JP7185392B2 - Indoor unit of air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

Conventionally, as an indoor unit of an air conditioner, there are types such as a type that is embedded in the ceiling, a type that is attached to the ceiling, a type that is suspended from the ceiling, etc. Some are used by installing them in

For example, in the indoor unit of the air conditioner installed on the ceiling described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-029665), it is proposed to include a plasma generator capable of generating active species. It is According to this document, active species generated from the plasma generator can decompose and render harmless odorous components, harmful gases, bacteria, viruses, and the like.

However, simply generating active species in the indoor unit causes the active species to stay in a specific location, making it difficult to sufficiently spread the active species inside the indoor unit.

On the other hand, when generating active species, it is conceivable to drive a fan provided in the indoor unit to generate an air flow inside the indoor unit. As a result, it is possible to suppress the retention of active species in a specific place, but since many active species flow out toward the room through the outlet of the indoor unit, it is necessary to clean the inside of the indoor unit. It is difficult to perform conversion efficiently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner capable of efficiently cleaning the interior of an indoor unit while sufficiently spreading active species therein. to provide the machine.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a first aspect is an indoor unit of an air conditioner installed on a ceiling, comprising a casing, a fan, a heat exchanger, an active species generator, an air direction changing member, and a control unit. The casing has an inlet and an outlet. The fan generates an air flow from the suction port to the blowout port within the casing. A heat exchanger is disposed within the casing. The active species generator is arranged inside the casing. The wind direction changing member can change the traveling direction of the air passing through the outlet. The control unit causes a cleaning operation to clean the inside of the casing. When performing the cleaning operation, the control unit drives the fan while generating active species in the active species generation unit, so that the air blown out from the air outlet is guided vertically downward or toward the suction port side rather than vertically downward. The attitude of the wind direction changing member is controlled as follows.

The fan may be driven continuously or intermittently during the cleaning operation. Also, the generation of active species by the active species generation unit may be performed continuously during the cleaning operation, or may be performed intermittently.

In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, an air flow can be generated in the casing during the cleaning operation, so that active species can be sufficiently distributed inside the indoor unit. In addition, in the indoor unit of this air conditioner, even if active species flow out from the indoor unit to the indoor side through the air outlet of the casing, the active species are circulated and used by being taken into the casing through the suction port again. can do. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently clean the inside of the indoor unit.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the second aspect is the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein a plurality of wind direction changing members are provided. The control unit controls all of the plurality of airflow direction changing members so that the air blown from the blowout port is guided vertically downward or toward the suction port side rather than vertically downward when the cleaning operation is performed.

In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, it is possible to circulate active species in all locations where the wind direction changing member is located. Therefore, the inside of the indoor unit can be cleaned more efficiently.

The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the third aspect is the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein at least part of the active species generation unit exchanges heat with a suction port in the air flow. located between the instruments.

In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, the active species generated in the active species generating section are guided to the heat exchanger by the air flow generated by the fan before flowing out of the casing. Therefore, it becomes possible to sufficiently supply the active species to the heat exchanger.

An air conditioner indoor unit according to a fourth aspect is the air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of the first aspect to the third aspect, wherein both the suction port and the air outlet are arranged in a horizontal direction. facing downwards.

In addition, although not particularly limited, it is preferable that the suction port faces vertically downward. Further, the outlet is preferably directed obliquely downward, and is preferably directed obliquely downward so that the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane is 45° or more. Also, although not particularly limited, when the casing has a bottom panel (decorative panel), both the suction port and the blowout port may be formed in the bottom panel.

In the indoor unit of an air conditioner, if the suction port is provided at a position higher than the air outlet, the air blown out from the air outlet must be sent upward (especially after cooling or dehumidification). In this case, cold and heavy air is sent upward against gravity), and it tends to be difficult to circulate the active species.

On the other hand, in the indoor unit of this air conditioner, both the suction port and the discharge port are provided so as to face downward from the horizontal direction, so that the air blown out from the discharge port is returned to the suction port. It is easier to circulate the active species.

An air conditioner indoor unit according to a fifth aspect is the air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of the first aspect to the fourth aspect, wherein the wind direction changing member has a first surface and a second surface. ing. The first surface of the wind direction changing member guides the air to the side opposite to the suction port side by being hit by the air passing through the blowout port. The second surface is the surface opposite to the first surface. The control unit controls the posture of the airflow direction changing member so that more air blown from the blowout port hits the second surface of the airflow direction changing member than the first surface when the cleaning operation is performed.

Although not particularly limited, for example, when the control unit controls the airflow direction changing member so that it assumes a posture that blocks the outlet when the operation is stopped, the control unit controls the airflow direction changing member when performing the cleaning operation. The posture may be rotated by 90° or more from the state at the time of operation stop when viewed in the longitudinal direction.

In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, it is possible to facilitate the circulation of active species simply by changing the orientation of the airflow direction changing member so as to change the surface on which the air blown out from the outlet blows more.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a sixth aspect is the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect, wherein the control unit causes the heat exchanger to function as a refrigerant evaporator. After cleaning and before the cleaning operation, a drying operation is performed to dry the inside of the casing by driving the fan without generating active species in the active species generator.

In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, the humidity in the casing can be lowered by performing the drying operation before performing the cleaning operation for generating active species. As a result, it is possible to generate active species in the active species generation section in an environment with reduced humidity, thereby suppressing problems caused by the humidity in the active species generation section. Here, the problem that the active species generator suffers from due to humidity is not particularly limited. For example, if the active species generator has a metal electrode, corrosion of the metal electrode can be suppressed. Become.

An air conditioner indoor unit according to a seventh aspect is the air conditioner indoor unit according to the sixth aspect, further comprising a humidity grasping section for grasping the humidity in the casing. The control unit controls the attitude of the airflow direction changing member so that the air blown out from the air outlet is guided vertically downward or toward the suction port rather than vertically downward, and the humidity grasping unit detects the humidity in a state in which the fan is driven. Grasp.

In the indoor unit of this air conditioner, the air flow is formed by the fan while the attitude of the airflow direction changing member is controlled such that the air blown out from the air outlet is guided vertically downward or toward the suction port rather than vertically downward. be. Therefore, it is possible to more accurately grasp the humidity around the active species generator in a state in which the active species generated by the active species generator are to be circulated. As a result, it is possible to sufficiently suppress the problem that the active species generation unit receives due to humidity.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first aspect, it is possible to efficiently clean the inside of the indoor unit while sufficiently spreading the active species.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the second aspect, the inside of the indoor unit can be cleaned more efficiently.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the third aspect, it is possible to sufficiently supply active species to the heat exchanger.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the fourth aspect, it is easier to circulate the active species.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the fifth aspect, it is possible to easily circulate the active species simply by changing the posture of the wind direction changing member.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the sixth aspect, it is possible to suppress the malfunction that the active species generation unit receives due to humidity.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the seventh aspect, it is possible to sufficiently suppress the malfunction that the active species generating section receives due to humidity.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner employing an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a functional block configuration diagram of an air conditioner. It is a schematic external perspective view of an indoor unit. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the indoor unit in a top view with the top panel removed; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the airflow direction changing member in a closed position along the AA cross section of FIG. 4; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which the airflow direction changing member is in a horizontal blowing posture along the AA cross section of FIG. 4; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which the wind direction changing member is in an inverted posture along the AA cross section of FIG. 4; 4 is a control flowchart of internal cleaning operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an air conditioner in which an indoor unit for an air conditioner according to the present invention is employed and modifications thereof will be described below with reference to the drawings. The specific configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and modifications thereof, and can be changed within the scope of the invention.

(1) Configuration of Air Conditioning Apparatus FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning apparatus 1 provided with an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of the air conditioner 1. As shown in FIG.

The air conditioner 1 is a device capable of cooling and heating a room such as a building by performing a vapor compression refrigeration cycle.

The air conditioner 1 mainly includes an outdoor unit 2, an indoor unit 3, a liquid refrigerant communication pipe 4 and a gas refrigerant communication pipe 5 which are refrigerant paths connecting the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3, the outdoor unit 2 and and a control unit 9 that controls the components of the indoor unit 3 . The vapor compression refrigerant circuit 6 of the air conditioner 1 is configured by connecting the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 via refrigerant communication pipes 4 and 5 . The refrigerant communication pipes 4 and 5 are refrigerant pipes that are constructed on site when the air conditioner 1 is installed in an installation location such as a building. Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the refrigerant circuit 6 is filled with R32 as a working refrigerant.

(2) Configuration of Outdoor Unit The outdoor unit 2 is installed outdoors (on the roof of the building, near the wall of the building, etc.) and forms part of the refrigerant circuit 6 . The outdoor unit 2 mainly includes an accumulator 7, a compressor 8, a four-way switching valve 10, an outdoor heat exchanger 11, an outdoor expansion valve 12 as an expansion mechanism, a liquid side shutoff valve 13, and a gas side shutoff valve. 14 and an outdoor fan 15.

The accumulator 7 is a container for supplying gas refrigerant to the compressor, and is provided on the suction side of the compressor 8 .

The compressor 8 sucks in low-pressure gas refrigerant, compresses it, and discharges high-pressure gas refrigerant.

The outdoor heat exchanger 11 functions as a radiator for the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 8 during cooling operation, and functions as an evaporator for the refrigerant sent from the indoor heat exchanger 51 during heating operation. . The outdoor heat exchanger 11 is connected to the outdoor expansion valve 12 on the liquid side and to the four-way switching valve 10 on the gas side.

The outdoor expansion valve 12 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant radiated in the outdoor heat exchanger 11 before sending it to the indoor heat exchanger 51 during cooling operation, and transfers the refrigerant radiated in the indoor heat exchanger 51 to the outdoor heat exchanger during heating operation. It is an electrically operated expansion valve that can be depressurized before being sent to 11.

One end of the liquid refrigerant communication pipe 4 is connected to the liquid side shutoff valve 13 of the outdoor unit 2 . One end of the gas refrigerant communication pipe 5 is connected to the gas side shutoff valve 14 of the outdoor unit 2 .

Devices and valves of the outdoor unit 2 are connected by refrigerant pipes 16-22.

The four-way switching valve 10 is in a state in which the discharge side of the compressor 8 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 11 side and the suction side of the compressor 8 is connected to the gas side closing valve 14 side (four-way switching valve 10 in FIG. 1). ), and a state in which the discharge side of the compressor 8 is connected to the gas side shutoff valve 14 side and the suction side of the compressor 8 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 11 side (the four-way switching valve 10 in FIG. 1). (see dashed line in ) and , to switch between a connection state for cooling operation and a connection state for heating operation, which will be described later.

The outdoor fan 15 is arranged inside the outdoor unit 2, sucks outdoor air, supplies the outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 11, and then forms an air flow that is discharged outside the unit. Thus, the outdoor air supplied by the outdoor fan 15 is used as a cooling source or heating source in heat exchange with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 11 .

The outdoor unit 2 is provided with various sensors 41-45. Specifically, the outdoor air temperature sensor 41 detects the temperature of outdoor air before passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 11 . The outdoor heat exchanger temperature sensor 42 is attached to the outdoor heat exchanger 11 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the intermediate portion of the refrigerant flow in the outdoor heat exchanger 11 . The discharge pressure sensor 43 is attached between the discharge side of the compressor 8 and the four-way switching valve 10, and detects the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 8 (high pressure in the refrigeration cycle). A discharge temperature sensor 44 is attached between the discharge side of the compressor 8 and the four-way switching valve 10 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 8 . The suction temperature sensor 45 is attached between the four-way switching valve 10 and the accumulator 7, and detects the temperature of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor 8 (the temperature of the low-pressure refrigerant in the refrigerating cycle).

(3) Configuration of Indoor Unit FIG. 3 shows an external perspective view of the indoor unit 3. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows a schematic plan view showing a state in which the top plate of the indoor unit 3 is removed. FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of the indoor unit 3 taken along the line AA in FIG.

In this embodiment, the indoor unit 3 is a type of indoor unit that is installed by being embedded in an opening in the ceiling, and constitutes part of the refrigerant circuit 6 .

The indoor unit 3 mainly has a casing 30 , an indoor heat exchanger 51 , an indoor fan 52 , a bell mouth 33 , a drain pan 40 , a wind direction changing member 39 and a discharge unit 60 .

The casing 30 mainly has a casing body 31 and a decorative panel 35 .

The casing main body 31 is arranged so as to be inserted into an opening formed in the ceiling U of the air conditioning room, and in plan view, it is a substantially octagonal box with long sides and short sides alternately formed. It has an open bottom surface. The casing main body 31 has a top plate and a plurality of side plates extending downward from the periphery of the top plate.

The decorative panel 35 is arranged so as to be fitted into the opening of the ceiling U, spreads outward from the top plate and the side plates of the casing body 31 in plan view, and is attached to the bottom of the casing body 31 from the inside of the room. . The decorative panel 35 includes an inner frame 35a and an outer frame 35b provided outside the inner frame 35a in plan view. Inside the inner frame 35a in plan view, there is formed a suction port 36 which is generally rectangular in plan view and opens downward. Inside the outer frame 35b and outside the inner frame 35a in a plan view, a blowout port 37 and a corner blowout port 38, which are opened obliquely downward from below, are formed. A filter 34 for removing dust in the air sucked from the suction port 36 is provided above the suction port 36 . The outlet 37 has a first outlet 37a, a second outlet 37b, a third outlet 37c, and a fourth outlet 37d, which are located between the inner frame 35a and the outer frame 35b. It is provided so as to extend parallel to each side of the substantially square suction port 36 in plan view. The corner outlet 38 has a first corner outlet 38a, a second corner outlet 38b, a third corner outlet 38c, and a fourth corner outlet 38d. are provided at four corners in plan view between the inner frame 35a and the outer frame 35b.

The indoor heat exchanger 51 is a heat exchanger arranged inside the casing main body 31 in a bent state so as to surround the indoor fan 52 in plan view. More specifically, the indoor heat exchanger 51 has a large number of heat transfer fins arranged at predetermined intervals and a plurality of heat transfer tubes passing through these heat transfer fins in the plate thickness direction. there is One end of the liquid refrigerant communication pipe 4 is connected to the liquid side of the indoor heat exchanger 51 , and one end of the gas refrigerant communication pipe 5 is connected to the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 51 .

The indoor fan 52 is a centrifugal blower arranged inside the casing body 31 . The indoor fan 52 sucks indoor air into the casing 30 through the air inlet 36 of the decorative panel 35, passes through the indoor heat exchanger 51, and then blows the air out of the casing 30 through the air outlet 37 of the decorative panel 35. form. The indoor fan 52 has a fan motor 52a provided in the center of the top plate of the casing body 31, and an impeller connected to the fan motor 52a and driven to rotate. The impeller is an impeller having turbo blades, and by rotating about the rotation axis O, air is sucked into the impeller from below and blown out toward the outer periphery of the impeller in plan view. can be done. The indoor fan 52 can control the air volume in a plurality of stages by controlling the number of revolutions of the indoor fan 52 by the controller 9 .

The drain pan 40 is arranged below the indoor heat exchanger 51 and receives drain water produced by condensation of moisture in the air in the indoor heat exchanger 51 . This drain pan 40 is attached to the lower portion of the casing main body 31 . The drain pan 40 has a vertically extending cylindrical space inside the indoor heat exchanger 51 in plan view, and the bell mouth 33 is arranged inside and below the space. The bell mouth 33 is a member for guiding the air sucked from the suction port 36 to the indoor fan 52, and has a flat portion that spreads horizontally and a cylindrical portion that extends vertically near the center. . Further, the drain pan 40 is formed with a plurality of outlet flow paths 47a to 47d and corner outlet flow paths 48a to 48c extending vertically outside the indoor heat exchanger 51 in plan view. The blow-out passages 47a to 47d have a first blow-out passage 47a communicating with the first blow-out port 37a at the lower end, a second blow-out passage 47b communicating with the second blow-out port 37b at the lower end, and a third blow-out port at the lower end. 37c, and a fourth outlet channel 47d communicating with the fourth outlet 37d at the lower end. The corner outlet channels 48a to 48c have a first corner outlet channel 48a that communicates with the first corner outlet 38a at its lower end, and a second corner outlet channel 48a that communicates with the second corner outlet 38b at its lower end. It has a passage 48b and a third corner outlet channel 48c communicating with the third corner outlet 38c at its lower end.

The wind direction changing member 39 is a member capable of changing the direction of the airflow passing through the outlet 37 . The air direction changing member 39 includes a first air direction changing member 39a arranged at the first outlet 37a, a second air direction changing member 39b arranged at the second outlet 37b, and a third air direction changing member 39b arranged at the third outlet 37c. It is configured to have three wind direction changing members 39c and a fourth wind direction changing member 39d arranged at the fourth outlet 37d. Each wind direction changing member 39a-d has a flap body and an arm Z. As shown in FIG. The flap body is a plate having a concave surface X having a concave cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the rotation axis and a convex surface Y having a convex cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the rotation axis on the back side of the concave surface X. It is a shaped member. The concave surface X faces the upstream side of the outlet 37 when the air conditioner 1 is stopped, and has a plurality of knurls extending in the longitudinal direction. The convex surface Y is a surface that faces downward toward the interior space when the vehicle is stopped, and has a smooth decorative surface. The arm Z is fixed to the concave surface X side of the flap main body, and the end opposite to the flap main body side is rotatably supported by a structural component extending from the interior of the indoor unit 3 via a drive shaft. ing. Each drive shaft extends along the longitudinal direction of each of the outlets 37a to 37d in plan view. The wind direction changing member 39 has a stepping motor (not shown) connected to the end of each drive shaft. The flap main body and the arm Z change the wind direction by receiving the driving force from the motor and rotating via the driving shaft. The attitude of the airflow direction changing member 39 is controlled to have a plurality of predetermined angles according to the degree of rotation of the drive shaft.

As the attitude of the wind direction changing member 39, a closing attitude, a horizontal blowing attitude, and a reversing attitude are determined in advance.

As shown in FIG. 5, the closed posture is a posture that closes the outlet 37, the convex surface Y formed in a convex shape of the flap body faces downward, and the concave surface X formed in a concave shape in the flap body faces downward. This is a posture facing the upstream side of the outlet 37 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the horizontal blowing posture is a posture for reducing the drafty feeling caused by the air flow blown out from the blowing port 37 being directly supplied to the user existing below. This is a posture for horizontally guiding the blowing air flow passing between the concave surface X formed in the main body and the outer frame 35b. In this horizontal blowing attitude, the air passing through the upstream side of the blowing port 37 hits the concave surface X of the flap body, so that the air can be guided to the outside opposite to the suction port 36 side.

As shown in FIG. 7, the inverted posture is a posture in which the air flow that has passed through the blowout port 37 is directed from below toward the suction port 36 side. In this posture, it faces the upstream side, and the concave surface X formed in a concave shape in the flap body faces obliquely outward downward from below. In this inverted position, the air that has passed through the upstream side of the blowout port 37 mainly hits the convex surface Y of the flap body (more amount hits the convex surface Y than the concave surface X). In addition, in the inverted posture, the blowing air flow passing between the convex surface Y of the flap body and the inner frame 35a is led to the suction port 36 side from the vertically downward direction.

In the cooling operation, the dehumidifying operation, and the heating operation, the air that has passed through the upstream side of the outlet 37 mainly hits the concave surface X of the flap body.

In this embodiment, the postures of the first air direction changing member 39a, the second air direction changing member 39b, the third air direction changing member 39c, and the fourth air direction changing member 39d are independently controlled.

The attitude of the wind direction changing member 39 is controlled by driving the drive shaft by the control unit 9 when the wind direction instruction from the user is received via the remote controller 9c or the like. Further, as will be described later, the control unit 9 controls the wind direction changing member 39 to a specific posture for circulating the active species during the internal cleaning operation.

The discharge unit 60 is an active species generation device configured to have a discharge section inside a housing. The discharge section includes a needle-like electrode and a counter electrode, and applies a high voltage to generate a streamer discharge, which is a type of plasma discharge. Active species with high oxidative decomposition power are generated when the discharge occurs. These active species include high-speed electrons, ions, hydroxyl radicals, and excited oxygen molecules. disassemble. In this embodiment, the discharge unit 60 is arranged partly between the axial center of the indoor fan 52 and the indoor heat exchanger 51 in plan view, and is arranged between the filter 34 and the bell mouth 33 in the vertical direction. are placed. The discharge part is provided so that air that is part of the air that is taken in through the suction port 36 and that is directed toward the indoor fan 52 through the opening in the housing can pass through.

Various sensors 55 to 58 are provided in the indoor unit 3 . Specifically, the indoor air temperature sensor 55 detects the temperature of the indoor air before passing through the indoor heat exchanger 51 . The indoor heat exchange liquid side temperature sensor 56 detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing on the liquid side of the indoor heat exchanger 51 . The indoor heat exchanger temperature sensor 57 is attached to the indoor heat exchanger 51 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the intermediate portion of the refrigerant flow in the indoor heat exchanger 51 . The humidity sensor 58 is arranged inside the casing 30 and detects the absolute humidity of the space on the primary side of the indoor heat exchanger 51 .

(4) Configuration of Control Section The control section 9 includes an outdoor control section 9a, which is an electrical component section having a control board provided in the outdoor unit 2, and an electrical component section having a control board provided in the indoor unit 3. It includes an indoor controller 9b and a remote controller 9c for receiving various setting operations from the user, and is configured by connecting these so as to be able to communicate with each other.

The outdoor controller 9a is connected to the sensors 41 to 45, and grasps the detected values of these sensors. The indoor controller 9b is connected to each of the sensors 55 to 58 and grasps the detection values of these sensors.

The control unit 9, which includes an outdoor control unit 9a, an indoor control unit 9b, and a remote controller 9c, operates the air conditioner in accordance with the detection values of the sensors 55 to 58 and 41 to 45 and instructions from the remote controller 9c. 1 (in this case, the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3), that is, controls the operation of the air conditioner 1 as a whole. Each of the outdoor controller 9a, the indoor controller 9b, and the remote controller 9c includes one or a plurality of CPUs, ROMs, RAMs, and the like. The control unit 9 performs various controls by executing control programs stored in the ROM according to information obtained from the sensors 55 to 58 and 41 to 45 and instructions from the remote controller 9c.

(5) Operation of Air Conditioner Next, operation of the air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In the air conditioner 1, a cooling operation and a dehumidifying operation in which the refrigerant flows in the order of the compressor 8, the outdoor heat exchanger 11, the outdoor expansion valve 12, and the indoor heat exchanger 51, the compressor 8, the indoor heat exchanger 51, and the outdoor expansion A heating operation in which the refrigerant flows through the valve 12 and the outdoor heat exchanger 11 in this order, and a cleaning operation performed after the cooling operation and the dehumidifying operation are performed. Cooling operation, dehumidifying operation, heating operation, and cleaning operation are performed by control unit 9 .

(5-1) Cooling Operation and Dehumidifying Operation During the cooling operation and dehumidifying operation, the connection state of the four-way switching valve 10 is switched so that the outdoor heat exchanger 11 functions as a refrigerant radiator (see the solid line in FIG. 1). . In the refrigerant circuit 6, the low-pressure gas refrigerant of the refrigerating cycle is sucked into the compressor 8, compressed to the high pressure of the refrigerating cycle, and then discharged. A high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 8 is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 11 through the four-way switching valve 10 . The high-pressure gas refrigerant sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat with the outdoor air supplied as a cooling source by the outdoor fan 15 in the outdoor heat exchanger 11, which functions as a refrigerant radiator, and releases heat. becomes a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. This high-pressure liquid refrigerant is decompressed to a low pressure in the refrigeration cycle when passing through the outdoor expansion valve 12, becomes a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, and passes through the liquid side stop valve 13 and the liquid refrigerant connecting pipe 4. It is sent to the indoor unit 3.

In the indoor heat exchanger 51, the low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air supplied as a heat source by the indoor fan 52 and evaporates. Thereby, the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 51 is cooled, and the room is cooled. During the dehumidifying operation, the driving of the indoor fan 52 is suppressed more than during the cooling operation, but the refrigerant passing through the indoor heat exchanger 51 exchanges heat with the indoor air and evaporates. As a result, the moisture in the air is collected by condensing on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 51, and the room is dehumidified. The low-pressure gas refrigerant evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger 51 is sent to the outdoor unit 2 through the gas refrigerant communication pipe 5 .

The low-pressure gas refrigerant sent to the outdoor unit 2 is sucked into the compressor 8 again through the gas side shutoff valve 14 , the four-way switching valve 10 and the accumulator 7 . In the cooling operation and the dehumidifying operation, the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit 6 as described above.

(5-2) Heating Operation During the heating operation, the connection state of the four-way switching valve 10 is switched so that the outdoor heat exchanger 11 functions as a refrigerant evaporator (see the dashed line in FIG. 1). In the refrigerant circuit 6, the low-pressure gas refrigerant of the refrigerating cycle is sucked into the compressor 8, compressed to the high pressure of the refrigerating cycle, and then discharged. A high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 8 is sent to the indoor unit 3 through the four-way switching valve 10 , the gas side shutoff valve 14 and the gas refrigerant communication pipe 5 .

In the indoor heat exchanger 51, the high-pressure gas refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air supplied as a cooling source by the indoor fan 52, radiates heat, and becomes a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. As a result, the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 51 is heated to heat the room. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has radiated heat in the indoor heat exchanger 51 is sent to the outdoor unit 2 through the liquid refrigerant communication pipe 4 .

The high-pressure liquid refrigerant sent to the outdoor unit 2 is decompressed to the low pressure of the refrigerating cycle at the outdoor expansion valve 12 through the liquid-side closing valve 13, and becomes low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant. The low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant decompressed by the outdoor expansion valve 12 exchanges heat with the outdoor air supplied as a heat source by the outdoor fan 15 in the outdoor heat exchanger 11 that functions as a refrigerant evaporator. evaporates into a low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. This low-pressure gas refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 8 again through the four-way switching valve 10 and the accumulator 7 . In heating operation, the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit 6 as described above.

(5-3) Cleaning operation When the cleaning operation is enabled by the remote control 9c operated by the user, the air conditioner 1 performs the cleaning operation of the indoor unit 3 after the cooling operation is finished and after the dehumidifying operation is finished. A cleaning operation is performed to clean the inside.

In the cleaning operation, the discharge unit 60 is driven while the compressor 8 is stopped, and active species are supplied to the surroundings of the indoor heat exchanger 51 and the drain pan 40 inside the indoor unit 3 to remove harmful components. It is an operation to purify these by decomposing odorous components.

(6) Control Flow of Cleaning Operation FIG. 8 shows a control flowchart of the cleaning operation.

Here, an example will be described in which the user operates the remote control 9c to terminate the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation that has been performed when the cleaning operation is enabled.

In step S10, the controller 9 performs the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation while controlling the posture of the airflow direction changing member 39 so as to achieve the set airflow direction. Specifically, the change of the wind direction by the wind direction changing member 39 and the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation are executed by the control unit 9 according to the operation of the remote control 9c by the user.

In step S11, the control unit 9 determines whether or not it has received an instruction to end the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation. Specifically, it is determined whether or not a signal to stop the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation has been received by the user operating the remote controller 9c. Here, if an instruction to end the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation has been received, the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation is ended (the compressor 8 is stopped) and the process proceeds to step S11. If the end instruction has not been received, the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation is continued.

In step S12, the control unit 9 controls all of the first to fourth airflow direction changing members 39a to 39d so as to assume a predetermined horizontal blowing attitude as shown in FIG. By driving so that the internal drying operation for drying the inside of the casing 30 of the indoor unit 3 is performed. The air volume of the indoor fan 52 during the internal drying operation is not particularly limited. It is preferable to control the air volume to be larger than the air volume of , in that drying can be promoted. Further, during the internal drying operation, no discharge is performed in the discharge unit 60 and no active species are generated.

In step S13, the control unit 9 determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the internal drying operation was started in step S12. If the predetermined time has passed, the process proceeds to step S14, and if the predetermined time has not passed, the internal drying operation is continued until the predetermined time has passed.

In step S<b>14 , the controller 9 grasps the air temperature and the air humidity inside the casing 30 of the indoor unit 3 while controlling the posture of the wind direction changing member to the reversed posture. Specifically, the control unit 9 controls all of the first to fourth airflow direction changing members 39a to 39d so as to assume a predetermined inverted posture as shown in FIG. , the indoor air temperature sensor 55 detects the air temperature, and the humidity sensor 58 detects the absolute humidity of the air.

In step S15, the controller 9 determines whether or not the inside of the casing 30 of the indoor unit 3 satisfies a predetermined drying condition. Here, in the present embodiment, the control unit 9 determines that the drying conditions are satisfied when the relative humidity ascertained from the air temperature and absolute humidity ascertained in step S13 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined relative humidity. to decide. When the predetermined drying condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S16, and when not satisfied, the process returns to step S12 to continue the internal drying operation.

In step S16, the control unit 9 controls all of the first to fourth airflow direction changing members 39a to 39d so as to assume a predetermined inverted posture as shown in FIG. While being driven so as to be such that the discharge unit 60 of the indoor unit 3 discharges, active species are generated to perform a cleaning operation for cleaning the inside of the indoor unit 3 . The air volume of the indoor fan 52 during the cleaning operation is not particularly limited, but is controlled to the smallest air volume (excluding the stopped state) among a plurality of types of air volume predetermined as the air volume of the indoor fan 52. This is preferable in that the active species that have flowed out of the indoor unit 3 are taken into the indoor unit 3 again and circulated.

At step S17, the control unit 9 determines whether or not the cleaning end condition is satisfied. Here, the cleaning end condition is not particularly limited, but may be that a predetermined time has elapsed since the cleaning operation was started. In this case, the predetermined time in step S17 and the predetermined time in step S13 may have the same length of time or may have different lengths of time. preferably longer than

In step S18, the control unit 9 controls the attitude of the airflow direction changing member to the horizontal blowing attitude, stops the indoor fan 52, and stops the discharge by the discharge unit 60, thereby ending the cleaning operation.

(7) Features (7-1)
In the indoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, active species are generated by performing discharge in the discharge unit 60 in a state in which the posture of the wind direction changing member 39 is controlled to the reverse posture when performing the cleaning operation. , the indoor fan 52 is driven. Therefore, the air blown out from the air outlet 37 can be guided vertically downward or toward the suction port 36 side rather than vertically downward by the air direction changing member 39 that is controlled to have an inverted posture. Therefore, a so-called short circuit, in which the air blown out from the blowout port 37 is immediately sucked into the suction port 36, can be realized.

As a result, the active species generated from the discharge unit 60 pass through the indoor fan 52 and the indoor heat exchanger 51 according to the air flow generated by driving the indoor fan 52, thereby Not only is it possible to decompose harmful components and odorous components existing on the surface and surroundings of the drain pan 40 and the like, but also by controlling the posture of the airflow direction changing member 39 to the reverse posture in the cleaning operation, the air outlet The active species that have flowed out of the indoor unit 3 via 37 are immediately sucked into the suction port 36 as indicated by the dotted line arrow in FIG. 7, and the active species can be circulated. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the active species from flowing out to the outside of the indoor unit 3 through the outlet 37 of the indoor unit 3, thereby preventing the active species from circulating and making it impossible to reuse the active species. is possible.

Further, when performing the cleaning operation, all of the first to fourth airflow direction changing members 39a to 39d are controlled to the reversed posture. Therefore, since the active species that have passed through each of the first to fourth outlets 37a to 37d are circulated, efficient cleaning can be performed.

As described above, by circulating the active species in the cleaning operation, the active species can be fully and effectively used, and the indoor unit 3 can be cleaned by sufficiently decomposing harmful and odorous components. It's becoming

(7-2)
In the indoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, the discharge unit 60 is arranged inside the casing 30 on the upstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 51 in the air flow (on the suction port 36 side). Therefore, it is possible to supply high-concentration active species to the indoor heat exchanger 51 before the active species generated from the discharge unit 60 diffuse. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently clean the indoor heat exchanger 51, which has been wetted on the surface due to condensation of moisture in the air during the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation.

(7-3)
In the indoor unit 3 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the suction port 36 and the blowout port 37 are both arranged on the decorative panel 35 forming the lower surface of the indoor unit 3, and both are arranged close to each other. (In this embodiment, in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 7, the distance between the outside of the suction port 36 and the inside of the blowing port 37 is less than half the width of the suction port 36.). Therefore, by controlling the attitude of the airflow direction changing member 39 to the reversed attitude, the air blown out from the outlet 37 by the convex surface Y of the airflow direction changing member 39 so as to be directed vertically downward from below is directed downward from the indoor unit 3. It is possible to make it easier to suck in the suction port 36 while suppressing the flow toward a far away position. As a result, the active species generated from the discharge unit 60 can be easily circulated.

Also, if the suction port is provided at a position higher than the blow-out port, if the air is to be circulated, it will be necessary to send the air blown out from the blow-out port upward against gravity. In particular, the air cooled by the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation has a large specific gravity, and it is difficult to send it upwards against gravity. In contrast, in the indoor unit 3 of the present embodiment, the suction port 36 and the discharge port 37 are arranged on the decorative panel 35, and the positions in the height direction are about the same. It is easier to circulate the air and also to circulate the active species as compared with the case where it is provided at a high position.

(7-4)
In the indoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, in the posture of the wind direction changing member 39, the horizontal blowing posture that guides the air flow blown out from the blowing port 37 to the side opposite to the suction port 36 side, and the blowing port 37 It is possible to switch between a reversal posture in which the air flow blown out from the nozzle is guided from the vertically downward direction toward the suction port 36 side, and a switching posture simply by rotating the rotatably provided arm Z about the axis. It is possible. Further, the wind direction changing member 39 does not interfere with the edge of the blower outlet 37 when it is rotated about the rotation shaft provided on the arm Z from the horizontal blowing attitude to the reversed attitude.

Therefore, it is possible to greatly change the direction of the air flow blown out from the blow-out port 37 with a simple configuration.

(7-5)
In the indoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, the interior of the indoor unit 3 is dried by the internal drying operation before the discharge unit 60 is energized to generate active species. Therefore, problems such as corrosion of the electrodes of the discharge unit 60 due to humidity can be reduced.

(7-6)
In the indoor unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, when it is determined whether the interior of the indoor unit 3 is sufficiently dried by the internal drying operation, the orientation of the airflow direction changing member 39 is set to the inverted orientation. A short circuit is realized by making the air flowing from the upstream side of the outlet 37 mainly hit the convex surface Y. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the extent to which air from the indoor space is taken into the indoor unit 3 through the suction port 36 .

Therefore, by accurately ascertaining the humidity inside the indoor unit 3, it is possible to accurately ascertain the timing of terminating the internal drying operation and shifting to the cleaning operation.

(8) Modifications In the above-described embodiment, an example of the embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the above-described embodiment is not intended to limit the present invention in any way, and is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The present invention naturally includes aspects that are appropriately modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

(8-1) Modification A
In the above embodiment, the case where the discharge unit 60 is arranged on the upstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 51 in the air flow inside the casing 30 has been described as an example.

However, the arrangement of the discharge unit 60 is not limited to this, and the discharge unit 60 may be arranged on the downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 51 in the air flow inside the casing 30 .

Even in this case, the active species can be circulated by performing the cleaning operation with the orientation of the wind direction changing member 39 reversed, so that a cleaning effect can be obtained.

(8-2) Modification B
In the above embodiment, an example of control has been described in which the internal drying operation is ended and the cleaning operation is started when the predetermined drying conditions are satisfied.

However, the condition for ending the internal drying operation is not limited to this. For example, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the internal drying operation, the internal drying operation is ended and the cleaning operation is started. You may do so.

Further, when either the predetermined drying condition in the above embodiment or the elapsed time from the start of the internal drying operation is satisfied, the internal drying operation may be ended and the cleaning operation may be started. good.

In this way, by considering the elapsed time from the start of the internal drying operation, it is possible to prevent the internal cleaning operation from not starting for a long period of time due to a long period of time when the predetermined drying condition is not satisfied.

(8-3) Modification C
In the above-described embodiment, the indoor unit 3 embedded in the ceiling has been described as an example.

However, the indoor unit is not limited to this form. For example, an indoor unit of a type in which the casing is exposed by attaching the top surface of the casing to the ceiling, or a rod-shaped member suspended from the ceiling It may be a type of indoor unit that is used by hanging it through.

Further, in the indoor unit 3 of the above embodiment, the structure in which the suction port 36 is surrounded by a plurality of outlets 37 has been described as an example. The indoor units may be arranged side by side so that the directions are substantially parallel to each other.

1 air conditioner 2 outdoor unit 3 indoor unit (indoor unit)
9 control unit 30 casing 33 bell mouth 36 suction port 37 air outlet 37a to d first to fourth outlets 39 wind direction changing member 39a to d first to fourth wind direction changing member 40 drain pan 51 indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger )
52 indoor fan (fan)
58 humidity sensor (humidity grasping unit)
60 discharge unit (active species generation unit)
U ceiling X concave surface (first surface)
Y convex surface (second surface)
Z-arm

Patent document 1: JP 2006-029665 A

Claims (6)

An indoor unit (3) of an air conditioner (1) installed on a ceiling (U),
a casing (30) having an inlet (36) and outlets (37, 37a-d);
a fan (52) for generating an air flow from the inlet to the outlet in the casing;
a heat exchanger (51) and an active species generator (60) arranged in the casing;
wind direction changing members (39, 39a to 39d) capable of changing the traveling direction of the air passing through the outlet;
a control unit (9) for executing a cleaning operation for cleaning the inside of the casing;
with
When performing the cleaning operation, the control unit drives the fan while generating active species in the active species generation unit, and
The control unit controls the attitude of the airflow direction changing member so that air is blown out from the blowout port vertically downward or toward the suction port side rather than vertically downward when performing the cleaning operation ,
At least part of the active species generation unit is positioned between the suction port and the heat exchanger in the air flow,
Indoor unit of air conditioner. A plurality of the wind direction changing members are provided,
When the cleaning operation is performed, the control unit is arranged such that all of the plurality of wind direction changing members are in a posture in which air is blown vertically downward or toward the suction port side rather than vertically downward from the blowout port. Control,
The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1. Both the suction port and the blowout port face downward from the horizontal direction,
The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2 . The wind direction changing member has a first surface (X) that guides the air to the side opposite to the suction port side by being hit by the air passing through the blowout port, and a surface opposite to the first surface. and a second surface (Y),
When performing the cleaning operation, the control unit controls the second surface (Y) of the wind direction changing member so that more air blows off from the blowout port than the first surface (X). controlling the attitude of the wind direction changing member to
The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . After causing the heat exchanger to function as a refrigerant evaporator and before performing the cleaning operation, the control unit operates the fan without generating active species in the active species generation unit. perform a drying operation for driving and drying the inside of the casing;
The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . Further comprising a humidity grasping unit (58) for grasping the humidity in the casing,
The control unit drives the fan while controlling the attitude of the airflow direction changing member so that the air is blown out from the blowout port vertically downward or to the suction port side rather than vertically downward, and the humidity is grasped. Grasp the humidity by part,
The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to claim 5 .

Images