JP2953373B2 - Air conditioner and method of sterilizing air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner,
More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel air conditioner capable of performing a fungus-proof operation and a method of sterilizing the air conditioner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an air conditioner, when a cooling operation is performed, dew condensation occurs on a portion (hereinafter, referred to as an indoor unit) disposed indoors, and dust easily accumulates, so that an environment in which mold easily propagates. It has become. In addition, installation work is performed,
In an air conditioner that has been performing the air conditioning operation for a considerable period of time, there is a high possibility that considerable mold has been generated in the indoor unit. Some of these molds are discharged from the air outlet during air-conditioning operation, causing the people in the room to feel a moldy odor or develop allergies. Is causing the problem.

[0003] In order to solve such inconvenience, conventionally, (1) the panel of the indoor unit is removed or disassembled,
A method of cleaning using a cleaning liquid, and (2) a method of applying an antibacterial coating treatment to a portion where mold easily grows are adopted.

[0004]

When the method (1) is adopted, for example, a filter or the like is attached to an indoor unit in a state where it can be easily removed by a user. Fungi can be removed. However, heat exchangers, internal fans, etc. are not installed so that users can easily remove them,
In addition, since it is not mounted so that cleaning and cleaning can be easily performed, the above-mentioned inconvenience occurs due to the fungus that has propagated in these portions. That is, it is impossible to completely eliminate the inconvenience caused by mold.

When the method (2) is adopted, the surface or the inside of the material is impregnated with an antibacterial agent, so that it is considered that the growth of mold can be prevented. However, considering the manufacturing cost and the purpose of the parts, it is impossible to perform antibacterial coating on all parts, and mold will propagate on parts that have not been subjected to antibacterial coating. In addition, since the antibacterial agent has no effect unless it is in contact with the antibacterial agent, if dust accumulates on the component that has been subjected to the antibacterial coating treatment, it has no effect on the fungus that propagates on the dust. Since it is impossible to completely eliminate the accumulation of dust when using the air conditioner, it is impossible to eliminate the inconvenience caused by mold even by applying an antibacterial coating treatment. Further, the antimicrobial agent itself has a finite life (usually about two years), whereas the life of an air conditioner is much longer. It is impossible to eliminate the inconvenience caused by mold.

Furthermore, the antibacterial agents currently used have almost no fungicidal effect on fungi and no effect on spores, so that it is almost impossible to eliminate the inconvenience caused by mold.

[0007]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an air conditioner which can be effectively sterilized in the indoor unit of the air conditioner and which can proliferate fungi and bacteria. It is intended to provide.

[0008]

According to the air conditioner of the present invention, the inside of the housing of the air conditioner disposed indoors is heated to a temperature at which the air conditioner can be sterilized for a predetermined time by controlling the refrigerant of the air conditioner. And a humidifier for humidifying the inside of the housing when the temperature is raised by the heater.

[0009] The air conditioner according to the second aspect employs a means for intermittently raising the temperature as the temperature raising means. The air conditioner according to claim 3 employs a heat exchanger provided in the housing as the temperature raising means. The air conditioner according to claim 4 further includes a sealing unit that seals the housing when the temperature is raised by the temperature raising unit.

[0010] The air conditioner according to claim 5 employs a means for supplying moisture as the humidifying means. Claim 6
The air conditioner adopts a humidifying unit that evaporates water. The air conditioner of claim 7 is
Before the air conditioner performs a normal operation, the air conditioner further includes a water removing and discharging means for removing and discharging the water in the housing.

According to the sterilization method of the present invention, the inside of the housing of the air conditioner placed indoors is heated to a temperature at which the interior of the housing of the air conditioner can be sterilized for a predetermined time by controlling the refrigerant of the air conditioner. This is a method of humidifying the inside of the housing.

[0012]

According to the air conditioner of the first aspect, the temperature of the air conditioner is controlled by the temperature raising means so that the inside of the housing of the air conditioner placed indoors can be sterilized for a predetermined time. Since the temperature is increased and the inside of the housing is humidified by the humidifying means at the time of the temperature increase, the inside of the housing is in a high-temperature wet heat state, and fungi (including fungi except spores) can be killed. The spores do not die here, but in a comfortable environment the mycelium begins to grow,
By intermittently bringing the inside of the housing into a high-temperature wet heat state, it can be almost completely killed, including spores. As a result, inconvenience caused by fungi represented by mold can be eliminated.

[0013] In the air conditioner of the second aspect, since the temperature increasing means that intermittently raises the temperature is employed, the fungus can be more completely killed. In the case of a harmony device, a heat exchanger provided in the housing is adopted as the temperature raising means.
Alternatively, the same operation as the second aspect can be achieved.

According to the air conditioner of the fourth aspect, since the air conditioner further includes a sealing means for sealing the casing when the temperature is raised by the temperature raising means, it is possible to reliably maintain a high-temperature wet heat state. In addition, fungi can be more reliably killed. According to the air conditioner of claim 5, since the humidifying unit is configured to supply moisture,
It is possible to reliably obtain a high-temperature wet heat state, and to surely kill fungi.

According to the air conditioner of the present invention, since the means for evaporating water is adopted as the humidifying means, it is possible to surely obtain a high-temperature wet heat state and to surely kill fungi. Can be. According to the air conditioner of claim 7, since the air conditioner further includes a water removing and discharging means for removing and discharging the water in the housing before the normal operation, the humidity is extremely high during the normal operation. The inconvenience that air flows out can be reliably prevented.

According to the sterilization method of the present invention, by controlling the refrigerant of the air conditioner, the inside of the housing of the air conditioner placed in the room is heated to a sterilizable temperature for a predetermined time, and the temperature is raised. Since the inside of the case is sometimes humidified, the inside of the case becomes hot and moist, and fungi (including fungi other than spores) can be killed. The spores do not die here, but when the environment becomes comfortable, the hyphae begin to elongate. Can be. As a result, inconvenience caused by fungi represented by mold can be eliminated.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the air conditioner of the present invention. This air conditioner has an indoor unit 2 and an outdoor unit 3 connected to each other by a refrigerant pipe 1, and the indoor unit 2, the outdoor unit 3
Is provided with a controller 4 for controlling the operation. Also,
A remote controller 5 for setting an operation mode, a set temperature, a set air volume, and the like is provided. The remote controller 5 has an operation unit for instructing a sterilization operation, in addition to an operation unit for setting an operation mode, a set temperature, a set air volume, and the like. Here, the heating unit and the humidifying unit are realized by performing the heating operation of the outdoor unit 3.

The indoor unit 2 is connected to a drain pan (not shown) by a drain pipe 2a. Further, as is well known in the art, the indoor unit 2 has a suction port 2b for sucking air on a front surface and an upper surface, and a blowing port 2c for blowing air on a lower surface. Further, a water storage tank, an evaporator, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an internal fan, a heat exchanger, and the like (not shown) are provided inside the indoor unit 2. Further, a control unit (not shown) for performing various operations required for air conditioning based on commands from the controller 4, setting conditions, and the like is provided.

The constructions of the outdoor unit 3, the controller 4, and the remote controller 5 are generally known in the prior art, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 2 shows an air conditioner having the above configuration.
It is a flowchart explaining the sterilization operation of the indoor unit 2.
In step SP1, the suction port 2 of the indoor unit 2 is provided on condition that the sterilization operation command is supplied from the remote controller 5.
b and the outlet 2c are closed, and the display unit (not shown) indicates that the sterilization operation is to be performed, if necessary. Next, in step SP2, a command is issued to the outdoor unit 3 to perform the heating operation, and in step SP3, the temperature and humidity inside the indoor unit 2 are measured. Step SP
At 4, it is determined whether the temperature has reached a predetermined temperature (eg, 65 ° C.) and the humidity has reached a first predetermined humidity (eg, 80%). If the temperature has not reached the predetermined temperature or if it is determined that the humidity has not reached the first predetermined humidity, the process of step SP3 is performed again.

If it is determined in step SP4 that the temperature has reached the predetermined temperature and the humidity has reached the first predetermined humidity, in step SP5, the elapsed time is a predetermined time (for example, 20 to 30 minutes or more). Is started, the internal fan of the indoor unit 2 is operated at a low speed in step SP6, and it is determined whether or not the timer has timed out in step SP7. If the time has not elapsed, the process of step SP6 is performed again.

If it is determined in step SP7 that the timer has expired, in step SP8, a part of the heat exchanger of the indoor unit 2 is changed to a cooling cycle, and a dehumidifying operation is performed in step SP9. I do. Thereafter, in step SP10, the humidity becomes the second
It is determined whether the humidity has decreased to a predetermined humidity (for example, 40%). If the humidity has not decreased to the second predetermined humidity, the process of step SP9 is performed again. Conversely, if it is determined in step SP10 that the humidity has decreased to the second predetermined humidity, the dehumidification operation is stopped in step SP11, and the sterilization operation is terminated as it is.

Therefore, normal air conditioning operation can be performed thereafter. If the above sterilization operation is performed, the inside of the indoor unit 2 is kept at a predetermined temperature or higher and a first predetermined humidity or higher for a predetermined time, so that fungi (including fungi) are killed excluding spores. be able to. Here, the first predetermined humidity can be appropriately selected according to the type of fungi that propagates inside the indoor unit 2. Specifically, fungi are roughly classified into high-humidity type, normal type, and dry type, and the humidity required to kill each of them is different, so the type of fungi that propagates inside the indoor unit 2 in advance is determined. Investigation may be performed, and the first predetermined humidity may be selected based on the result of the investigation. In addition, since the predetermined temperature may be set to, for example, about 60 to 70 ° C., a high temperature that adversely affects the internal mechanism of the indoor unit 2 is not required.

Further, spores cannot be killed only by performing the process of the flowchart of FIG. 2 once. However, since the interior of the indoor unit 2 is an environment in which fungi propagate, the spores that existed when the processing in the flowchart of FIG. 2 was performed subsequently began to elongate the hyphae in a comfortable environment. , Change to a proliferative type. Therefore, by performing the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 2 again, the proliferation type can be killed. In other words, the fungus can be completely killed by performing the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 2 again at intervals of a predetermined time (for example, 24 hours) or more.

Specifically, for example, the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 2 may be performed every day. Further, instead of performing the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 2 based on the sterilization operation command from the remote controller 5, the controller 4 automatically outputs the sterilization operation command, and for example, for a predetermined time every day (preferably at night, for example). (Time), the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 2 may be performed. Further, for example, in response to the sterilization operation command being given by the remote controller 5 at the time when the cooling operation is not performed, a predetermined number of days (for example, three days) for a predetermined period of time (preferably at night) The processing of the flowchart of FIG. 2 may be performed at a fixed time).

By performing the above-mentioned treatment, fungi existing on the fins of the heat exchanger, dust adhering between the fins, fungi existing on the local sealing material of the heat exchanger, and adhesion near the drain port on the drain pan are obtained. Fungi on the kimono, fungi on the back of the vertical blades at the outlet, fungi on the deposits on the drain pan, fungi on the dust in the slits in the front panel, and dust on the electrostatic filter Fungi present on the
Effectively sterilizes fungi on the attachments on the filter attachment, fungi on the blades of the crossflow fan, on the scroll of the bottom frame, and on the dust on the front panel attachment We were able to.

Conditions for killing fungi include setting the temperature at, for example, 60-70 ° C. or higher, and setting the humidity at, for example, 8
The discharge temperature from the compressor is about 75 ° C., so that the temperature condition can be satisfied without providing a special heat source, and moisture is evaporated from a drain pan or the like. This can satisfy the humidity condition. However, there is no guarantee that the required amount of water is present in the drain pan, so a special water supply device is required. Such a device can be easily dealt with, for example, by providing a water supply pipe.

Note that step S in the flowchart of FIG.
A similar effect can be achieved by covering the indoor unit 2 with a cover instead of the process of P2. Also,
Although the low-speed operation of the internal fan in step SP7 may be omitted, it is preferable not to omit it because the entire range inside the indoor unit 2 can be set to almost the same condition.
Further, a timer may be employed to stop the dehumidifying operation.

[0028]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the inside of the housing of the indoor unit is brought into a high-temperature, moist heat state, and has a specific effect that fungi (including fungi other than spores) can be killed. The invention of claim 2 has a specific effect that fungi can be more completely killed.

The third aspect of the invention has the same effect as the first or second aspect. The invention according to claim 4 has a specific effect that the high-temperature moist heat state can be reliably maintained, and fungi can be more reliably killed. The invention of claim 5 has a specific effect that a high-temperature moist heat state can be reliably obtained, and fungi can be surely killed.

The invention of claim 6 has a specific effect that a high-temperature wet heat state can be reliably obtained and fungi can be surely killed. The invention according to claim 7 can reliably prevent the inconvenience that air with extremely high humidity flows out during normal operation, and has the same effect as any one of claims 1 to 6.

According to the invention of claim 8, the inside of the housing of the indoor unit is set to a high-temperature moist heat state, and fungi (including fungi other than spores) are contained.
Has a specific effect that can be killed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of an air conditioner of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a sterilization operation of an indoor unit in the air conditioner having the configuration of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 indoor unit 2a drain pipe 2b suction port 2c outlet 3 outdoor unit

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A temperature raising means (3) for raising the temperature of an inside of a housing (2) of an air conditioner disposed in a room to a temperature that can be sterilized for a predetermined time by refrigerant control of the air conditioner;
An air conditioner comprising: a humidifying unit (3) for humidifying the inside of the housing (2) when the temperature is increased by the temperature increasing unit (3). 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the temperature raising means (3) performs a temperature raising operation intermittently. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the temperature raising means is a heat exchanger provided in the housing. 4. The air according to claim 1, further comprising sealing means (2b) (2c) for sealing the housing (2) when the temperature is raised by the temperature raising means (3). Harmony equipment. 5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the humidifier supplies moisture. 6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the humidifying means (3) evaporates water. 7. The water conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising water removing and discharging means for removing and discharging the water in the housing before the air conditioner performs a normal operation. Item 7. An air conditioner according to any one of Items 6. 8. The refrigerant control of the air conditioner raises the temperature of the inside of the housing (2) of the air conditioner disposed indoors to a temperature that can be sterilized for a predetermined time, and when the temperature rises, the temperature of the housing (2) increases. 2) A method for sterilizing an air conditioner, wherein the inside is humidified.