JP2980093B2 - Air conditioner fan control device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fan control device for an air conditioner having a plurality of indoor fans installed in an indoor unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in Japanese Patent No. 2577374,
An indoor unit of a floor-mounted air conditioner in which a pair of upper and lower indoor fans is provided is disclosed. A configuration example of such an indoor unit will be described with reference to FIG. 3 which is an explanatory diagram of the present invention. In the main body casing 1, an upper outlet 2 is formed above a suction port 4 provided in the center of the front surface (left side surface in the figure), and a lower outlet 3 is formed below the main body casing 1. Are located on the upper side and the lower side behind the heat exchanger 6 located along the suction port 4,
An upper fan 7 and a lower fan 8 each comprising a cross flow fan are provided.

In a heating operation in which the heat exchanger 6 functions as a condenser, both the upper fan 7 and the lower fan 8 are driven so that the heat is sucked through the suction port 4 and the heat exchanger 6 is operated.
The room air heated at the time of passage passes from the upper fan 7 and the lower fan 8 through the upper outlet passage 10 and the lower outlet passage 14, respectively, and is blown into the room from the upper outlet 2 and the lower outlet 3. As described above, the warm air is blown out from the lower outlet 3 along the floor, so that the heating operation is performed such that the room is wrapped by the warm air.

On the other hand, during the cooling operation in which the heat exchanger 6 functions as an evaporator, when the room temperature is not sufficiently cooled at the start of the operation or the like, the upper and lower outlets 2.
When the difference between the room temperature and the set temperature falls within, for example, 2 ° C. and the room is sufficiently cooled, the blowing from the lower outlet 3 is stopped so that the wind does not directly hit a person. The operation mode is switched to the operation mode in which the cool air is blown upward in the room only through the upper outlet 2 to cool the room appropriately. In this operation mode, the flow path 14 is closed by the shutter member 15 provided in the lower blow flow path 14, and only the upper fan 7 is driven with the lower fan 8 stopped.

[0005]

However, during the cooling operation or the dry operation in which the lower fan 8 is stopped as described above, there is a problem that the dew condensation easily occurs in the area of the lower fan 8 indicated by A in FIG. ing. That is, the temperature of the heat exchanger 6 functioning as an evaporator during the cooling operation becomes low, and the temperature of the region A facing the heat exchanger 6 gradually decreases due to the cold radiation from the heat exchanger 6. And the lower fan 8
Is stopped, and only the upper fan 7 is operated, the room air is sucked into the main body casing 1 through a gap near the shutter member 15, for example, and the room air is
When passing along the area where the temperature has excessively decreased on the surface of the lower fan 8, dew condensation occurs in this area A.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems, and has as its object to prevent dew condensation occurring on the surface of an indoor fan on the stop side during operation in a state in which blowing from a specific outlet is stopped. An object of the present invention is to provide a fan control device for an air conditioner.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fan control device for an air conditioner, wherein a suction port 4 and a plurality of air outlets 2 and 3 are formed in a main body casing 1 of an indoor unit. In FIG. 1, outlet channels 10 and 14 extending from the space behind the heat exchanger 6 located along the inlet 4 to the outlets 2 and 3 are formed, and the outlet channels 10 and 14 are formed in the outlet channels 10 and 14 respectively. An air conditioner fan control device in which indoor fans 7.8 are arranged facing a heat exchanger 6, wherein the heat exchanger 6 functions as an evaporator and air is blown out from a specific outlet 3. When the operation mode is stopped, dew condensation prevention control means for intermittently driving the indoor fan 8 of the outlet flow path 14 reaching the specific outlet 3 is provided.

[0010] According to this configuration, the indoor fan 8 on the side where the blowing is stopped is intermittently driven without keeping the indoor fan 8 stopped. Therefore, every time the intermittent driving is completed, the area facing the heat exchanger 6 when the operation is stopped changes. As a result, the temperature decrease in the local area due to the cold radiation from the heat exchanger 6 does not progress any more at the time of the intermittent driving. As a result, an excessive temperature drop does not occur on the surface of the stop-side indoor fan 8, so that the dew condensation that occurs in the conventional stop-side indoor fan can be prevented.

In the fan control device for an air conditioner of the present invention, the dew condensation prevention control means closes the blow-off passage 14 by an opening / closing member 15 provided in the blow-out passage 14 reaching the specific blow-out opening 3. In this state, the indoor fan 8 of the
Is intermittently driven at a lower low speed than during the blowing operation.

According to this configuration, the indoor fan 8 on the stop side is provided.
The intermittent drive is performed at a lower rotation speed than that during the air blowing operation, and the stop-side blowing passage 14 is closed by the opening / closing member 15. Leakage and generation of unnecessary air from the stop-side outlet 3 are suppressed. by this,
The intermittent drive of the stop-side indoor fan 8 can be performed without causing a user in the room to feel uncomfortable, and air conditioning comfort can be maintained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fan control device for an air conditioner, wherein a suction port 4 and a plurality of air outlets 2.3 are formed in a main body casing 1 of an indoor unit, and the suction port is provided in the main body casing 1. The outlet passages 10 and 14 extending from the space behind the heat exchanger 6 located along 4 to the outlets 2 and 3 are formed, and the outlet passages 10 and 14 are respectively opposed to the heat exchanger 6. A fan control device for an air conditioner in which indoor fans 7 and 8 are arranged, wherein the heat exchanger 6 functions as an evaporator, and in the operation mode in which air blowing from a specific air outlet 3 is stopped. This particular outlet 3
With the opening / closing member 15 provided in the outlet passage 14 reaching the outlet, the indoor fan 8 of the outlet passage 14 reaching the specific outlet 3 rotates at a lower speed than during the blowing operation. It is characterized in that dew condensation prevention control means driven by a number is provided.

In this configuration, on the side where the blowing is stopped, control is performed to drive the indoor fan 8 with the blowing flow path 14 closed by the opening / closing member 15, but this is performed at a lower speed than in the blowing operation. As described above, unnecessary air is not blown out from the stop-side outlet 3 and the turbulence of the air flow in the main body casing 1 due to the driving of the indoor fan 8 is suppressed as much as possible. Can be maintained. And in this case, the heat exchanger 6
Is constantly changed, whereby the excessive temperature decrease due to the cold radiation from the heat exchanger 6 can be more reliably suppressed, and the condensation which has conventionally occurred is prevented.

[0013]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a floor-mounted indoor unit of the air conditioner according to this embodiment. A main casing 1 having a substantially rectangular cross section in the indoor unit is provided with an upper outlet 2 on an upper front side thereof and a lower outlet 3 on a lower front side thereof. A front grille 5 having an inlet 4 is mounted between the two outlets 2 and 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, a condenser (at the time of heating operation) and an evaporator (at the time of cooling operation) in the refrigerant circuit are provided in the main body casing 1 at a position close to the front grille 5 from the rear side (right side in the figure). The heat exchanger 6 which functions as a (time) is erected. The upper indoor fan 7 and the lower indoor fan, each of which is a cross-flow fan extending horizontally along the width direction of the main casing 1 (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface), are provided on the upper end side and the lower end side behind the heat exchanger 6. An indoor fan 8 (hereinafter, abbreviated as an upper fan 7 and a lower fan 8) is arranged.

Although not shown, an upper fan motor and a lower fan motor are directly coaxially connected to the respective fans 7 and 8 on the front side of the drawing, and an electrical component box is provided between the upper and lower fan motors. Is arranged. An indoor control device including a microcomputer is housed in the electrical component box, and the indoor control device controls driving of the fans 7 and 8 described below.

An upper scroll portion 1a is provided on the rear frame portion of the main casing 1 so as to smoothly bend upward from the rear region of the upper fan 7 to the front side to reach the upper edge of the upper outlet 2. Below the front side of the upper scroll portion 1a, an upper partition plate 9 extending from a position close to and obliquely above the front side of the outer periphery of the upper fan 8 and beyond the heat exchanger 6 to the lower edge of the upper air outlet 2 is provided. Is provided.
Between the upper partition plate 9 and the upper scroll portion 1a, an upper outlet flow path 10 that is inclined from the upper fan 7 to the upper outlet 2 is formed.

The upper outlet 2 is provided with a horizontal flap 11 as a wind direction deflecting plate. This horizontal flap 1
1 is rotatably supported in the vicinity of the center in the plate width direction, and when the air-conditioning operation is stopped, the horizontal flap 11 is held at a position where the upper outlet 2 is closed as shown by a two-dot chain line in the figure. Then, at the start of the air-conditioning operation, as shown by the solid line in the figure, the upper outlet flow path 10 is turned to the fully open position along the flow direction. It is also possible for the user to select a position at which the horizontal flap 11 is appropriately tilted up and down from the full open position during the air-conditioning operation, thereby blowing out the conditioned air through the upper outlet 2. The direction is adjusted up and down. When the user specifies a swing operation, the horizontal flap 11 swings around a fully opened position within a predetermined angle range.

On the other hand, a lower scroll portion 1b which is smoothly curved from the rear area of the lower fan 8 to the lower front side is formed below the rear frame portion of the main body casing 1. At the front end of the lower scroll portion 1b, a lower partition plate 12 reaching the lower edge of the lower outlet 3 is provided. Above the lower partition plate 12, a drain pan 13 for receiving drain water generated and flowing down in the heat exchanger 6 is provided. A bottom wall 13a of the drain pan 13 It is formed in a horizontal plate shape that reaches the upper edge of the lower outlet 3 from a position close to the front side diagonally downward. Between the bottom wall 13a, the lower scroll portion 1b, and the lower partition plate 12, a lower blow channel 14 that extends from the lower fan 8 to the lower blow port 3 is formed.

In the lower outlet passage 14, the passage 1
Shutter member (opening / closing member) 1 composed of a plate for opening and closing 4
5 are provided. One end of the shutter member 15 is supported so as to be rotatable between a fully closed position indicated by a solid line and a fully opened position indicated by a two-dot chain line, and is held at the fully closed position when the air conditioning operation is stopped. During the air-conditioning operation in the up-down blowing mode, which will be described later, the lower blowing passage 14 is opened by moving from the fully closed position to the fully opened position.

In the air conditioner having the above structure, only the upper fan 7 is driven to blow conditioned air from the upper outlet 2 into the room, and the upper and lower fans 7 and 8 are driven to drive the upper Either the up-down blowing mode in which the conditioned air is blown out from both the outlet 2 and the lower outlet 3 is selected and the operation is performed.

This selection can be made by the user using a remote control. However, if this blowing mode is automatically selected, during heating operation, while the temperature of the blowing air at the start of the operation is low, the user is instructed. The operation is performed in the upper blowing mode so that the direct wind is not blown, and thereafter, when the temperature of the blown air exceeds a predetermined temperature, the mode is automatically switched to the upper and lower blowing mode. In the vertical blowing mode, the horizontal flap 11 and the shutter member 15 are opened, and the upper fan 7 and the lower fan 8 are driven at a target rotation speed of about 1000 to 1400 rpm, respectively.

In the heating operation performed by driving both the fans 7 and 8 in this manner, the room air sucked into the main body casing 1 through the suction port 4 passes through the heat exchanger 6 functioning as a condenser of the refrigerant circuit. After being heated at the time, the air becomes air-conditioned air, and is divided vertically into a flow toward the upper fan 7 and a flow toward the lower fan 8 behind the heat exchanger 6.
The air-conditioned air on the upper side sucked in through the upper outlet channel 10 is blown into the room from the upper outlet 2 in the direction along the inclination direction of the horizontal flap 11. Also, the lower fan 8
The air-conditioned air on the lower side sucked in through the lower outlet channel 14 is blown out substantially horizontally along the floor surface into the room through the lower outlet channel 14. In this way, the warm air is blown out from the lower outlet 3 also along the floor surface, so that the operation of wrapping the room with the warm air is performed.

On the other hand, in the cooling operation in which the blow mode is automatically selected, the upper and lower outlets 2 and 3 are operated in the up and down mode while the room temperature at the start of the operation is not yet sufficiently cooled.
Rapid cooling is performed by blowing cool air from the air. afterwards,
When the difference between the room temperature and the set temperature falls within, for example, 2 ° C. and the room is sufficiently cooled, the blow-out from the lower outlet 3 is stopped so that the wind does not directly hit a person, and the room only passes through the upper outlet 2. The mode is switched to the upper blowing mode in which the cool air is blown upward, and the subsequent operation is continued.

During the cooling operation in the upper blowing mode, only the upper fan 7 is driven with the shutter member 15 at the fully closed position and the lower fan 8 stopped. At this time, the suction port 4
The room air sucked into the main body casing 1 through the
After passing through the heat exchanger 6 functioning as an evaporator, the air is cooled and turned into conditioned air. Then, the air flows from behind the heat exchanger 6 toward the upper fan 7 and is sucked by the upper fan 7. Through the upper outlet 2 into the room.

By the way, if the cooling operation is continued with the lower fan 8 stopped as described above, the front side of the lower fan 8
That is, the portion facing the heat exchanger 6 shown in FIG.
The radiation from the heat exchanger 6, which functions as an evaporator, lowers the temperature, causing a problem that dew condensation occurs.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the entire air-conditioning operation is monitored while monitoring the operation start signal, the blow-out mode switching signal, and the room temperature detection signal generated by the remote control operation by the user in the indoor control device. In addition to the air-conditioning operation control unit for controlling the air conditioner, a stop-side fan control unit (condensation prevention control means) having a control function for preventing the dew condensation on the lower fan 8 is further provided. That is, the controller controls the lower fan 8 independently of the air-conditioning operation controller when a condition described later is satisfied during the operation performed by the air-conditioning operation controller. Hereinafter, a specific control procedure in the stop-side fan control unit will be described with reference to a control flowchart of FIG.

The control by the stop-side fan control unit is started when the operation performed by the air-conditioning operation control unit is the cooling or dry operation in the above-described upper-blowing mode. Once, firstly, the timing of the first timer t ₁ starts in step S1, and waits until the measured time reaches the first set time t _IV (step S2). When the first set time t _IV is reached, the second timer t ₂ starts counting time (step S2).
3) An intermittent operation voltage to be described later is output to the lower fan motor that drives the lower fan 8 (step S4). This is continued until the time measured by the second timer t ₂ reaches the second set time t _DR (step S5), and when the second set time t _DR is reached, the voltage output to the lower fan motor is reduced. After stopping (step S6), the process returns to step S1.

With this control, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower fan motor for driving the lower fan 8 is set such that the intermittent operation voltage is set to the second set voltage every first set time t _IV (for example, 30 minutes). It is output for a time t _DR (for example, 5 seconds), whereby the lower fan 8 is intermittently driven. As the voltage at the time of the intermittent operation, a value when the lower fan 8 is driven at a predetermined low rotation speed of, for example, about 200 rpm is set. Each time such a voltage is output to the lower fan motor for a short time, the lower fan 8 stops immediately after rising to the above-described low rotation speed. Then, the rotation angle position of the lower fan 8 at the time of the stop state after each drive becomes different at each intermittent drive time, and the area facing the heat exchanger 6 changes.

As a result, the temperature of the local region facing the heat exchanger 6 decreases due to the cold radiation from the heat exchanger 6.
The motor does not advance any more at the time of the intermittent driving described above. As a result, an excessive decrease in temperature on the surface of the lower fan 8 is suppressed, so that dew condensation which has conventionally occurred on the stop side indoor fan is prevented.

The intermittent driving of the lower fan 8 is an operation in which the number of rotations is suppressed to a low speed as described above, and the intermittent driving is performed while the shutter member 15 is held at the fully closed position. The operating noise of the fan 8 does not leak into the room, and the occurrence of unnecessary air blowing from the stop-side outlet 3 is reliably suppressed. Thus, the lower fan 8 on the stop side can be intermittently driven without causing a user in the room to feel uncomfortable, and air conditioning comfort can be maintained.

Although the specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the rotation speed (for example, 100) of the lower fan 8 during the above-described blowing operation is set as the intermittent operation voltage.
0-1400 rpm), which is a voltage value when driving at a low rotational speed of about 200 rpm, which is sufficiently lower than that, but this is because the lower fan motor is started and the rotation operation of the lower fan 8 occurs even if it is slight. If so, a smaller voltage value can be obtained. Further, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described intermittent driving at a low rotation speed, and for example, outputs a voltage corresponding to the rotation speed during the blowing operation to the lower fan motor for a short time. It is also possible to adopt a control configuration in which the operation is stopped immediately after the operation.
In this case, when the air blowing capacity according to the rotation speed of the lower fan 8 becomes large and a large pressure fluctuation or turbulence in the airflow occurs in the main body casing 1 while the lower outlet passage 14 is closed by the shutter member 15. It is also possible to adopt a control configuration in which the opening operation of the shutter member 15 is performed in parallel with the intermittent driving of the lower fan 8.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the lower fan 8 is intermittently driven has been described. However, the lower fan 8 is lower than in the air blowing operation while the lower outlet passage 14 is closed by the shutter member 15. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the motor is continuously driven at a low rotation speed. In this case, the area facing the heat exchanger 6 is constantly changed. Is more reliably suppressed, and the condensation which has conventionally occurred is prevented.

Further, in the above embodiment, an indoor unit of a floor-mounted air conditioner having upper and lower outlets 2 and 3 and two indoor fans of an upper fan 7 and a lower fan 8 is provided as an example. The present invention can also be applied to an air conditioner provided with many outlets and indoor fans.

[0035]

As described above, in the air conditioner fan control apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the indoor fan on the side that stops blowing is driven intermittently without being stopped. Therefore, each time this intermittent drive is performed, the area facing the heat exchanger when the drive is stopped after each drive changes, and the degree of temperature decrease in the local area due to cold radiation from the heat exchanger is reduced. Therefore, dew condensation which has conventionally occurred in the stop-side indoor fan can be prevented.

In the fan control device for an air conditioner according to the second aspect, the intermittent drive of the indoor fan on the stop side is performed at a lower rotation speed than in the air blowing operation, and the outlet flow path on the stop side is closed by the opening / closing member. Since the operation is performed in a state where the indoor fan is intermittently driven, it is possible to prevent the operating noise from leaking into the room every time the fan is intermittently driven and to suppress unnecessary air blowing from the stop-side outlet. Accordingly, the indoor fan on the stop side can be intermittently driven without causing a user in the room to feel uncomfortable, and air conditioning comfort can be maintained.

In the fan control device for an air conditioner according to the third aspect of the present invention, the control for driving the indoor fan is performed in a state in which the blowing passage on the side where the blowing is stopped is closed by the opening / closing member. Since the rotation is performed at a low speed lower than the time, no unnecessary air is blown out from the stop side outlet as described above, and the turbulence of the air flow in the main body casing due to the driving of the indoor fan is suppressed as much as possible. State. In this case, the area facing the heat exchanger always changes, and this can more reliably suppress the local excessive temperature drop due to the cold radiation from the heat exchanger. The resulting condensation is prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a time chart showing an output voltage to a lower fan motor and a change in the number of revolutions of the lower fan which are controlled during a cooling operation by a fan control device of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an indoor unit of the air conditioner.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of the indoor unit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a lower fan motor during a cooling operation performed by the fan control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body casing 2 Upper outlet 3 Lower outlet 4 Inlet 6 Heat exchanger 7 Upper fan (Indoor fan) 8 Lower fan (Indoor fan) 10 Upper outlet passage 14 Lower outlet passage 15 Shutter member (opening / closing member)

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Masazo Hoga 1000-2 Oya, Okamotocho, Kusatsu-shi, Shiga 2 Daikin Industries, Ltd. Shiga Works (56) References JP-A-5-44951 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) F24F 11/02 102

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] An inlet (4) and a plurality of outlets (2) (3) are formed in a main body casing (1) of an indoor unit,
In addition, in the main body casing (1), the outlet flow paths (10) (14) extending from the space behind the heat exchanger (6) located along the inlet (4) to the outlets (2) and (3). ), And each of the outlet flow paths (10) and (14) faces the heat exchanger (6), respectively, so that the indoor fan (7) is formed.
An air conditioner fan control device according to (8), wherein the heat exchanger (6) functions as an evaporator, and the operation of the air conditioner in an operation mode in which air blowing from a specific air outlet (3) is stopped. , The outlet channel (1) leading to this particular outlet (3)
4) An air conditioner fan control device, further comprising dew condensation prevention control means for intermittently driving the indoor fan (8). 2. An opening / closing member (1) provided in an outlet channel (14) reaching a specific outlet (3).
In the state in which the blow-out flow path (14) is closed by 5), the indoor fan (8) of the blow-out flow path (14) is intermittently driven at a lower rotation speed than in the blowing operation. The fan control device for an air conditioner according to claim 1. 3. An inlet unit (4) and a plurality of outlets (2) (3) are formed in a main body casing (1) of the indoor unit,
In addition, in the main body casing (1), the outlet flow paths (10) (14) extending from the space behind the heat exchanger (6) located along the inlet (4) to the outlets (2) and (3). ), And each of the outlet flow paths (10) and (14) faces the heat exchanger (6), respectively, so that the indoor fan (7) is formed.
An air conditioner fan control device according to (8), wherein the heat exchanger (6) functions as an evaporator, and the operation of the air conditioner in an operation mode in which air blowing from a specific air outlet (3) is stopped. , The outlet channel (1) leading to this particular outlet (3)
In a state in which the opening / closing member (15) provided in 4) closes the outlet passage (14), the indoor fan (8) of the outlet passage (14) reaching the specific outlet (3) blows the air. A fan control device for an air conditioner, comprising dew condensation prevention control means driven at a lower rotation speed than at a time.