JP6160979B2 - Bathroom air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bathroom air conditioner that performs air conditioning of a bathroom.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a bathroom air conditioner that is attached to an opening formed in a ceiling panel of a bathroom and can perform air conditioning of the bathroom such as heating and drying in the bathroom. Such a bathroom air conditioner is provided with a front panel that covers the opening so as to be openable and closable, after sucking bathroom air from a suction port formed in the front panel and performing air conditioning such as via a heater, Air is blown out from the air outlet toward the bathroom. Hot and humid air flows into the air inlet from the bathroom, but because the interior of the bathroom air conditioner is lower than the temperature in the bathroom, condensation tends to occur inside the bathroom air conditioner. ing. When dew condensation occurs inside the bathroom air conditioner, the dew condensation water may fall from the bathroom air conditioner into the bathroom and fall on the user of the bathroom (hereinafter also referred to as “cleaner”). For this reason, in the bathroom air conditioner, various configurations for preventing the condensed water generated inside from falling into the bathroom have been studied. For example, Patent Literature 1 described below describes a bathroom air conditioner including a water storage unit that receives dew condensation water on a front panel. Condensed water is received by the reservoir, thereby preventing the condensed water from falling into the bathroom.

JP 2013-142503 A

  However, if the condensed water accumulated in the water reservoir is left for a long period of time, there is a problem that the bottom of the front panel constituting the water reservoir becomes dirty due to water scale and slime. Also, when performing maintenance such as cleaning the filter and front panel in the air conditioner, it is necessary to open and close the front panel.If the condensed water accumulates, the condensed water will drip when opened and the front panel will be opened. Condensed water may fall on an open cleaner. In particular, a cleaner who does not know the state in which condensed water has accumulated on the front panel has a high possibility that the condensed water will fall when the front panel is opened with force.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a bathroom air conditioner that notifies a user that condensed water has accumulated and prevents the condensed water from being applied to the user. With the goal.

One aspect of the present invention is a bathroom air conditioner that is attached to an opening formed in a ceiling panel of a bathroom and performs air conditioning of the bathroom. The front panel covers the opening so as to be openable and closable, and is formed on the front panel. A suction port for sucking air in the bathroom; and a blower outlet formed in the front panel for blowing the air sucked from the suction port into the bathroom; and formed above the front panel; the suction port and the blower An internal flow channel that is a flow channel that communicates with the outlet, a blower that is disposed in the internal flow channel and directs air sucked from the suction port to the blower outlet, and receives dew condensation water generated in the internal flow channel A water storage section for storing the water, a detecting means for detecting whether or not condensed water is accumulated in the water storage section, and a dew condensation for notifying the presence or absence of condensed water based on a detection result of the detecting means. And informing means, and a maintenance time notification means for notifying a maintenance timing of the bathroom air-conditioner, only when the maintenance time notification means has notified the maintenance timing, the condensed water notifying means in the accumulated water unit It is a bathroom air conditioner characterized by notifying the presence or absence of condensed water .

In the invention configured as described above, based on the detection result of the detection means for detecting whether or not the condensed water is accumulated in the reservoir, the presence or absence of the condensed water is notified to the cleaner who performs maintenance such as cleaning. Thus, the operator can confirm whether or not condensed water has accumulated in the reservoir. When the condensed water has accumulated, the cleaner slowly opens the front panel while being aware of it, so that it is possible to prevent the condensed water from being applied to the operator.
Moreover, the presence or absence of condensed water can be alert | reported at the time of the maintenance of the bathroom air conditioner which needs to open and close a front panel, and a cleaner can be alerted.

  In a selective aspect of the present invention, the water storage unit is a bathroom air conditioner configured integrally with the front panel.

  In the invention configured as described above, the water storage section and the front panel are integrally configured, so that the bathroom air conditioner can be made compact even if the water storage section is provided.

  In a selective aspect of the present invention, the detection means has at least two electrodes, and detects the dew condensation water by the at least two electrodes conducting through the dew condensation water accumulated in the water reservoir. It is a bathroom air conditioner characterized by this.

  In the invention configured as described above, when condensed water accumulates in the reservoir, at least two electrodes are conducted, and therefore the presence or absence of condensed water can be reliably detected.

  In a selective aspect of the present invention, the bathroom air conditioner is characterized in that at least one of the electrodes is installed at a position away from the bottom surface of the water reservoir in the height direction.

  In the invention thus configured, at least one of the two electrodes is installed at a position away from the bottom surface of the water storage portion in the height direction, so that the dew condensation water reaches the position of the electrode away from the height direction. If is not collected, it will not be detected. For this reason, if a predetermined amount of condensed water is accumulated, the cleaner can be informed that the condensed water has accumulated, so that maintenance can be performed appropriately.

  According to the bathroom air conditioner of the present invention, it is possible to notify the user that condensed water has accumulated, and to prevent the condensed water from being applied to the user.

It is a figure which shows typically the state which attached the bathroom air conditioner which is embodiment of this invention to the bathroom. It is a front view of the remote control of the bathroom air conditioner which is an embodiment of the present invention. It is an external view which shows the state which looked at the bathroom air conditioner which is embodiment of this invention from the downward direction. It is sectional drawing which shows the AA cross section in FIG. It is an external view which shows the state which looked at the bathroom air conditioner which is embodiment of this invention from the downward direction. It is sectional drawing which shows the BB cross section in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate the understanding of the description, the same constituent elements in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and redundant description will be omitted.

  The bathroom air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a heating mode that sucks air in the bathroom and blows it out toward the bathroom via a heater, a ventilation mode that sucks air in the bathroom and discharges it outside the bathroom, and air in the bathroom In addition to a drying mode in which some of the air is blown out toward the bathroom via a heater and the remaining air is discharged outside the bathroom, ventilation in the bathroom, which is the second room other than the bathroom, is also provided. It is something that can be done.

  The arrangement of the bathroom air conditioner will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the bathroom air conditioner DM is attached to the ceiling BRc of the bathroom BR. The bathroom air conditioner DM can suck air in the bathroom BR and blow out air in the direction of the bathroom BR via a heater (not shown in FIG. 1). The bathroom air conditioner DM can also suck in the air in the bathroom BR and discharge at least a part thereof outside the bathroom through the duct D1. The bathroom air conditioner DM can also suck air in the bathroom SR through the duct SR2 connected to the suction port SR1 provided on the ceiling of the bathroom SR, and discharge the air outside the bathroom through the duct D1.

  As described above, the drying mode is an operation mode in which the air in the bathroom BR is sucked and a part of the air is blown out in the direction of the bathroom BR via the heater, and the remaining air is discharged outside the bathroom BR. In this drying mode, the bathroom air conditioner DM blows out the air passing through the heater in the direction of the bathroom BR, so that the temperature in the bathroom BR rises. A part of the air sucked from the bathroom BR is discharged out of the bathroom BR together with the water vapor in the bathroom BR. As a result, the humidity in the bathroom BR is efficiently reduced, and if the operation in the dry mode is performed with the clothes after washing suspended below the bathroom air conditioner DM, the clothes along with the wall surface of the bathroom BR are shortened. Can be dried in time.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the remote controller RM provided on the wall of the bathroom SR includes a plurality of push buttons and LEDs 70 and 72 (Light Emitting Diodes) as notification means on the surface of the remote controller RM. Selection of the heating mode, the ventilation mode or the drying mode of the bathroom air conditioner DM, the stop of the operation, and the like are performed by the user operating the buttons of the remote controller RM. The remote controller RM and the bathroom air conditioner DM are connected by a wired cable CB (FIG. 1), and a command signal is transmitted from the remote controller RM based on the user's button operation. The bathroom air conditioner DM receives the command signal from the remote controller RM. The operation is determined accordingly.

  FIG. 3 is an external view showing the bathroom air conditioner DM as viewed from below. In the figure, a state in which the front panel SP is removed is shown for explanation. As shown in FIG. 3, the bathroom air conditioner DM inserts and fixes the functional part FB containing the fan 30 and the like into a rectangular opening formed in the ceiling BRc of the bathroom BR, and then the front panel SP It is installed in the bathroom BR in a state of covering the opening and the function part FB. The front panel SP is a rectangular plate-shaped member having a main surface arranged in parallel with the wall surface (ceiling BRc) of the bathroom BR. The normal direction of the main surface is the bathroom BR side. It is arranged toward The front panel SP includes a suction port 10 and an air outlet 20.

  The air inlet 10 is a part for the bathroom air conditioner DM to suck in the air in the bathroom BR, and is a part formed as two openings 10a and 10b on the main surface of the front panel SP. Each of these two openings 10a and 10b is formed in an elongated rectangular shape along the long side direction of the front panel SP.

  The air outlet 20 is a part for the bathroom air conditioner DM to blow air into the bathroom, and is a part formed as an opening 20a on the main surface of the front panel SP. The opening 20a is formed in an elongated rectangular shape along the long side direction of the front panel SP at a position separated from the openings 10a and 10b. The shape of the opening 20a is substantially the same as the outer shape of the air conditioning plate 21 fixed on the function part FB side. When the function part FB is covered with the front panel SP, the air conditioning plate 21 is fitted in the opening 20a. It becomes. That is, when air is blown into the bathroom BR from the bathroom air conditioner DM, the air is blown into the bathroom BR after passing through the air conditioning plate 21 and the air outlet 20 at the same time.

  Next, the internal structure of the bathroom air conditioner DM will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an AA cross section with the front panel SP attached in the bathroom air conditioner DM of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the functional part FB of the bathroom air conditioner DM has a flange FBf formed at the lower end thereof, and the flange FBf and the ceiling BRc are fixed by a bolt (not shown). The front panel SP is installed so as to cover the entire flange FBf, and is fixed to the flange FBf with a bolt (not shown).

  An internal flow path 50 that connects the suction port 10 and the air outlet 20 is formed inside the functional unit FB, that is, above the front panel SP. The internal flow path 50 is a flow path for the air sucked from the suction port 10 to flow to the blower outlet 20. The internal flow path 50 includes an upstream flow path 50 a that is upstream from the fan 30 and a downstream flow path 50 b that is downstream from the fan 30.

  The fan 30 is a blower disposed in the internal flow path 50 and generates an air flow in the internal flow path 50. A fan motor 30 a that rotationally drives the fan 30 is provided above the fan 30. The fan 30 is a so-called sirocco fan in which a plurality of blades are arranged in a circle. When the fan motor 30a rotates, the fan 30 is rotationally driven, sucks air from below the fan 30, and discharges air from the side surface of the fan 30 in the horizontal direction. The air discharged from the side surface of the fan 30 then flows to the downstream channel 50b.

  A discharge channel (not shown) is connected to the downstream channel 50b as a channel branched from the downstream channel 50b on the downstream side of the fan 30 and on the upstream side of the outlet 20. The discharge channel is a channel connected to the duct D1, and communicates with the outside of the bathroom (for example, outdoors).

  A damper (not shown) is disposed at the boundary between the downstream channel 50b and the discharge channel. A damper is for adjusting the opening degree of the flow path through which air flows from the downstream flow path 50b to the discharge flow path. The opening degree of the flow path through which air flows into the discharge flow path is adjusted by the operation of the damper.

  In the heating mode, the damper is in a state of completely closing the discharge flow path, and all the air sucked from the suction port 10 is heated by the heater HT and then blown out from the outlet 20 into the bathroom BR. In the drying mode, the opening degree of the damper is adjusted, and a part of the air sucked from the suction port 10 is discharged to the outside of the bathroom BR through the discharge channel, while the rest is blown out through the heater HT. Pass through and blow out to bathroom BR. In the ventilation mode, the damper opens the discharge flow channel while completely closing the flow channel leading to the outlet 20. For this reason, all of the air sucked from the suction port 10 is discharged to the outside of the bathroom BR through the discharge channel.

  As described above, at least a part of the air flowing through the downstream flow path 50b is discharged to the outside of the bathroom BR through the discharge flow path, and the rest passes through the outlet 20 via the heater HT and blows out to the bathroom BR. The heater HT is an electric heater disposed immediately above the air conditioning plate 21 and heats the air blown out from the air outlet 20. The heater HT does not always heat the air, and heating ON / OFF is appropriately controlled according to the operation mode of the bathroom air conditioner DM.

  Next, the dew condensation water generated inside the bathroom air conditioner DM will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the inclined wall WLa and the inclined wall WLb are arranged vertically above the suction port 10. Specifically, an inclined wall WLa is disposed vertically above the opening 10a, and an inclined wall WLb is disposed vertically above the opening 10b. Each of the inclined walls WLa and WLb has inclined surfaces Sa and Sb arranged obliquely with respect to the vertical direction (in FIG. 4, the normal line faces the lower right direction).

  Since the inclined wall WLa and the inclined wall WLb are arranged as described above, the air sucked from the suction port 10 is firstly inclined surface Sa, before hitting other structures inside the bathroom air conditioner DM. Hit Sb. Since the air sucked from the suction port 10 is hot and humid air in the bathroom BR, it is cooled by hitting the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb. As a result, condensation occurs on the surfaces of the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb, and water droplets WT1a and WT1b are generated respectively. That is, the inclined wall WLa and the inclined wall WLb function as a condensing part in the present invention.

  The air sucked from the suction port 10 first hits the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb to condense and generate water droplets WT1a and WT1b, and then has a relatively low humidity. For this reason, it is suppressed that condensation again in the downstream rather than the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb. In other words, most of the condensation in the bathroom air conditioner DM occurs on the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb, and is prevented from occurring in other portions.

  Water droplets WT1a and WT1b generated on the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb move downward due to gravity while remaining attached to the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb, respectively. That is, it moves downward (toward the lower left in FIG. 4) along the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb, and moves to the lower ends of the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb.

  A reservoir part RS is formed vertically below the lower ends of the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb. The water reservoir RS is formed integrally with the front panel SP. Specifically, a bottom surface BT which is a part of the upper surface of the front panel SP, an outer peripheral wall W projecting upward from the outer periphery of the bottom surface BT, a water catching wall CT extending horizontally from the upper portion of the outer peripheral wall W, and an opening 10a An inner peripheral wall Wa that protrudes upward from the outer periphery and an inner peripheral wall Wb that protrudes upward from the outer periphery of the opening 10b are provided so that a predetermined amount of water can be stored.

  For this reason, although the water droplets WT1a and WT1b that have moved to the lower end portions of the inclined surfaces Sa and Sb fall thereafter, they are collected as the reserved water WT2 that is condensed water by being received by the reservoir portion RS. In this way, the water droplets WT1a, WT1b generated on the inclined surfaces Sa, Sb do not immediately fall at the position where they have occurred, but move downward along the inclined surfaces Sa, Sb and then fall on the water reservoir RS. It accumulates as reserved water WT2. Therefore, the water droplets WT1a and WT1b are reliably prevented from passing through the suction port 10 and falling into the bathroom BR.

  Next, the detection means for detecting the reserved water WT2 which is the condensed water accumulated in the water reservoir RS will be described. Electrodes 60a and 60b, which are detection means, are provided on the water capturing wall CT so as to extend vertically downward. The electrodes 60a and 60b are cylindrical and have rounded tips. The base ends of the electrodes 60a and 60b are installed on the lower surface of the water capturing wall CT. The lower end of the electrode 60a is in contact with the bottom surface BT of the front panel SP. The lower end of the electrode 60b is located at a position away from the bottom surface BT by a predetermined distance in the height direction.

  When the reserved water WT2 is at a water level as shown in FIG. 4, the electrodes 60a and 60b are both located in the reserved water WT2. When a current is passed between the electrodes 60a and 60b in this state, the electrode 60a and the electrode 60b are brought into conduction via the reserved water WT2 (electricity passes through the water), and a current flows. By detecting this current by a control board (not shown) inside the remote controller RM, it is possible to detect whether the reserved water WT2 is accumulated. By adjusting the position of the lower end of the electrode 60b, it is possible to adjust how much the reserved water WT2 is accumulated and whether the condensed water LED 70 is lit. For example, when the lower ends of the electrodes 60a and 60b are provided at positions where they contact the bottom surface BT, even a small amount of the retained water WT2 can be detected, and the presence or absence of the retained water WT2 can be notified by the condensed water LED 70. In addition, although the dew condensation water LED70 which is an alerting | reporting means is installed in the remote control RM surface, you may install in front panel SP.

  When a current flows between the electrodes 60a and 60b, the control base inside the remote controller RM lights the condensed water LED 70 which is a condensed water notification means (see FIG. 6) provided on the surface of the remote controller RM. By the lighting of the condensed water LED 70, the user is informed that the reserved water T2 has accumulated. When the dew condensation water LED 70 is turned off, the electrode 60a and the electrode 60b are not conducting, so that the reserved water T2 does not accumulate up to a predetermined amount.

  By using the two electrodes 60a and 60b as the detection means for the reserved water WT2 that is the dew condensation water, it is possible to perform a stable operation that is inexpensive and hardly breaks down. Moreover, since the water storage part RS is a part in which water accumulates, it tends to be in an unsanitary state, and it is desirable to periodically perform maintenance such as cleaning. However, since it is troublesome to perform maintenance frequently every time the reserved water WT2 that is condensed water is accumulated, it is desirable to perform maintenance when a predetermined amount of the reserved water WT2 is accumulated. The electrode 60b is installed at a position away from the bottom surface BT of the front panel SP in the height direction, so that notification can be made when a predetermined amount of the reserved water WT2 has accumulated. Therefore, the user can confirm whether or not a predetermined amount of the reserved water WT2 has accumulated.

  Next, a mechanism for performing maintenance on the water reservoir RS will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is an external view showing a state in which the bathroom air conditioner DM is viewed from below, and shows the state of the bathroom air conditioner DM when performing maintenance.

  As already explained, the reservoir part RS of the bathroom air conditioner DM is configured integrally with a part of the front panel SP. In the present embodiment, the portion of the front panel SP where the water reservoir RS is formed can be rotated with respect to other portions as shown in FIG. It is composed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the rotation unit RSU rotates about a rotation axis that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the opening 10 a and is disposed in the vicinity of the opening 10 a. In the rotating portion RSU, an inclined wall WLa, an inclined wall WLb, an outer peripheral wall W, an inner peripheral wall Wa, and an inner peripheral wall Wb are integrally formed. For this reason, in the state which rotated rotation part RSU like FIG. 5, it will be in the state which the whole water storage part RS was exposed toward bathroom BR. Therefore, when performing maintenance work such as cleaning of the water storage part RS, the hand reaches the water storage part RS from the bathroom BR side simply by rotating the rotation part RSU without removing the entire front panel SP. It becomes a state. Therefore, maintenance can be easily performed on the water reservoir RS.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a BB cross section in FIG. 5. The rotating unit RSU has a water collecting wall CT that extends upward in parallel with the bottom BT (extends horizontally in FIG. 4) from the position of the lower end in the state of rotating as shown in FIG. 6.

  In FIG. 4, the reserved water WT2 accumulated in the reservoir part RS moves downward (in the catching wall CT side) as the rotating part RSU rotates, and the catching wall CT and the bottom part BT as shown in FIG. It will be in the state accumulated in the space between.

  In addition, although description by detailed illustration is abbreviate | omitted about the bearing structure of the rotating shaft part of rotation part RSU in bathroom air conditioner DM, the various rotary bearing used generally can be employ | adopted. In this embodiment, the bearing which can remove rotation part RSU from bathroom air conditioner DM is employ | adopted. For this reason, in the case where the details of the water reservoir RS are cleaned, it is possible to remove the rotating unit RSU and perform work in a place away from the ceiling panel.

  Maintenance of the bathroom air conditioner DM is preferably performed periodically, and the remote controller RM is provided with a maintenance LED 72 which is a maintenance time notification means for notifying the maintenance time. (FIG. 2) The maintenance LED 72 turns on the LED when the maintenance time comes, and notifies the user that the maintenance time has come. For example, the notification timing is notified every three months or based on the total number of rotations of the fan motor 30a, thereby prompting the user to perform regular maintenance.

  Preferably, in the present embodiment, only when the maintenance LED 72 notifies the maintenance time, the internal base of the remote controller RM sends a current to the electrodes 60a and 60b, which are detection means for detecting the reserved water T2, and the reserved water T2 Is detected, and the condensed water LED 70 as the condensed water detection means is turned on. Accordingly, it is possible to notify the presence or absence of condensed water during the maintenance of the bathroom air conditioner that needs to open and close the front panel SP, and to alert the cleaner.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the reserved water T2 is accumulated in the reservoir portion RS, a lock mechanism is provided so that the front panel SP is not opened, and the lock mechanism can be released by performing a release operation. Therefore, the front panel SP cannot be easily opened. For the release operation, for example, the lock mechanism can be released by pressing a release button of the remote controller RM.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these specific examples. In other words, those specific examples that have been appropriately modified by those skilled in the art are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as they have the characteristics of the present invention. For example, the elements included in each of the specific examples described above and their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, and the like are not limited to those illustrated, but can be changed as appropriate. Moreover, each element with which each embodiment mentioned above is provided can be combined as long as technically possible, and the combination of these is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it includes the features of the present invention.

10: Suction port 10a, 10b: Opening 20: Air outlet 20a: Opening 21: Air conditioning plate 30: Fan 30a: Fan motor 50: Internal flow path 50a: Upstream flow path 50b: Downstream flow path 60a, 60b: Electrode 70 : Condensed water LED
72: Maintenance LED
BR: Bathroom BRc: Ceiling CB: Wired cable D1: Duct DM: Bathroom air conditioner FB: Functional part FBf: Flange HT: Heater SP: Front panel SR: Washroom SR1: Suction port SR2: Duct RM: Remote control RSU: Rotation Part WLa: Inclined wall WLb: Inclined wall BT: Bottom CT: Water capturing wall Sa, Sb: Inclined surface RS: Reservoir part W: Outer peripheral wall Wa, Wb: Inner peripheral wall WT1a, WT1b: Water droplet WT2: Reserved water

Claims (4)

In the bathroom air conditioner that is attached to the opening formed in the ceiling panel of the bathroom and performs air conditioning of the bathroom,
A front panel covering the opening so as to be openable and closable;
A suction port formed in the front panel and sucking air in the bathroom;
An air outlet that is formed in the front panel and blows out air sucked from the air inlet into the bathroom;
An internal channel that is formed above the front panel and that communicates the suction port and the air outlet;
A blower that is disposed in the internal flow path and directs the air sucked from the suction port toward the air outlet;
A water storage unit that receives and accumulates dew condensation water generated in the internal flow path;
Detecting means for detecting whether or not condensed water has accumulated in the water reservoir;
Based on the detection result of the detection means, condensed water notification means for notifying the presence or absence of condensed water;
Maintenance time notification means for notifying the maintenance time of the bathroom air conditioner;
With
The bathroom air conditioner characterized in that the dew condensation water notifying unit notifies the presence or absence of dew condensation water in the water storage section only when the maintenance time notification unit notifies the maintenance time .   The bathroom air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the water reservoir is configured integrally with the front panel.   The said detection means has at least two electrodes, and detects at least two of the electrodes when the at least two electrodes are conducted through the condensed water accumulated in the water storage section. 2. The bathroom air conditioner according to 2.   4. The bathroom air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the electrodes is installed at a position away from a bottom surface of the water storage portion in a height direction.

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