JP3443159B2 - 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 for cooling and heating a room.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an air conditioner of this type, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-177042, a refrigerant circuit connected to an indoor side heat exchanger of an indoor unit and an indoor side With a hot water circuit connected to the heat exchanger, the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is circulated to the indoor heat exchanger during the cooling operation, and the hot water in the hot water circuit is circulated to the indoor heat exchanger during the heating operation. What you have done is known. That is, the refrigerant circuit is a circuit for exclusive use in the cooling cycle in which refrigerant such as CFCs discharged from the compressor is sequentially circulated to the heat source side heat exchanger, the pressure reducing device and the indoor side heat exchanger, and the hot water circuit gasses water, brine, etc. It is heated by a combustion type boiler and circulated by a pump.

[0003]

However, since the heating operation by the air conditioner is performed only by the hot water circuit, an abnormality occurs in the hot water circuit, such as a failure of the boiler or pump, or a leak of hot water due to damage to the piping. In such a case, it becomes impossible to supply hot water having a sufficient temperature or a sufficient amount of hot water to the indoor heat exchanger. In such cases, it often takes a long time to restore the hot water circuit to a normal state, for example, it takes time to find a hot water leak point.
During that time, there was a problem that the heating operation could not be performed and the user was uncomfortable.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an air conditioner capable of continuing heating of a room to be conditioned even when an abnormality occurs in hot water supply. To do.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner of the present invention comprises, in claim 1, an indoor heat exchanger having a refrigerant flow passage and a hot water flow passage. In an air conditioner configured to perform an air conditioning operation of a room to be conditioned by exchanging heat between the indoor heat exchanger and air, at least a refrigerant flow path of the indoor heat exchanger, a heat source side heat exchanger, and a compression A refrigeration cycle consisting of a machine, a four-way valve, and a pressure reducing device is configured so that the refrigerant passage of the indoor heat exchanger acts as an evaporator or condenser by switching the four-way valve, and the flow of hot water in the indoor heat exchanger is configured. when the temperature of hot water flowing through the road does not reach the predetermined value, the indoor-side switching and heating operation of circulating the hot water, the four-way valve of the refrigeration cycle as a flow path of the refrigerant of the indoor heat exchanger acts as a condenser Heat exchanger refrigerant flow path
Is used in combination with heating operation that causes the
Characterize.

Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, an indoor heat exchanger having a refrigerant flow path and a hot water flow path is provided, and the indoor heat exchanger and the air are heat-exchanged to perform the air conditioning operation of the room to be conditioned. In the air conditioner configured to perform the cooling operation of the room to be conditioned by operating the refrigerant passage of the indoor heat exchanger as an evaporator during the cooling operation, and the indoor heat exchanger during the heating operation. The warmed water is circulated in the hot water flow path to heat the room to be conditioned, and when the temperature of the hot water supplied to the hot water flow path of the indoor heat exchanger does not reach a predetermined value during this heating operation , Hot water
A heating operation for circulating, that the combined use of heating operation for applying a flow path of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger as a condenser
Characterize.

Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, an indoor heat exchanger having a refrigerant flow path and a hot water flow path is provided, and the indoor heat exchanger and the air are heat-exchanged to perform air conditioning operation of the room to be conditioned. In the air conditioner configured to perform, at least the refrigerant flow path of the indoor heat exchanger, the heat source side heat exchanger, the compressor,
A refrigeration cycle consisting of a four-way valve and a pressure reducing device is configured so that the refrigerant passage of the indoor heat exchanger acts as an evaporator or a condenser by switching the four-way valve, and the refrigerant of the indoor heat exchanger is operated during cooling operation. The air-conditioning chamber is operated by performing cooling operation of the room to be conditioned, and during the heating operation, hot water is circulated in the hot water flow path of the indoor heat exchanger to perform the heating operation of the room to be heated. If the temperature of the hot water supplied to the hot water flow path of the indoor heat exchanger does not reach the specified value during operation ,
A heating operation for circulating, that the combined use of heating operation for applying a flow path of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger as a condenser
Characterize.

[0008]

[0009]

According to the air conditioner of claim 1, when the temperature of the hot water supplied to the hot water passage of the indoor heat exchanger does not reach a predetermined value during the heating operation, the heating operation is performed to circulate the hot water.
And a heating operation in which the four-way valve is switched and the flow path of the refrigerant of the indoor heat exchanger acts as a compressor.

According to the air conditioner of claim 2, the warming
When the temperature of the hot water supplied to the indoor heat exchanger does not reach the specified value during the cell operation, the heating operation that circulates the hot water
And the refrigerant passage of the indoor heat exchanger acts as a condenser.
The operation is performed in combination with the heating operation .

According to the air conditioner of the third aspect, the warming
When the temperature of the hot water supplied to the indoor heat exchanger does not reach the specified value during the cell operation, the heating operation that circulates the hot water
And the refrigerant passage of the indoor heat exchanger acts as a condenser.
The operation is performed in combination with the heating operation .

[0012]

[0013]

1 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner, FIG. 2 is an overall view of the air conditioner, and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of an indoor unit. FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing the control system on the indoor unit side, FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing the control system on the outdoor unit side, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the control operation. This air conditioner is composed of an indoor unit 1 and an outdoor unit 2, a refrigerant circuit 10 for circulating a refrigerant in the indoor unit 1, and an indoor unit 1
And a hot water circuit 20 for circulating hot water. The control systems of the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2 are provided with microcomputers 30 and 50, respectively.

The indoor unit 1 is formed as a wall-mounted type, and an air inlet 1a and an air outlet 1b arranged below the air inlet 1a are provided on the front surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, inside the indoor unit 1, an indoor heat exchanger 3 has an air intake port 1
An air filter 1c is provided between the air inlet 1a and the indoor heat exchanger 3 such that the air filter 1c is housed in front of a. The indoor heat exchanger 3 integrally includes a refrigerant flow path 11 of the refrigerant circuit 10 and a hot water flow path 21 of the hot water circuit 20 with the same fin in common, and the refrigerant flow path 11 evaporates the refrigerant. The refrigerant passage 11 acts as a refrigerant condenser to allow the air to be cooled, and the refrigerant flow passage 11 to act as a refrigerant condenser to heat the air. Further, on the leeward side of the indoor heat exchanger 3, a blower 4 composed of a cross flow fan is provided, and the air in the room sucked from the air intake port 1a by the operation of the blower 4 is cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 3. Alternatively, after being heated, it is blown into the room again from the air outlet 1b. Further, below the indoor heat exchanger 3, there is a drain pan 5 for receiving the drain dropped from the indoor heat exchanger 3,
The air outlet 1b is provided with a wind direction changing plate 6 for changing the discharge direction of the conditioned air.

The outdoor unit 2 is formed as an outdoor stationary type,
The fan 7 is provided to ventilate the heat source side heat exchanger 12 in the refrigerant circuit 10. Further, the outdoor unit 2 includes a heat source device 22 of a hot water circuit 20 described later.

The refrigerant circuit 10 includes a refrigerant flow path 11 of the indoor heat exchanger 3, a heat source side heat exchanger 12 arranged in the outdoor unit 2, a compressor 13, an accumulator 14, and a capillary tube. The pressure reducing device 15 and the four-way valve 16 are provided. One end of the indoor heat exchanger 3 is connected to one end of the heat source side heat exchanger 12 via the pressure reducing device 15, and the other end of the indoor heat exchanger 3 is a four-way valve. 16 of the first refrigerant inlet / outlet port 16a and the other end of the heat source side heat exchanger 12 is connected to the second refrigerant inlet / outlet port 16 of the four-way valve 16.
b, the third refrigerant inlet / outlet port 16c of the four-way valve 16 is the compressor 1
On the refrigerant discharge side of No. 3, the fourth refrigerant inlet / outlet port 16 of the four-way valve 16
d is connected to the refrigerant suction side of the compressor 13 via the accumulator 14 by refrigerant pipes. That is, in this refrigerant circuit 10, when the four-way valve 16 is switched to allow the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 13 to flow in the direction of the solid line arrow in the figure, the refrigerant flow passage 11 of the indoor heat exchanger 3 has an evaporator. As a result, the cooling operation is performed. When the four-way valve 16 is switched to allow the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 13 to flow in the direction of the broken line arrow in the figure, the refrigerant flow path 3 of the indoor heat exchanger 3
Acts as a condenser for heating operation.

The hot water circuit 20 includes a hot water passage 21 of the indoor heat exchanger 3 and a heat source device 22 arranged in the outdoor unit 2.
A solenoid valve 23 and a pump 24, the hot water outflow side of the hot water flow passage 21 is connected to the hot water inflow side of the heat source device 22 via the solenoid valve 23, and the hot water inflow side of the hot water flow passage 21 is It is connected to the hot water outflow side of the heat source device 22 via a pump 24. The heat source device 22 is a boiler that heats a heat medium (water, brine, etc.) in the hot water circuit 20, and includes a gas or kerosene combustion type burner. Although hot water of about 80 ° is generated in this heat source device 22, the burner combustion amount may be switched in multiple stages to obtain hot water of any temperature. The solenoid valve 23 is composed of a proportional control valve or the like, and its opening can be arbitrarily changed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control system of the indoor unit 1 includes a microcomputer 30, a motor drive circuit 31 for driving the indoor fan motor M1 by a signal from the microcomputer 30,
A motor power supply circuit 32 for supplying electric power to the indoor fan motor M1 via the motor drive circuit 31, and a microcomputer 30.
A control power supply circuit 33 for supplying electric power to the indoor unit 1, a switch board 34 provided with a switch for operating the indoor unit 1,
Remote operation signal (ON / OFF) from the wireless remote controller
Signal, cooling / heating / dehumidifying mode switching signal, room temperature setting signal, timer reservation signal, etc., and a receiver 35 that demodulates this remote operation signal and supplies it to the microcomputer 30,
A display plate 36 for displaying the operation state (operation display, timer reservation display, abnormality display) and a flap motor M2 for driving the wind direction changing plate are provided, and the motor power supply circuit 32 and the control power supply circuit 33 include a rectifier circuit 37. Is connected to the power supply plug via. In addition, the microcomputer 30 is provided with an indoor temperature sensor 38 for detecting the indoor temperature, a humidity sensor 39 for detecting the indoor humidity, and a temperature of hot water supplied to the hot water flow passage 21 of the indoor heat exchanger 3. The hot water temperature sensor 40 for detecting is connected, and the detection values of these sensors are the microcomputer 30.
Takes in after A / D conversion. Furthermore, the triac 42 and the solenoid valve 23 of the hot water circuit 20 are connected to the microcomputer 30 via a driver 41, and the rotation speed of the indoor fan motor M1 and the flow rate of the hot water circuit 20 are adjusted by a signal from the microcomputer 30. The indoor unit 1 has terminals T1, T2,
T3 is provided, AC power is sent to the outdoor unit 2 via the terminals T1 and T2, and a control signal from the microcomputer 30 is sent to the outdoor unit 2 via the serial circuit 43 and the terminal T3.

The control system of the outdoor unit 2 is, as shown in FIG. 5, a microcomputer 50, a motor drive circuit 51 for driving a compressor by a signal from the microcomputer 50, and a control power supply circuit for supplying electric power to the microcomputer 50. 52 and a heat source device control circuit 53 that controls the heat source device 22 of the hot water circuit 20, and the heat source device control circuit 53 controls the pump via the pump drive circuit 54. The outdoor unit 2 is provided with terminals T1, T2, T3 corresponding to the indoor unit 1, and the electric power from the indoor unit 1 given to the terminals T1, T2 is varistor 55,
It is supplied to the motor drive circuit 51, the control power supply circuit 52, and the pump drive circuit 54 via the noise filter 56, the voltage doubler circuit 57, the noise filter 58, and the smoothing circuit 59. The current flowing through the terminal T1 is detected by the current transformer 60 (C.T.) and supplied to the microcomputer 50 via the current detection circuit 61. Further, the control signal sent from the indoor unit 1 to the terminal T3 is sent via the serial circuit 62 to the microcomputer 50.
Given to. The outdoor fan motor M3 is connected to the microcomputer 50 via a driver 63, a triac 64, and an air volume adjusting circuit 65, and similarly, the four-way valve 16 of the refrigerant circuit 10 is connected via the driver 63. Microcomputer 50
A switching signal of the four-way valve 16 and a rotation speed control of the fan motor M3 are performed by a signal from the. Further, the microcomputer 50 is connected to an outside air temperature sensor 66 that detects the temperature of the outside air and a discharge temperature sensor 67 that detects the refrigerant temperature on the compressor discharge side.
D-convert and import. On the other hand, a discharge temperature sensor 68 that detects the temperature of the hot water on the discharge side of the heat source device is connected to the heat source device control circuit 53, and the hot water circuit 20 is controlled based on the detection value of the discharge temperature sensor 68.

When performing the cooling operation in the air conditioner configured as described above, the first refrigerant inlet / outlet 16a, the fourth refrigerant inlet / outlet 16d, the second refrigerant inlet / outlet 16b and the third refrigerant of the four-way valve 16 are used. The compressor 13 is operated by making the inlets and outlets 16c communicate with each other. As a result, the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 10 circulates in the cooling cycle as shown by the solid line in FIG.
The refrigerant evaporates in the refrigerant passage 11 of the indoor heat exchanger 3, and condenses in the heat source heat exchanger 12. As a result, the air cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 3 is blown out from the indoor unit 1 to cool the room. At that time, the operation of the compressor 13 is controlled on the basis of the preset temperature and the temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor 38, and the room is maintained at this preset temperature.

When the heating operation is performed in the air conditioner, the heat source unit 22 and the pump 24 of the hot water circuit 20.
Operate. As a result, the hot water in the hot water circuit 20 will be as shown in FIG.
It is circulated as shown by the solid line and is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heat source device 22. As a result, the air heated in the hot water flow path 21 of the indoor heat exchanger 3 is blown out from the indoor unit 1 to heat the room. At that time, the capacity of the heat source device 22 or the opening degree of the electromagnetic valve 23 is controlled based on the preset temperature and the temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor 38,
The room is kept at the set temperature.

Here, the hot water circuit 20 during the heating operation described above.
When an abnormality occurs in the indoor heat exchanger 3 and hot water having a desired temperature is not supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 3, the following operation is performed according to the program stored in the microcomputer 30.
Incidentally, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the control operation.

First, the operation state is the heating mode (heating operation).
If it is determined that it is (S1), the hot water temperature sensor 4
The temperature of the hot water in the hot water circuit 20 is detected by 0 (S
2) The temperature T detected by the hot water temperature sensor 40 is compared with a predetermined target temperature T1. The target temperature T1 is a temperature required to generate heat in the indoor heat exchanger 3 with a target set temperature in the room, and is set, for example, according to each stage of the capacity of the heat source device 22. That is, if the detected temperature T of the hot water temperature sensor 40 does not reach the predetermined target temperature T1 (S3), after the predetermined time (start-up time or start-up time after capacity switching) has passed (S4), the detected temperature still remains. If T has not reached the predetermined target temperature T1 (S5), the operation of the hot water circuit 20 is stopped (S6), and the display 36 displays an abnormality (S7) to operate the refrigerant circuit 10 in the heating cycle. (S8). At that time, in the refrigerant circuit 10, the first refrigerant inlet / outlet 16a and the third refrigerant inlet / outlet 16c of the four-way valve 16 and the second refrigerant inlet / outlet 16b and the fourth refrigerant inlet / outlet 16d are made to communicate with each other to operate the compressor 13. As a result, the refrigerant circulates as shown by the broken line in FIG. 1, condenses in the indoor heat exchanger 3 and evaporates in the heat source side heat exchanger 12. As a result, the air heated in the indoor heat exchanger 3 is blown out from the indoor unit 1 to heat the room. At that time, the drive of the compressor 13 is controlled based on the preset temperature and the temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor 38, and the room is maintained at an arbitrary temperature. If the detected temperature T of the hot water temperature sensor 40 has reached the predetermined target temperature T1 in step S3 or step S5, the process returns to step S2 and the hot water temperature T is detected again.

As described above, according to the air conditioner of this embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in the hot water circuit 10 during the heating operation and hot water of a desired temperature is no longer supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 3, the room Since the refrigerant flow passage 11 of the inner heat exchanger 3 is made to act as a condenser and the air flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 3 is heated by the refrigerant circuit 10, the hot water circuit 10 is returned to a normal state. Heating can be done even during.

Although the heat source device 22 of the hot water circuit 20 is built in the outdoor unit 2 in the above embodiment, a hot water circuit using a boiler for supplying hot water to the kitchen or bathroom of the house as a heat source device is also available. Some types are provided, and the present invention can be applied to such types. In this case, the decrease in heating capacity may occur due to an abnormality in the hot water circuit as in the above embodiment, but the load on the boiler is increased, that is, air conditioning is performed even during peak hours when the amount of hot water used in the kitchen or bathroom is large. The circulation amount of hot water to the machine side may decrease,
In such a case, it is possible to operate the refrigerant circuit in the heating cycle to compensate for the decrease in the capacity of the hot water circuit.

[0026]

As described above, according to the air conditioners of the first, second and third aspects, the boiler for hot water supply serves as the heat source device.
In addition, even if the load on the boiler is increased or the hot water supply is abnormal, the heating of the room to be conditioned can be continued , which is advantageous in that the user is not inconvenienced.

[0027]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] Overall view of the air conditioner

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the indoor unit.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a control system on the indoor unit side.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a control system on the outdoor unit side.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a control operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Indoor unit 2 outdoor unit 3 Indoor heat exchanger 10 Refrigerant circuit 11 Refrigerant flow path 13 compressor 15 Pressure reducing device 16 four-way valve 20 hot water circuit 21 Hot water flow path 30 microcomputer 40 Hot water temperature sensor 50 microcomputer

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F24F 11/02 102

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An indoor heat exchanger having a refrigerant flow path and a hot water flow path is provided, and heat exchange is performed between the indoor heat exchanger and air to perform an air conditioning operation of a controlled room. In the air conditioner described above, at least the refrigerant flow path of the indoor heat exchanger, the heat source side heat exchanger, the compressor, the refrigeration cycle including the four-way valve and the decompression device are switched to the four-way valve refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger. When the temperature of the hot water flowing through the hot water flow path of the indoor heat exchanger does not reach a predetermined value, the heating operation of circulating the hot water and the indoor side the indoor heat exchanger switching the four-way valve of the refrigeration cycle as a flow path of the refrigerant heat exchanger acts as a condenser
Combined with heating operation that uses the refrigerant flow path as a condenser
An air conditioner characterized by: 2. An indoor heat exchanger having a refrigerant flow path and a hot water flow path is provided, and heat exchange is performed between the indoor heat exchanger and air to perform an air conditioning operation of a conditioned room. In the above air conditioner, the refrigerant flow path of the indoor heat exchanger acts as an evaporator during cooling operation to cool the room to be conditioned, and during heating operation the hot water flow path of the indoor heat exchanger is used. When the temperature of the hot water supplied to the hot water flow path of the indoor heat exchanger does not reach a predetermined value during this heating operation , the warmed water is circulated to circulate the hot water. Operation and heating operation in which the refrigerant flow path of the indoor heat exchanger acts as a condenser
An air conditioner characterized by using together . 3. An indoor heat exchanger having a refrigerant flow path and a hot water flow path is provided, and heat is exchanged between the indoor heat exchanger and air to perform an air conditioning operation of a controlled room. In the air conditioner described above, at least the refrigerant flow path of the indoor heat exchanger, the heat source side heat exchanger, the compressor, the refrigeration cycle including the four-way valve and the decompression device are switched to the four-way valve refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger. Is configured to act as an evaporator or a condenser, and during cooling operation, the refrigerant passage of the indoor heat exchanger acts as an evaporator to perform cooling operation of the conditioned room and during heating operation. Circulates hot water in the hot water flow path of the indoor heat exchanger to perform the heating operation of the room to be conditioned, and during this heating operation, the temperature of the hot water supplied to the hot water flow path of the indoor heat exchanger is predetermined. when not reached the value includes a heating operation circulating hot water, an indoor heat exchanger And a heating operation for applying a coolant flow path as a condenser
An air conditioner characterized by being used together .