JP7193754B2 - Indoor unit and air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

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

The air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-332743) includes a mechanism for receiving drain water generated by an evaporator in a drain pan and discharging the drain water in the drain pan using a drain pump. . This air conditioner starts operating the drain pump when the level of drain water in the drain pan reaches or exceeds the height of the water intake of the drain pump, and operates the drain pump when the level drops below the level of the water intake of the drain pump. Stop.

When a large amount of drain water is generated, unless the drain pump is continuously operated, the level of drain water in the drain pan may suddenly rise and the drain water may overflow from the drain pan. However, when the amount of drain water generated is small, it is preferable to reduce the power consumption of the drain pump by shortening the operation time of the drain pump.

The indoor unit of the first aspect is used in an air conditioner capable of performing cooling operation by circulating a refrigerant. The indoor unit includes a heat exchanger, a drain pan, a drain pump, and a controller. A heat exchanger heat-exchanges a refrigerant|coolant and indoor air. The drain pan receives water generated by the heat exchanger. The drain pump sucks up water from the drain pan. The control unit performs the first control when the cooling operation is executed. In the first control, the control unit operates the drain pump when the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air. In the first control, the control unit controls the drain pump to have a period during which the drain pump is not operated when the evaporation temperature is higher than the dew point temperature.

The indoor unit of the first aspect controls the drain pump so as to have a period during which the drain pump is not operated when the amount of water generated in the heat exchanger is small. This reduces the power consumption of the drain pump.

The indoor unit of the second aspect is the indoor unit of the first aspect, and in the first control, the control unit shifts from a state in which the evaporation temperature is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature to a state in which the evaporation temperature is higher than the dew point temperature. The operation of the drain pump is continued for a predetermined period from the point in time, and then the operation of the drain pump is stopped.

In the indoor unit of the second aspect, leakage of water due to an increase in the water level of the drain pan is suppressed.

The indoor unit of the third aspect is the indoor unit of the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the control unit acquires the dew point temperature or the first sensor for acquiring the evaporation temperature during execution of the cooling operation. When an abnormality of the second sensor is detected, the operation of the drain pump is continued.

In the indoor unit of the third aspect, leakage of water caused by an increase in the water level of the drain pan is suppressed.

An indoor unit according to a fourth aspect is the indoor unit according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the control unit causes the drain pump to continue operating in the first state during cooling operation. The control unit performs the first control in a second state in which the load of the air conditioner during execution of the cooling operation is smaller than that in the first state when the cooling operation is executed.

The indoor unit of the fourth aspect constantly operates the drain pump when the load on the air conditioner is large and the amount of water generated in the heat exchanger is large. On the other hand, when the load on the air conditioner is small and the amount of water generated in the heat exchanger is small, the indoor unit controls the drain pump so that there is a period during which the drain pump is not operated. As a result, water leakage due to a sudden rise in the water level in the drain pan is suppressed, and power consumption of the drain pump is suppressed.

An air conditioner according to a fifth aspect includes the indoor unit according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

Since the power consumption of the drain pump is suppressed in the air conditioner of the fifth aspect, the power required for operation is suppressed.

1 is a diagram showing a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner 10 having an indoor unit 12. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an indoor unit 12 installed in a ceiling space 80. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the indoor unit 12. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit 12. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a drain pan 57 and a drain pump 59; FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing control of a drain pump 59; FIG. 7 is a time chart for explaining a first criterion in step S14 of FIG. 6; FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing control of a drain pump 59 in Modification B. FIG.

An air conditioner 10 including an indoor unit 12 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

(1) Overall configuration of air conditioner 10 As shown in FIG. Cool and heat the room. The air conditioner 10 includes an outdoor unit 11 , an indoor unit 12 , a liquid refrigerant communication pipe 13 and a gas refrigerant communication pipe 14 . A refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 10 is configured by connecting an outdoor unit 11 and an indoor unit 12 with a liquid refrigerant communication pipe 13 and a gas refrigerant communication pipe 14 . A refrigerant sealed in the refrigerant circuit circulates in the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 10 . The air conditioner 10 performs a refrigeration cycle operation in which the refrigerant is compressed, radiated (condensed), depressurized, absorbed (evaporated), and then compressed again in the refrigerant circuit.

The outdoor unit 11 is installed outside the building or in the basement of the building. The outdoor unit 11 mainly includes a compressor 20, a four-way switching valve 15, an outdoor heat exchanger 30, an outdoor expansion valve 41, an outdoor fan 35, a liquid side shutoff valve 17, and a gas side shutoff valve 18. , an accumulator 25 and an outdoor control unit 91 .

The indoor unit 12 is installed in the space 80 above the ceiling 81 of each room, as shown in FIG. The indoor unit 12 is a type of indoor unit that is installed by being embedded in the ceiling 81 . The indoor unit 12 mainly includes a casing 22, an airflow direction changing member 39, an indoor heat exchanger 50, an indoor fan 55, a bell mouth 56, a drain pan 57, a drain pump 59, and an indoor controller 92. have. The air conditioner 10 has a distributed configuration in which a plurality of indoor units 12 are connected to one outdoor unit 11 . However, the air conditioner 10 may have a configuration in which one indoor unit 12 is connected to one outdoor unit 11 .

The indoor heat exchanger 50 has one end connected to the liquid refrigerant communication pipe 13 and the other end connected to the gas refrigerant communication pipe 14 . The indoor heat exchanger 50 functions as a refrigerant heat absorber (evaporator) or radiator (condenser). When the air conditioner 10 is performing cooling operation, the indoor heat exchanger 50 functions as a heat absorber. When the air conditioner 10 is performing heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger 50 functions as a radiator.

The outdoor control unit 91 is a computer that controls components of the outdoor unit 11 . The indoor controller 92 is a computer that controls components of the indoor unit 12 . The outdoor controller 91 and the indoor controller 92 mainly include an arithmetic device and a storage device. A computing device is, for example, a CPU or a GPU. The arithmetic device reads a program stored in the storage device and performs predetermined arithmetic processing according to the program. The computing device writes computation results to a storage device and reads information stored in the storage device according to a program. The outdoor controller 91 is connected to the indoor controller 92 via a communication line, and transmits and receives data, control signals, and the like.

The liquid refrigerant communication pipe 13 and the gas refrigerant communication pipe 14 are refrigerant pipes that are constructed on site when the outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 12 are installed in the building. As shown in FIG. 2 , the liquid refrigerant communication pipe 13 and the gas refrigerant communication pipe 14 pass through the ceiling space 80 .

(2) Configuration of indoor unit 12 (2-1) Casing 22
Inside the casing 22 , an indoor heat exchanger 50 , an indoor fan 55 , a bell mouth 56 , a drain pan 57 , a drain pump 59 and an indoor controller 92 are mainly arranged. The casing 22 mainly has a casing body 22a and a decorative panel 22b.

As shown in FIG. 2, the casing main body 22a is arranged so as to be inserted into an opening 81a formed in the ceiling 81 of each chamber. The casing main body 22a is a substantially octagonal box-shaped body in which long sides and short sides are alternately formed in a plan view, and has an open bottom surface. The casing main body 22a has a top plate and a plurality of side plates extending downward from the periphery of the top plate.

The decorative panel 22b is arranged so as to be fitted into the opening 81a of the ceiling 81 . The decorative panel 22b spreads outward in plan view from the top plate and side plates of the casing body 22a, and is attached to the bottom of the casing body 22a from the inside of the room.

As shown in FIG. 3, the decorative panel 22b has an inner frame 23a and an outer frame 23b provided outside the inner frame 23a in plan view. Inside the inner frame 23a in plan view, there is formed a suction port 36 that opens downward and has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. Inside the outer frame 23b in a plan view and outside the inner frame 23a, a blowout port 37 and a corner blowout port 38, which are opened obliquely downward from below, are formed. As shown in FIG. 4 , a filter 34 is provided above the suction port 36 for removing dust in the air sucked from 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 23a and the outer frame 23b. 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 23a and the outer frame 23b.

A wind direction changing member 39 is attached to the lower surface of the casing main body 22a. 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 10 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 body. The end portion of the arm Z 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. 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 posture of the airflow direction changing member 39 is controlled to have a plurality of types of predetermined angles according to the degree of rotation of the drive shaft. In the cooling operation and the heating operation, the air that has passed through the upstream side of the blowout port 37 mainly hits the concave surface X of the flap body.

The attitudes of the first airflow direction changing member 39a, the second airflow direction changing member 39b, the third airflow direction changing member 39c, and the fourth airflow direction changing member 39d are independently controlled by the indoor controller 92, respectively. The attitude of the wind direction changing member 39 is controlled by driving the drive shaft by the indoor control unit 92 when the wind direction instruction from the user is received via a remote controller or the like.

(2-2) Indoor heat exchanger 50
The indoor heat exchanger 50 is a heat exchanger arranged inside the casing main body 22a in a bent state so as to surround the indoor fan 55 in plan view. More specifically, the indoor heat exchanger 50 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 13 is connected to the liquid side of the indoor heat exchanger 50 , and one end of the gas refrigerant communication pipe 14 is connected to the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 50 .

(2-3) Indoor fan 55
The indoor fan 55 is a centrifugal blower arranged inside the casing main body 22a. The indoor fan 55 sucks indoor air into the casing 22 through the inlet 36 of the decorative panel 22b, passes through the indoor heat exchanger 50, and then blows the air out of the casing 22 through the outlet 37 of the decorative panel 22b. form. The indoor fan 55 has a fan motor 55a provided in the center of the top plate of the casing main body 22a, and an impeller connected to the fan motor 55a 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 55 can control the air volume in a plurality of steps by controlling the number of revolutions of the indoor fan 55 by the indoor controller 92 .

(2-4) Drain pan 57
As shown in FIG. 4 , the drain pan 57 is arranged below the indoor heat exchanger 50 and receives drain water produced by condensation of moisture in the air in the indoor heat exchanger 50 . The drain pan 57 is attached to the lower portion of the casing main body 22a. The drain pan 57 has a vertically extending cylindrical space inside the indoor heat exchanger 50 in plan view, and the bell mouth 56 is arranged inside and below the space. The bell mouth 56 is a member for guiding the air sucked from the suction port 36 to the indoor fan 55, and has a horizontally wide flat portion and a cylindrical portion extending vertically near the center. .

The drain pan 57 is formed with a plurality of blowout flow paths 47 extending vertically outside the indoor heat exchanger 50 in plan view. The blow-out flow path 47 has a first blow-out flow path that communicates with the first blow-out port 37a at its lower end, a second blow-out flow path that communicates with the second blow-out port 37b at its lower end, and a third blow-out port 37c at its lower end. It has a third blowout channel and a fourth blowout channel communicating with the fourth blowout port 37d at the lower end. In addition, the blow-out flow path 47 includes a first corner blow-out flow path that communicates with the first corner blow-out port 38a at the lower end, a second corner blow-out flow path that communicates with the second corner blow-out port 38b at the lower end, It has a third corner blow-out channel communicating with the third corner blow-out port 38c at its lower end, and a fourth corner blow-out channel communicating with the fourth corner blow-out port 38d at its lower end.

Condensed water may occur on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 50 when the air conditioner 10 is performing cooling operation. Drain pan 57 is provided to receive condensed water falling from the surface of indoor heat exchanger 50 . Condensed water falling from the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 50 is stored in the drain pan 57 as drain water.

As shown in FIG. 5, the drain pan 57 has a recess 57a, which is a space in which drain water is stored. The bottom surface of the recess 57a is arranged so as to be substantially parallel to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the water surface of the drain water in the drain pan 57 is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane. Hereinafter, the water level means the vertical height position of the water surface of the drain water in the drain pan 57 with reference to the bottom surface of the recess 57a. When no drain water is stored in the drain pan 57, the water level is zero. The water level when the drain water is stored in the drain pan 57 up to the height position of the upper end 57b of the drain pan 57 is the maximum water level h0. When drain water falls from the indoor heat exchanger 50 to the drain pan 57 when the water level is at the maximum water level h0, the drain water leaks out from the drain pan 57 .

A water level sensor 58 is arranged in the drain pan 57 . The water level sensor 58 is mainly composed of a float 58a and a support member 58b. The float 58a is a member that can float on drain water. The float 58a rises or falls according to changes in the water level of the drain pan 57. As shown in FIG. The support member 58b supports the float 58a. The indoor controller 92 acquires the water level of the drain pan 57 by detecting the height position of the float 58a.

(2-5) Drain pump 59
The drain pump 59 discharges drain water from the drain pan 57 . The drain pump 59 has a water intake port 59a and a water discharge port 59b. The drain pump 59 sucks the drain water in the drain pan 57 through the water intake port 59a and discharges it through the drain port 59b.

The water intake port 59a is located at the tip of the portion of the drain pump 59 that protrudes downward from above. The water intake port 59 a is positioned within the recess 57 a of the drain pan 57 . The water intake 59 a is located above the bottom surface of the recess 57 a of the drain pan 57 and below the upper end 57 b of the drain pan 57 .

The drain port 59b is a tip opening of a copper pipe protruding from the side plate of the casing 22. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a drain pipe 60 is connected to the drain port 59b. The drain pipe 60 is installed in the ceiling space 80 . The drain pipe 60 is a pipe for flowing drain water to the outside of the building or to the drain of the building.

The drain pump 59 is driven by a motor (not shown) to pressurize the drain water in the drain pan 57 , suck up the drain water from the drain pan 57 , and send it out to the drain pipe 60 . Thereby, the drain pump 59 discharges the drain water to the outside of the indoor unit 12 . The indoor controller 92 controls the timing of starting the operation of the drain pump 59 and the timing of stopping the operation of the drain pump 59 .

(3) Operation of Air Conditioner 10 (3-1) Heating Operation When the air conditioner 10 performs heating operation, the four-way switching valve 15 is switched to the state indicated by the dashed line in FIG. In the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 10, low-pressure gas refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle is sucked into the compressor 20, compressed to a high pressure in the refrigeration cycle, and then discharged. The high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 20 is sent to the indoor heat exchanger 50 through the four-way switching valve 15 , the gas side shutoff valve 18 and the gas refrigerant communication pipe 14 . The high-pressure gas refrigerant sent to the indoor heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat with the indoor air in the indoor heat exchanger 50 and is condensed to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. This heats the indoor air. The liquid refrigerant condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 50 is sent to the outdoor expansion valve 41 through the liquid refrigerant communication pipe 13 and the liquid side stop valve 17 . The refrigerant sent to the outdoor expansion valve 41 is decompressed by the outdoor expansion valve 41 to the low pressure of the refrigeration cycle. The low-pressure refrigerant decompressed by the outdoor expansion valve 41 is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 30 . The low-pressure refrigerant sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 30 exchanges heat with the outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger 30 and evaporates to become a low-pressure gas refrigerant. The low-pressure refrigerant evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger 30 is sucked into the compressor 20 again through the four-way switching valve 15 and the accumulator 25 .

(3-2) Cooling Operation When the air conditioner 10 performs cooling operation, the four-way switching valve 15 is switched to the state indicated by the solid line in FIG. In the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 10, low-pressure gas refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle is sucked into the compressor 20, compressed to a high pressure in the refrigeration cycle, and then discharged. A high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 20 is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 30 through the four-way switching valve 15 . The high-pressure gas refrigerant sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 30 exchanges heat with the outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger 30 and is condensed to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 30 is depressurized to the low pressure of the refrigeration cycle by the outdoor expansion valve 41 . The low-pressure refrigerant decompressed by the outdoor expansion valve 41 is sent to the indoor heat exchanger 50 through the liquid side shutoff valve 17 and the liquid refrigerant connecting pipe 13 . The refrigerant sent to the indoor heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat with the indoor air in the indoor heat exchanger 50 and evaporates to become a low-pressure gas refrigerant. The indoor air is thereby cooled. The gas refrigerant evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger 50 is sucked into the compressor 20 again through the gas refrigerant communication pipe 14 , the gas side shutoff valve 18 , the four-way switching valve 15 and the accumulator 25 .

(4) Control of indoor unit 12 The indoor control unit 92 performs first control when the air conditioning apparatus 10 performs the cooling operation. In the first control, the indoor controller 92 operates the drain pump 59 when the first condition that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 50 is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air is satisfied. In the first control, the indoor control unit 92 sets a period during which the drain pump 59 is not operated when the second condition is satisfied that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 50 is higher than the dew point temperature of the indoor air. control the drain pump 59 to have

When the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is higher than the dew point temperature, the water vapor contained in the room air is condensed and the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 50 is less likely to be dewed. When the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature, the water vapor contained in the indoor air is likely to condense and form condensation on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 50 . Therefore, when the second condition is satisfied, the amount of condensed water generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 50 is smaller than when the first condition is satisfied. Therefore, when the second condition is satisfied, the speed at which the drain water level in the drain pan 57 rises is lower than when the first condition is satisfied.

When the first condition is satisfied, the indoor control unit 92 starts the operation of the drain pump 59 when the drain pump 59 is stopped, and when the drain pump 59 is operating, the operation of the drain pump 59 is started. continue driving. If the drain pump 59 is operating when the second condition is satisfied, the indoor control unit 92 either continues the operation of the drain pump 59 or controls the operation of the drain pump based on a predetermined condition described later. 59 is stopped.

An evaporation temperature thermistor 51 detects the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 50 during cooling operation. As shown in FIG. 1, the evaporating temperature thermistor 51 is attached to the indoor heat exchanger 50 . The indoor controller 92 acquires the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant inside the indoor heat exchanger 50 from the evaporation temperature thermistor 51 .

The dew point temperature of the indoor air is calculated from data detected by the indoor temperature sensor 52 and the indoor humidity sensor 53 . As shown in FIG. 1 , an indoor temperature sensor 52 and an indoor humidity sensor 53 are attached to the indoor unit 12 . The indoor temperature sensor 52 and the indoor humidity sensor 53 are attached near the suction port 36 of the indoor unit 12 . The indoor controller 92 acquires the temperature of the indoor air taken into the indoor unit 12 from the indoor temperature sensor 52 . The indoor controller 92 acquires the relative humidity of the indoor air taken into the indoor unit 12 from the indoor humidity sensor 53 . The indoor controller 92 calculates the dew point temperature of the indoor air from the temperature and relative humidity of the indoor air.

Next, the control (first control) of the drain pump 59 by the indoor control unit 92 when the cooling operation of the air conditioner 10 is executed will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The indoor controller 92 executes the process shown in FIG. 6 at predetermined time intervals.

The indoor controller 92 acquires the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 50 and the dew point temperature of the indoor air (step S11). The indoor controller 92 acquires the detected value of the refrigerant evaporation temperature from the evaporation temperature thermistor 51 . The indoor controller 92 obtains the detected values of the indoor air temperature and relative humidity from the indoor temperature sensor 52 and the indoor humidity sensor 53, respectively, and calculates and obtains the dew point temperature of the indoor air.

Next, the indoor controller 92 determines whether or not the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air (step S12). When the indoor controller 92 determines that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air, the indoor controller 92 performs control to start or continue the operation of the drain pump 59 (step S13). Specifically, when the drain pump 59 is in operation, the indoor controller 92 continues the operation of the drain pump 59 without stopping it. Further, the indoor controller 92 starts the operation of the drain pump 59 when the drain pump 59 is stopped. For example, when the indoor controller 92 determines that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air when the air conditioner 10 is started, the indoor controller 92 immediately starts the operation of the drain pump 59 .

When the indoor controller 92 determines in step S12 that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is higher than the dew point temperature of the indoor air, the indoor controller 92 controls the drain pump 59 so as to have a period during which the drain pump 59 is not operated (step S14). . Next, in step S14, when the drain pump 59 is operating, the indoor control unit 92 determines whether the operation of the drain pump 59 is to be continued or the operation of the drain pump 59 is to be stopped. Two specific examples of criteria will be described.

According to the first criterion, as shown in FIG. 7, the indoor control unit 92 determines the time t1 when the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant shifts from the dew point temperature or lower to the higher evaporating temperature than the dew point temperature. , the operation of the drain pump 59 is continued for a predetermined period t2. After that, the indoor controller 92 stops the operation of the drain pump 59 at time t3 when a predetermined period of time t2 has elapsed from time t1. The predetermined period t2 is, for example, 1 minute to 5 minutes.

According to the second criterion, the indoor controller 92 continues the operation of the drain pump 59 when at least one of the evaporating temperature thermistor 51, the indoor temperature sensor 52, and the indoor humidity sensor 53 is detected to be abnormal. The indoor controller 92 detects an abnormality by receiving a signal regarding the occurrence of an abnormality from the evaporating temperature thermistor 51 , the indoor temperature sensor 52 and the indoor humidity sensor 53 .

The indoor controller 92 controls the drain pump 59 based on at least one of the first criterion and the second criterion. When both the first criterion and the second criterion are applied, the indoor control unit 92 controls the operation of the drain pump 59 even when the operation of the drain pump 59 can be stopped based on the first criterion. continue driving. In other words, the second criterion is applied in preference to the first criterion.

(5) Features (5-1)
The indoor control unit 92 of the indoor unit 12 controls the drain pump 59 based on the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 50 and the dew point temperature of the indoor air when the air conditioner 10 performs cooling operation. Change method. Specifically, when the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is higher than the dew-point temperature and the speed at which the drain water level in the drain pan 57 rises is slow, the indoor control unit 92 controls the drain pump 59 based on a predetermined condition. The operation is continued, or the operation of the drain pump 59 is stopped. As a result, the power consumption of the drain pump 59 is suppressed compared to the case where the drain pump 59 is always operated.

(5-2)
Based on the first criterion, the indoor control unit 92 of the indoor unit 12 controls the predetermined temperature from the time when the refrigerant evaporation temperature changes from the dew point temperature or lower to the refrigerant evaporation temperature higher than the dew point temperature. After the period of , the operation of the drain pump 59 is stopped. When the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant shifts to a state higher than the dew point temperature, there is a possibility that drain water will continue to accumulate in the drain pan 57 and the water level in the drain pan 57 will increase at a high speed. Therefore, if the operation of the drain pump 59 is stopped when the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is higher than the dew point temperature, the drain water may overflow from the drain pan 57 and leak.

Therefore, by controlling the drain pump 59 based on the first criterion, it is possible to prevent the drain water from overflowing from the drain pan 57 and leaking.

(5-3)
The indoor controller 92 of the indoor unit 12 causes the drain pump 59 to operate when an abnormality is detected in at least one of the evaporating temperature thermistor 51, the indoor temperature sensor 52, and the indoor humidity sensor 53 based on the second criterion. continue. If at least one of the evaporation temperature thermistor 51, the indoor temperature sensor 52, and the indoor humidity sensor 53 malfunctions, the indoor controller 92 cannot normally acquire at least one of the refrigerant evaporation temperature and dew point temperature. In this case, the indoor controller 92 may erroneously determine that the refrigerant evaporation temperature is higher than the dew point temperature, even though the refrigerant evaporation temperature is actually lower than the dew point temperature. If the indoor controller 92 stops the operation of the drain pump 59 in this state, the drain water may overflow from the drain pan 57 and leak.

Therefore, by continuing the operation of the drain pump 59 based on the second criterion, it is possible to prevent the drain water from overflowing from the drain pan 57 and leaking.

(5-4)
The indoor controller 92 of the indoor unit 12 determines whether condensation water is likely to occur on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 50 based on the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 50 and the dew point temperature of the indoor air. judge. The evaporating temperature of the refrigerant is detected by an evaporating temperature thermistor 51 , and the dew point temperature of the indoor air is detected by an indoor temperature sensor 52 and an indoor humidity sensor 53 . Evaporation temperature thermistor 51 , indoor temperature sensor 52 and indoor humidity sensor 53 are sensors also used in conventional air conditioner 10 . Therefore, since it is not necessary to use a special sensor for determining whether dew condensation water is likely to occur on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 50, the cost of the indoor unit 12 is suppressed.

(5-5)
Since the power consumption of the drain pump 59 is suppressed, the power required for operating the air conditioner 10 is also suppressed.

<Modification>
(1) First Modification In the embodiment, the indoor controller 92 determines that the second condition is satisfied when the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 50 is higher than the dew point temperature of the indoor air.

However, if the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air and the difference between the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant and the dew point temperature of the indoor air is smaller than a predetermined value, the indoor control unit 92 Alternatively, it may be determined that the second condition is satisfied. In other words, the indoor controller 92 may determine that the second condition is satisfied even when the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is slightly lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air. In this case, the indoor controller 92 determines that the second condition is satisfied when the refrigerant evaporation temperature Tc and the indoor air dew point temperature Td satisfy the relational expression Td−c<Tc. The constant c is the predetermined value mentioned above, for example 1°C or 2°C. When the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is slightly lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air, as in the case where the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is higher than the dew point temperature of the indoor air, condensed water generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger 50 The quantity may be small.

Therefore, by defining the second condition as described above and controlling the indoor unit 12 , the operating time of the drain pump 59 is reduced, so that the power consumption of the drain pump 59 is suppressed.

In this modification, regarding the first criterion, the indoor control unit 92 changes the temperature from the state where the evaporation temperature Tc of the refrigerant is equal to or lower than the temperature Td-c, which is slightly lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air, to a temperature higher than the temperature Td-c. The operation of the drain pump 59 may be continued for a predetermined period from the point of transition to the high state. After that, the indoor controller 92 stops the operation of the drain pump 59 when a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

(2) Second Modification The indoor control unit 92 may determine whether or not to perform the above-described first control according to the load of the air conditioner when the cooling operation is performed. For example, the indoor control unit 92 may start or continue the operation of the drain pump without performing the first control in the first state, and perform the first control in the second state.

The first state and the second state represent states of the air conditioner 10 after the air conditioner 10 is started. The second state is a state in which the load on the air conditioner 10 during execution of the cooling operation is smaller than that in the first state. Normally, the load on the air conditioner 10 increases as the rotational speeds of the compressor 20, the outdoor fan 35, and the indoor fan 55 increase, or as the temperature difference between the indoor air and the outdoor air increases.

The indoor controller 92 continues the operation of the drain pump 59 when the air conditioner 10 is in the first state. The indoor control unit 92 performs the first control of the embodiment when the air conditioner 10 is in the second state.

Next, the control of the drain pump 59 by the indoor control unit 92 when the air conditioning apparatus 10 performs the cooling operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The indoor controller 92 executes the process shown in FIG. 8 at predetermined time intervals.

The indoor control unit 92 determines whether the state of the air conditioner 10 is the first state or the second state (step S21). The indoor control unit 92 determines the state of the air conditioner 10 based on parameters such as the rotational speeds of the compressor 20, the outdoor fan 35, and the indoor fan 55, and the difference between the indoor air temperature and the outdoor air temperature. do.

When the indoor controller 92 determines that the air conditioner 10 is in the first state, the indoor controller 92 performs control to start or continue the operation of the drain pump 59 (step S22). Specifically, when the indoor control unit 92 determines that the air conditioner 10 is in the first state while the drain pump 59 is operating, the indoor control unit 92 continues the operation of the drain pump 59 without stopping it. Further, when the indoor control unit 92 determines that the air conditioner 10 is in the first state while the drain pump 59 is stopped, the indoor control unit 92 starts the operation of the drain pump 59 . For example, when the indoor controller 92 determines that the air conditioner 10 is in the first state when the air conditioner 10 is started, the indoor controller 92 causes the drain pump 59 to start operating immediately.

When the indoor control unit 92 determines in step S21 that the air conditioner 10 is in the second state, the same processing as steps S11 to S14 of the embodiment (steps S23 to S26) is performed as described below. .

The indoor controller 92 acquires the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 50 and the dew point temperature of the indoor air (step S23). The indoor controller 92 acquires the detected value of the refrigerant evaporation temperature from the evaporation temperature thermistor 51 . The indoor control unit 92 acquires the detected values of the indoor air temperature and relative humidity from the indoor temperature sensor 52 and the indoor humidity sensor 53, respectively, and calculates the dew point temperature of the indoor air.

Next, the indoor controller 92 determines whether or not the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air (step S24). When the indoor controller 92 determines that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air, the indoor controller 92 performs control to start or continue the operation of the drain pump 59 (step S25). Specifically, when the drain pump 59 is in operation, the indoor controller 92 continues the operation of the drain pump 59 without stopping it. Further, the indoor controller 92 starts the operation of the drain pump 59 when the drain pump 59 is stopped. For example, when the indoor controller 92 determines that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air when the air conditioner 10 is started, the indoor controller 92 immediately starts the operation of the drain pump 59 .

When the indoor controller 92 determines in step S24 that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is higher than the dew point temperature of the indoor air, the indoor controller 92 controls the drain pump 59 so as to have a period during which the drain pump 59 is not operated (step S26). .

In this modified example, the indoor controller 92 of the indoor unit 12 causes the drain pump 59 to operate constantly when the load on the air conditioner 10 is large during the cooling operation of the air conditioner 10 . In the first state where the load on the air conditioner 10 is large, the speed at which the water level of the drain water in the drain pan 57 rises is high. Therefore, leakage of drain water due to a sudden rise in the water level of the drain pan 57 is suppressed.

On the other hand, when the load of the air conditioner 10 is small during execution of the cooling operation of the air conditioner 10, the indoor controller 92 of the indoor unit 12 controls the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 50 and the indoor air The control method of the drain pump 59 is changed based on the dew point temperature of . In the second state where the load on the air conditioner 10 is small, the speed at which the water level of the drain water in the drain pan 57 rises is small. In this case, the indoor controller 92 continues the operation of the drain pump 59 or stops the operation of the drain pump 59 based on a predetermined condition. As a result, the power consumption of the drain pump 59 is suppressed compared to the case where the drain pump 59 is always operated.

(3) Third Modification The indoor unit 12 of the embodiment is used in the air conditioner 10 having cooling and heating functions. However, the indoor unit 12 may be used in the air conditioner 10 dedicated to cooling.

Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it will be appreciated that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. .

10: Air conditioner 12: Indoor unit 50: Indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger)
51: Evaporation temperature thermistor (first sensor)
52: Indoor temperature sensor (second sensor)
53: Indoor humidity sensor (second sensor)
57: Drain pan 59: Drain pump 92: Indoor controller (controller)

JP-A-7-332743

Claims (4)

An indoor unit used in an air conditioner (10) capable of performing cooling operation by circulating a refrigerant,
a heat exchanger (50) that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the indoor air;
a drain pan (57) for receiving water generated in the heat exchanger;
a drain pump (59) for sucking water from the drain pan;
a control unit (92);
with
The control unit, when executing the cooling operation,
operating the drain pump when the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air;
controlling the drain pump to have a period during which the drain pump is not operated when the evaporation temperature is higher than the dew point temperature;
perform the first control,
When the cooling operation is executed, the control unit controls the operation of the drain pump for a predetermined period from the time when the evaporating temperature changes from the dew point temperature or lower to the evaporating temperature higher than the dew point temperature. Continue, and then stop the operation of the drain pump, perform the first control,
Indoor unit (12). The control unit detects an abnormality of the first sensor (51) for acquiring the evaporation temperature or the second sensor (52, 53) for acquiring the dew point temperature during execution of the cooling operation. If so, continue to operate the drain pump,
The indoor unit according to claim 1 . The control unit, when executing the cooling operation,
Continuing the operation of the drain pump in the first state,
Performing the first control in a second state in which the load of the air conditioner during execution of the cooling operation is smaller than in the first state,
The indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2 . Equipped with the indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
Air conditioner.

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