotating shaft rotated by the drive of the motor. The brush is housed in a drain water storage recess provided on the bottom surface of the drain pan for at least a part of the period during which the rotation shaft is rotating, and the drain water storage recess is sucked out by a drain pump. To house.

Larger foreign matter is likely to occur in the drain water storage recess. According to the present disclosure, it is easy to crush such a large foreign matter by rotating the motor. Therefore, the crushed foreign matter can be easily discharged to the outside by the drain pump together with the drain water.

Further, the drain pan of the present disclosure includes an annular water receiving portion that receives drain water, a rail that projects substantially parallel to the water receiving portion and is located outside the water receiving portion, and is used for moving a moving body. It is provided with an inclined wall that connects the upper end portion of the water receiving portion and the lower end portion of the rail and moves toward the water receiving portion side as it goes downward.

According to the present disclosure, the moving body can be moved at a position where it does not come into contact with the dew condensation water that is condensed and dropped by the heat exchanger, and the dew condensation water that has fallen and is received on the inner surface of the inclined wall is watered by the inclined wall. You can smoothly guide to the receiving side. Further, as compared with the case where the drain pan and the rail are separate members, a mechanism in which the moving body moves around the water receiving portion of the drain pan can be constructed inexpensively and compactly.

Further, the air conditioner of the present disclosure includes a heat exchanger, a drain pan for receiving the condensed water generated by the heat exchanger, and a cleaning device of the present disclosure.

According to the present disclosure, the drain pan can be easily cleaned, and clogging of the drainage portion of the drain pump or the like can be suppressed.

According to the cleaning device and the air conditioner of the present disclosure, the drain pan can be easily cleaned, and clogging of the drainage portion of the drain pump or the like can be suppressed. Further, according to the drain pan of the present disclosure, cleaning can be easily realized, and clogging of a drainage portion such as a drain pump can be easily suppressed.

It is a schematic plan view of a part of the commercial air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure installed in the ceiling when viewed from above. It is a schematic plan view when the heat exchanger and the drain pan of the air conditioner are seen from the height direction, and is the schematic plan view explaining the relative positional relationship between the heat exchanger and the drain pan. It is an enlarged schematic plan view of a part of FIG. 1, and is the enlarged schematic plan view of the main part of a cleaning apparatus. It is a schematic sectional view of the main part of the said cleaning apparatus. It is a perspective view of a part of a moving body, and is the perspective view explaining the drive mechanism of a moving body. It is a schematic plan view which shows a moving body and a base. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the peripheral part of the foreign matter accommodating recess in a drain pan. It is a block diagram which shows the part related to the control of the control device of a moving body. It is a schematic perspective view of the maintenance computer. (A) is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4 in the cleaning device of the modified example, and (b) is a spatula as an example of the cleaning portion cut in a plane including its extending direction and height direction. It is a cross-sectional view of the time. It is sectional drawing explaining the structure of the cleaning apparatus of another Embodiment, and is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the drain pump installed around the drain water accommodating recess provided in one corner of a drain pan.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, when a plurality of embodiments and modifications are included in the following, it is assumed from the beginning that a new embodiment is constructed by appropriately combining the characteristic portions thereof. Further, in the following examples, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and duplicate description will be omitted. Further, the plurality of drawings include schematic views, and the dimensional ratios such as length, width, and height of each member do not always match between different drawings. In addition, when the word "abbreviation" is used in this specification, it is used in the same meaning as the word "roughly speaking", and the requirement of "abbreviation" is satisfied if a person looks like that. .. Further, among the components described below, the components not described in the independent claims indicating the highest level concept are arbitrary components and are not essential components.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a part of a commercial air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is installed behind the ceiling, when viewed from above. Further, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view when the heat exchanger 5 and the drain pan 2 of the air conditioner 1 are viewed from the height direction, and is a schematic plan view for explaining the relative positional relationship between the heat exchanger 5 and the drain pan 2. It is a figure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 1 includes a drain pan 2, and the drain pan 2 has an annular water receiving portion 3. The bottom surface 3a of the water receiving portion 3 is inclined so that the height gradually decreases toward the drain water accommodating recess 4 which is a depression provided at one place. The water receiving unit 3 is provided to receive the drain water condensed and generated by the heat exchanger 5 (see FIG. 2) during the cooling operation.

As shown in FIG. 2, when viewed from the height direction, all of the heat exchangers 5 are arranged so as to overlap the water receiving portion 3. As a result, the drain water that has fallen from the heat exchanger 5 can be efficiently received by the water receiving unit 3, and the drain water received by the water receiving unit 3 is made to flow to the drain water accommodating recess 4 side to drain water. It can be accommodated in the accommodating recess 4. The drain water collected in the drain water accommodating recess 4 is sucked up by a drain pump (not shown) and discharged to the outside of the air conditioner 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic plan view of a part of FIG. 1, and is an enlarged schematic plan view of a main part of the cleaning device 10. Further, FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of the cleaning device 10. As shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the drain pan 2, the cleaning device 10 includes a moving body 11, a brush motor 12, a photographing device 13, a lighting device 14, a container 15, a base 18, and a foreign matter scraping portion 19. As shown in FIG. 4, a brush 21 is provided as an example of the cleaning unit.

The drain pan 2 is made of a hard material such as resin or metal. As shown in FIG. 4, the drain pan 2 has a rail 23 and an inclined wall 24 in addition to the water receiving portion 3. The rail 23 guides the moving body 11. The rail 23 projects substantially parallel to the height direction and is located outside the annular water receiving portion 3 in the radial direction. Further, the inclined wall 24 connects the upper end portion 3b of the water receiving portion 3 and the lower end portion 23a of the rail 23. The inclined wall 24 is inclined so as to move toward the water receiving portion 3 side as it goes downward.

The moving body 11 has a moving body motor 54 (see FIG. 8) (not shown) and moves along the rail 23. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a part of the moving body 11, and is a perspective view illustrating a driving mechanism of the moving body 11. As shown in FIG. 5, the moving body 11 has, for example, a drive mechanism similar to the drive mechanism adopted in the Alweg-type monorail, and one or more firsts extending substantially parallel to the width direction of the rail 23. It has one rotating shaft 25 and a plurality of second rotating shafts 26 extending substantially parallel to the height direction of the rail 23. The first rotating shaft 25 and the second rotating shaft 26 are rotated by the driving force of the mobile motor 54. When the axial direction of at least one of the first and second rotating shafts 25 and 26 and the axial direction of the rotating shaft of the moving body motor 54 are not parallel, one of them can be used by using a bevel gear. The axial direction of the rotation axis may be aligned with the appropriate axial direction. The moving body may have any structure as long as it can move along the rail, and may have a drive mechanism similar to the drive mechanism adopted in any type of monorail other than the suspended monorail. Further, the moving body does not have to move on the monorail, and may move on two rails arranged in parallel.

The plurality of second rotating shafts 26 have one side second rotating shaft 26a and the other side second rotating shaft 26b arranged on both sides in the width direction of the rail 23 and facing each other in the width direction. The inner peripheral surfaces of one or more first wheels 27 are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating shaft 25. Further, one or more inner peripheral surfaces of the one or more one-sided second wheels 28a are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the one-sided second rotating shaft 26a, and one or more other sides are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the other-side second rotating shaft 26b. The inner peripheral surface of the second wheel 28b is fixed.

The moving body 11 moves along the rail 23 by the following operation. Specifically, the first wheel 27 comes into contact with the upper surface 23b of the rail 23, and when the mobile motor 54 is driven, the first wheel 27 rotates along the upper surface 23b in the extending direction of the rail 23. Further, the second wheel 28a on one side comes into contact with the first side surface 23c in the width direction of the rail 23, and when the moving body motor 54 is driven, the second wheel 28a rotates and moves along the first side surface 23c in the extending direction of the rail 23. Further, the second wheel 28b on the other side comes into contact with the second side surface 23d in the width direction of the rail 23, and when the moving motor 54 is driven, the second wheel 28b rotates and moves along the second side surface 23d in the extending direction of the rail 23. The one-side second wheel 28a and the other-side second wheel 28b are arranged so as to sandwich the pair of first and second side surfaces 23c and 23d of the rail 23, and form the pair of first and second side surfaces 23c and 23d. Press. As a result, the moving body 11 is prevented from falling off from the rail 23.

Again, referring to FIG. 4, the brush motor 12 has a case 12a and a motor body 12b. The case 12a is fixed to the housing 11b of the moving body 11 via the tubular connecting portion 30. This fixation is performed, for example, as follows. Although not shown, the connecting portion 30 has flange portions at both ends in the extending direction. One flange portion is fixed to the housing 11b by fixing means, for example, fastening means or welding, and the other flange portion is fixed to the case 12a by fixing means, for example, fastening means or welding.

Wiring for supplying electric power to the motor body 12b is housed in the connection portion 30. The motor body 12b has a stator and a rotor, and a rotating shaft 12c is fixed to the rotor. The rotating shaft 12c is rotatably attached to the inner surface of the case 12a via a rolling bearing 31. The brush motor 12, the connecting portion 30, and the rotating shaft 12c are included in the connecting portion 59 that connects the moving body 11 and the brush 21. Further, a sealing member 32 such as an O-ring is attached to the outer side of the rolling bearing 31. As a result, it is possible to prevent or prevent water from entering the case 12a from the outside.

The rotating shaft 12c extends in the height direction, and the tip end side is housed in the water receiving portion 3. The brush 21 has a substantially annular shape, and the inner peripheral surface of the brush 21 is fixed to the tip end portion of the rotating shaft 12c. From this, when the brush motor 12 is driven, the rotation shaft 12c rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow A, and the brush 21 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow B along with the rotation. The bristles of the brush 21 are formed of, for example, natural bristles or nylon resin. The bristles of the brush 21 project in the substantially height direction, and the tips of the bristles come into contact with the bottom surface 3a of the water receiving portion 3. The outer peripheral surface of the brush 21 faces both of the pair of inner surfaces of the water receiving portion 3 in the radial direction of the brush 21 with a slight gap, and does not come into contact with both of the pair of inner surfaces. ..

The photographing device 13 has a case 13a and an image pickup device (not shown) composed of a CCD (Charged-coupled devices), a CMOS (Charged-coupled devices), or the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the case 13a is fixed to the side surface of the housing 11b of the moving body 11 on the water receiving portion 3 side by a fixing means such as a fastening member. As shown in FIG. 4, the lens 13b of the photographing device 13 is directed to the bottom surface 3a of the water receiving portion 3, and the photographing device 13 photographs a part (for example, most) or the entire area of the bottom surface 3a in the width direction. You can do it.

Again, referring to FIG. 3, the lighting device 14 is fixed to the side surface of the case 13a of the photographing device 13 on the container 15 side. The lighting device 14 has a light source, for example, a solid-state light emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) element or an inorganic EL element, or an incandescent lamp. As shown in FIG. 4, the optical axis L of the emitted light emitted from the light source is directed to the bottom surface 3a of the water receiving portion 3. The irradiation region of the light emitted from the light source includes most of the imaging region portion of the bottom surface 3a of the imaging region of the imaging device 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, the container 15 has a liquid storage chamber for storing the cleaning liquid. The container 15 may be made of any material, but is preferably made of a light resin. The container 15 is fixed to one side surface of the housing 11b of the moving body 11 in the extending direction of the rail 23. As shown in FIG. 4, the container 15 includes a container body 15a and a liquid guide pipe 15b. The container body 15a has a cleaning liquid injection port on the top plate, and the injection port is closed with a stopper 40 when the cleaning liquid is not injected.

The container body 15a has a discharge passage for cleaning liquid, and an on / off valve 41 that can only be fully opened or fully closed is installed in the discharge passage. The on / off valve 41 is composed of a solenoid valve, an electric ball valve, a pneumatic ball valve, or the like, and its opening / closing is controlled by using electric power. A liquid guide pipe 15b is connected to the liquid discharge side of the on / off valve 41 in the discharge passage. Further, the supply port 53 located at the end of the liquid guide pipe 15b opposite to the container body 15a side is housed in the water receiving portion 3. With reference to FIG. 4, the position of the supply port 53 is included in the existence range of the brush 21 with respect to the width direction of the bottom surface 3a shown in the Y direction. In FIG. 4, the X direction indicates the extending direction of the bottom surface 3a, and the Z direction indicates the height direction of the drain pan 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the outer and inner edges of the annular bottom surface 3a of the water receiving portion 3 have a substantially rectangular shape in which only the corner portions are curved in a plan view. Further, the drain water accommodating recess 4 is provided at one corner of the bottom surface 3a. Further, the drain pan 2 has a foreign matter accommodating recess 42 composed of recesses. The foreign matter accommodating recess 42 is provided at the end of the straight extending portion of the bottom surface 3a on the drain water accommodating recess 4 side so as to be adjacent to the drain water accommodating recess 4 at intervals. Further, the rail 23 has a substantially rectangular shape in which only the corners are curved in a plan view. Further, in a plan view, the base 18 is an end on the drain water accommodating recess 4 side in the upper portion of the linear extending portion 23d of the rail 23 substantially orthogonal to the linear extending portion 3c of the bottom surface 3a provided with the foreign matter accommodating recess 42. It is fixed to the portion by fixing means, for example, fastening means, welding, or the like. A more detailed structure and role of the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 will be described later.

A branch line of a power wiring for supplying electric power to the indoor unit of the air conditioner 1 is electrically connected to the base 18, and electric power from a commercial power source is supplied. As shown in FIG. 6, that is, the schematic plan view showing the moving body 11 and the base 18, the base 18 has a power supply device 18a. The power supply device 18a converts the AC power supplied via the cable 43 into DC power and also converts the input voltage into a predetermined voltage. As will be described in detail later, the mobile body 11 has a secondary battery (rechargeable battery) 11c. The power supply device may be built in the moving body, but by mounting the power supply device on the base 18 which is a stationary portion, it is possible to prevent the terminal for supplying high voltage power from being exposed to the outside, and the rail 23. It is also possible to reduce the weight of the moving body 11 that moves on the top.

The mobile body 11 is charged with electric power having a structure similar to that of a robot vacuum cleaner. Specifically, the power supply device 18a has a pair of terminals 45a and 45b exposed to the outside, and the moving body 11 also has a pair of terminals 46a and 46b exposed to the outside. Then, when the moving body 11 reaches a predetermined standby position, the pair of terminals 46a and 46b are electrically connected to the pair of terminals 45a and 45b, and the secondary battery 11c is filled with DC power. ing.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the pair of terminals 45a and 45b are formed of protruding electrodes, and the pair of terminals 46a and 46b are formed of the inner surface of the recess. Then, when the outer surface of one terminal 45a contacts the inner surface of one terminal 46a and the outer surface of the other terminal 45b contacts the inner surface of the other terminal 46b, the secondary battery 11c is charged with DC power. It has become. The pair of terminals 45a and 45b of the base 18 form a charging unit that is used to supply electric power to the moving body 11 and is exposed to the outside.

The structure for electrically connecting the moving body 11 to the base 18 may be any other structure. For example, the pair of terminals of the moving body are protruding electrodes, while the pair of terminals of the base are on the inner surface of the recess. It may be configured. Alternatively, all of the pair of terminals of the moving body and the pair of terminals of the base may be composed of a metal plate. Then, the surface of one metal plate-shaped terminal of the moving body comes into contact with the surface of one metal plate-shaped terminal of the base, and the surface of the other metal plate-shaped terminal of the moving body is the other metal plate of the base. Upon contact with the surface of the shaped terminal, the moving body and the base may be electrically connected.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, when the inclined wall 24 exists and the rail 23 is located on the outer side in the radial direction of the annular water receiving portion 3, when viewed from the height direction. , The moving body 11, the photographing device 13, the lighting device 14, the container 15, and the base 18 are all arranged at locations where they do not overlap with the heat exchanger 5. Therefore, the moving body 11, the photographing device 13, the lighting device 14, the container 15, and the base 18 all do not come into contact with the condensed water (drain water) that has fallen directly below from the heat exchanger 5, and the condensed water. Does not deteriorate due to contact with.

As shown in FIG. 1, the foreign matter scraping portion 19 is a part of the drain pan 2 and is arranged so as to overlap the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 when viewed from the height direction. The foreign matter scraping portion 19 is a rod-shaped portion, and extends over the opening of the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 in an orthogonal direction (horizontal direction) orthogonal to the height direction. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a peripheral portion of the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 in the drain pan 2. As shown in FIG. 7, the foreign matter scraping portion 19 extends in the orthogonal direction from the protruding portion 3d protruding upward in the height direction from the bottom surface 3a of the water receiving portion 3. As will be described in more detail later, as shown in FIG. 7, the brush 21 moves the bottom surface 3a in the extending direction as the moving body 11 moves, and the side surface 21a of the brush 21 has a height at the opening of the foreign matter accommodating recess 42. It is possible to contact the tip of the foreign matter scraping portion 19 at a position where it overlaps in the direction.

A control device is built in the mobile body 11, and the control device controls the operation of each electronic device. Next, the control contents will be described. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a portion related to the control of the control device 50 of the moving body 11.

As shown in FIG. 8, the mobile body 11 includes a wireless transmission / reception unit 51 in addition to the control device 50. The transmission / reception unit 51 is composed of, for example, an antenna capable of transmitting / receiving control signals. The transmission / reception unit 51 also serves as a movement command receiving unit, a shooting operation command receiving unit, a lighting operation command receiving unit, and a moving direction command receiving unit. The transmission / reception unit 51 receives a control signal from at least one of the maintenance controller 52 and the information processing device for facility management. For example, in the case of transmitting a control signal using the maintenance controller 52, a connection port for the maintenance controller 52 is provided in a facility such as a building, and a control line extends from the port to the base 18 by wire. .. Then, when the control signal is transmitted from the maintenance controller 52, the control signal is transmitted to the base 18 by wire, and then transmitted from the wireless transmission / reception unit provided on the base 18 to the transmission / reception unit 51 of the mobile body 11. By this wireless transmission, a control signal is output from the maintenance controller 52 to the control device 50.

The control device 50 has a control unit 50a and a storage unit 50b. The control unit 50a is preferably configured by, for example, a microcomputer and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Further, the storage unit 50b is composed of a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU reads and executes a program or the like stored in advance in the storage unit 50b. Further, the non-volatile memory stores a control program, a predetermined threshold value, and the like in advance. In addition, the volatile memory temporarily stores the read program and processing data.

The control unit 50a has a mobile motor 54, a brush motor 12, a photographing device 13, a lighting device 14, and an on / off valve 41 based on a control signal from the maintenance controller 52 and a program stored in the storage unit 50b. Control signals are output to control the operation of those parts. Further, the control unit 50a can control the moving body motor 54 up to the rotation direction.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the maintenance controller 52. As shown in FIG. 9, the maintenance controller 52 has, for example, a foldable structure. The maintenance controller 52 is, for example, a device selection operation unit 52a, a mode selection operation unit 52b, a moving body movement direction selection unit 52c, a brush motor on / off selection unit 52d, a photographing device on / off selection unit 52e, a lighting device on / off selection unit 52f, and a valve open / close selection unit. It has a unit 52g, a display unit 52h, and a touch pad 52i. The display unit 52h is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, or the like.

A person can select an automatic mode or a manual mode in a desired device. Specifically, when the device selection operation unit 52a is pressed, the display unit 52h displays all the devices managed by the facility with icons together with identifiable information. For example, a person can use the touch pad 52i to select an icon corresponding to a device to be selected with a finger, and the desired device can be selected by the selection.

Further, when the mode selection operation unit 52b is pressed, the display unit 52h displays the automatic mode icon and the manual mode icon. For example, a person can use the touchpad 52i to select an icon corresponding to a desired mode, and the tip of the touchpad 52i allows a person to select an automatic mode or a manual mode for the selected device.

In the above configuration, when a person selects the automatic mode, for example, the control device 50 executes the next control. Specifically, the control device 50 moves the moving body 11 in a predetermined manner, for example, moves the moving body 11 back and forth from the charging position where charging is executed to the contact position where the brush 21 contacts the foreign matter scraping portion 19 one or more times. Has come to be realized. Here, a program for causing the moving body 11 to execute such an exercise is stored in advance in the storage unit 50b of the control device 50, and the control unit 50a of the control device 50 sends a control signal to the moving body motor 54 based on the program. Is executed by outputting. The distance traveled by the moving body 11 when the wheels of the moving body 11 make one rotation is known. Therefore, the moving operation of the moving body 11 can be precisely controlled by the control of the moving body motor 54, and the moving body 11 can easily reciprocate once or more from the charging position to the contact position.

Further, in the automatic mode, the control unit 50a drives and controls the brush motor 12 from the start of the movement of the moving body 11 to the end of the movement, while when the moving body 11 stops, the brush motor 12 is driven. It is designed to stop and control. Further, in the automatic mode, the control unit 50a opens and controls the on / off valve 41 from the start of the movement of the moving body 11 to the end of the movement, while the on / off valve 41 is closed and controlled when the moving body 11 stops. It is designed to do.

The container 15 is filled with a cleaning liquid. From this, when the automatic mode is selected, the brush 21 is rotated while the cleaning liquid is continuously dropped on the bottom surface 3a of the water receiving portion 3 and reciprocated one or more times in the extending direction of the bottom surface 3a. Can be done. Therefore, at least a part of the foreign matter adhering to the bottom surface 3a of the water receiving portion 3 can be removed from the bottom surface 3a, and the bottom surface 3a can be kept in a clean state.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, at the contact position, the brush 21 can be brought into contact with the tip of the foreign matter scraping portion 19 while rotating on the opening of the foreign matter accommodating recess 42. Therefore, by this operation, foreign matter such as slime adhering to the brush 21 can be eliminated into the foreign matter accommodating recess 42, the brush 21 can be regenerated in a clean state, and the foreign matter adhering to the brush 21 can be efficiently accommodated. It can be accommodated in the recess 42.

As shown in FIG. 7, the drain pan 2 has a stopper 48. At the bottom of the foreign matter accommodating recess 42, there is a through hole 47 extending in the height direction. The stopper 48 is removable from the drain pan 2 and can be press-fitted into the through hole 47 so as to close the through hole 47. The stopper 48 constitutes a foreign matter discharging portion that selectively executes whether to communicate or shut off the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 and the space under the drain pan 2. By removing the plug 48, the foreign matter in the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 can be taken out to the outside through the through hole 47 without disassembling the air conditioner 1. Further, in the automatic mode, the bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2 can be cleaned by a very simple operation, for example, a button pressing operation once.

On the other hand, when the manual mode is selected, a person can manually control the mobile motor 54, the brush motor 12, the photographing device 13, the lighting device 14, and the on / off valve 41. Specifically, a person can select to drive or stop the photographing device 13 by using the photographing device on / off selection unit 52e, and transmit and receive the image data of the image of the bottom surface 3a of the water receiving unit 3 photographed by the photographing device 13. , Can be received by the maintenance controller 52 via the transmission / reception unit of the base 18, and the video can be displayed on the display unit 52h.

Further, a person can select to drive or stop the lighting device 14 by using the lighting device on / off selection unit 52f, and even when the inside of the air conditioner 1 is dark, by turning on the lighting device 14, the air conditioner 1 can be turned on. The inside can be brightened and shooting can be performed reliably. Further, a person can select the drive or stop of the brush motor 12 by using the brush motor on / off selection unit 52d, and can select the open state or the closed state of the on / off valve 41 by using the valve open / close selection unit 52g.

Further, a person can select the rotation direction of the moving body motor 54, that is, the traveling direction of the moving body 11, by using the moving body moving direction selection unit 52c. More specifically, the moving body moving direction selection unit 52c is composed of two buttons 52j and 52k, and when one of the buttons 52j is continuously pressed, the moving body 11 moves in one direction while the other is held. When the button 52k of the above is continuously pressed, the moving body 11 moves in the other direction during the period in which the button 52k is continuously pressed. Further, if neither of the buttons 52j and 52k is pressed, the moving body 11 is stationary.

For this reason, when a person confirms a heavily soiled portion based on the image of the bottom surface 3a projected on the display unit 52h, the moving body 11 is driven around the heavily soiled portion after driving the brush motor. Can be reciprocated multiple times. Therefore, the rotating brush 21 can be repeatedly pressed against the heavily soiled portion, and the heavily soiled portion can be intensively cleaned.

As described above, the cleaning device 10 of the present disclosure is used when cleaning the drain pan 2 of the air conditioner 1. Further, the cleaning device 10 includes a rail 23 provided along the peripheral edge of the drain pan 2 and a moving body 11 movable along the rail 23. Further, the cleaning device 10 is connected to the moving body 11 via a connecting portion 59, and a signal indicating that the brush 21 slidable on the bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2 and the moving body 11 are moved along the rail 23. 51 is provided as a transmission / reception unit (movement command reception unit) 51 for receiving the above.

Therefore, a signal indicating that the moving body 11 is moved to the transmission / reception unit 51 by wire or wirelessly using the signal transmission unit provided in the maintenance controller 52, the remote controller of the air conditioner 1, the information processing device for equipment management, or the like is transmitted. The moving body 11 can be moved along the rail 23 only by transmitting, and the brush 21 can be slid on the bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2 accordingly. Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust and slime from accumulating on the bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2 and increasing the size, and it becomes easy to discharge the foreign matter together with the drain water to the outside by the drain pump before the foreign matter becomes large. Therefore, foreign matter on the bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2 can be easily discharged without disassembling the air conditioner 1, so that the bottom surface of the drain pan 2 can be easily cleaned and clogging of the drainage portion of the drain pump or the like can be suppressed.

Further, the cleaning device 10 includes a drain pan 2, and the drain pan 2 projects substantially parallel to the annular water receiving portion 3 that receives the drain water in the height direction and is located outside the water receiving portion 3. Even if the rail 23 that guides the moving body 11 and the upper end portion of the water receiving portion 3 and the lower end portion of the rail 23 are connected to each other and have an inclined wall 24 that moves toward the water receiving portion 3 side as it goes downward. Good.

According to the above configuration, the moving body 11 can be moved outside the water receiving portion 3, and can be moved at a position where it does not come into contact with the condensed water that is condensed and dropped by the heat exchanger 5. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the moving body 11 from failing due to contact with the condensed water. Further, the upper end portion of the water receiving portion 3 and the lower end portion of the rail 23 are connected by an inclined wall 24 that moves toward the water receiving portion 3 side as it goes downward. Therefore, the dew condensation water that has fallen and is received on the inner surface of the inclined wall 24 can be smoothly guided to the water receiving portion 3 side by the inclined wall 24. Further, as compared with the case where the drain pan and the rail are separate members, a mechanism in which the moving body 11 moves around the water receiving portion 3 of the drain pan 2 can be constructed inexpensively and compactly.

Further, the cleaning device 10 may include a photographing device 13 that moves integrally with the moving body 11 and a transmission / reception unit (photographing operation command receiving unit) 51 that receives a signal including information on the operation of the photographing device 13. ..

The shooting operation command receiving unit may be provided separately from the moving command receiving unit. Alternatively, as in the present embodiment, the movement command receiving unit may also serve as the photographing operation command receiving unit. Further, the signal including the information regarding the operation of the photographing device 13 may be a signal indicating that the moving body 11 is moved, and when the moving body 11 is moving, shooting is performed while the moving body 11 is stopped. , You may end the shooting.

According to this configuration, it is possible to sequentially check the contamination status of the drain pan 2 around the moving body 11 without disassembling the air conditioner 1 simply by moving the moving body 11 while the photographing device 13 is operating. .. Therefore, it can be determined whether or not full-scale cleaning that requires disassembly of the air conditioner 1 is necessary without disassembling the air conditioner 1.

Further, the cleaning device 10 moves integrally with the moving body 11 and emits light to the photographing area photographed by the photographing device 13, and a transmission / reception unit that receives a signal including information on the operation of the lighting device 14. (Lighting operation command receiving unit) 51 may be provided.

The lighting operation command receiving unit may be provided separately from the movement command receiving unit, or may be provided separately from the photographing operation command receiving unit. Alternatively, as in the present embodiment, the movement command receiving unit may also serve as the lighting operation command receiving unit, and the shooting operation command receiving unit may also serve as the lighting operation command receiving unit. Further, the signal including the information regarding the operation of the photographing device 13 may also be used as the signal including the information regarding the operation of the lighting device 14. For example, when the photographing device 13 is photographing, the lighting device 14 emits light. On the other hand, when the photographing is completed, the lighting device 14 may end the irradiation of light.

The inside of the air conditioner 1 is often dark, and especially when the air conditioner 1 is for business use and is installed in the attic or the like, the darkness becomes remarkable. According to this configuration, the lighting device 14 can illuminate the shooting area of the shooting device 13. Therefore, the contamination status of the drain pan 2 can be reliably photographed.

Further, the cleaning device 10 may include a transmission / reception unit (movement direction command reception unit) 51 that receives a signal for controlling the movement direction of the moving body 11 with respect to the rail 23.

The moving direction command receiving unit may be provided separately from the moving command receiving unit, may be provided separately from the photographing operation command receiving unit, or may be provided separately from the lighting operation command receiving unit. Alternatively, the movement command receiving unit may also serve as the moving direction command receiving unit, the shooting operation command receiving unit may also serve as the moving direction command receiving unit, and the lighting operation command receiving unit may also use the moving direction command receiving unit. You may also use the part.

According to this configuration, a person can control the moving direction of the moving body 11. Therefore, when a heavily soiled portion can be found by photographing with the photographing apparatus 13, the contaminated portion can be intensively and repeatedly cleaned with the brush 21, and the bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2 can be efficiently cleaned.

Further, the cleaning device 10 may include a base 18 that is electrically connected to an external power source. Further, the base 18 may have a pair of terminals 45a and 45b that are used to supply electric power to the moving body 11 and are exposed to the outside. Further, when the moving body 11 has the secondary battery 11c and the moving body 11 is positioned at a predetermined relative position with respect to the base 18 in a state where the base 18 is electrically connected to the external power source, the secondary battery 11c is paired. It may be charged by the electric power from the terminals 45a and 45b of.

According to this configuration, it is not necessary to connect the power supply wiring to the mobile body 11. Therefore, the wiring for power supply is not entangled during the movement of the moving body 11, and the moving body 11 can be moved smoothly.

Further, the cleaning device 10 may include a brush motor 12 that moves integrally with the moving body 11. The cleaning unit may be the brush 21 attached to the rotating shaft 12c that is rotated by the drive of the brush motor 12.

According to this configuration, the bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2 can be rubbed with a rotating brush. Therefore, the foreign matter on the bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2 can be easily crushed and peeled off, and the drain pan 2 can be efficiently cleaned.

Further, the cleaning device 10 includes a drain water accommodating recess 4 for accommodating drain water sucked to the outside by a drain pump, and a foreign matter accommodating recess 42 located at a position different from the drain water accommodating recess 4 for accommodating foreign matter. A drain pan 2 having the above on the bottom surface 3a may be provided. Further, the moving body 11 may be able to move to a position where at least a part of the brush 21 overlaps the opening of the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 when viewed from the height direction. Then, the cleaning device 10 may include a foreign matter scraping portion 19 that comes into contact with at least a part of the brush 21 at a portion that overlaps the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 when viewed from the height direction.

According to this configuration, at least a part of the foreign matter adhering to the brush 21 can be dropped into the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 only by rotating the brush 21 at a position where the brush 21 comes into contact with the foreign matter scraping portion 19. .. Therefore, the foreign matter can be dropped into the foreign matter accommodating recess 42, and at the same time, the brush 21 can be cleaned. Therefore, not only can foreign matter be efficiently accommodated in the foreign matter accommodating recess 42, but also the foreign matter removing performance of the brush 21 can be improved.

Further, the drain pan 2 may have a stopper 48 that selectively executes whether the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 and the space under the drain pan 2 communicate with each other or shut off.

According to this configuration, the foreign matter accumulated in the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 can be easily taken out of the air conditioner 1 without disassembling the air conditioner 1.

Further, the cleaning device 10 may include a container 15 that moves integrally with the moving body 11. Further, the container 15 may have a supply port 53 that overlaps at least one of the brush 21 and the annular water receiving portion 3 that receives the drain water when viewed from the height direction. Further, the inside of the container 15 is filled with a cleaning liquid, and at least while the moving body 11 is moving, the space inside the container 15 and the space outside the container 15 pass through the supply port 53. You may communicate.

According to the above configuration, the drain pan 2 can be cleaned cleanly and neatly using the cleaning liquid.

Further, the drain pan 2 of the present disclosure is a rail used for moving the moving body 11, which protrudes substantially parallel to the annular water receiving portion 3 that receives the drain water and is located outside the water receiving portion 3. 23 is provided with an inclined wall 24 that connects the upper end portion of the water receiving portion 3 and the lower end portion of the rail 23 and moves toward the water receiving portion 3 side as it goes downward.

According to the present disclosure, the moving body 11 can be moved at a position where it does not come into contact with the condensed water that is condensed and dropped by the heat exchanger 5, and the condensed water that has fallen and is received by the inner surface of the inclined wall 24 is inclined. The wall 24 can smoothly guide the water receiving portion 3 side. Further, as compared with the case where the drain pan 2 and the rail 23 are separate members, a mechanism in which the moving body 11 moves around the water receiving portion 3 of the drain pan 2 can be constructed inexpensively and compactly.

Further, the air conditioner 1 of the present disclosure includes a heat exchanger 5, a drain pan 2 for receiving the condensed water generated by the heat exchanger 5, and a cleaning device 10 of the present disclosure.

According to the present disclosure, the drain pan 2 can be easily cleaned, and clogging of a drainage portion such as a drain pump can be suppressed.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment and its modifications, and various improvements and changes can be made within the scope of the claims of the present application and the equivalent scope thereof.

For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the cleaning device 10 has a photographing device 13, a lighting device 14, a container 15, a foreign matter accommodating recess 42, and a foreign matter scraping portion 19 has been described. However, the cleaning device may not have a photographing device and a lighting device, and may not have a container. Further, the cleaning device may not have a foreign matter accommodating recess and may not have a foreign matter scraping portion.

Further, the case where the drain pan 2 has an inclined wall 24 that connects the upper end portion of the water receiving portion 3 and the lower end portion of the rail 23 and moves toward the water receiving portion 3 side as it goes downward has been described. However, the drain pan does not have to have a sloping wall. Further, the rail may be provided separately from the drain pan and may be arranged outside the outer edge of the drain pan.

Further, a case where the photographing device 13 and the lighting device 14 do not come into contact with the condensed water falling directly below from the heat exchanger 5 by providing the inclined wall 24 on the drain pan 2 has been described. However, the photographing device and the lighting device may be arranged directly above the bottom surface of the water receiving portion, and the bottom surface may be photographed from directly above the bottom surface by the photographing device, and the light emitted from the lighting device may be directly above the bottom surface. You may try to illuminate the bottom surface from. In this case, it is preferable to provide waterproof measures to one or both of the photographing device and the lighting device.

Further, a case where a device having a signal transmitting unit such as a maintenance controller 52 can select an automatic mode and a manual mode has been described, and a case where a person can manually control the traveling direction of the moving body 11 has been described. However, the person may only be able to select the automatic mode and may not be able to manually control the traveling direction of the moving body.

Further, the case where the moving body 11 has the secondary battery 11c and the cleaning device 10 includes the base 18 for charging the secondary battery 11c has been described. However, the mobile body may not have a secondary battery, and power may be supplied to the mobile body 11 from the outside by using a power supply line.

Further, when there is a through hole 47 extending in the height direction at the bottom of the foreign matter accommodating recess 42, and the plug (foreign matter discharge portion) can be press-fitted into the through hole 47 so as to close the through hole 47. Explained. However, the drain pan may have a foreign matter accommodating recess having no through hole at the bottom, and the drain pan may not have a foreign matter discharging portion.

Further, a case where the cleaning unit is a brush 21 and the cleaning device 10 includes a brush motor 12 for rotating the brush 21 has been described. However, when the cleaning unit is a brush, the cleaning device does not have to have a brush motor for rotating the brush. Moreover, the cleaning part does not have to be a brush.

Specifically, referring to FIG. 10A, that is, a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4 in the cleaning device 110 of the modified example, the cleaning device 110 has a foreign matter accommodating recess 42 on the bottom surface for accommodating the foreign matter. A drain pan 2 may be provided. Further, the cleaning portion is a spatula 121, and the material of the spatula 121 may be metal, rubber, or the like. Further, the spatula 121 may be fixed to the housing 11b of the moving body 11 via the shaft member 188. Specifically, one end of the shaft member 188 may be fixed to the housing 11b, while the other end of the shaft member 188 may extend in the height direction and the spatula 121 may be fixed to the other end of the shaft member 188. .. Further, as shown in FIG. 10B, that is, a cross-sectional view when the spatula 121 is cut in a plane including its extending direction and height direction, the spatula 121 approaches the foreign matter accommodating recess 42 side. It may be a tapered shape with a small wall thickness. Then, when the moving body 11 moves along the rail 23, the spatula 121 pushes the foreign matter on the bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2 toward the front side in the moving direction of the spatula 121, and the moving body 11 pushes at least one of the foreign matters pushed out by the spatula 121. The portion may be movable to a position where it can be accommodated in the foreign matter accommodating recess 42.

According to this modification, at least a part of the foreign matter on the bottom surface 3a of the drain pan 2 can be pushed out to the foreign matter storage recess 42 by the spatula 121 and stored in the foreign matter storage recess 42. Therefore, the cleaning unit can be constructed at low cost, and cleaning can be easily performed. In the cleaning device 110 of the modified example shown in FIG. 10, the user may be able to select the above-mentioned automatic mode and manual mode by using a device having a signal transmitting unit, or even if only the automatic mode can be selected. Good.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the cleaning device 210 of another embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drain pump 224 installed around a drain water accommodating recess 220a provided in a corner of the drain pan 202. Is. The drain water accommodating recess 220a is a recess provided on the bottom surface of the water receiving portion, and the water depth is deeper than other portions on the bottom surface of the water receiving portion.

The drain pump 224 is arranged directly above the drain water accommodating recess 220a, has a function of sucking up the drain water stored in the drain pan 202, and has a funnel-shaped housing 226 and an impeller housed in the housing 226. It has a 228 and a drive motor 277 that rotationally drives the impeller 228. The housing 226 is formed with a circular suction port 226a at the lower tip portion, and a discharge port (not shown) for connecting a drainage pipe (not shown) is provided on the upper end side side surface. ing. The impeller 228 is rotationally driven by a drive motor 277, and the drain water sucked up from the suction port 226a due to the negative pressure generated by the rotation is discharged from the discharge port 226b to the drainage pipe on the downstream side. ..

The cleaning device 210 has a motor 280 and a brush 282 fixed to the tip of a rotating shaft 281 that is rotated by driving the motor 280. The case 280a of the motor 280 is fixed to the housing 226 by fixing means, for example, fastening means, welding, or the like. The rotating shaft 281 extends in the height direction, is rotatable by a motor 280, and can be expanded and contracted by an expansion and contraction mechanism such as an electric cylinder.

A person can control the drive or stop of the motor by using a device such as a maintenance controller having a signal transmitting unit, and by controlling the expansion / contraction mechanism, the length of the rotating shaft 281 can also be adjusted. From this, when the drain water accommodating recess 220a is provided on the bottom surface of the drain pan 2 and is a recess accommodating the drain water sucked out by the drain pump 224, the person rotates the rotating shaft 281. For at least a portion of the period, the brush 282 can be accommodated in the drain water accommodating recess 220a.

Larger foreign matter is likely to be generated in the drain water accommodating recess 220a. According to the present disclosure, by rotating the motor 280, such an enlarged foreign matter can be easily crushed. Therefore, the crushed foreign matter can be efficiently discharged to the outside by the drain pump 224 together with the drain water.

1 Air conditioner, 2,202 Drain pan, 3 Water receiving part, 3a Bottom, 3b Upper end, 4,220a Drain water storage recess, 5 Heat exchanger, 10,110,210 Cleaning device, 11 Moving body, 11a Lower end , 11c rechargeable battery, 12 brush motor, 12c rotating shaft, 13 photographing device, 14 lighting device, 15 container, 18 base, 19 foreign matter scraping part, 21,282 brush, 23 rail, 24 inclined wall, 41 on / off valve , 42 Foreign matter accommodating recess, 45a, 45b base terminal, 47 through hole, 48 plug, 51 transmitter / receiver, 53 supply port, 59 connecting part, 121 spatula, 224 drain pump, 280 motor, 281 rotating shaft.

Claims (14)

A cleaning device used to clean the drain pan of an air conditioner.
A rail provided along the periphery of the drain pan and
A moving body that can move along the rail and
A cleaning unit that is connected to the moving body via a connecting unit and can slide on the bottom surface of the drain pan.
A movement command receiving unit that receives a signal indicating that the moving body is moved along the rail, and
A cleaning device equipped with. With the drain pan
The drain pan
An annular water receiving part that receives drain water and
The rail, which projects substantially parallel to the height direction and is located outside the water receiving portion to guide the moving body,
An inclined wall that connects the upper end portion of the water receiving portion and the lower end portion of the rail and moves toward the water receiving portion side as it goes downward.
The cleaning device according to claim 1. An imaging device that moves integrally with the moving body,
An imaging operation command receiving unit that receives a signal including information on the operation of the imaging device, and
The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2. A lighting device that can move integrally with the moving body and emit light to a shooting area shot by the shooting device.
A lighting operation command receiving unit that receives a signal including information on the operation of the lighting device, and
3. The cleaning device according to claim 3. The cleaning device according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising a moving direction command receiving unit that receives a signal for controlling the moving direction of the moving body with respect to the rail. It comprises a base that is electrically connected to an external power source and has a charging unit that is used to power the mobile and is exposed to the outside.
The moving body has a secondary battery and
When the moving body is positioned at a predetermined relative position with respect to the base while the base is electrically connected to the external power source, the secondary battery is charged by the electric power from the charging unit. 5. The cleaning device according to any one of 5. The drain pan having the foreign matter accommodating recess on the bottom surface for accommodating the foreign matter is provided.
The cleaning part is a spatula,
When the moving body moves along the rail, the spatula pushes a foreign substance on the bottom surface of the drain pan toward the front side in the moving direction of the spatula.
The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the moving body can move at least a part of the foreign matter pushed out by the spatula to a position where the foreign matter can be accommodated in the foreign matter accommodating recess. A motor that moves integrally with the moving body is provided.
The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cleaning unit is a brush attached to a rotating shaft that is rotated by driving the motor. The drain pan is provided with a drain water accommodating recess for accommodating drain water sucked to the outside by a drain pump and a foreign matter accommodating recess for accommodating foreign matter located at a position different from the drain water accommodating recess. ,
The moving body can move to a position where at least a part of the brush overlaps with the opening of the foreign matter accommodating recess when viewed from the height direction.
The cleaning device according to claim 8, further comprising a foreign matter scraping portion that contacts at least a part of the brush at a portion that overlaps the foreign matter accommodating recess when viewed from the height direction. The cleaning device according to claim 7 or 9, wherein the drain pan has a foreign matter discharging portion that selectively executes whether the foreign matter accommodating recess and the space under the drain pan are communicated with each other or cut off. A container that moves integrally with the moving body is provided.
The container has a supply port that overlaps at least one of the cleaning portion and the annular water receiving portion that receives drain water when viewed from the height direction.
The container is filled with a cleaning liquid.
One of claims 1 to 10, wherein the space inside the container and the space outside the container communicate with each other through the supply port, at least for a part of the period during which the moving body is moving. The cleaning device described. A cleaning device used to clean the drain pan of an air conditioner.
With the motor
A brush fixed to a rotating shaft that is rotated by driving the motor is provided.
The brush is housed in a drain water storage recess provided on the bottom surface of the drain pan for at least a part of the period during which the rotation shaft is rotating.
The drain water storage recess is a cleaning device that stores drain water sucked out by a drain pump. An annular water receiving part that receives drain water and
A rail that projects substantially parallel to the height direction and is located outside the water receiving portion and is used for moving the moving body.
An inclined wall that connects the upper end portion of the water receiving portion and the lower end portion of the rail and moves toward the water receiving portion side as it goes downward.
With a drain pan. With a heat exchanger
A drain pan that receives the condensed water generated by the heat exchanger and
The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
Equipped with an air conditioner.

Images