JP6071626B2 - Indoor unit and air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an indoor unit or the like in a heat pump type air conditioner.

  For example, in a heat pump type air conditioner using a refrigeration cycle, a compressor, a condenser (heat exchanger), a throttling device (expansion valve), and an evaporator (heat exchanger) are basically connected by piping. The refrigerant circuit which circulates is constituted. Then, the air is conditioned in the air-conditioning target space while changing the pressure in the pipe by utilizing the fact that the refrigerant absorbs heat and radiates heat from the air to be heat exchanged during evaporation and condensation. For example, during normal heating operation, heating is performed by blowing air that has exchanged heat with the condenser to the air-conditioning target space.

  Here, for example, in the conventional heat pump type air conditioner, immediately after the start of heating operation (particularly the room temperature is low), when the heat load is low and the air conditioner is operating near the minimum capacity, etc. , The condensation temperature is lowered. For this reason, the blowing temperature of air becomes low, and a user (a person in the room) may be given a cold wind feeling.

  Therefore, when the air blowing temperature falls below the specified temperature during heating operation, a short cycle (short circuit) is conducted to guide the air blown out from the air outlet to the air inlet, thereby preventing the user from feeling cold. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2011-052848 ([0008], [0038] to [0039], FIG. 3)

  However, if a short cycle is performed, the cold feeling of the user (person in the room) can be prevented, but during that time, the air-conditioning target space cannot be heated. For this reason, if the blowing temperature for ending the short cycle is set high, the time until the normal operation (heating) is started becomes long. On the other hand, if the blowout temperature for ending the short cycle is set low, there is a problem in that the user may feel cold.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to obtain an indoor unit or the like that can quickly shift to a normal operation while using a short cycle.

The indoor unit according to the present invention includes a human body detecting means for detecting a person in an air-conditioning target space, a suction port for taking air into the main body, a plurality of outlets for blowing air from the main body at different positions, and each air outlet. A plurality of vanes provided at the outlet for controlling the direction of the blown air, an indoor blowing temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the air blown from the blowing outlet , and an indoor blowing relating to detection by the indoor blowing temperature detecting means The temperature is compared with the first threshold value to determine whether or not to perform a short cycle for guiding the air blown out from the outlet to the intake port. by controlling the vanes provided in the outlet, a process of performing short cycle, also continue to short cycle to determine the inlet based on the detection of human body detection means Those with an indoor control unit to the that process.

  In the indoor unit of the present invention, the air outlet that performs the short cycle is determined from the plurality of air outlets based on the detection of the human body detection means, and thus, for example, a short occurs at the air outlet that blows out air in the direction where there is no user. By performing the cycle, the short cycle can be performed without causing discomfort to the user, and the normal operation can be quickly shifted to.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of the air conditioning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the example of installation of the indoor unit X which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the indoor unit X which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the principal part in the indoor unit X which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the structure in the blower outlet 3a vicinity of the indoor unit X. It is a figure explaining the control of the short cycle which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the process of the indoor control part X1 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the air conditioner of the present embodiment connects an indoor unit X (equipment in the indoor unit X) and an outdoor unit Y (equipment of the outdoor unit Y) with a liquid extension pipe A and a gas extension pipe B. Thus, a refrigerant circuit is configured. The outdoor unit Y installed outside the air-conditioning target space has, for example, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, etc., and heats the indoor unit X via the liquid extension pipe A and the gas extension pipe B (hot and cold). Transport. The medium that carries heat becomes a refrigerant. The indoor unit X includes an indoor heat exchanger 8 and the like, which will be described later, and supplies the heat carried by the refrigerant to the indoor air serving as the air-conditioning target space by heat exchange, thereby heating or cooling the room. The indoor unit X will be described later.

  In addition, the connection relationship of communication system devices will be described. The indoor control unit X1 included in the indoor unit X and the outdoor control unit Y1 included in the outdoor unit Y are connected by a communication line C. In addition, a remote controller Z (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller Z) installed in the air-conditioning target space is connected to the indoor control unit X1 via a communication line C. For this reason, various signals can be transmitted and received among the remote controller Z, the indoor controller X1, and the outdoor controller Y1. Here, although not particularly limited, for example, communication between the remote controller Z and the indoor control unit X1 may be performed wirelessly instead of using the communication line C.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an installation example of the indoor unit X according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the indoor unit X of the present embodiment is a four-way cassette type indoor unit that can be embedded in a ceiling concave portion formed in, for example, a ceiling in a building (air conditioning target space). Shall.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the indoor unit X according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, in the indoor unit X of the present embodiment, a cabinet 1 that is a rectangular housing (box body) serving as an indoor unit body is housed in a ceiling recess. A substantially rectangular decorative panel 2 provided at the lower part of the cabinet 1 and covering the lower opening of the cabinet 1 is installed so as to be visible from the room. Near the center of the decorative panel 2, a substantially rectangular suction port 3 b covered with an air filter 11 supported by the grill 12 is arranged. Moreover, the blower outlet 3a is arrange | positioned along the each side (four sides) of the decorative panel 2 around the suction inlet 3b. Moreover, the vane 4 which controls the blowing direction (wind direction) of the harmonized air is provided in each blower outlet 3a. The indoor controller X1 controls the position of the vane 4. The indoor control unit X1 can control the position and driving of each vane 4 independently. Moreover, the indoor unit X of this Embodiment has the infrared sensor 5 used as a human body detection means, for example. Among the means constituting the infrared sensor 5, the decorative panel 2 is formed with a housing 5a for protecting a sensor portion for detection and a detection hole 5d opened for detection.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a main part in the indoor unit X according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The infrared sensor 5 further includes a sensor case 5b, a motor 5c, and a sensor body 5e. The sensor body 5e is a part that actually performs detection (sensing). In the present embodiment, detection is performed by a temperature sensor (infrared sensor). Here, the temperature detection of the sensor body 5e has directivity. The motor 5c is driven to direct the sensor main body 5e to a range where temperature (person) is to be detected. For this reason, the infrared sensor 5 of this Embodiment can detect the presence or absence of the person in the range which may give a cold wind feeling at the time of a driving | operation start, for example. The sensor case 5b houses the sensor main body 5e.

  In addition, a turbo fan 7 is attached in the cabinet 1, and an air flow from the inlet 3 b to each outlet 3 a is formed by driving the fan motor 6. Here, on the air suction side of the turbofan 7, a bell mouth 14 for rectifying the air that has passed through the suction port 3b (air filter 11) and sucking it into the turbofan 7 is disposed. The bell mouth 14 is provided with a temperature sensor 13 for detecting the temperature sucked by the turbofan 7. Further, in the vicinity of the outlet 3a, a temperature sensor 15 serving as an indoor outlet temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the air (indoor outlet temperature Ta) that passes through the indoor heat exchanger 8 and is air-conditioned and blown into the room. have.

  And in the cabinet 1, the indoor heat exchanger 8 is arrange | positioned so that the turbo fan 7 may be enclosed. Further, in the space serving as an air passage between the inner wall side of the cabinet 1 and the indoor heat exchanger 8, the air exchanged with the air in the indoor heat exchanger 8 and the outdoor unit are located on the top and side surfaces of the cabinet 1. An inner cover 9 that insulates the outside is disposed.

  Further, a drain pan 10 that receives water generated by heat exchange of the indoor heat exchanger 8 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 8. And the decorative panel 2 mentioned above is provided in the lower part of the drain pan 10. FIG.

  Next, the operation of the air conditioner will be described. When the indoor control unit X1 receives a signal including an operation command (cooling operation, heating operation, dehumidification operation, etc.) from the remote controller Z, the indoor control unit X1 transmits the operation command to the outdoor control unit Y1 of the outdoor unit Y and the fan motor 6 Is driven based on the operation command to start indoor air conditioning.

  When the outdoor control unit Y1 receives a signal including an operation command sent from the remote controller Z via the indoor control unit X1, the outdoor control unit Y1 controls the compressor at an operation frequency corresponding to the operation command. When the indoor control unit X1 instructs the operation frequency of the compressor, the outdoor control unit Y1 compresses based on the operation frequency instruction included in the signal sent from the indoor control unit X1 via the communication line C. Control the machine. Increasing the operating frequency increases the compressor speed, and decreasing the operating frequency decreases the compressor speed.

  FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the indoor unit X in the vicinity of the air outlet 3a. Here, in FIG. 5, the air which passed the ventilation path 16 passes from the blower outlet 3a. The outer peripheral side frame of the blower outlet 3a is covered with the air flow path outer side step part 20. In the vane 4, the outer peripheral tip portion is referred to as an outer peripheral tip 18, and the inner peripheral tip portion is referred to as an inner peripheral tip 19.

  Next, the short cycle will be described. For example, when the heating operation is started, the indoor control unit X1 determines whether the temperature of the air blown from the outlet 3a or the condensation temperature of the refrigerant is low when the indoor heat exchanger 8 functions as a condenser. If it is determined to be low, the outer peripheral side tip 18 of the vane 4 is tilted so as to be higher than the inner peripheral side tip 19 so that the outer peripheral side tip 18 is brought into contact with or close to the blower passage outer step portion 20. To do. When the outer peripheral side tip 18 of the vane 4 comes into contact with the air flow passage outer side step portion 20, air going out from the outer peripheral side is blocked, and an opening 17 is generated on the inner peripheral side. For this reason, the air is directed toward the inner peripheral side along the inclination of the vane 4. In the indoor unit X of the present embodiment, there is a suction port 3b in a direction toward the inner peripheral side of the air outlet 3a. For this reason, the air from the blower outlet 3a is guide | induced to the inlet 3b direction. Here, when performing a short cycle, it may be made smaller than the air volume in normal operation.

  In the indoor heat exchanger 8, the metal structure itself has a heat capacity. Since the temperature is substantially the same as the room temperature at the start (start of operation), the indoor heat exchanger 8 itself must first be warmed after the start, which contributes to delaying the set temperature arrival time. ing. Therefore, for example, by performing a short cycle at the time of start-up, the indoor heat exchanger 8 can be quickly warmed to the set temperature by recirculating the air gradually warmed by heat exchange during the heating operation.

  Here, as described above, the indoor control unit X1 can independently control the position and driving of each vane 4. Therefore, a short cycle can be performed at some of the four outlets 3a of the four-way outlets 3a of the indoor unit X of the present embodiment. And the vane 4 arrange | positioned at the remaining blower outlet 3a can be made to incline between the substantially horizontal direction and the substantially horizontal direction like the time of normal heating operation.

  For example, when the room temperature is particularly low, the temperature of the sucked air is low. Therefore, even if the air is passed through the indoor heat exchanger 8 to exchange heat, the amount of heat given to the air is insufficient, and air with a sufficiently warm temperature is blown out. It may not be possible. At this time, by performing a short cycle at the air outlet 3a, heat exchange can be performed by sucking air having a temperature higher than that of indoor air. For this reason, the shortage of heat can be compensated by recirculating warm air during heating, and for example, air at a substantially set temperature can be supplied indoors.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the control related to the short cycle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the periphery of the indoor unit X is divided into four areas corresponding to the respective outlets 3a, and the infrared sensor 5 detects the presence or absence of a person in each area. The infrared sensor 5 is driven by 90 degrees in the horizontal direction every fixed time, and performs temperature detection for detecting the presence or absence of a person in each area for a fixed time. Then, the indoor control unit X1 controls the vane 4 at the air outlet 3a corresponding to the area determined to have a person as long as air that does not give a feeling of cold air can be blown out, for example, as in normal heating operation. To do. On the other hand, the vane 4 at the air outlet 3a corresponding to the area where it is determined that there is no person is controlled to a position where a short cycle is performed. For example, the room controller X1 determines the air outlet 3a that performs the short cycle based on the presence or absence of a person detected by the infrared sensor 5, thereby supplying warm air having a substantially set temperature to a person in the room. it can.

  Here, for example, when there are people in all the areas, each of the air outlets 3a may be rotated sequentially to perform a short cycle.

  Alternatively, two four outlets 3a may be paired, and the two pairs of outlets 3a may be sequentially rotated to perform a short cycle.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining processing of the indoor control unit X1 in the indoor unit X according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Based on FIG. 7, the process at the time of the heating of the indoor control part X1 is demonstrated.

  First, based on the operation command from the remote controller Z, the indoor control unit X1 controls the normal heating operation (step S10).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the indoor blowing temperature Ta is lower than the threshold T1 based on the temperature related to the detection of the temperature sensor 15 (step S11). If it is determined that the indoor outlet temperature Ta is not lower than a threshold value T1 (for example, 33 ° C.) (the indoor outlet temperature Ta is equal to or higher than the threshold value T1), the vanes 4 of all the outlets 3a are controlled to the positions during normal operation (step) S18).

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the indoor blowing temperature Ta is lower than the threshold value T1, the user may feel cold with respect to the blown air, and the vanes 4 of all the blowing outlets 3a are controlled to the short cycle positions. A short cycle is performed (step S12). Thereby, the condensation temperature (temperature at which the refrigerant passes) in the indoor heat exchanger 8 is increased.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the indoor outlet temperature Ta is higher than T2 (for example, 39 ° C.) (step S13). If it is determined that the indoor outlet temperature Ta is lower than the threshold value T2, the process returns to S12 and the short cycle is continued.

  If it is determined that the indoor outlet temperature Ta is equal to or higher than the threshold value T2, the presence / absence of a person in each area described above is determined based on the detection of the infrared sensor 5 (step S14). Then, it is determined whether or not there are two or less areas where people are present (step S15). If it is determined that there are people in three or more areas, the short cycle is continued. This is because, for example, in order to blow out air from the outlets 3a corresponding to three or more locations, the amount of heat that can be supplied to the air in the indoor heat exchanger 8 is insufficient, which may give the user a feeling of cold air.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that there are two or less areas where people are present, the vane of the air outlet 3a corresponding to the area where it is determined that there are people is considered that there is little decrease in the condensation temperature and air can be sent without giving a feeling of cold wind. Only 4 is controlled similarly to the normal operation (step S16).

  Further, it is determined whether or not the indoor outlet temperature Ta is higher than a threshold value T3 (for example, 42 ° C.) (step S17). If it is determined that the indoor outlet temperature Ta is higher than the threshold value T3, it is determined that the condensation temperature is sufficiently high, and the vanes 4 of all the outlets 3a are controlled in the same manner as during normal operation (step S18), and the process is terminated. If it is determined that the indoor blowing temperature Ta is not higher than the threshold value T3 (the indoor blowing temperature Ta is equal to or lower than the threshold value T3), the process returns to S14 and the processing is continued.

  As described above, in the indoor unit X according to the present embodiment, the indoor control unit X1 determines the distribution of users in the room based on the detection of the infrared sensor 5, and normally places the vanes 4 only in the direction in which people are present. Because it is set in the direction, warm air can be delivered to the user without feeling cold even when the condensation temperature is low, such as immediately after starting the compressor installed in the outdoor unit Y, A comfortable space can be provided quickly.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment described above, when there are people in three or more areas, a short cycle in all directions is performed. However, blowing in only two directions may be performed by rotation.

  In the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not the short cycle is performed based on the indoor blowing temperature Ta. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the determination may be made based on the condensation temperature in the indoor heat exchanger 8.

  Furthermore, although the four-way cassette type indoor unit X has been described in the first embodiment, the shape of the indoor unit X is a four-way cassette type if the control described in the first embodiment can be performed. It is not limited to. Further, the present invention can also be applied to an air conditioner having a configuration in which the indoor unit X and the outdoor unit Y are integrated.

  X indoor unit, X1 indoor control unit, Y outdoor unit, Y1 outdoor control unit, Z remote control, A liquid extension pipe, B gas extension pipe, C communication line, 1 cabinet, 2 decorative panel, 3a outlet, 3b inlet, 4 vane, 5 infrared sensor, 5a housing, 5b sensor case, 5c motor, 5d detection hole, 5e sensor body, 6 fan motor, 7 turbo fan, 8 indoor heat exchanger, 9 inner cover, 10 drain pan, 11 air Filter, 12 Grill, 13 Temperature sensor, 14 Bell mouth, 15 Temperature sensor, 16 Air passage, 17 Opening portion, 18 Outer peripheral end, 19 Inner peripheral end, 20 Air passage outer step.

Claims (6)

A human body detecting means for detecting a person in the air-conditioning target space;
A suction port for taking air into the body,
A plurality of outlets for blowing air from the main body at different positions;
A plurality of vanes that are provided at each outlet and control the direction of the blown air,
An indoor outlet temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of air blown from the outlet;
Comparing the indoor blowing temperature related to the detection by the indoor blowing temperature detecting means with a first threshold value, it is determined whether or not to perform a short cycle for guiding the air blown from the blowing outlet to the suction inlet, and the short circuit When it is determined that a cycle is to be performed, in all of the air outlets, the vanes provided in the air outlets are controlled to perform the short cycle process, and the determination is made based on the detection of the human body detecting means. And an indoor control unit that performs processing for continuing the short cycle to the suction port . The air-conditioning target space is divided into a plurality of areas corresponding to the air outlets,
When the indoor control unit determines that the indoor blowing temperature is higher than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value, the indoor control unit determines that there is no person based on the detection by the human body detection unit. The indoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the air outlet corresponding to an area is an air outlet that performs the short cycle. A human body detecting means for detecting a person in the air-conditioning target space;
A suction port for taking air into the body,
A plurality of outlets for blowing air from the main body at different positions;
A plurality of vanes that are provided at each outlet and control the direction of the blown air,
Indoor control for performing a short cycle of controlling the vane provided at the air outlet determined based on the detection of the human body detecting means and guiding the air blown from the determined air outlet to the air inlet and a part,
The air-conditioning target space is divided into a plurality of areas corresponding to the air outlets,
The indoor unit is characterized in that the air outlet corresponding to the area determined as having no person based on the detection of the human body detecting means is an air outlet that performs the short cycle . Further comprising an indoor blowing temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the air blown from the blowing outlet,
The indoor unit according to claim 3 , wherein the indoor control unit determines whether or not to perform a short cycle based on a temperature related to detection by the indoor blowing temperature detecting means. A heat exchanger for heat exchange between the refrigerant and air is provided in the main body,
The indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indoor control unit determines whether to perform a short cycle based on a condensation temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchange. The indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
An air conditioner comprising: an outdoor unit that constitutes a refrigerant circuit that circulates a refrigerant by pipe connection to the indoor unit.

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