JP4435667B2 - Air conditioner with indoor unit with automatic air filter cleaning function - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner having a function of automatically cleaning an air filter provided in an air suction port of an indoor unit.

  In a conventional indoor unit of an air conditioner, an air filter for preventing dust from entering the inside of the main body is provided on the front surface of the heat exchanger, and the air filter can remove the adhering dust. Removably attached to.

  Recently, an air conditioner has also been proposed in which dust attached to an air filter can be automatically removed without removing the air filter from the filter frame (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In this air conditioner, the cleaning device for cleaning the air filter includes a rotating means for rotating the air filter, a dust removing means for removing dust on the air filter, and a dust container for storing dust. The dust removing means includes a dust suction part movably mounted on the air filter, a suction fan part provided in the main body, and a suction duct connecting the dust suction part and the suction fan part. It consists of parts. In addition, a fixed rail is provided on the air filter, and a winding motor is provided at one end of the fixed rail or a part of the main body, and the winding motor and the dust suction portion are connected by a winding thin plate spring. The thin plate spring is wound up by driving the winding motor, and the dust suction part moves.

JP 2002-340395 A (page 3, FIG. 1)

  The air conditioner described in Patent Literature 1 is configured to drive the dust suction unit by the winding motor to suck the dust, but it is difficult to say that the drive mechanism is sufficiently disclosed, and the structure is simple. There has been a demand for a highly reliable drive mechanism.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and is an air conditioner including an indoor unit having a highly reliable drive mechanism that can reliably drive a dust suction unit with a simple configuration. The purpose is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention includes an indoor unit in which a heat exchanger and a fan that blows out the air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger into the room are housed in the main body. An air conditioner having an air filter attached to the main body on the upstream side of the heat exchanger via a filter frame, and sucking dust adhering to the air filter having a suction port facing the air filter A slidable suction nozzle for driving, a drive source for driving the suction nozzle via a drive mechanism, an exhaust device communicating with the suction nozzle for sucking and exhausting dust together with air, the exhaust device and the suction nozzle Communication means for communicating with the drive source, the drive shaft connected to the drive source, a worm gear slidably attached to the drive shaft and slidably integrated with the suction nozzle, Wo Together constitute a rack meshing with Mugiya, comprising a belt which the suction nozzle to slide in a predetermined direction, said belt forming a suction hole of a predetermined length, during the stop of the air conditioner, the suction nozzle A part of the air filter is cleaned by sliding in one direction, and the suction hole is moved in the direction perpendicular to the one direction by the length of the suction hole, and then the suction nozzle is moved in the one direction. A nozzle operation failure detection means for detecting an operation failure of the suction nozzle is attached to the filter frame by sliding in the opposite direction to clean another part of the air filter .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the nozzle malfunction detection means is a limit switch attached to the filter frame, and the suction nozzle is predetermined when there is no input to the limit switch within a predetermined time. It is characterized in that it is determined that the position has not been reached .

The invention according to claim 3 is an air conditioner having an indoor unit in which a heat exchanger and a fan for blowing out the air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger into a room are housed in a main body. An air filter attached to the main body on the upstream side of the container via a filter frame, a slidable cleaning member for removing dust adhering to the air filter, and the cleaning member via a drive mechanism And a drive shaft connected to the drive source, a worm gear slidably attached to the drive shaft and slidably integrated with the cleaning member, The rack is configured to mesh with the worm gear, and while the air conditioner is stopped, the cleaning member is slid in one direction to clean a part of the air filter, and the cleaning member is further moved in the one direction. Reverse direction Is slid to clean another part of the air filter, characterized in that the cleaning member malfunction detecting means for detecting a malfunction of the cleaning member attached to the filter frame.

The invention according to claim 4 is an air conditioner having an indoor unit in which a heat exchanger and a fan for blowing air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger into a room are housed in a main body. An air filter attached to the main body on the upstream side of the container via a filter frame, a cleaning member for removing dust adhering to the air filter, and a drive for driving the cleaning member via a drive mechanism The drive mechanism includes a drive shaft connected to the drive source and having a male screw formed thereon, and a female screw attached to the cleaning member and screwed into the male screw. During the stop, the cleaning member is slid in one direction to clean a part of the air filter, and the cleaning member is slid in the opposite direction to the one direction. Clean the part The cleaning member malfunction detecting means for detecting a malfunction of掃用member, characterized in that attached to the filter frame.

Further, the invention according to claim 5 is that the cleaning member operation failure detecting means is a limit switch attached to the filter frame, and the cleaning member is operated when there is no input to the limit switch within a predetermined time. Is determined not to reach a predetermined position .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a brush for removing dust adhering to the air filter provided on the cleaning member and one of the left and right sides of the filter frame. And a holding portion for holding the cleaning member other than during cleaning .

  According to the present invention, the drive mechanism for driving the suction nozzle is engaged with the drive shaft connected to the drive source, the worm gear slidably attached to the drive shaft and sliding integrally with the suction nozzle, and the worm gear. Since it is constituted by a rack or a drive shaft connected to a drive source and formed with a male screw, and a female screw attached to the suction nozzle and screwed to the male screw, the number of parts of the drive mechanism is small, and the configuration is simple. In addition, it is possible to provide an air conditioner having a highly reliable drive mechanism in which the suction nozzle can be reliably slid and rotation control of the drive shaft by the drive source is easy.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 3 show an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a front view of the indoor unit, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are a line II and a line II-II in FIG. 1, respectively. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, indoor air is taken into the indoor unit body 2 through the heat exchanger 4 and the heat exchanger 4, and the air exchanged by the heat exchanger 4 is blown out into the room. And a filter device 8 disposed on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 4 are accommodated, and air is operated by the operation of the fan 6 from a plurality of suction ports formed from the front surface to the upper surface of the main body 2. Is sucked and the dust floating in the air is removed by a filter device 8 provided between the suction port and the heat exchanger 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the filter device 8 includes a filter frame 10, an air filter 12 detachably attached to the filter frame 10, and a left-right direction along the upstream surface of the air filter 12 ( The suction nozzle 14 slidable in the horizontal direction), the bendable suction hose 16 attached to the lower end of the filter frame 10 and connected to one end of the suction nozzle 14, and the suction hose 16 connected to the suction hose 16 to collect dust together with air. An exhaust fan 18 that performs exhaust and dust exhaust by suction, and an exhaust duct (not shown) having one end connected to the exhaust fan 18 and the other end opened to the outside are provided. On one side (right side in FIG. 4) of the filter frame 10 is formed a suction nozzle holding portion 10a that holds the suction nozzle 14 except when the air filter 12 is cleaned. The air filter 12 includes the suction nozzle holding portion 10a. The filter frame 10 is detachably attached.

  One end of the suction hose 16 is connected to the exhaust fan 18, and the other end is connected to the opposite side surface of the lower end of the suction nozzle 14 when viewed from the exhaust fan 18. Bent in a U shape. The length of the suction hose 16 is set so that the suction hose 16 can be bent with some clearance when the suction nozzle 14 is positioned in the suction nozzle holding portion 10 a of the filter frame 10. It should be noted that one end of a non-flexible suction duct is connected to the exhaust fan 18, the suction duct is extended to the vicinity of the center in the width direction of the main body 2, and the suction hose 16 is connected to the other end of the suction duct. May be.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the suction nozzle 14 is formed in a vertically long shape with an intermediate portion bent, and a slit-like suction port having a predetermined width is provided on the side facing the air filter 12. . In addition, a film-like belt 19 having a predetermined width that is slid along the suction port and formed in a loop shape is accommodated in the suction nozzle 14, and a suction hole 19 a having a predetermined width is formed in the belt 19. A brush 21 for improving the efficiency of removing dust adhering to the air filter 12 is provided adjacent to the suction hole 19a. The suction hole 19a is formed at a position overlapping the suction port, and the length thereof is set to, for example, 1/16 of the entire length of the suction port. The belt 19 is configured to be freely driven in any of the vertical directions by a stepping motor 20 fixed to the suction nozzle 14. As described above, the belt 19 is formed in a loop shape. However, the belt 19 may be wound up by providing a reel or the like.

  The suction nozzle 14 further includes two rollers 22 attached to the lower end portion and one roller 24 attached to the upper end portion. As shown in FIGS. 22 and 24 are formed with guide grooves 22a and 24a. The roller 22 at the lower end is slidably attached to a substantially U-shaped lower rail 26 provided at the lower end of the filter frame 10, and a single protrusion 26 a formed on the lower rail 26. Is inserted into the guide groove 22 a of the roller 22. On the other hand, the roller 24 at the upper end is slidably held by a sheet metal holding member 28 that is screwed to the upper end of the filter frame 10, and a single protrusion formed on the upper end of the filter frame 10. 10 b is loosely inserted into the guide groove 24 a of the roller 24.

  Although the air filter 12 is detachably attached to the filter frame 10, the filter frame 10 may be a part of the main body 2, and the air filter 12 is fixed to the main body 2 so that it cannot be detached. Good.

  A rack 30 that extends over the entire length in the width direction is integrally formed at the lower end of the filter frame 10. A drive shaft 32 that extends in parallel is provided in front of the rack 30, and a worm gear 34 that meshes with the rack 30 is provided as a drive shaft. 32 is slidably attached. The drive shaft 32 has a hexagonal cross section in a direction perpendicular to the axis, and one end of the drive shaft 32 is rotatably attached to one side (left side in FIG. 4) of the filter frame 10 and the other end is attached to the filter frame 10. It is inserted into a gear box 36 as a drive source provided on the opposite side. The worm gear 34 has a gear portion 34a formed at the center portion thereof, a cylindrical portion 34b formed at both end portions thereof, and a hexagonal drive shaft insertion hole extending along the shaft center. The drive shaft 32 is loosely inserted into the insertion hole.

  On the other hand, a drive connecting member 38 is attached to the lower end portion of the suction nozzle 14, and the drive connecting member 38 includes a base portion 38a screwed to the suction nozzle 14 and two hooks extending forward from the base portion 38a. 38b. A gear accommodating space 38c into which the gear portion 34a of the worm gear 34 is loosely inserted is formed between the two hooks 38b, and the length of the gear accommodating space 38c is set slightly longer than the length of the gear portion 34a. The worm gear 34 slides in the left-right direction integrally with the drive connecting member 38 by the cylindrical portions 34b formed at both ends thereof being locked to the two hooks 38b of the drive connecting member 38.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 15, the gear box 36 includes a geared stepping motor 42 housed in the casing 40 and a speed reduction mechanism, and the speed reduction mechanism meshes with a gear of the stepping motor 42. The gear 44, the second gear 46 that meshes with the first gear 44, the third gear 48 that meshes with the second gear 46, and the output gear 50 that meshes with the third gear 48. The output gear 50 is formed with a hexagonal drive shaft insertion hole 50a, and one end of the drive shaft 32 is inserted into the drive shaft insertion hole 50a.

The operation of the filter device 8 configured as described above will be described below.
When the exhaust fan 18 starts operating after the operation of the air conditioner is stopped, air starts to be sucked from the suction port of the suction nozzle 14 communicating with the suction hose 16. At the same time, the stepping motor 42 is energized, and the drive shaft 32 and the worm gear 34 rotate integrally through the speed reduction mechanism. Since the worm gear 34 meshes with the rack 30 formed at the lower end portion of the filter frame 10, the worm gear 34 slides in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The suction nozzle 14 held in the holding part 10a) sucks dust adhering to the surface of the air filter 12 while sliding in the direction of arrow A from one end side to the other end side of the air filter 12, and exhaust duct. Through the room. When the suction nozzle 14 cleans a part of the surface of the air filter 12 and reaches the other end side of the air filter 12, the stepping motor 20 is activated and the belt 19 in which the suction hole 19a is formed has a predetermined length ( Then, the stepping motor 42 rotates in the reverse direction (corresponding to the length of the suction hole 19a). As a result, the suction nozzle 14 moves in a direction to return to the initial position, and cleans the surface of the air filter 12 again.

  When the suction nozzle 14 slides, a plurality of rollers 22 and 24 provided on the suction nozzle 14 are formed on the convex portion 26 a formed on the lower rail 26 and the convex portion 10 b formed on the upper end portion of the filter frame 10. However, since the worm gear 34 is engaged with the rack 30, a force in a direction away from the rack 30 is applied to the drive shaft 32. However, since the convex portion 26 a of the lower rail 26 is loosely inserted into the guide groove 22 a of the roller 22, bending of the drive shaft 32 in the direction away from the rack 30 is prevented, and the convex portion 26 a is connected to the drive shaft 32. Acts as a deflection prevention means.

  In addition, one limit switch (not shown) is attached to each end of the filter frame 10, and the suction nozzle 14 is driven and controlled by a controller (not shown) to which the limit switch is electrically connected. Is going.

This drive control will be further described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
-Rack length: 708mm
・ Number of teeth on rack: 224
-Number of pulses required for the nozzle to move in one direction over the entire length of the rack: 26250 pulses-Number of pulses per second: 250 pulses / second

  In this case, if the suction nozzle 14 normally slides in the left-right direction, the suction nozzle 14 moves in one direction along the entire length of the rack in 105 (26250/250) seconds. In the following description, the air filter 12 is divided into 16 equal parts in the vertical direction, and the first stage (the lowest stage), the second stage, the third stage,. .

  At the time of shipment or reset, the suction hole 19a is located at the lower end of the initial position (suction nozzle holding part 10a) of the filter frame 10, and when the air conditioner is operated and stopped in step S1, suction is performed in step S2. While the nozzle 14 slides in the direction of arrow A from one end side to the other end side of the air filter 12, dust adhering to the lowermost surface of the air filter 12 is sucked and the exhaust fan 18 passes through the exhaust duct. Exhaust (dust).

  In the next step S3, it is determined whether or not a predetermined number of pulses (26250 pulses) are applied to the stepping motor 42. If a predetermined number of pulses are applied, the process proceeds to step S4, while a predetermined number of pulses are applied. If not, the determination in step S3 is repeated. In step S4, it is determined whether or not there is an input to the limit switch arranged on the exhaust fan 18 side of the filter frame 10. If there is an input, the belt 19 having the suction hole 19a is attached to the stepping motor 20 in step S5. Thus, after the air filter 12 is raised to the second stage, the stepping motor 42 is reversely rotated to slide the suction nozzle 14 in the reverse direction of the arrow A toward the initial position.

  In the next step S6, it is determined whether or not a predetermined number of pulses (26250 pulses) are applied to the stepping motor 42. If a predetermined number of pulses are applied, the process proceeds to step S7, while a predetermined number of pulses are applied. If not, the determination in step S6 is repeated. In step S7, it is determined whether or not there is an input to the limit switch arranged on the initial position side of the filter frame 10. If there is an input, the suction nozzle 14 is stopped in step S8.

  In step S9, it is determined whether or not the suction hole 19a has reached the uppermost stage of the air filter 12. If it is determined that the suction hole 19a has reached the uppermost stage, the suction hole 19a is moved to the lowermost stage in step S10. If it is determined that the suction hole 19a has not yet reached the uppermost stage of the air filter 12, the suction hole 19a stands by at that position (initial position).

  When the air conditioner is stopped after being operated again in step S11, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 24 hours) has elapsed in step S12. If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, the belt 19 is removed in step S13. Move up one step and return to step S2. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that the predetermined time has not yet elapsed, the process returns to step S11.

  When it is determined in step S4 or step S7 that there is no input to the limit switch, the process proceeds to step S14, and the suction nozzle 14 is moved to a predetermined position (any of the filter frames 10) within a predetermined time (105 seconds). It is determined that the end of the suction nozzle 14 has not been reached, and the malfunction of the suction nozzle 14 is displayed on the display unit provided in the indoor unit main body, or is notified by voice. That is, the two limit switches function as nozzle malfunction detection means for detecting malfunction of the suction nozzle 14, and the suction nozzle is used when the air filter 12 is not securely attached to the filter frame 10 due to the attachment / detachment of the air filter 12. 14 may come into contact with a part of the air filter 12 and become inoperable. In such a case, the resident is notified.

  In this example, assuming that the air conditioner is operated once a day, the suction nozzle 14 reciprocates once a day on the air filter 12 to clean the area of 2/16 of the entire surface of the air filter 12. The entire cleaning of the air filter 12 is completed in 8 days.

  In addition, when the air conditioner is continuously operated, the suction nozzle 14 can be set to be forced to reciprocate once the accumulated operation time exceeds a predetermined time (for example, 24 hours).

  Furthermore, a cleaning button can be provided on the remote control device (remote control), and the entire surface of the air filter 12 can be cleaned by pressing the cleaning button.

  In the above embodiment, the drive shaft 32 has been described as having a hexagonal cross section in the direction perpendicular to the axial center, but the cross sectional shape is not limited to a hexagon, and many other than the hexagonal shape. It may have a cross-sectional shape such as a square shape or a substantially D shape. In this case, the drive shaft insertion hole of the worm gear 34 into which the drive shaft 32 is loosely inserted and the drive shaft insertion hole 50 a of the output gear 50 have a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the drive shaft 32.

  In the above embodiment, the drive shaft 32, the worm gear 34, and the rack 30 are employed as the power transmission means from the stepping motor 42 that is the drive source. However, as shown in FIGS. A drive shaft 54 having a male screw is attached to the output gear 50, a female screw is formed on the drive connecting member 56 attached to the lower end of the suction nozzle 14, and the drive shaft 54 and the drive connecting member 56 are screwed together to drive the power. A transmission means can also be configured. In this case, when the drive shaft 54 is driven by the stepping motor 42, the drive connecting member 56 and the suction nozzle 14 slide integrally.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the rack 30 is formed integrally with the lower end portion of the filter frame 10. However, a rack separate from the filter frame 10 may be formed and fixed to the filter frame 10. Good.

  According to the air conditioner of the present invention, the suction nozzle of the filter device provided in the indoor unit is slid by fitting the worm gear and the rack or by screwing the male screw and the female screw. It is simple and driving force transmission from the driving source is surely performed, and is useful as a home air conditioner.

It is a front view of the indoor unit which comprises the air conditioner concerning this invention. It is sectional drawing along line II of FIG. It is sectional drawing along line II-II of FIG. It is a perspective view of the filter apparatus provided in the indoor unit of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the suction nozzle provided in the filter apparatus of FIG. 4, and its drive mechanism. FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the filter device of FIG. 4. It is a perspective view of a suction nozzle. It is a side view of a suction nozzle and a drive mechanism. It is a side view of the lower end part of a suction nozzle. It is a side view of the upper end part of a suction nozzle. It is a front view of the gear box provided in the filter apparatus of FIG. 4, and has shown the state which removed a part of casing. It is sectional drawing along line XII-XII of FIG. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 11. It is sectional drawing along line XIV-XIV of FIG. It is sectional drawing along line XV-XV of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows drive control of the suction nozzle by a controller. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view in a direction perpendicular to the axis of a drive shaft constituting the drive mechanism, showing a modification of the drive mechanism. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the drive axis of the drive mechanism shown in FIG. 17.

Explanation of symbols

2 indoor unit body, 4 heat exchanger, 6 fan, 8 filter device,
10 filter frame, 10a suction nozzle holding part, 10b convex part,
12 air filter, 14 suction nozzle, 16 suction hose,
18 exhaust fan, 19 belt, 19a suction hole,
20 stepping motors, 21 brushes, 22, 24 rollers,
22a, 24a guide groove, 26 lower rail, 28 holding member,
30 racks, 32 drive shafts, 34 worm gears, 34a gears,
34b cylindrical part, 36 gear box, 38 drive connecting member, 38a base part,
38b hook, 38c gear accommodation space, 40 casing,
42 stepping motor, 44 first gear, 46 second gear,
48 third gear, 50 output gear, 50a drive shaft insertion hole, 54 drive shaft,
56 Drive coupling member.

Claims (6)

An air conditioner having an indoor unit that houses a heat exchanger and a fan that blows out the air heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger into the room,
An air filter attached to the main body on the upstream side of the heat exchanger via a filter frame , and a slidable suction for sucking dust adhering to the air filter having a suction port facing the air filter A nozzle, a drive source that drives the suction nozzle via a drive mechanism, an exhaust device that communicates with the suction nozzle and sucks and exhausts dust together with air, and communication means that communicates the exhaust device and the suction nozzle. provided, constituting the drive mechanism, a drive shaft connected to the driving source, a worm gear slidably integrally slid with the suction nozzle attached to the drive shaft by a rack meshing with said worm gear With
The suction nozzle includes a belt that slides in a predetermined direction, a suction hole having a predetermined length is formed in the belt, and the air filter is slid in one direction while the air conditioner is stopped, so that the air filter The air filter is further moved by moving the suction hole in the direction perpendicular to the one direction by the length of the suction hole, and then sliding the suction nozzle in the opposite direction of the one direction. Clean another part of the
An air conditioner characterized in that nozzle malfunction detection means for detecting malfunction of the suction nozzle is attached to the filter frame . The nozzle malfunction detection means is a limit switch attached to the filter frame, and when there is no input to the limit switch within a predetermined time, it is determined that the suction nozzle has not reached a predetermined position. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein An air conditioner having an indoor unit that houses a heat exchanger and a fan that blows out the air heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger into the room,
Driving an air filter mounted over the filter frame upstream the body of the heat exchanger, and the cleaning member slidable to remove the dust adhering to the air filter, the cleaning member A drive source that is driven via a mechanism, the drive mechanism being connected to the drive source, and a worm gear that is slidably attached to the drive shaft and slides integrally with the cleaning member And a rack meshing with the worm gear ,
While the air conditioner is stopped, the cleaning member is slid in one direction to clean a part of the air filter, and the cleaning member is slid in the opposite direction to the one direction. Clean another part of the
An air conditioner characterized in that a cleaning member malfunction detection means for detecting malfunction of the cleaning member is attached to the filter frame . An air conditioner having an indoor unit that houses a heat exchanger and a fan that blows out the air heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger into the room,
An air filter attached to the main body upstream of the heat exchanger via a filter frame, a cleaning member for removing dust attached to the air filter, and the cleaning member via a drive mechanism A drive source for driving, and the drive mechanism includes a drive shaft connected to the drive source and formed with a male screw, and a female screw attached to the cleaning member and screwed with the male screw ,
While the air conditioner is stopped, the cleaning member is slid in one direction to clean a part of the air filter, and the cleaning member is slid in the opposite direction to the one direction. Clean another part of the
An air conditioner characterized in that a cleaning member malfunction detection means for detecting malfunction of the cleaning member is attached to the filter frame . The cleaning member operation failure detection means is a limit switch attached to the filter frame, and it is determined that the cleaning member has not reached a predetermined position when there is no input to the limit switch within a predetermined time. The air conditioner according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the air conditioner is configured as described above. A brush for removing dust adhering to the air filter provided in the cleaning member, the cleaning member except when cleaning the air filter is formed on either side of the right and left front notated filter frame The air conditioner according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a holding unit for holding.

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