JP3802909B2 - Air conditioner drying operation method - Google Patents

Description

  According to the present invention, at least an air conditioner having an indoor fan and a compressor is operated for drying laundry that has been dried indoors based on a command from an operation unit such as a remote controller (hereinafter referred to as “remote controller”). The present invention relates to a drying operation method of an air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as “air conditioner”).

In general, an air conditioner can be operated in a heating operation mode, a cooling operation mode, or an automatic operation mode, and a selection means for selecting one of the operation modes is provided in the remote controller. Recently, it has been proposed to add a drying operation mode for drying laundry suspended in a room to these operation modes. If the drying operation method proposed conventionally is described, it can be summarized as follows.
(1) In the drying operation, the operation is performed in the cooling operation mode or the heating operation mode in which the set temperature is automatically fixed to a specific value, and the normal cooling operation is performed even when the compressor is stopped during the refrigeration cycle. The air volume of the indoor fan is reduced in the same manner as during the heating or heating operation.
(2) The air blowing direction of the indoor unit, that is, the direction of the louver attached to the outlet of the indoor unit, but the louver during the cooling / drying operation is operated / stopped during the cooling / drying operation in the same way as during normal air conditioning / heating operation. Regardless of the horizontal direction, the louver is fixed obliquely downward during heating and drying operations.
(3) Monitoring state (the room temperature or the outside temperature has not reached the temperature at which the cooling operation or the heating operation should be performed, and the indoor fan is set to the minimum air flow operation to determine whether the cooling operation or the heating operation should be performed. In the middle of “watching” operation in which the outside air temperature is monitored), the air flow of the indoor fan is reduced, and the louver direction is fixed horizontally until the room temperature or the outside air temperature reaches the temperature at which the cooling or heating operation should be performed. As it is.
(4) The drying operation mode can be selected only before the operation starts. In other words, once the air-conditioner operation is put into the cooling operation or the heating operation, it is not possible to shift to the drying operation while continuing the operation.

The above-mentioned items listed as the prior art have the following disadvantages.
(1) Although the air blowing operation is effective for drying laundry in the room when the compressor is stopped, the function of the indoor fan is actively utilized during the drying operation. Absent.
(2) When the laundry is dried (dried) indoors, the laundry is generally arranged so as to be positioned in a diagonally downward direction in front of the indoor fan. However, in a state where the compressor is operated in the cooling operation, even if air is applied to the laundry, since the blowing temperature is low and the relative humidity is high, there is almost no dehumidifying effect. Therefore, the louver may be fixed horizontally during compressor operation. However, when the compressor is stopped, it is not so done from the idea that the indoor humidity is lowered by the cooling operation, even if the air at the room temperature is applied, even though there is a considerable drying effect. In addition, the louver during heating / drying operation is more effective to direct the indoor fan's wind directly on the laundry rather than diagonally downward from the viewpoint of drying the laundry, regardless of whether the compressor is on or off. However, it is not always possible to expect an effective drying effect with uniform diagonal downward fixing.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to perform wind direction control during clothes drying operation so that more efficient laundry drying can be performed using a current air conditioner. To do.

  An air conditioner drying operation method according to the present invention includes an air conditioner having an indoor fan and a compressor, based on a command from an operation unit, for cooling laundry that has been dried indoors, in a cooling operation mode or a blowing operation mode. This is a drying operation method for an air conditioner that performs a drying operation by controlling the air direction of the indoor unit during the drying operation to be substantially horizontal during the cooling operation mode and the air direction obliquely downward during the air blowing operation mode. Swing control is performed in the range.

  Furthermore, the drying operation method for an air conditioner of the present invention is based on a command from the operation unit for an air conditioner comprising an indoor unit having an indoor fan and an outdoor unit having a compressor. A drying operation method for an air conditioner that performs an operation for drying, wherein the air direction of the indoor unit is obliquely downward in the normal heating operation mode, and is higher in the drying operation in the heating operation mode of the air conditioner It is comprised as what is characterized by controlling diagonally downward.

  The outline of the drying operation method according to the present invention is as shown in FIGS. FIG. 12 shows an operation method during normal operation (not dry operation) of the air conditioner, FIG. 13 shows an operation method related to the dry operation, and FIG. 14 shows an operation method related to the automatic operation.

  FIG. 12 shows a case where the room temperature Ta and the set temperature Ts are Ta ≥ Ts (cooling operation) or Ta ≤ Ts (heating operation) in the normal cooling operation mode and the heating operation mode, respectively. (Ie, when Ta <Ts (cooling operation) or Ta> Ts (heating operation)), the four-way valve for switching between heating and cooling is turned on (heating) off (cooling), the compressor is turned on and off, and the indoor fan Of air volume (H = strong, M = medium, L = weak, UL = very weak, for each automatic setting or manual setting), indoor louver direction, humidifier operation (presence / absence), on / off timer function, In other words, the basic control mode of the air conditioner is shown.

  FIG. 13 categorizes the operation mode in the case of performing the drying operation according to the present invention into three modes of cooling operation, heating operation, and air blowing operation, and shows the operation state of each of the aforementioned devices. In this operation mode, control according to the room temperature Ta, the set room temperature and the set humidity is performed.

  FIG. 14 shows the normal automatic operation mode divided into the cooling operation mode, the heating operation mode, and the monitoring mode. In the air conditioning operation mode, control is performed in accordance with the relationship between the room temperature Ta and the set room temperature Ts. In the monitoring mode, only the air blowing operation is performed with the ultra-weak air flow, and everything else is basically stopped.

  Details of each of the above-described operation modes will be described in detail in Examples below. Whether it is room temperature control or humidity control, in practice, in order to stabilize the control operation, a hysteresis of about 0.5% in temperature and about 5% in humidity is provided between the operating point and the return point. However, this is omitted in FIGS. 12 to 14 and the flowcharts described later.

  According to the drying operation method of the present invention, a more efficient laundry drying effect can be achieved using an air conditioner.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, the equipment configuration of an air conditioner used for implementing the present invention will be described.
FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioner to which the present invention is applied. The refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner includes a compressor 1, a four-way valve 2, an outdoor heat exchanger 3, an expansion valve 4, and an indoor heat exchanger 5. This air conditioner can be operated as either a heater or a cooler by switching the four-way valve 2 on and off. In the cooling operation (four-way valve 2 off), the refrigerant is the compressor 1 as shown by the solid line. To the compressor 1 through the four-way valve 2, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, the expansion valve 4, the indoor heat exchanger 5, and the four-way valve 2 in this order. In the heating operation (four-way valve 2 ON), as indicated by the broken line, the refrigerant passes through the compressor 1 through the four-way valve 2, the indoor heat exchanger 5, the expansion valve 4, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, and the four-way valve 2 in this order. Reflux to the compressor 1. The outdoor heat exchanger 3 is provided with an outdoor fan 6 for promoting heat exchange with the outside air, and the indoor heat exchanger 5 is provided with an indoor fan for blowing the air heat-exchanged there indoors. 7 and a louver 8 is attached for adjusting the direction of air flow. The compressor 1 is driven at a variable speed by a motor 9. The compressor 1, the four-way valve 2, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, the expansion valve 4 and the outdoor fan 6 constitute an outdoor unit, and the indoor heat exchanger 5, the indoor fan 7 and the louver 8 are indoor units 20 (see FIG. 3). Configure.

  The room temperature Ta is detected by the room temperature sensor 10, the room humidity Ha is detected by the humidity sensor 11, the outdoor temperature To is detected by the outside air temperature sensor 12, and each detection signal is introduced into the arithmetic control unit 14. The room temperature sensor 10 and the humidity sensor 11 are disposed near the intake port of the indoor unit, and the outside air temperature sensor 12 is disposed near the intake port of the outdoor unit. Various commands are given to the arithmetic control unit 14 from the wireless remote controller 30 via the receiving unit 13 as described later. The arithmetic control unit 14 controls the on / off of the motor 9 and the rotational speed so that the room temperature Ta approaches the preset room temperature Ts. The compressor 1 is on / off or speed controlled in conjunction with the motor 9. The arithmetic control unit 14 is constituted by a microcomputer including a central processing unit (CPU), and the arithmetic control operation is executed by software shown in a flowchart described later.

  FIG. 1 shows a part controlled by the arithmetic control unit 14 in a form partially overlapping with FIG. The arithmetic control unit 14 sends the compressor 1 (ON / OFF, operating frequency), the four-way valve 2 (ON / OFF, ie, heating / cooling), the outdoor fan 6 (ON / OFF), via the driver 15 according to the calculation processing result. The indoor fan 7 (ON / OFF, air flow rate) and the louver 8 (fixed / swing, fixed direction) are controlled. The speed control of the compressor 1, that is, the speed control of the motor 9 is performed by the arithmetic control unit 14 through a frequency converter (not shown), for example, an output frequency control of an inverter. Similarly, the indoor fan 7 is strong (H), medium (M), weak (L), ultra-weak (UL), and stopped (off) through speed switching of a drive motor (not shown) by the arithmetic control unit 14. It is assumed that the air volume can be switched in five stages.

  FIG. 3 shows an arrangement state of the indoor unit 20 in the room. The indoor unit 20 is attached to the upper part of the wall 21 of the room, and as indicated by an arrow, the indoor air sucked from the front direction is passed through the indoor heat exchanger 5 to exchange heat, and further, the indoor fan 7 is passed and the louver 8 is arranged. The air is blown into the room from the vent. The direction (angle) of the louver 8 will be described later.

  FIG. 4 shows a situation where a humidifier that works with the air conditioner is provided in the room. The indoor unit 20 is attached to the upper part of the wall 21 of the room, and humidification is performed on the floor (or on the table). A vessel 22 is provided. This type of humidifier 22 is mainly used to increase indoor humidity, which has become too low during the heating usage period in winter, to an appropriate humidity. The humidifier 22 is provided with a receiving unit 23, and the humidifier 22 is transmitted from the indoor unit 20 side by wirelessly transmitting a control signal based on the room humidity from the transmitting unit 24 of the indoor unit 20 to the receiving unit 23 of the humidifier 22. Can be controlled on and off.

  The arrangement relationship between the indoor unit and the laundry when the laundry is hung and dried in the room according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 5 shows a typical laundry drying situation. The indoor unit 20 is attached to the upper part of the indoor wall 21, and a portable (preferably assembly-type) indoor drying tool 25 is set in front of the indoor unit 20, and the laundry 26 is suspended from the indoor unit 20. When the laundry is dried, the direction of the louver 8 is fixed in the horizontal direction H or the diagonally downward direction K. In addition to a mode in which the louver 8 swings, there is a mode in which the louver 8 is directed downward.

  FIG. 6 shows a situation where the laundry bar 28 is disposed in the indoor unit 20 via the attachment 27 so as to be positioned in front of the louver 8, and the laundry 26 is suspended from the laundry bar 28.

  FIG. 7 shows a plan view of a remote controller 30 used in connection with the method of the present invention, with the cover covering the lower half removed. As is well known, the remote controller has a function of wirelessly transmitting various command signals to the indoor unit 20. In the case of the illustrated remote controller 30, an operation / stop key 31 is provided in the central portion, and various lower portions are provided below it. Function keys, for example, an operation switching key 32 for selecting an operation mode (cooling operation, heating operation, automatic operation, etc.), a drying operation key 33 for selecting a drying operation mode for drying laundry, an indoor fan An air volume switching key 34 for switching the air volume to H (strong), M (medium), L (weak), UL (ultra weak), air volume auto and off (stop), an air direction switching key 35 for switching the direction of air flow from the indoor unit, In addition to the loubusing (LSG) key 36, a timer reservation unit 37 including a reservation / confirmation key 38, a timer “on” key 39, a timer “off” key 40 and a timer “cancel” key 41 is provided. It is. The louvering key 36 transmits a swing command signal each time it is pressed. In addition to the set temperature change keys 42 and 43 for adjusting the set temperature Ts and the humidity setting key 44, a display unit 45 for displaying the set temperature Ts and the like is provided above the operation / stop key 31. Yes. By pressing the humidity setting key 44, the humidity setting can be cyclically set to one of H, M, and L (for example, 60%, 50%, 40%), and the set value is short on the display unit 45. Time (for example, 3 seconds) is displayed.

  FIG. 8 summarizes the function of each operation key of the remote controller 30 in a list form. When the operation / stop key 31 is operated (turned on when the air conditioner is stopped), an operation command is output and the contents of various settings made so far (for example, set operation mode command, set temperature, set humidity, etc.) It is output toward the machine 20. When the operation / stop key 31 is stopped (turned on during the air conditioner operation), the air conditioner is stopped. When the timer "ON" key 39 is operated by the ON timer, the set time TON and various settings are output together with the ON timer command. When the timer “off” key 40 is operated by the off timer, the set time TOFF is output together with the off timer command. A drying operation command is output together with the operation time TOFF by the drying operation by the drying operation key 33. When the cooling operation is selected by the operation switching key 32, the command for the set temperature Ts and the set air volume by the air volume switching key 34 are output together with the cooling operation command. When the heating operation is selected by the operation switching key 32, the set temperature Ts, the set humidity Hs by the humidity setting key 44, and the set air volume command are output together with the heating operation command. When the automatic operation is selected by the operation switching key 32, each command of the correction set temperature ΔT, the set humidity Hs and the set air volume is output together with the automatic operation command. Here, the correction set temperature ΔT is set as follows. That is, during automatic operation, the operation is basically performed at a fixed set temperature (for example, 23 ° C.) selected by the air conditioner itself, but it can be changed up and down by ± 2 ° C. according to the user's preference. This is the corrected set temperature ΔT, which can be selected by the user operating the set temperature change keys 42 and 43 in the automatic operation mode. Incidentally, the display of the remote controller 30 shown in FIG. 7 is an automatic operation, and the state of the correction set temperature ΔT = + 2 ° C. is set. Furthermore, a rubus command is output by operating the louvering key 36.

  The swing operation of the louver 8 varies depending on the operation mode of the louvering key 36 and the device operation conditions at the start of operation. As shown in FIG. Thereafter, each time the louvering key 36 is operated, the swing-on (louvering) and the swing-off are repeated alternately. At the time of the drying / heating operation or the drying / air-blowing operation, the swing-on (louvering) is initially performed, and thereafter the swing-off (fixed louver) and the swing-on are alternately repeated every time the louvering key 36 is operated. Note that, within the range of normal operation (cooling or heating) or automatic operation, the louver state before the change continues even if the operation mode is changed between them.

During the drying / cooling operation, based on the relationship between the detected temperature Ta and the set temperature Ts, initially, the temperature deviation = Ta−Ts is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and the compressor 1 is to be operated (this state) When the state is referred to as a “thermo-on state”, the swing is initially swing-off (fixed louver), and thereafter, every time the louvering key 36 is operated, the swing-on (louvering) and the swing-off are repeated alternately. Further, at the time of drying / cooling operation, when the temperature deviation = Ta−Ts is initially smaller than a predetermined value and the compressor 1 is to be stopped (this state is referred to as “thermo-off” state). Is initially swing-on (louvering), and thereafter, every time the louvering key 36 is operated in this thermo-off state, the swing-off (fixed louver) and the swing-on are repeated alternately. In the dry cooling operation, the louvering state when the thermo is on is stored even if the thermo is turned off later, and is irrelevant to the swing state when the thermo is off from the beginning. Similarly, it is assumed that the louvering state at the time of the thermo-off in the drying / cooling operation is stored even if the thermo-on is performed later, and is irrelevant to the swing state at the time of the thermo-on from the beginning. That is, when there is no operation input of the loubusing key 36,
Thermo on (Swing on) → Thermo off → Thermo on (Swing on)
Thermo-on (swing off) → Thermo-off → Thermo-on (swing-off)
Thermo off (swing on) → Thermo on → Thermo off (swing on)
Thermo off (swing off) → Thermo on → Thermo off (swing off)
It shall be

  Next, a remote control processing routine performed in connection with the operation of the remote controller 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, referring to FIG. 15, if the air conditioner is initially in operation, a stop command is output by turning on the operation / stop key 31 (steps 50, 51, 52), and various stored data during operation are stored. (Step 53) to prepare for a new operation command. If the run / stop key 31 is not turned on during operation, it is checked whether the reservation / confirmation key 38 is turned on (step 54), and if it is operated, the process proceeds to step 61 (FIG. 16). If not operated, it is further checked whether or not the drying operation key 33 has been turned on (step 55). If operated, the process proceeds to step 67 (FIG. 17). If not operated, other necessary key processing is performed. (Step 56), the process returns to step 50. When the air conditioner is not in operation at the beginning, various data set by various keys of the remote controller 30, such as an operation mode, a set temperature TS, an air flow, etc., when the operation / stop key 31 is turned on. The data regarding is transmitted (step 59), stored during operation (step 60), and the process returns to step 50.

  Steps 61 to 66 (FIG. 16) are confirmation routines for various key operations by the remote controller 30. Step 61 is a display step in “display mode 1”. In this display mode 1, as illustrated in FIG. 10, an “automatic” mark indicating automatic operation, a timer mark indicating that an operation time timer is set, and a dry operation are performed. Is displayed by a symbol of the shirt, and the remaining operation time set by the timer in advance, that is, the remaining operation time is displayed. After this display, the display timer is once cleared and started again (step 62). Waiting for the end of a predetermined display time, for example, 3 seconds (steps 63 and 64), the display timer is cleared again (step 65). "Display mode 2" is displayed (step 66). In the display mode 2, as illustrated in FIG. 11, an “automatic” mark, a timer mark, and a drying operation mark are displayed. After this display, the process returns to step 50.

  Steps 67 to 73 (FIG. 17) are time setting routines by the remote controller 30 in the drying operation mode. In step 67, the above-mentioned display mode 1 is displayed (FIG. 10), the “key timer” is once cleared, and the key timer is counted up again (step 68). Each time the timer cut key 40 is turned on once, the drying operation time is increased by the unit adjustment time Δt (for example, 0.5 hour) (steps 69 and 70), and the process returns to step 67. In that case, for example, “3 hours” is initially displayed as a preset standard value. The count-up is continued unless the timer cut key 40 is turned on and the key timer time (for example, 3 seconds) elapses (steps 68, 69, 71), and every time the timer cut key 40 is turned on once. Increase the drying operation time by Δt. When the circulation counter is used, after the maximum value of the set time, for example, 12 hours is exceeded, the time is returned to 1 hour, and increment processing is performed every Δt time. When the key timer time (3 seconds) elapses, that is, when the timer off key 40 is not operated at all for 3 seconds or longer, the display mode 2 is displayed (FIG. 11) (step 72), and the indoor unit 20 is operated. Control data command transmission is performed (step 73), and the process returns to step 50. That is, when the drying operation is set, the timer is always set, and if the timer-off key 40 is not operated, 3 hours are set, and if it is operated, any time can be set within the range of 1H to 12H. .

  As described above, by allowing the remote controller 30 to freely and easily set or change the laundry drying operation time, it is sufficient even when going out during the air conditioner operation or at night. The laundry drying time can be secured, and the display on the display unit 45 of the remote control is displayed in time series in an accurate manner corresponding to the drying operation mode, so that the operator (user) is friendly to the remote control display. It can be.

  FIG. 18 to FIG. 26 show a control flow mainly for a drying operation on the air conditioner main body side executed in accordance with a command from the remote controller 30.

If there is an operation stop command during operation, the air conditioner stop process is executed, the memory of “in operation” is canceled (steps 80, 81, 82), and the flags S ₁ and S ₂ of the loubusing memory are set. In this case, S ₁ = 0 and S ₂ = 0 are set (step 83). Here, the flag S ₁ is a loubusing control flag except when the thermostat is turned off in dry cooling,
S ₁ = 0 ... louver fixed S ₁ = 1 ... represents louvering, and similarly, flag S ₂ is a louvering control flag for dry cooling and thermo-off,
S ₂ = 0 ... louver fixed S ₂ = 1 ... represents louvering.

If there is an operation command when not in operation (stopped), it is stored together with “setting contents” sent from the remote controller 30 that the air conditioner is “in operation” (steps 80, 84, 85). Here, the setting content indicates the operation / stop command sent from the remote controller 30 and the contents of various settings accompanying it, and more specifically, the operation mode (described later), the set temperature Ts, Data on the set humidity Hs and the set air volume. After the storage process of step 85, the on-timer TM1 is reset (step 86), and the flag process of step 83, S ₁ = 0, S ₂ = 0 is executed. When the operation is in progress and there is no stop command (Steps 80 and 81), Step 94 (FIG. 19) and subsequent steps are executed. When the operation is stopped and there is no operation command (steps 80 and 84), the presence / absence of a dry operation command is checked (step 87), and if there is a dry operation command, step 120 (FIG. 21) and subsequent steps are executed. If there is no drying operation command, the presence / absence of input timer (TM1) command input is checked (step 88). If there is an input, the input timer (TM1) is reset once and then started again (step 89), the set time TON and the set contents are stored (step 90), and the process of step 83 is performed. If there is no input timer input in step 88, it is checked whether the input timer is operating (step 91). If it is in operation, it is further checked whether the input timer (counting time) TM1 and the set time TON have a relationship of TM1 ≧ TON (step 92). If TM1 ≧ TON, the fact that “running” is stored is stored. (Step 93), and the process proceeds to Step 83. If TM1 <TON, return to Step 80. After the flag processing in step 83, the process returns to step 80.

  In steps 80 and 81, when the vehicle is in operation and there is no stop command, a processing routine (FIG. 19) after step 94 is executed. First, it is checked whether or not automatic operation is started (step 94). If automatic operation is started, step 140 and subsequent steps (FIG. 22) are executed. If the automatic operation is not started, it is checked whether there is a command to change the setting contents (step 95). If there is a change, the new setting contents are stored (step 96), and the processing routine after step 170 (FIG. 24) is executed. If there is no change in the setting contents, it is checked whether there is an input timer (TM1) command input (step 97), and if there is an input, the input timer (TM1) is reset once and started again (step 98). The time TON and the set contents are stored (step 99), the process proceeds to step 82 (FIG. 18), and the operation is stopped. If there is no input timer command input in step 97, it is checked whether there is a cut timer command input (step 100). If there is an input, the timer OFF TM2 is reset / restarted (step 101), the timer setting time TOFF is stored (step 102), and then steps 170 (FIG. 24) and subsequent steps are executed. If there is no off timer input at step 100, a comparison is made as to whether the off timer count time TM2 and the set time TOFF are in the relationship of TM2≥TOFF (step 103). If TM2≥TOFF, step 82 (FIG. 18). ), And if TM2 <TOFF, step 104 (FIG. 20) and subsequent steps are executed.

In step 104, the presence or absence of a swing command is checked. If there is no swing command, step 150 (FIG. 23) and subsequent steps are executed. If there is a swing command, it is checked whether the compressor is stopped (thermo-off) during dry cooling (step 105). If it is stopped here, it is checked whether S ₂ = 1 (step 106). If S ₂ = 1, the process of S ₂ = 0 is performed (step 107), and if S ₂ = 0, The process of S ₂ = 1 is performed (step 108), and step 170 (FIG. 24) and subsequent steps are executed. In step 105, if the compressor is not stopped due to dry cooling, it is checked whether S ₁ = 1 (step 109). If S ₁ = 1, the process of S ₁ = 0 is performed (step 110). _{If 1} = 0, the process of S ₁ = 1 is performed (step 111) to step 170 (FIG. 24) and subsequent steps.

FIG. 21 (steps 120 to 126) is an operation mode to a dry operation that is executed when a dry operation command is issued in a state where there is no operation command in a stopped state (see FIG. 18, steps 80, 84, and 87). It shows a processing routine for determination. First, a humidifier off command is output (step 120), the humidifier 22 is held in a stopped state regardless of the temperature level, and the room temperature Ta, the room humidity Ha, and the outside temperature To are read (step 121). It is checked whether or not the outside air temperature To read here is To ≧ 20 ° C. (step 122). If To ≧ 20 ° C., it is further checked whether the room temperature Ta is Ta ≧ 24 ° C. (step 123). Here, if Ta ≧ 24 ° C., the operation mode is “dry cooling” operation, that is set and stored (step 124), the louvering flag S ₂ is set to S ₂ = 1, and the flag S ₁ is set. , S ₁ = 0 (step 125). If To <20 ° C. in step 122, it is checked whether or not Ta ≧ 24 ° C. with respect to room temperature Ta (step 126). Here, when Ta ≧ 24 ° C. and Ta <24 ° C. in step 123, the operation mode is set to “dry blowing” operation, and this is set and stored (step 127), and the loubusing flag S _{1 is set.} Is set to S ₁ = 1 (step 129). In step 126, if Ta <24 ° C., the operation mode is set to “dry heating” operation, that is set and stored (step 128), and the process proceeds to step 129. After the operation mode in the dry operation is determined in steps 121 to 129, a cut-off timer is set based on the set time (TOFF) data added to the dry operation command from the remote controller 30 in step 130 and the subsequent steps. First, all the operations of the previous off timer are reset, the transmitted time data (TOFF) is stored, and the operation of the new off timer TM2 is newly started (step 130). After that, a storage process to the effect of “running” (step 131) is performed, and the process proceeds to step 170 (FIG. 24) for executing the actual driving process. In the case of an air conditioner that does not have a heating function (only for cooling), there is no operation mode of “dry heating”, so steps 126 and 128 are omitted, and if “NO” in steps 122 and 123, both “Dry ventilation” operation is performed.

  FIG. 22 shows an automatic operation mode selection routine executed when “YES” in the step 94 (FIG. 19). First, the outside temperature To and room temperature Ta are read (step 140). It is checked whether the room temperature Ta read here is Ta> 23 ° C. (step 141). If Ta> 23 ° C., the operation mode is “automatic cooling” operation, and the set room temperature Ts is Ts = 23 ° C. + ΔT. It is stored (step 142) and step 170 (FIG. 24) and subsequent steps are executed. When Ta ≦ 23 ° C. in step 141, it is further checked whether To ≦ 17 ° C. with respect to the outside air temperature To (step 143). If To ≦ 17 ° C., the operation mode is “automatic heating” operation, the set room temperature Ts is stored as Ts = 23 ° C. + ΔT (step 144), and step 170 (FIG. 24) and subsequent steps are executed. If To> 17 ° C. in Step 143, the operation mode is set to “automatic monitoring” (Step 145) and Step 160 and subsequent steps are executed. Here, the automatic monitoring means that the room temperature is close to the set room temperature, the cooling operation and the heating operation are not performed (the compressor 1 is stopped), the indoor fan 7 is set to “UL” (ultra weak operation), and the change in the room temperature Ta This is the “Looking at” operating state.

FIG. 23 shows a processing routine when it is determined in step 104 (FIG. 20) that “no swing command”. First, the presence / absence of a drying operation command is checked (step 150). This is a check of whether or not a drying operation has been performed during operation. Here, if there is a drying operation command, the operation mode is checked (step 151). If "cooling" or "automatic cooling", go to step 152. If "heating" or "automatic heating", go to step 155. In the case of “automatic monitoring”, the process proceeds to step 157. In step 152, the setting mode is stored to indicate that the operation mode = drying and cooling, and then S ₂ = 1 is set for the flag S ₂ in the louvering memory (step 153), and S ₁ = 0 is set for the flag S ₁ (step 154). ), The process proceeds to step 159. In step 155, the setting storage that the operation mode = drying and heating is performed, and then the flag S ₁ of the louvering memory is set to S ₁ = 1 (step 156). In step 157, the outside air temperature To is read, and then it is checked whether To≤17 [deg.] C. (step 158). If To ≦ 17 ° C., the process proceeds to step 155, and if To> 17 ° C., the process proceeds to step 152. After the operation mode in the drying operation is determined in steps 150 to 158, the process proceeds from step 154 or step 156 to step 159, and the set time (Toff) data added to the drying operation command from the remote controller 30 is added. A cut-off timer is set based on this. First, the operation of the previous off timer TM2 is reset (step 159), the sent off timer setting time TOFF is stored (step 160), and the operation of the off timer TM2 is newly started (step 161). ). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 170 (FIG. 24) which is an actual operation process.

  If there is no drying operation command in step 150, it is checked whether automatic operation or monitoring is in progress (162). If "YES", the outside air temperature To and room temperature Ta are read (step 163). It is checked whether the room temperature Ta read here is Ta> 23 ° C. (step 164). If Ta> 23 ° C., the operation mode is set to automatic cooling, and the set room temperature Ts is set and stored as Ts = 23 ° C. + ΔT ( Step 165) Step 170 (FIG. 24) and subsequent steps are executed. When Ta ≦ 23 ° C. in step 164, it is checked whether To ≦ 17 ° C. with respect to the outside air temperature To (step 166). If To ≦ 17 ° C., the operation mode is set to automatic heating, and the set room temperature Ts is set to Ts. = 23 ° C. + ΔT (step 167) Step 170 (FIG. 24) and subsequent steps are executed. In step 166, when To> 17 ° C., the monitoring is continued, and when the automatic operation monitoring is not being performed in step 162, steps 170 (FIG. 24) and subsequent steps are executed.

  In step 170 (FIG. 24), reading is performed on the room temperature Ta and the room humidity Ha. Next, the operation mode is discriminated (step 171). If it is automatic cooling / normal cooling, go to step 172. If it is normal heating / automatic heating, go to step 175. If it is dry heating, go to step 181. If it is dry cooling, the process proceeds to step 186 (FIG. 25). For this processing routine, refer to FIGS. 12 to 14 already described.

  In the case of automatic cooling / normal cooling, step 172 checks whether Ta ≥ Ts with respect to the room temperature Ta. If Ta ≥ Ts, the compressor 1 is turned on, the four-way valve 2 is turned off (cooling), and the indoor fan 7 is set as specified. 8 horizontal commands are output (step 173), and when Ta <Ts, the compressor 1 off, the four-way valve 2 off (cooling), the indoor fan 7 = L (weak), and the louver 8 horizontal commands Output (step 174) and execute step 193 (FIG. 26) and subsequent steps.

  In the case of normal heating / automatic heating, it is checked in step 175 whether the room humidity Ha is equal to or higher than the set humidity Hs in the remote controller 30. If Ha ≧ Hs, a humidifier off command is output (step 176), and Ha < If it is Hs, a humidifier ON command is output (step 177) to check whether Ta ≦ Ts (step 178). Here, if Ta ≦ Ts, the compressor 1 is turned on, the four-way valve 2 is turned on (heating), the indoor fan 7 is set, and the louver 8 is output obliquely below or directly below (step 179), and Ta> Ts Then, the compressor 1 is turned off, the four-way valve 2 is turned on (heating), the indoor fan 7 is turned off, and the louver 8 is output at an angle below or directly below (step 180), and step 193 (FIG. 26) and subsequent steps are executed.

  In the case of drying and heating, it is checked in step 181 whether the room temperature Ta is 28 ° C. or less. If Ta ≦ 28 ° C., the compressor 1 is turned on, the four-way valve 2 is turned on (heating), the indoor fan 7 = H (strong), and the louver. Each command 8 diagonally below is output (step 182), and step 193 (FIG. 26) and subsequent steps are executed. If Ta> 28 ° C. in step 181, the compressor 1 is turned off, the four-way valve 2 is turned on (heating), the indoor fan 7 = H (strong), and the louver 8 diagonally lower commands are output (step 183). Step 193 (FIG. 26) and subsequent steps are executed.

  In the case of dry ventilation, in step 184, the compressor 1 is turned off, the four-way valve 2 is turned off (cooling), the indoor fan 7 = H (strong), and the louver 8 diagonally lower commands are output and then step 193 (FIG. 26) and subsequent steps. Execute.

  In the case of automatic monitoring, in step 185, the compressor 1 is turned off, the four-way valve 2 is turned off (cooling), the indoor fan 7 = UL (ultra weak), and the louver 8 horizontal command outputs are executed, and step 193 (FIG. 26) and subsequent steps are executed. To do.

In the case of dry cooling, as shown in FIG. 25, it is checked whether the room temperature Ta is 22 ° C. or more (step 186). If Ta ≧ 22 ° C., then it is checked whether the room humidity Ha is 80% or more ( Step 187). Here, if Ha ≧ 80%, the compressor 1 ON, four-way valve 2 OFF (cooling), indoor fan 7 = M (medium), and louver 8 horizontal commands are output (step 188), and step 193 (FIG. 26). ) Do the following: If Ta <22 ° C. in step 186 or Ha <80% in step 187, compressor 1 off, four-way valve 2 off (cooling), indoor fan 7 = H (strong), and louver 8 diagonally below. outputs a command (step 189), further performing the check flag S ₂ (step 190). If S ₂ = 1, a louver wing-on command is output (step 191), and if S ₂ = 0, a louver wing-off command is output (step 192), and the series of routines is terminated (FIG. 26).

In step 193 (FIG. 26) executed after the processing of FIG. 24, it is checked whether or not S ₁ = 0 for the flag S ₁ . If S ₁ = 0, the indoor fan 7 swing-off (stop) command is output (step 194). If S ₁ = 0 is not satisfied (that is, if S ₁ = 1), the indoor fan 7 swing-on command is output. Is output (step 195), and the series of routines is terminated.

Steps 190 to 195 (FIGS. 25 and 26) relate to the loubusing operation, and steps 193 to 195 are routines for determining whether or not loubusing is possible in an operating state other than when the compressor for drying and cooling is stopped. louver swing availability is determined by a flag S _1. Here, if the loubusing operation is not performed with the remote controller, the loubusing flag S ₁ is set in the previous steps during normal or automatic heating, normal or automatic cooling, automatic monitoring, and drying cooling compressor operation. Since “0” is set, the louver is fixed without swing, and at the time of drying / heating and drying air blowing, “1” is set to the louvering flag S ₁ in the previous steps. The louver is swung around the diagonally downward direction of the louver set at 184 (FIG. 24). On the other hand, step 190-192 are determining routine of louvers swing whether under operating conditions of the compressor during operation of the dry cooling, the louver swing availability is determined by the louver swing flag S _2. If louvers swing operation of the remote control is not performed here, it since the louver swing flag S ₂ in the previous step "1" is set, the set louver obliquely downward in step 189 (FIG. 25) The louver is swung as the center.

The louver direction during each operation will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The a direction is the louver direction during normal or automatic cooling, automatic monitoring, and drying cooling compressor operation, and is substantially horizontal to the floor surface. Set to On the other hand, the b direction is a louver direction of normal or automatic heating, and is set to θ ₁ = 40 to 60 °, desirably 50 ° downward in the a direction, that is, the floor surface. Further, when drying and heating, when drying air is blown, and when the compressor is stopped during drying and cooling, it is set in the c direction, that is, downward from the floor surface, θ ₂ = 30 to 40 °, preferably 35 °.

  The reason why the b direction and the c direction are slightly different is to improve the temperature environment of the indoor user during normal or automatic heating, and the user is generally closer to the floor than the laundry to be dried. Because it is present, it is intended to reach a position where the warm air that tends to rise is lower.

FIG. 27 shows the transition of the drying rate when the laundry is dried by the above-described drying method according to the present invention in the blowing operation mode (solid line) and in the cooling operation mode (broken line). The operating conditions for obtaining this data are:
(1) Air volume H (strong)
(2) The louver 8 is fixed toward the laundry 26.
In both operation modes, the room temperature Ta and the room humidity Ha at the start of operation are the same. It can be understood from FIG. 27 that, for example, the drying effect can be improved more than in the cooling operation by adjusting the direction of the louver 8 so that the air blows well on the laundry 26 even in the air blowing operation. Is that you can. Here, the drying rate (%) is defined as follows.
Drying rate = 100 x (amount of water evaporated from the laundry)
÷ (moisture content contained in the laundry at the start of drying operation)

Next, some modifications of the present invention will be described.
In FIG. 28, when a drying command is output from the remote controller 30, the room temperature Ta and the humidity Ha are detected, the operation mode is selected according to the detection result, and the operation frequency and operation / stop of the compressor are controlled. The Example which implements drying operation is shown. In this embodiment, when Ta ≧ 22 ° C., the cooling operation is performed, and according to the humidity Ha, when the humidity increases, the compressor is operated at a high frequency, and when the humidity is decreased, the compressor is operated at a low frequency. When the value drops to a preset value, for example, Ha ≦ 30%, the compressor is stopped. In the region where the room temperature Ta drops from the cooling zone and 22 ° C. ≧ Ta> 20 ° C., only air is blown, and when the room temperature Ta further drops and Ta ≦ 20 ° C., heating at a constant compressor speed (medium) Do the driving. When the room temperature rises and the region transitions from Ta ≦ 20 ° C. to Ta> 20 ° C., the air blowing operation mode is omitted and the cooling operation is performed at once, and the operation frequency of the compressor as described above according to the humidity Ha. (Hz) is controlled. As shown schematically in FIG. 25, the operating frequency in this case is, for example, the highest speed when Ha> 70%, the stop when Ha ≦ 30%, and 10% based on the humidity Ha within the range of 30% <Ha ≦ 70%. The operating frequency may be adjusted step by step. In this embodiment, the operation mode of the drying operation after the drying operation command changes depending on the conditions of the room temperature and the room humidity. Also in this embodiment, the louver is fixed horizontally when the compressor is operating in the cooling zone, and the louver performs an oblique downward swing operation when the compressor is stopped (Ha <30%). In addition, the louver swings downward in the air blowing zone and the heating zone.

  FIG. 29 shows washing in a cooling zone (Ta> 22 ° C. or Ta> 20 ° C.) assuming that room temperature Ta = 27 ° C. and humidity Ha = 70% as initial conditions and cooling drying operation is performed according to the embodiment of FIG. It shows the drying situation of the laundry immediately after (drying rate 0%). It can be seen that a drying rate of 50% was achieved in about 30 minutes after the start of operation, and a drying rate of almost 100% was achieved in 1.5 hours. Thus, it is possible to achieve good drying of the laundry by using the compressor speed (frequency) control according to the room humidity.

The block diagram of the apparatus which implements the control method of this invention. The system diagram which shows the whole structure of the air conditioner to which this invention is applied. Explanatory drawing for demonstrating the arrangement | positioning condition and wind direction state of an indoor unit. The figure which shows the condition which added the humidifier to the indoor unit. The figure which shows the general relative arrangement | positioning relationship of an indoor unit and laundry. The figure which shows the example which was made to hang laundry in an indoor unit. The top view which shows the external appearance of the remote control attached to an air conditioner in the state which removed the cover which has covered the lower half. The chart which shows the relationship between the operation content of a remote control, and its output signal. The chart which shows the relationship between key operation of a remote control, and indoor unit swing operation | movement. The figure which shows an example of the display pattern in the dry operation mode displayed corresponding to the remote control key operation performed in relation to this invention. The figure which shows the other example of the display pattern in the dry operation mode displayed corresponding to the remote control key operation performed in relation to this invention. The chart which shows the operation state of each apparatus at the time of the normal driving | operation of an air conditioner. The chart which shows the operation state of each apparatus at the time of the drying operation performed in relation to this invention. The chart which shows the operation state of each apparatus at the time of automatic operation of an air conditioner. The flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the remote control operation part performed in relation to operation of a remote control. The flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the remote control operation part performed in relation to operation of a remote control. The flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the remote control operation part performed in relation to operation of a remote control. The flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement by the side of the air conditioner main body performed in relation to operation of a remote control. The flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement by the side of the air conditioner main body performed in relation to operation of a remote control. The flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement by the side of the air conditioner main body performed in relation to operation of a remote control. The flowchart which shows the flow of the process which determines the operation mode from the stop performed to the air conditioning machine main body side in relation to operation of a remote control to a dry operation. The flowchart which shows the flow of the process of automatic operation mode selection performed by the air conditioner main body side in connection with operation of a remote control. The flowchart which shows the flow of the process performed in the air conditioner main body side in connection with operation of a remote control. The flowchart which shows the flow of the process performed in the air conditioner main body side in connection with operation of a remote control. The flowchart which shows the flow of the process performed in the air conditioner main body side in connection with operation of a remote control. The flowchart which shows the flow of the process performed in the air conditioner main body side in connection with operation of a remote control. The characteristic view for demonstrating the drying effect by the drying method of this invention. The characteristic view which shows the one aspect | mode of the drying operation control by the modification of this invention. The figure which shows the dryness of the laundry at the time of drying operation according to the characteristic of FIG. 28, the humidity and temperature of a room, and a compressor operating frequency as a function of time.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Compressor 2 Four-way valve 3 Outdoor heat exchanger 4 Expansion valve 5 Indoor heat exchanger 7 Indoor fan 8 Louver 9 Compressor drive motor 11 Humidity sensor 12 Outside temperature sensor 13 Receiver 14 Operation control part 15 Driver 20 Indoor unit 22 Humidification Machine 23 transceiver 24 transceiver 26 laundry 30 remote control (remote controller)

Claims (2)

An air conditioner having an indoor fan and a compressor is selected based on a command from the operation unit, and a drying operation is performed by selecting a cooling operation mode or a blowing operation mode for drying laundry that has been dried indoors. A drying operation method,
A drying operation method for an air conditioner, characterized in that the air direction of the indoor unit during the drying operation is controlled to be substantially horizontal during the cooling operation mode, and the air direction is swing-controlled in a predetermined range obliquely downward during the air blowing operation mode. An air conditioner drying operation method for performing an operation for drying laundry that has been dried indoors, based on a command from an operation unit, an air conditioner including an indoor unit having an indoor fan and an outdoor unit having a compressor Because
The air conditioner drying operation method is characterized in that the air direction of the indoor unit is controlled to be obliquely downward in the upward direction during the drying operation in the heating operation mode of the air conditioner with respect to the obliquely downward direction in the normal heating operation mode. .

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