JP3448473B2 - 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 that cools or heats a room so that a room has a set temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as "air conditioner") for air conditioning in a room, operating conditions such as operating mode, wind direction, and air volume are set by a remote control switch and the operating switch is operated. This starts the air conditioning operation. At this time, in the air conditioner, the air-conditioning capacity such as the temperature and air volume of the air-conditioning air required to bring the room to the set temperature is set based on the set temperature and the room temperature, and the compressor for obtaining the air-conditioned air at this temperature is set. Set the operating frequency of.

Thereafter, the compressor is driven based on the set operating frequency to start the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner to bring the room to the set temperature. Further, in the air conditioner, the air conditioning capacity is adjusted according to the change in the room temperature to quickly bring the room into a desired air conditioning state and maintain the air conditioning state (set temperature).

If the difference between the set temperature and the outdoor temperature is large, a large air conditioning capacity is required to maintain the indoor temperature at the set temperature, and the power consumption of the air conditioner also increases.

Further, if the set temperature for cooling is set lower than necessary or the set temperature for heating is set higher than necessary, the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature becomes large. This temperature difference may cause discomfort when going out of the air-conditioned room to the outside of the room or entering the air-conditioned room from the outside, and may cause a physical condition called heat shock.

From the viewpoints of health and energy saving, it is desirable to increase the set temperature during the cooling operation and decrease the set temperature during the heating operation when air conditioning is performed by the air conditioner.

However, for example, when the cooling operation is started, the set temperature is lowered so that the cooling feeling can be obtained immediately, and when the heating operation is started, the set temperature is set high. Therefore, the air conditioner starts to operate with a large air conditioning capacity, and also consumes a large amount of power in order to maintain the set temperature. Further, by maintaining the indoor temperature at this set temperature, the difference between the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature becomes large, and the physical condition such as heat shock may occur due to entering and exiting the air-conditioned room.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above facts, and proposes an air conditioner capable of saving energy and suppressing the occurrence of poor physical condition due to the condition of air conditioning in a room. The purpose is to

[0009]

The invention according to claim 1 is
Controls air conditioning capacity based on operating conditions including set temperature,
An air conditioner to achieve air conditioning as the air conditioning chamber is a set temperature, a certain time after from the air conditioning operation is started
After passing or when the room temperature has reached approximately the set temperature, the suitability of the set temperature is determined by comparing the set temperature with a predetermined temperature set for each of the heating operation and the cooling operation. It is characterized in that it includes a judging means and a notifying means for notifying a judgment result of the judging means.

According to the present invention, the air conditioning operation is started.
After a certain amount of time has passed or the room temperature has reached the preset temperature
At this time, the determination means determines whether the set temperature is within an appropriate range by comparing the set temperature set as the operating condition with a predetermined temperature set in advance. For example, when the set temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature during the cooling operation, it is determined that the set temperature is inappropriate. The notifying means notifies the user to urge a change in the set temperature when it is determined from the determination result of the determining means that the set temperature is inappropriate.

Thus, if the set temperature is changed so that the set temperature is determined to be appropriate, energy saving can be achieved. That is, if the set temperature is set low during the cooling operation, a large air conditioning capacity is required, but by raising the set temperature, the air conditioning capacity can be reduced, thus saving energy. During the heating operation, the suitability of the set temperature is judged based on whether or not the set temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.

Since the inside of the room is air-conditioned to reach the set temperature, whether the air-conditioning state is appropriate or not can be determined based on the set temperature, so that it is possible to determine whether or not the room temperature reaches the set temperature. Since air conditioning is not performed at an inappropriate set temperature, energy can be saved from this point as well.

Further , according to the present invention, the timing for judging whether the set temperature is appropriate by the judging means is the air conditioning operation.
After a certain period of time has passed from the start or the room temperature is approximately the set temperature
It is said that it has reached the degree. This makes the room urgent
At the start of the air conditioning operation where it is desired that the desired air conditioning state is reached, the indoor temperature should be set to the arbitrarily set temperature.
Since it is air-conditioned, it does not impair the feeling of air conditioning. Also the room
When the internal temperature has reached approximately the set temperature, the suitability of the set temperature can be determined.
The temperature inside the room is maintained at an inappropriate temperature.
Power consumption is wasted, and the difference between the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature is large.
It is possible to prevent the threshold state from continuing.

The invention according to claim 2 includes temperature detecting means for detecting an outdoor temperature, wherein the judging means compares the set temperature with the outdoor temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, and the set temperature is compared with the outdoor temperature. It is characterized in that the suitability of the set temperature is judged from whether or not the temperature difference between the temperatures exceeds a predetermined value.

According to the present invention, the set temperature is compared with the outdoor temperature, and when the temperature difference is equal to or more than the predetermined value, the notification means prompts the change of the set temperature. That is, the temperature difference between the set temperature and the outdoor temperature becomes the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature by air-conditioning the room to the set temperature. This temperature difference becomes a temperature change when going out from the air-conditioned room to the outside or when entering from the outside to the air-conditioned room, and the temperature difference becomes large, which may cause a heat shock or the like. .

Therefore, by suppressing the set temperature in accordance with the outdoor temperature, it is possible to suppress the temperature difference when the room is air-conditioned to reach the set temperature, and even when the room enters or leaves the air-conditioned room. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the physical condition and the like from being caused by the temperature difference.

The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, when the judging means changes the set temperature by the temperature setting means for setting the set temperature, the suitability of the changed set temperature is judged.

According to the present invention, when the set temperature is changed by the temperature setting means, the suitability of the changed set temperature is determined. The air conditioning in the room is performed so that the room temperature becomes the set temperature set at the start of the air conditioning. When the air conditioning in the room progresses, the set temperature is changed according to the air conditioning state in the room.

When the room is being air-conditioned, the judging means is
When this set temperature is changed, it is determined whether the changed set temperature is within an appropriate temperature range. by this,
By keeping the set temperature in an appropriate temperature range, it is possible to prevent the room from becoming too cold or too warm in advance.

The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the predetermined value is different between the heating operation and the cooling operation.

According to the present invention, a predetermined value serving as a reference for comparing the set temperature and the outside air temperature is set for each of the cooling operation and the heating operation.

For example, in an environment requiring a cooling operation (weather condition), the wear is often lighter than that in an environment requiring a heating operation. Therefore, in the environment where the cooling operation is performed, the temperature difference between the air-conditioned room and the non-air-conditioned room is
It is directly felt by the body compared to the environment where heating operation is performed. Therefore, in the cooling operation, the predetermined value is made smaller than that in the heating operation to prevent the set temperature from largely deviating from the outdoor temperature, so that the occurrence of poor physical condition due to the temperature difference can be prevented.

[0023]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present embodiment will be described below.
1 to 5 show an air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as "air conditioner 10") applied to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 10 is
It is composed of an indoor unit 12 and an outdoor unit 14, and is operated / stopped by operating a wireless remote control switch (hereinafter referred to as "remote control switch 120"). The air conditioner 10 has a remote control switch 12
When operating conditions such as operating mode and set temperature are set to 0 and an operation signal is sent out, the operation signal is transmitted to the indoor unit 1
The operation is performed based on the operation signal received at step 2. The air conditioner 10 is a wireless remote control switch 1
The operation condition is not limited to 20, and may be operated by a wired remote control switch, or the operating condition may be set by operating an operation panel provided in the indoor unit.

FIG. 2 shows the indoor unit 1 of the air conditioner 10.
The outline of the refrigeration cycle comprised between 2 and the outdoor unit 14 is shown. Between the indoor unit 12 and the outdoor unit 14, a thick refrigerant pipe 1 for circulating a refrigerant.
6A and a thin refrigerant pipe 16B are provided as a pair,
One end of each is connected to the heat exchanger 18 provided in the indoor unit 12.

The other end of the refrigerant pipe 16A is connected to the outdoor unit 1
4 valve 20A. This valve 20A
Is connected to the four-way valve 24 via the muffler 22A. Each of the four-way valves 24 has a compressor 26
And the muffler 22B connected to the
Are connected. Furthermore, the outdoor unit 14 is provided with a heat exchanger 30. One of the heat exchangers 30 is connected to the four-way valve 24, and the other is connected to the valve 20B via the capillary tube 32, the strainer 34, the electric expansion valve 36, and the modulator 38. The other end of the refrigerant pipe 16B is connected to the valve 20B, whereby the indoor unit 12 and the outdoor unit 1 are connected.
A closed circulation path of the refrigerant forming the refrigeration cycle is formed between the four.

In the air conditioner 10, the operation mode is switched between the cooling mode (dry mode) and the heating mode by switching the four-way valve 24. Note that, in FIG. 2, arrows indicate the flow of each refrigerant in the cooling mode (cooling operation) and the heating mode (heating operation).

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross section of the indoor unit 12. The indoor unit 12 includes a mounting base 40 which is mounted on a wall surface (not shown) above and below (see FIG. 2).
The inside is covered with a casing 42 that is locked at the top and bottom of the drawing. A cross flow fan 44 is arranged in the center of the casing 42. Heat exchanger 1
8 are arranged from the front surface side to the upper surface side of the cross flow fan 44, and the heat exchanger 18 and the casing 42 are arranged.
A filter 48 is disposed between the front side and the suction port 46 formed on the upper side. An outlet 50 is formed in the lower part of the casing 42.

Thus, in the indoor unit 12, the rotation of the crossflow fan 44 sucks the air in the room from the suction port 46, passes through the filter 48 and the heat exchanger 18, and then blows out toward the room from the discharge port 50. To be done. When passing through the heat exchanger 18 in the refrigeration cycle, this air is heated or cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant, and is blown out as conditioned air from the blowout port 50 so that the air conditioning in the room is improved. Planned.

Inside the outlet 50, left and right flaps 52 and upper and lower flaps 54 are provided.
The direction of the conditioned air blown out can be changed by 2 and the upper and lower flaps 54.

As shown in FIG. 4, the indoor unit 12
A power supply board 56, a control board 58, and a power relay board 60 are provided in the. A motor power supply 62, a control circuit power supply 64, a serial power supply 66, and a drive circuit 68 are provided on the power supply board 56 to which electric power for operating the air conditioner 10 is supplied. Further, the control board 58 is provided with a serial circuit 70, a drive circuit 72, and a microcomputer 74.

A fan motor 76 (for example, a DC brushless motor) for driving the cross flow fan 44 is connected to the drive circuit 68 of the power supply board 56, and a control signal from the microcomputer 74 provided on the control board 58 is supplied. Accordingly, drive power is supplied from the motor power source 62.
At this time, the microcomputer 74 controls the output voltage from the drive circuit 68 so as to change the output voltage in the range of 12V to 36V in 256 steps to control the speed of the fan motor 76.
As a result, the number of rotations of the cross flow fan 44, that is, the air volume of the conditioned air blown from the outlet 50 is controlled.

A drive circuit 72 of the control board 58 is connected to a power relay board 60 and an upper and lower flap motor 78 for operating the upper and lower flaps 54. The power relay board 60 is provided with a power relay 80 and a temperature fuse, and operates the power relay 80 by a signal from the microcomputer 74 to open / close a contact 80A for supplying electric power to the outdoor unit 14. Air conditioner 1
0 is operated by supplying electric power to the outdoor unit 14 by closing the contact 80A.

The upper and lower flap motors 78 are controlled according to the control signal from the microcomputer 74, and the upper and lower flaps 5 are moved.
Operate 4. As the upper and lower flaps 54 are swung in the vertical direction, the outlet 50 of the indoor unit 12 is
The blowing direction of the air blown from the can be changed to the vertical direction. The operation of the upper and lower flaps 54 can be fixed so that the blowing air can be directed to an arbitrary position, but in the automatic mode, it changes randomly.

In the air conditioner 10, the cross flow fan 4
By controlling the rotation of No. 4 and the operation of the upper and lower flaps 54, the conditioned air is blown from the outlet 50 of the indoor unit 12 at a desired air volume and direction or a controlled air volume and direction to make the room comfortable. . The left and right flaps 52
Is manually operated, but a left and right flap motor for swinging the left and right flaps 52 may be provided.

The serial circuit 70 is connected to the microcomputer 74 and the serial power supply 66 of the power supply circuit 56, and further connected to the outdoor unit 14. The microcomputer 74 performs serial communication with the outdoor unit 14 via the serial circuit 70 to control the operation of the outdoor unit 14.

Further, the indoor unit 12 has a display board 82 having a receiving circuit for receiving an operation signal from a remote control switch 120, which will be described later, and a display LED for operation display.
Is provided, and the display substrate 82 is connected to the microcomputer 74. As shown in FIG. 1, the display substrate 82
The display portion 82A is exposed on the surface of the casing 42, and the operation signal from the remote control switch 120 is received and input by the display portion 82A.

As shown in FIG. 4, the microcomputer 74 includes a room temperature sensor 84 for detecting the room temperature and the heat exchanger 1.
The heat exchange temperature sensor 86 for detecting the coil temperature of No. 8 is connected, and further, the service LED and the operation changeover switch 88 provided on the control board 58 are connected. A temperature sensor is also provided in the remote control switch 120, which will be described later, and normally the room temperature uses the temperature measured by the remote control switch 120 and sent at a predetermined timing.

The operation changeover switch 88 is for changing over between the normal operation and the test operation performed at the time of maintenance and the like.
The contact of the power switch 88A can be opened to cut off the supply of operating power to the air conditioner 10. Normal,
The operation changeover switch 88 is set to the normal operation. It should be noted that the service LED is designed to notify the service person of the self-diagnosis result by being turned on during maintenance.

The indoor unit 12 is connected to the outdoor unit 14 via the terminals 90A, 90B and 90C of the terminal board 90.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the outdoor unit 14 is provided with a terminal plate 92, and the terminals 92A, 92B and 92C of the terminal plate 92 are respectively terminals 90A of the terminal plate 90 of the indoor unit 12. , 90B,
It is connected to 90C. As a result, the outdoor unit 1
Operating power is supplied to the indoor unit 12 from the indoor unit 12, and serial communication with the indoor unit 12 is possible.

The outdoor unit 14 includes a rectifying board 9
4. A control board 96 is provided. The control board 96 is provided with noise filters 100A, 100B, 100C, a serial circuit 102, a switching power supply 104, and the like together with the microcomputer 98.

The rectifying board 94 is a noise filter 100A.
Rectifies the electric power supplied via the noise filter 10
Switching power supply 1 after smoothing through 0B and 100C
Output to 04. An inverter circuit 106 is connected to the switching power supply 104 together with the microcomputer 98,
Electric power having a frequency corresponding to the control signal output from the microcomputer 98 is supplied from the inverter circuit 106 to the compressor motor 1
It outputs to 08, and the compressor 26 is rotationally driven.

The microcomputer 98 uses the inverter circuit 1
The frequency of the power output from 06 is off or 14Hz
The compressor motor 1 is controlled so as to be in the above range (the upper limit depends on the upper limit of the operating current).
08, that is, the rotation speed of the compressor 26 is changed,
Capacity of compressor 26 (air conditioning capacity of air conditioner 10)
Is controlled.

The control board 96 includes a four-way valve 2
4 and a fan motor 110 for driving a fan (not shown) for cooling the heat exchanger 30 and a fan motor condenser 110A are connected. In addition, the outdoor unit 14
Is provided with an outside air temperature sensor 112 that detects the outside air temperature, a coil temperature sensor 114 that detects the temperature of the refrigerant coil of the heat exchanger 30, and a compressor temperature sensor 116 that detects the temperature of the compressor 26. It is connected to 98.

The microcomputer 98 switches the four-way valve 24 in accordance with the operation mode, and controls signals from the indoor unit 12, the outside air temperature sensor 112, the coil temperature sensor 1
Based on the detection results of 14 and the compressor temperature sensor 116, the on / off of the fan motor 110, the operating frequency of the compressor motor 108 (the capacity of the compressor 26) and the like are controlled.

Further, the microcomputer 98 sends the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 112 to the indoor unit 12 as the outdoor temperature at a predetermined timing.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show an example of the remote control switch 120 used for remote operation of the air conditioner 10.

The remote control switch 120 is the casing 1
22 is provided with a display panel 124 using a rectangular liquid crystal panel. As shown in FIG. 6 (A), the display panel 124 can display various operating conditions such as an operation mode, a set temperature, an indoor temperature (room temperature), a time (time), and a wind direction and an air volume. Has become. As shown in FIG. 6B, during the operation of the air conditioner 10, the set operating conditions or operating states such as the operating mode, the set temperature or the room temperature, the current time, the wind direction, and the air volume are selected and displayed. It has become.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the operation / stop button 1 is provided on the surface of the casing 122.
26, temperature setting buttons 128A, 128B, 1-hour timer (1H timer) button 130, and foot heating button 1
Main setting buttons such as 32 are provided. Air conditioner 1
0 is operated / stopped by operating the operation / stop button 126. Further, the set temperature displayed on the display panel 124 is changed by operating the temperature setting buttons 128A and 128B. That is, the set temperature is increased by operating the temperature setting button 128A, and the temperature setting button 128B
The set temperature is lowered by the operation of. The temperature displayed on the display panel 124 is sent to the indoor unit 12 as the set temperature.

The 1-hour timer button 130 sets the operating time of the air conditioner 10 to 1 hour, and when 1 hour has elapsed, a stop signal is sent from the remote control switch 120 to the indoor unit 12 of the air conditioner 10. . Also, by operating the foot heating button 132,
The indoor unit 12 directs the wind direction downward and increases the air volume to increase the heating feeling of the floor surface in the room.

Casing 12 of remote control switch 120
2 is provided with a slide cover 134, and an operation panel 136 having various operation buttons is exposed by sliding the slide cover 134.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the operation panel 136 has operation modes of automatic, heating, dry, cooling,
Operation switching button 13 that switches between air cleaning and drying in order
8, the amount of air blown from the outlet 50 of the indoor unit 12,
Air volume button 140 and wind direction button 14 for changing the wind direction setting
2 is provided, and a display corresponding to these operations is displayed on the display panel 124 (see, for example, FIG. 6B). Further, on the operation panel 136, a high power button 144,
A good-night button 146, an energy-saving button 148 for setting the upper limit (1/2 or ampere) of the operating current for energy saving, and the like are provided so that the operating capacity of the air conditioner 10 can be set in various operating conditions. There is. Further, in the air conditioner 10, a timer can be set by operating a button on the operation panel 136.

The air conditioner 10 has a run / stop button 126.
Operation, the air conditioning operation is started based on the operating conditions set by operating the various buttons of the remote control switch 120, and the operation / stop button 126 is operated again to stop the air conditioning operation. Further, the remote control switch 120 is provided with a temperature sensor (not shown) inside the casing 122, and while the air conditioner 10 is operating, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is set to the remote control switch 120 at fixed time intervals. It is sent to the indoor unit 12 at a timing such as when any of the provided buttons is operated.

By the way, the air conditioner 10 is provided with a self-diagnosis function of the set temperature as a health sign.
When the temperature is 0, the difference between the indoor temperature of the air-conditioned room and the outdoor temperature is prevented from becoming unnecessarily large. That is, it is possible to prevent the set temperature from being set higher than the outside air temperature by a predetermined temperature or more during heating, or from being set to a temperature lower than necessary than the outside air temperature during cooling.

As shown in FIG. 4, the indoor unit 12
The display board 82 is provided with a buzzer 150 as a notification means. The buzzer 150 sounds based on a signal from the microcomputer 74, and the indoor unit 12 issues an alarm.

As described above, the microcomputer 74 of the outdoor unit 14 inputs the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 112 to the microcomputer 74 as the outdoor temperature. During the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 10, the remote control switch is operated. When the changed operating conditions or the like are input from the remote control switch 120 by operating 120 to change the operating conditions, first, the set temperature and the heating operation and the cooling operation are respectively set. The set temperature is compared with the set temperature and the outside air temperature is further compared. The microcomputer 74 determines whether the set temperature is appropriate based on the comparison result, and when it determines that the set temperature is not appropriate, issues an alarm.

That is, when the remote control switch 120 is operated during the air-conditioning operation of the air conditioner 10, the set temperature is set to an unnecessarily high temperature with respect to the outside air temperature during heating or the set temperature with respect to the outside air temperature during cooling. It is designed to prevent an alarm from being set lower than necessary.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below.
In the air conditioner 10, operating conditions such as operating mode, set temperature, wind direction, and air volume are set by operating the remote control switch 120, and these operating conditions and the run / stop button 126 are set.
When an operation signal corresponding to the operation of is transmitted from the remote control switch 120, the operation is started according to the operation signal. As a result, air conditioning is performed so that the indoor temperature in which the indoor unit 12 of the air conditioner 10 is provided gradually approaches the set temperature, and when the indoor temperature reaches the substantially set temperature,
Air conditioning is performed so that the room temperature is maintained at this set temperature.

The air conditioner 10 is stopped by operating the operation / stop button 126 of the remote control switch 120 during the air conditioning operation and inputting an operation signal for instructing the stop from the remote control switch 120.

On the other hand, when the set temperature is changed by operating the remote control switch 120 during the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 10, the remote control switch 120 sends the operating conditions including the changed set temperature to the indoor unit 12 of the air conditioner 10. . When a new operating condition is input, the air conditioner 10 starts the air conditioning operation based on this operating condition.

By the way, in the air conditioner 10, when the set temperature is changed during the air conditioning operation, the air conditioning is started so that the indoor temperature becomes the changed new set temperature. At this time,
At this time, it self-determines whether the set temperature is within the appropriate range.If the set temperature is outside the appropriate temperature range set according to the operation mode, an alarm is issued and the set temperature is changed. Urge.

In the flowchart of FIG. 7, the air conditioner 10
An example of the self-diagnosis executed by the indoor unit 12 of FIG. This flowchart shows the remote control switch 12
Air conditioner 1 by operating 0 start / stop button 126
It is executed after the 0 air conditioning operation is started.

[0064] The timing for starting the execution of this flowchart, and after the air conditioning operation of the air conditioners 10 has elapsed a predetermined time from the start, after the room temperature rises above a predetermined temperature, the room temperature reaches the set temperature After that, various timings such as .

In the air conditioner 10, as an example of a condition for issuing an alarm during self-diagnosis, the set temperature T _S is 20.0 ° C. (temperature T ₁ ) or less during the operation in the cooling mode, or Assuming that the set temperature T _S is 25.0 ° C (temperatures T ₂ , T ₁ > T ₂ ) or less and the difference between the set temperature T _S and the outdoor temperature (outside air temperature) T _O is 5 ° C or more. In addition, in the heating mode, the set temperature T _S is 2
It is assumed that the temperature is 7.0 ° C (temperature T ₃ ) or more and the temperature difference between the set temperature T _S and the outside air temperature T _O is 10.0 ° C or more.

In this flowchart, it is determined in the first step 200 whether the remote control switch 120 has been operated. The remote control switch 120 is for the air conditioner 1
During the operation of 0, the room temperature is detected at regular time intervals,
The detected indoor temperature is sent to the indoor unit 12. Further, the remote control switch 120 sends out the set operating conditions together when the temperature setting buttons 128A and 128B are operated to change the set temperature as well as when the operation of changing the setting of the wind direction and the air volume is performed. .

In step 200, a signal indicating that the operating condition has been changed or the operating condition has been changed is transmitted from the remote controller switch 120 (affirmative determination).
Then, the process proceeds to step 202.

In step 202, the operation mode indicating whether the mode is the cooling mode or the heating mode is read together with the set temperature Ts. Next, at step 204, it is confirmed whether the operation mode is the cooling operation or the heating operation, and when the cooling mode is set, the routine proceeds to step 206.

In this step 206, it is judged whether or not the set temperature T _S is set lower than the temperature T ₁ when operating in the cooling mode. Also, the set temperature T _S
Is not set lower than the temperature T ₁ (step 2
In the affirmative determination at 06), the routine proceeds to step 208, where it is confirmed whether or not the set temperature T _S is set lower than the predetermined temperature T ₂ . When a negative determination is made in step 208, that is, when the set temperature T _S is set higher than the predetermined temperature T ₂ , this flowchart ends.

Further, when the set temperature T _S is set lower than the temperature T ₂ (affirmative determination at step ₂₀₈ ), the routine proceeds to step 210, where the outdoor temperature sensor 112 provided in the outdoor unit 14 detects the temperature. The temperature that has been set is read as the outdoor temperature T _O , and in the next step 212, the set temperature T _S and the outdoor temperature T _O are compared. Here, the set temperature T
_When the difference between _S and the outside air temperature T _O is within a predetermined value (for example, 5.0 ° C.), this flow chart is ended as it is.

On the other hand, when the set temperature T _S is set lower than the temperature T ₁ (affirmative determination in step 206),
In consideration of energy saving, shift to step 214, and buzzer 15
Sounds 0 and sounds an alarm. Further, the set temperature T _S is lower than the temperature T ₂ , and the set temperature T _S and the outdoor temperature T _O
When the temperature difference of is greater than or equal to 5.0 degrees C (affirmative determination in step 212), the process proceeds to step 214.

In step 214, the buzzer 150 is sounded to give an alarm from the indoor unit 12 to prompt the change of the set temperature. The alarm may, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the time t ₂ (e.g. 80m
s) Buzzer 1 at intervals of time t ₁ (eg 150 ms)
Turn on 50. As a result, the fact that the set temperature T _S is set to an unsuitable temperature is notified without making the person in the air-conditioned room feel uncomfortable.

This alarm is stopped when the set temperature is changed by operating the remote control switch 120, for example. In addition, even after a predetermined time (several seconds to ten and a few seconds) set in advance so that it can be sufficiently recognized that the alarm has been issued, it may be stopped by an arbitrary button operation provided on the remote control switch 120. good.

Thus, when the set temperature T _S is set lower than the temperature T ₁ , an alarm is issued and the set temperature T _S is set.
By encouraging the change of _S , we are trying to save energy during cooling operation and prevent the room from becoming too cold.

Further, in the air conditioner 10, even when the set temperature T _S is higher than the temperature T ₁ , the set temperature T _S and the outdoor temperature T _S
When the temperature difference of _O is larger than the predetermined value, an alarm is issued to prompt the change of the set temperature T _S. The set temperature T _S is the temperature T
Even if it is higher than ₁ , if the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature becomes large, a heat shock may occur due to the temperature difference when entering or leaving the air-conditioned room. Therefore, even if the set temperature T _S is high, when the temperature difference between the outdoor temperature T _O and the set temperature T _S is large, the set temperature T _S is set so as to narrow the temperature difference.
Encourage changes. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the physical condition from being bad due to the temperature difference when entering or leaving the air-conditioned room.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step 204 that the air conditioner 10 is set to the heating mode, the routine proceeds to step 216, where it is confirmed whether or not the set temperature T _S is set higher than the temperature T ₃ . Also, step 21
In step 8, the outdoor temperature T ₀ detected by the outdoor air temperature sensor 112 of the outdoor unit 14 is read, and step 2
At 20, the outdoor temperature T _O is compared with the set temperature T _S.

Here, the set temperature T _S is higher than the temperature T ₃ (affirmative determination in step 216), and the temperature difference between the set temperature T _S and the outdoor temperature T _O is a predetermined value (in the present embodiment, as an example, 10. When the temperature is higher than 0 ° C (affirmative determination in step 220), the process proceeds to step 214 and an alarm is issued to prompt the change of the set temperature T _S.

That is, considering the energy saving of the air conditioner 10 during the heating operation, it is preferable that the set temperature T _S is low. Also, considering the time when entering and exiting the air-conditioned room from the outside of the non-air-conditioned state, it is preferable that the temperature difference between the outside and the room is small, but if the temperature difference is small, the feeling of heating will fade and it feels that heating is insufficient. I will end up.

For this reason, in the air conditioner 10, when the set temperature T _S is higher than the predetermined temperature T ₃ during the heating operation and the temperature difference between the set temperature T _S and the outdoor temperature T _O is the predetermined value or more. , An alarm is issued to prompt a change in the set temperature T _S. As a result, it is possible to save energy during the heating operation of the air conditioner 10 and to surely prevent the physical condition from being deteriorated due to the temperature difference when going in and out of the air-conditioned room from the outside in the non-air-conditioned state without impairing the feeling of heating. Can be suppressed.

As described above, the air conditioner 10 has the self-diagnosis function of the set temperature T _S , thereby saving energy and physical condition such as heat shock due to a temperature difference when entering / leaving the air-conditioned room from the outside in the non-air-conditioned state. It is possible to prevent defects.

Further, the predetermined value for judging the suitability of the set temperature with respect to the outdoor temperature is small in the cooling operation and is large in the heating operation in consideration of the temperature difference actually felt by the body. That is, in the environment that requires the cooling operation, it is often lighter than the environment that requires the heating operation,
The temperature difference easily affects the physical condition. Further, if the set temperature and the outside air temperature are suppressed, the feeling of air conditioning becomes weak.

Therefore, by setting the reference temperature and the temperature difference according to the air-conditioning state, it is possible to perform energy-saving and health-oriented air conditioning without impairing the feeling of air conditioning.

The reference temperatures such as the temperatures T ₁ , T ₂ and T ₃ may be arbitrarily set as long as they are energy saving. Further, as the predetermined values for comparing the set temperature T _S and the outdoor temperature T _O during the heating operation and the cooling operation, respectively, any value can be used as long as the climate and the environment are taken into consideration. .

[0084] Further, in the present embodiment, after the air conditioners 10 has started operation, when the room temperature reaches approximately the set temperature T _S, you determine whether it is appropriate to set the temperature T _S. That is, when it is determined that the indoor temperature has reached the set temperature, step 202 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is executed.

As a result, when the air conditioner 10 performs the air conditioning, the room temperature is initially set to the arbitrarily set temperature T _S , so that the feeling of air conditioning is not impaired. In addition, after the room temperature reaches the set temperature T _S , whether the set temperature T _S is appropriate or not is determined regardless of the operation of the remote controller switch 120. It is possible to prevent waste of consumption amount and continuation of a state where the difference between the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature is large.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the outdoor temperature is detected by the outdoor temperature sensor 112 provided in the outdoor unit 14, but the present invention can be applied to an air conditioner that does not have an outdoor temperature sensor. In this case, the set temperature T
The _S, compared with a predetermined temperature T _1, T _3, by issuing an alarm based on the comparison result, setting lower than necessary the set temperature T _S in the cooling mode, the set temperature T _S in the heating mode Can be suppressed from being set higher than necessary, and an energy saving effect can be obtained.

The air conditioner 1 applied to this embodiment
0 does not limit the configuration of the air conditioner to which the present invention is applied, and the present invention can be applied to an air conditioner of any configuration that performs cooling or heating using a refrigeration cycle.

[0088]

As described above, according to the present invention, the suitability of the set temperature is judged, and if the set temperature is inappropriate,
Energy can be saved by urging the notification unit to change the set temperature, and a temperature difference between the air-conditioned room and the non-air-conditioned room can be suppressed. As a result, an excellent effect that the occurrence of poor physical condition such as heat shock due to a large temperature difference can be suppressed can be obtained. Further, by changing the determination reference between the heating operation and the cooling operation, it is possible to prevent the comfort of the air-conditioned room from being impaired.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner applied to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner applied to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing an indoor unit.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic circuit configuration of an indoor unit.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic circuit configuration of an outdoor unit.

6A and 6B are plan views showing a remote controller, FIG. 6A showing a state in which a slide cover is opened, FIG. 6B showing a state in which the slide cover is closed, and operating the air conditioner. The example of a display of the inside display window is shown.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of self-diagnosis of an air conditioner to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of a buzzer that issues an alarm.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Air Conditioner (Air Conditioner) 12 Indoor Unit 14 Outdoor Unit 18 Heat Exchanger 26 Compressor 58 Control Board 74 Microcomputer (Judgment Means, Notification Means) 120 Remote Control Switch (Temperature Setting Means) 124 Display Panels 128A, 128B Temperature Setting Buttons (Temperature) Setting means) 112 Outside temperature sensor (temperature detecting means) 150 Buzzer (informing means)

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Hiroshi Hirose 2-5-5 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Takashi Fudo, 2-5 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture No. 5 within Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP-A-6-18077 (JP, A) JP-A-7-63394 (JP, A) JP-A-9-126522 (JP, A) Actual development Sho-59- 182026 (JP, U) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F24F 11/02

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An air conditioner that controls the air conditioning capacity based on operating conditions including a set temperature so as to perform air conditioning so that the inside of an air-conditioned room has a set temperature, and the air conditioning operation is started for a certain period of time after the air conditioning operation is started. After a lapse of time or room temperature
When the temperature reaches substantially the set temperature, a determination means for determining the suitability of the set temperature by comparing the preset temperature with the preset temperature set for each of the heating operation and the cooling operation, An air conditioner, comprising: an informing unit for informing the determination result of the determining unit. 2. A temperature detecting means for detecting an outdoor temperature, wherein the judging means compares the set temperature with the outdoor temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, and a temperature difference between the set temperature and the outdoor temperature is predetermined. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the suitability of the set temperature is determined based on whether or not the value exceeds the value. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the determination unit changes the set temperature by the temperature setting unit that sets the set temperature, the suitability of the changed set temperature is determined. Air conditioner described in. 4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined value is different during heating operation and during cooling operation.