JP3315973B2 - Home air conditioner indoor unit cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning indoor units of a domestic air conditioner, and more particularly to a steam cleaning apparatus for ejecting dust and other dirt adhering to a heat exchanger by a high-temperature steam using a handy type cleaning head. The present invention relates to a cleaning device for an indoor unit of a household air conditioner, which can perform cleaning by simultaneously performing cleaning and recovery of polluted water by vacuum suction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, indoor units of home air conditioners, particularly heat exchangers, are washed by spraying a fin detergent from a nozzle to a heat exchanger by a water supply pump, and then, as a treatment for rust prevention, washing. Water or a rinsing liquid (neutralizing agent) is sprayed again to wash away the fin cleaning agent, and then drained and dried.

According to this, in order to prevent a cleaning agent or the like from splashing on a base of an air conditioner before a cleaning operation, the base is cured with a towel or the like, and the cleaning agent or the like is scattered or dropped. In order to prevent this, the entire air conditioner must be covered with a cleaning sheet or the like, which requires a great deal of labor and time. In addition, since it is liquid cleaning, not only a large amount of fin cleaning agent and cleaning water or rinsing liquid are required, but also a container for storing these cleaning liquids and a container for collecting polluted water are required. It took a lot of effort and time to clean up after the preparation and cleaning work. Furthermore, since the cleaning operation involves cleaning the heat exchanger by inserting a nozzle through the insertion hole of the cleaning sheet that covers the entire air conditioner, it has made it difficult to perform a detailed cleaning operation. In addition, since the air-drying of the air conditioner after the washing operation is performed by natural drying, it takes time for drying, and in some cases, water drops run down and wet the floor and the like.

Therefore, various proposals have been made in the past. For example, as shown in JP-A-4-306496, a discharge nozzle for sending air or liquid and a suction nozzle for negative pressure suction are respectively opposed to a blow-out side and a suction side so as to sandwich a heat exchanger, A receiving portion for receiving drainage is disposed below the discharge nozzle portion and the suction nozzle portion, and air or liquid is sent to the discharge nozzle portion, and air or liquid is discharged from the suction nozzle portion and the drainage port of the receiving portion. The two nozzle portions are moved in parallel along the peripheral surface of the heat exchanger for cleaning, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2, a foam section for preparing a cleaning agent by foaming a liquid agent, a cleaning agent supply section for allowing the cleaning agent to be removed from the foam section, and an air inlet of an air conditioner. It has a supply cover body that covers the entire surface and watertightly and sends the cleaning agent from the cleaning agent supply unit to the air conditioning equipment, and includes a collection cover body that collects the cleaning agent flowing out from the air conditioning equipment, One in which the collection cover is connected to a vacuum device has been proposed.

[0005]

However, when the heat exchanger is cleaned as described above, before cleaning, the base of the air conditioner is cured with a towel or the like, and the entire air conditioner is covered with a cleaning sheet or the like. This operation requires a great deal of labor and time, and consumes a large amount of cleaning liquid, which is not economical. Further, a container for storing the cleaning liquid and a container for collecting the polluted water are required, which requires a place and labor before and after the cleaning operation. Also,
The cleaning operation must be performed by inserting a nozzle from the insertion port of the cleaning sheet. This makes it difficult to perform fine cleaning, and it takes time for draining and drying, so that an efficient operation cannot be performed. In addition, care must be taken to prevent water droplets from falling onto the floor and getting wet even after the cleaning operation.

Further, a discharge nozzle for sending air or liquid and a suction nozzle for suctioning a negative pressure are provided opposite to each other on the outlet side and the suction side so as to sandwich the heat exchanger. The cleaning that is performed by moving it in parallel along is not suitable for cleaning the interior while the air conditioner is installed. Curing must be performed so that unacceptable water droplets do not scatter to the surroundings, and the device becomes large-scale.

In addition, the supply cover body at the air inlet of the air conditioner is brought into contact with the collection cover body at the air outlet, and the foamed cleaning liquid is fed into the supply cover body. In the case where the suction is discharged from the collection cover by a vacuum device, the inside can be washed while the air conditioner is installed. However, usually, the foamed cleaning agent is supplied from the air inlet to the air outlet. Cleaning process, a defoaming process in which the purifying liquid is circulated through the same route to remove bubbles, and a drying process in which warm air is blown in to dry the inside, and the opening of the feeding cover body and the collecting cover body is required. It is necessary to cover the air inlet and outlet of the air conditioner to be cleaned completely and in a watertight manner, so prepare various cover bodies in advance according to the size of the air conditioner to be cleaned. Big Since the in each case must be selected those are unsuitable from the viewpoint of efficient cleaning operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and saves labor and time required for a curing operation before a cleaning operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner, which enables a detailed cleaning operation according to a contaminated site while suppressing the consumption of the air conditioner, and does not require a special drying operation.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention takes the following technical means.

That is, the present invention relates to a cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner, wherein the cleaning device includes a cleaning device main body including a steam injection device and a vacuum suction device, and a steam injection device of the cleaning device main body. It has a steam injection nozzle for injecting high-temperature steam supplied through a pipe, and a contaminated water suction nozzle for suctioning the contaminated water generated by the injection of the steam to a vacuum suction device of the cleaning device main body through a vacuum pipe. A cleaning head, and a connecting hose for connecting required portions of the cleaning device main body and the cleaning head, wherein the cleaning device main body integrally includes the steam injection device and the vacuum suction device, and the cleaning head However, at the tip, the steam injection nozzle and the polluted water suction nozzle In addition to being disposed in the up-down direction, a gripping portion and an operating portion for operating steam injection and vacuum suction are provided at the rear end, so that steam injection and vacuum suction can be performed simultaneously. Thus, a cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner is constituted.

The steam injection nozzle of the cleaning head is located above the vacuum suction nozzle so that the directions of the steam injection nozzle and the contaminated water suction nozzle of the cleaning head can be appropriately changed according to the location of contamination. The steam injection nozzle and the polluted water suction nozzle are each formed of a flexible hollow tube, and a cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner is constituted.

Further, by replacing the steam jet nozzle, the steam jet nozzle of the cleaning head can be inserted deep into the object to be cleaned, and the jet state of the steam can be appropriately changed depending on the direction of the pores at the tip of the nozzle. The pipe is configured to be expandable and contractable according to the bending angle of the vacuum pipe, and the steam injection nozzle is detachably connected to the steam pipe via a joint, and the nozzle tip is pressed. The cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner is characterized in that the nozzle is formed in a fine pore and is joined so that the tip of the nozzle can be rotated in a vertical direction or a horizontal direction.

Further, a light for irradiating the front is attached to the cleaning head, and a switch of the light is operated by the operation unit so that a detailed cleaning operation can be performed according to the contamination state of the object to be cleaned. The cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner is provided.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cleaning device main body including a steam injection device and a vacuum suction device. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a partially omitted perspective view showing a cleaning head.
FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a state in which the cleaning head is viewed from the nozzle tip. FIG. 5 is a partially omitted plan view showing a state where an upper case of the cleaning head is removed. FIG. 6A is a partially omitted front view showing the steam injection nozzle. FIG. 6B is a plan view with the same part omitted. FIG. 6C is a left side view of the same. FIG.
(D) is a plan view showing another embodiment of the steam injection nozzle. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a cleaning device for a household air conditioner indoor unit according to the present invention, particularly a cleaning operation using a cleaning head.

As shown in FIG. 1, a cleaning device 1 for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner according to the present invention has a cleaning device main body 7 including a steam injection device 3 and a vacuum suction device 5.
And a steam injection nozzle 9 for injecting high-temperature steam supplied from the steam injection device 3 of the cleaning device main body 7.
A cleaning head 13 having a polluted water suction nozzle 11 for sucking polluted water generated by the steam injection into the vacuum suction device 5 of the cleaning device main body 7, and connecting required portions of the cleaning device main body 7 and the cleaning head 13 to each other And a connecting hose 15.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning device main body 7 includes a housing 17 in which a steam injection device 3 and a vacuum suction device 5 are integrally provided, and a caster 19 is provided at the bottom of the housing 17. It is attached at a point and can move freely.

The steam injection device 3 includes a washing water tank 21 for storing washing water, and a heater 23 for heating the washing water supplied from the washing water tank 21 to generate steam.
And a pump 27 for supplying the high-temperature steam to the steam pipe 25 at a high pressure. High-temperature and high-pressure steam cleaning is a cleaning sheet that suppresses the consumption of cleaning water and the generation of polluted water due to cleaning as compared to high-pressure cleaning water injection, and prevents scattering of cleaning water. This leads to a significant reduction in curing work. In addition, since high-temperature and high-pressure steam cleaning is performed, the cleaning power is increased and a bactericidal effect is obtained, and a sufficient cleaning effect can be obtained without using a cleaning agent. Moreover, since the aluminum fins themselves of the heat exchanger are also heated, the inside of the heat exchanger can be dried without performing any special drying operation.

The vacuum suction device 5 includes a vacuum pump 29, a polluted water recovery tank 31, and a vacuum pump 29 for controlling the vacuum operation of the polluted water recovery tank 3.
The dirty water generated by the steam cleaning is suctioned through the vacuum pipe 35 communicating with the dirty water recovery tank 31 and collected in the dirty water recovery tank 31. . The reason that the steam cleaning and the vacuum suction are simultaneously performed by the steam injection nozzle 9 and the contaminated water suction nozzle 11 located above and below is to prevent the dripping of the contaminated water due to the steam cleaning and to prevent the surface of the aluminum fin of the heat exchanger from becoming dirty. This is for improving the cleaning effect by vacuum suction of dirt attached to the surface. In addition, since the contaminated water is suctioned by vacuum from the surface of the aluminum fins and the aluminum fins themselves are heated by the high-temperature steam, the water can be evaporated without requiring a special drying operation.

The cleaning head 13 is configured to operate by converting home AC power into DC power using an AC adapter to prevent an electric shock accident.

The cleaning device main body 7 in the present embodiment is
Although it is configured to be able to move freely by the casters 19, the cleaning device 1 for the indoor unit of the home air conditioner according to the present invention reduces the consumption of the cleaning water and the recovery of the polluted water. Tank 21 and polluted water recovery tank 31
Since it is possible to minimize the capacity of the portable device, the portable device may be a portable device that can be freely moved by an operator.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cleaning head 13 has a cleaning device main body 7 at the tip of the head.
A steam injection nozzle 9 for injecting high-temperature steam supplied from the steam injection device 3 of the first embodiment, and a contaminated water suction nozzle 11 for suctioning the contaminated water generated by the injection of the steam to the vacuum suction device 5 of the cleaning device main body 7. A waterproof light 37 for irradiating an object to be cleaned positioned in front is provided at one side of each nozzle, and a cleaning head 13 is provided at a rear end of the head.
And a control unit 46 for turning on / off the steam injection switch 41, the vacuum suction switch 43, and the light irradiation switch 45.

At the rear end of the cleaning head 13, a steam pipe 25 for supplying high-temperature steam from the steam injection device 3 to the steam injection nozzle 9, and a polluted water suction nozzle 1
A vacuum pipe 35 for sucking the contaminated water into the vacuum suction device 5 and a power cord 47 for operating steam injection, vacuum suction and light irradiation are drawn out from 1,
It is encased by the connecting hose 15 and connected to predetermined portions of the cleaning device main body 7 respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the steam injection nozzle 9 and the contaminated water suction nozzle 11 are spaced apart from each other by a small distance below the steam injection nozzle 9.
1 are arranged vertically so as to be located. This is because the steam is directly sprayed on the object to be cleaned, and the polluted water generated and dropped by the steam is suctioned downward.

The steam injection nozzle 9 and the contaminated water suction nozzle 11 are formed of a flexible hollow tube, and are configured such that the angle can be freely adjusted according to the situation of the object to be cleaned.

Since the steam injection nozzle 9 injects high-temperature and high-pressure steam from the tip, the steam injection nozzle 9 is a plastic hollow tube having excellent pressure resistance and heat resistance and low thermal conductivity. The tip is shown in FIG.
As shown in (b) and (c), it is formed in the pore 49 which is pressed from both sides. This is because the steam injection nozzle itself can be appropriately replaced according to the situation of the object to be cleaned, and the nozzle tip can be held in the vertical or horizontal direction to adjust the steam injection angle. . As shown in FIG. 5, a part of the steam pipe 25 is curved and housed in a hollow portion 53 formed in a lower case 51 of the cleaning head 13, and the vacuum pipe 35 is provided. The steam injection nozzle 9 can be replaced with one touch as needed, while expanding and contracting according to the angle adjustment of.

The polluted water suction nozzle 11 is a flexible pipe, and is configured so that the angle of the polluted water suction nozzle 11 that supports the steam injection nozzle 9 can be adjusted and held. That is, the steam injection nozzle 9 and the steam pipe 25 are connected via the joint 55. The joint 55 presses and holds the steam injection nozzle 9 by a tapered pressing portion formed in the insertion hole, and detachably releases the release by a release piece provided in the insertion port. While being connected, the steam injection nozzle 9 is rotatably joined so that the direction of the pores of the steam injection nozzle 9 can be adjusted vertically or horizontally. At a predetermined position of the contaminated water suction nozzle 11, a holding metal fitting 59 having a pressing piece 57 formed opposite thereto is fitted,
The holding piece 57 is configured to hold the steam injection nozzle 9 and the steam pipe 25 by holding the joint 55 by tightening the screw 61.

Further, the steam injection nozzle 9 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (d), the steam injection nozzle 9 and a bendable metal strip 63 are inserted into the tube 62,
The angle of the nozzle may be adjusted, and the tip of the nozzle may be held vertically or horizontally.

Next, a method of using the apparatus for cleaning an indoor unit of a home air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. First, the air conditioner 67 is turned off and the decorative panel is removed. If dust or the like is conspicuous inside the heat exchanger 69, the vacuum suction switch 43 of the cleaning head 13 is turned on and the dust or the like is suctioned by the polluted water suction nozzle 11 in advance. Then, the steam injection nozzle 9 of the cleaning head 13 and the polluted water suction nozzle 11
, And the washing operation is performed by turning on the steam injection switch 41 and the vacuum suction switch 43 simultaneously at a distance of about 1 cm from the aluminum fin surface of the heat exchanger 69 of the air conditioner 67 to be cleaned. In this case, the angle of the nozzle is adjusted according to the condition of the object to be cleaned so as to facilitate the work. Normally, home air conditioners are often installed on walls near the ceiling, making it difficult for light to reach, and the work places are relatively dark due to the shadows of the workers themselves. Therefore, by turning on the light irradiation switch 45 at the same time, it is possible to perform a fine cleaning operation according to the degree of contamination of the object to be cleaned. The operator applies the cleaning head 13 to the aluminum fins and performs cleaning while gradually moving the cleaning head 13 vertically or horizontally. With respect to dirt attached to the inside, the steam injection nozzle 9 is replaced as necessary to perform a cleaning operation.

By spraying high-pressure and high-temperature steam on the surface of the aluminum fin, dirt attached to the surface of the aluminum fin is effectively removed, and the inside of the heat exchanger is sterilized. The steam sprayed on the surface of the aluminum fins becomes contaminated water that has absorbed dirt and drops from the aluminum fins. The contaminated water suction nozzle 11 located below the steam injection nozzle 9 vacuum-suctions the water. It is collected in the polluted water recovery tank 31. Therefore, unlike the case of the liquid cleaning, the cleaning liquid does not splash on the electronic base portion and does not scatter to the walls and the surroundings, so that the curing work for this is greatly reduced. In addition, since the cleaning is performed by high-temperature steam, the cleaning power is enhanced, and a cleaning agent and a rinsing agent are not required only by using cleaning water. When the dirt such as oil is severe, the above operation may be performed by spraying a cleaning agent onto the heat exchanger with a cleaning spray in advance. Further, since the aluminum fin itself is heated by the high-temperature steam, the moisture attached to the fin surface is dried during the operation, so that it is not necessary to perform the drying operation again.

Although the present invention relates to a cleaning device for a heat exchanger of a home air conditioner, the present invention can also be applied to an air conditioner other than a home air conditioner. In addition, the mounting form thereof is not limited, such as a wall-mounted type and a ceiling embedded type.

As described above, according to the present invention, the cleaning is not the liquid cleaning but the steam cleaning, and the vacuum suction is performed at the same time. Therefore, the cleaning liquid does not scatter to the electronic substrate, the wall, and the surroundings. In addition, the labor and time required for the curing operation before the cleaning operation can be reduced.

Further, since only a washing water is used and a cleaning agent and a rinsing liquid are not required, it is economical, and the capacities of the washing water tank and the polluted water recovery tank can be minimized. In addition, the equipment necessary for the cleaning operation can be made compact.

In addition, a handy type cleaning head having a nozzle capable of adjusting the angle and exchanging an arbitrary length and having a light for irradiating the front side, which can perform steam cleaning and vacuum suction at the same time, is used. Therefore, it is possible to perform a fine cleaning operation according to the contaminated site.

Further, since the aluminum fin itself is heated by the high-temperature steam, the moisture attached to the fin surface is dried during the operation, so that it is not necessary to perform a new drying operation, and the operation time is shortened. can do.

[0035]

According to the present invention, there is provided a cleaning device main body including a steam injection device and a vacuum suction device, and high-temperature steam supplied from a steam injection device of the cleaning device main body through a steam pipe. A cleaning head having a steam injection nozzle, a contaminated water suction nozzle for suctioning polluted water generated by the injection of the steam into a vacuum suction device of the cleaning device main body through a vacuum pipe, and a cleaning device main body and a cleaning head required. The cleaning device main body is formed integrally with the steam injection device and the vacuum suction device, and the cleaning head is provided at the distal end portion with the steam injection nozzle and the connection hose. A polluted water suction nozzle is provided in the up-down direction. An operation unit for operating the steam injection and the vacuum suction is provided, so that the steam injection and the vacuum suction can be performed at the same time, so that the labor and time required for the curing work before the cleaning work are reduced. The operation can be performed without removing the heat exchanger, and the equipment required for the cleaning operation can be made compact. Further, since only the cleaning water is used, a cleaning agent, a rinsing liquid and the like are not required, which is economical. Further, by drying the aluminum fin itself to evaporate the moisture attached to the fin, no special drying operation is required.

Further, since the steam injection nozzle of the cleaning head is located above the vacuum suction nozzle, and the steam injection nozzle and the contaminated water suction nozzle are formed of a flexible inner space, fine cleaning can be performed. And efficient collection of polluted water.

The steam pipe of the cleaning head is configured to be expandable and contractible according to the bending angle of the vacuum pipe, and the steam injection nozzle is detachably connected to the steam pipe via a joint. The nozzle tip is formed in a pressed pore, and is joined so that the nozzle tip can be rotated in the vertical or horizontal direction, thereby adjusting the angle of the nozzle. By replacing the nozzle with a required length, it is possible to perform a fine cleaning operation according to the situation of the contaminated site.

Further, a light for irradiating the front is attached to the cleaning head, and a switch for the light is arranged in the operation section, so that the cleaning condition can be checked even in a dark place while checking the cleaning condition. Can work.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a cleaning device main body including a steam injection device and a vacuum suction device.

FIG. 3 is a partially omitted perspective view showing a cleaning head.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a state in which the cleaning head is viewed from the nozzle tip.

FIG. 5 is a partially omitted plan view showing a state where an upper case of the cleaning head is removed.

FIG. 6A is a partially omitted front view showing a steam injection nozzle. (B) is a plan view with the same part omitted.
(C) is the same left view. (D) is a plan view showing another embodiment of the steam injection nozzle.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a cleaning device using a cleaning head, particularly a cleaning head of a household air conditioner indoor unit according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cleaning device 3 Steam injection device 5 Vacuum suction device 7 Cleaning device main body 9 Steam injection nozzle 11 Dirty water suction nozzle 13 Cleaning head 15 Connecting hose 25 Steam pipe 35 Vacuum pipe 37 Light 39 Gripping part 46 Operating part 49 Pore 55 Joint

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-1898 (JP, A) JP-A-1-147297 (JP, A) JP-A-8-61887 (JP, A) 42382 (JP, U) Utility model registration 3034607 (JP, U) JP-B-52-16663 (JP, B2) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F28G 15/04 B08B 3/02 F28G 1/16 F28G 9/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] The present invention relates to a cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner, wherein the cleaning device comprises a cleaning device main body comprising a steam injection device and a vacuum suction device, and a steam injection device of the cleaning device main body. A steam injection nozzle for injecting hot steam supplied through a pipe,
A cleaning head having a contaminated water suction nozzle for sucking the contaminated water generated by the steam injection into a vacuum suction device of the cleaning device main body through a vacuum tube, and a connection for connecting a required portion of the cleaning device main body and the cleaning head. A cleaning device main body, the steam injection device and the vacuum suction device are integrally provided side by side, and the cleaning head has, at the tip end thereof, the steam injection nozzle and the polluted water suction nozzle. Are arranged in the vertical direction, and at the rear end, a gripping part and an operation part for operating steam injection and vacuum suction are provided, so that steam injection and vacuum suction can be performed simultaneously. A cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner, comprising: 2. The steam injection nozzle of the cleaning head is located above a vacuum suction nozzle, and the steam injection nozzle and the polluted water suction nozzle are formed of a flexible hollow tube. Item 1
A cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner according to the above. 3. The steam pipe of the cleaning head is configured to be able to expand and contract according to a bending angle of the vacuum pipe, and the steam injection nozzle is detachably connected to the steam pipe via a joint. The nozzle tip is formed in a pressed pore, and the nozzle tip is joined so that the nozzle tip can be rotated in the vertical or horizontal direction. An apparatus for cleaning an indoor unit of a home air conditioner according to claim 2. 4. The cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein a light for irradiating the front is attached to the cleaning head, and a switch of the light is disposed on the operation unit. Item 4. A cleaning device for an indoor unit of a home air conditioner according to Item 3.