JP7285398B2 - air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner provided with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust adhering to an air filter built into an indoor unit.

Conventionally, as this type of air conditioner, for example, the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2014/74504) is known.

The air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to remove dust adhering to an air filter with a brush, and scrape the dust adhering to the brush to a dust receiver provided below the brush with a blade. ing.

JP 2014-74504 A

The air conditioner of Patent Document 1 still has room for improvement in terms of improving dust removal efficiency. In addition, when scraping off the dust adhering to the brush with the blade, there is a problem that the blade is flipped and noise is generated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide an air conditioner capable of further improving dust removal efficiency and eliminating abnormal noise during cleaning.

In order to solve the above conventional problems, the air conditioner of the present invention includes:
An air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust adhering to an air filter,
a brush extending in the width direction of the air filter for removing dust adhering to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
a dust removing unit that moves within the dust receiving unit and scrapes off dust adhering to the brush,
The dust removing section moves in the extending direction of the brush from an arbitrarily determined starting position to operate one stroke along the brush.

According to the air conditioner of the present invention, it is possible to further improve the efficiency of dust removal and to eliminate abnormal noise during cleaning.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an indoor unit included in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Sectional view of an indoor unit included in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 Enlarged cross-sectional view showing the operation of removing dust adhering to the surface of the air filter Enlarged cross-sectional view showing the operation of removing dust adhering to the surface of the air filter FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the operation of the dust removal unit scraping off dust adhering to the brush; FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the operation of the dust removal unit scraping off dust adhering to the brush; FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the operation of the dust removal unit scraping off dust adhering to the brush; FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an operation for scraping off and collecting dust adhering to the brush by the dust removing unit; FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an operation for scraping off and collecting dust adhering to the brush by the dust removing unit; FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an operation for scraping off and collecting dust adhering to the brush by the dust removing unit; FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an operation for scraping off and collecting dust adhering to the brush by the dust removing unit; 3 is a perspective view showing a filter device mounted on the main body of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lid of the dust receiving section is removed from the state shown in FIG. 7 and a part of the dust removing section is removed; 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the dust receiver is removed from the state shown in FIG. 7; FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a dust removing part included in the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the dust removing unit shown in FIG. 10; FIG. 2 is a front view of a dust removal section included in the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1. FIG. Cross-sectional view of the dust removing unit shown in FIG. 12 taken along the A1-A1 cross section FIG. 4 is a side view showing how the dust removing portion included in the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 moves along the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving portion; FIG. 4 is a side view showing how the dust removing portion included in the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 moves along the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving portion; FIG. 4 is a side view showing how the dust removing portion included in the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 moves along the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving portion; FIG. 4 is a side view showing how the dust removing portion included in the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 moves along the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving portion; Cross-sectional view showing the state where the dust receiver is attached to the main body in the dust manual discharge configuration Sectional view showing a state in which the dust receiver is removed from the main body in the dust manual discharge configuration Perspective view of the vicinity of the left end side of the dust receiver in the dust automatic discharge configuration, viewed from below Perspective view of the vicinity of the left end side of the dust receiving part in the dust manual discharge configuration as seen from below FIG. 11 is a side view showing an operation for scraping off dust adhering to the brush by the dust removal section in the dust manual discharge configuration; FIG. 11 is a side view showing an operation for scraping off dust adhering to the brush by the dust removal unit in the dust manual discharge configuration; FIG. 11 is a side view showing an operation for scraping off dust adhering to the brush by the dust removal section in the dust manual discharge configuration; FIG. 11 is a side view showing an operation for scraping off dust adhering to the brush by the dust removal unit in the dust manual discharge configuration; FIG. 4 is a side view showing a configuration example of a driving device that moves the dust removing unit included in the indoor unit according to the first embodiment; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the front panel of the indoor unit is opened in the air conditioner of Embodiment 1;

An air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust adhering to an air filter,
a brush extending in the width direction of the air filter for removing dust adhering to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
a dust removing unit that moves within the dust receiving unit and scrapes off dust adhering to the brush,
The dust removing section moves in the extending direction of the brush from an arbitrarily determined starting position to operate one stroke along the brush.

According to this configuration, the dust removing section moves in the extending direction of the brush while being in contact with the brush, so that the dust adhered to the brush is easily entangled and clumped together, and the dust removing efficiency is improved as compared with the conventional art. be able to. In addition, since the contact area between the brush and the dust removing section can be reduced to reduce the frictional force that the dust removing section receives from the brush, the driving force for moving the dust removing section can be reduced, and the blade can be moved. You can also turn off the popping sound.

Also, the one-stroke operation includes an operation of moving from one end in the extending direction of the brush to the other end at least once. According to this configuration, the dust adhering to the brush can be scraped off to the dust receiver more efficiently.

After the one-stroke operation, the dust removing section may be moved to the starting position, and then operated again for one stroke along the brush from the starting position. According to this configuration, the dust remaining on the brush can be scraped off to the dust receiver.

Further, the brush is swung while the dust removing section is moving. According to this configuration, the dust adhering to the brush can be evenly scraped off to the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving portion before the clumps become excessively large.

Further, the brush may move to the start position and/or wait before starting the operation of scraping off the dust adhering to the brush. According to this configuration, the operation of scraping off the dust adhering to the brush can be performed more quickly, so the filter cleaning time can be shortened.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment. Also, in the drawings, substantially the same members are given the same reference numerals.

<<Embodiment 1>>
An air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention includes an outdoor unit connected to each other by a pipe through which a refrigerant flows, and an indoor unit provided in a room to be air-conditioned. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an indoor unit 1 in an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the main internal configuration of the indoor unit 1 of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, an indoor unit 1 according to Embodiment 1 includes a main body (also referred to as an air conditioner main body) 2 and a front panel 4 that closes a front opening 2a of the main body 2 and can be opened and closed. ing. The main body 2 has an upper opening 2b on its upper surface side, and is provided with an intake port 9 for taking in room air. Below the main body 2, an air outlet 10 is formed which is closed when the operation is stopped.

Inside the main body 2, as shown in FIG. An exchanger 6 and a fan 8 that is a wind source for blowing out the air heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger 6 into the room are provided. The fan 8 is, for example, a cross-flow fan, and is provided to blow air into the room from an air outlet 10 provided below the main body 2 . In the vicinity of the air outlet 10, a plurality of vertical air direction changing blades 12 for opening and closing the air outlet 10 and changing the air blowing direction up and down, and left and right air direction changing blades 14 for changing the air blowing direction to the left and right are provided. is provided.

When the air conditioner starts air-conditioning operation, the vertical wind direction changing blade 12 performs an opening operation to open the outlet 10 . By driving the fan 8 with the vertical airflow direction changing blades 12 open, indoor air is taken into the interior of the indoor unit 1 through the upper opening 2b. The indoor air that is taken in passes through the air filter 18, undergoes heat exchange in the heat exchanger 6, passes through the fan 8, is guided to the ventilation passage 16 formed on the downstream side of the fan 8 in the air blowing direction, and exits the air outlet. It blows out from 10.

As described above, the air filter 18 provided between the top opening 2b and the heat exchanger 6 removes dust contained in the indoor air taken in from the top opening 2b. The air filter 18 includes a frame portion and a net portion held by the frame portion. The air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 includes a filter device 3 that cleans dust adhering to the mesh portion of the air filter 18 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the air filter 18 is held by a filter holding member 20. As shown in FIG. The filter holding member 20 is provided with a first holding space 20A and a second holding space 20B for holding the air filter 18 . The air filter 18 is conveyed by the filter conveying device 22 between the first holding space 20A and the second holding space 20B.

The filter conveying device 22 is formed on a shaft 24 extending in the width direction (the depth direction in FIG. 2) of the indoor unit 1, and is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 24 and provided at a predetermined interval in the extending direction of the shaft 24. and a gear 26. The air filter 18 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 24 and is engaged with the gear 26 .

The air filter 18 is normally positioned within the first holding space 20A and removes dust contained in the indoor air sucked from the top opening 2b. In the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, the cleaning operation for the air filter 18 is started when the air conditioning operation time elapses for a predetermined time or when an air filter cleaning instruction is input. These drive controls are executed by a controller (not shown) provided inside the main body 2 . When the cleaning operation for the air filter 18 starts, the gear 26 of the filter conveying device 22 rotates forward (counterclockwise in FIG. 2), and the air filter 18 is conveyed from the first holding space 20A to the second holding space 20B. be done. When the air filter 18 is conveyed to the second holding space 20B, the gear 26 rotates in the opposite direction (clockwise in FIG. 2), and the air filter 18 is conveyed from the second holding space 20B to the first holding space 20A. be.

In the present embodiment, the conveying path of the air filter 18 from the first holding space 20A to the second holding space 20B is called "outward route", and the air filter 18 from the second holding space 20B to the first holding space 20A is The conveying route is called a "return route".

3 and 4 are enlarged cross-sectional views showing the operation of removing dust adhering to the surface of the air filter 18. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , a guide member 28 is provided in the vicinity of the shaft 24 of the filter conveying device 22 to guide the air filter 18 to move along the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 24 . The guide member 28 is provided with a predetermined gap from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 24 .

A brush 30 is provided near the shaft 24 to remove dust adhering to the surface of the air filter 18 . A base end of the brush 30 is held by a brush holding portion 32 which is part of the brush driving device. The brush 30 and the brush holding portion 32 are provided so as to extend in the width direction of the indoor unit 1 . That is, the brush 30 and the brush holding portion 32 are arranged side by side so as to extend along the width direction of the air filter 18 . The brush holding portion 32 is configured to rotate around a rotating shaft 32 a extending in the width direction of the indoor unit 1 . A dust removing portion 34 for removing dust adhering to the brush 30 is provided below the brush holding portion 32 .

5A to 5C and 6A to 6D are enlarged cross-sectional views showing how the dust removing section 34 scrapes off and collects dust adhering to the brush 30. FIG.

The brush holding portion 32 rotates around its rotary shaft 32a, thereby moving the tip portion of the brush 30 to a position downstream of the guide member 28 in the forward path (a position to the right of the lower end of the guide member 28 in FIG. 3). ), it is arranged at a first position (see FIG. 3) in contact with the air filter 18 existing in the second holding space 20B and a second position (see FIG. 4) in contact with the dust removing section 34. As shown in FIG. When the tip of the brush 30 is at the first position, the air filter 18 reciprocates on the outward and return conveying paths, thereby scraping off dust adhering to the air filter 18 . On the other hand, when the brush holding portion 32 rotates and the tip portion of the brush 30 is at the second position, the operation of removing dust adhering to the brush 30 is started. The operation for removing dust adhering to the brush 30 includes a “sliding scraping operation” in which the dust removing section 34 is moved (slid) along the extension direction of the brush 30 to scrape off the dust. Further, the brush 30 may be swung to contact the dust removing section 34 to scrape off the dust on the brush 30, and may include a "sliding scraping operation" to collect the dust.

As shown in FIGS. 6C to 6D, the dust removing unit 34 removes dust attached to the brush 30 by moving in the extending direction of the brush 30 (that is, in the width direction of the indoor unit) while in contact with the brush 30. is configured to scrape off the The dust remover 34 has a first part 36 and a second part 38 . The second part 38 is configured to be removable from the first part 36 . A specific configuration of the dust removing section 34 will be described later in detail.

A dust receiving portion 40 for receiving dust scraped off by the dust removing portion 34 is provided below the dust removing portion 34 . The dust receiver 40 is configured in a box shape with an open top.

7 is a perspective view showing the filter device 3 provided in the main body 2 of the indoor unit 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lid 47 provided on the dust receiving section 40 and the second component 38 of the dust removing section 34 are removed from the filter device 3. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the dust receiver 40 is removed from the filter device 3. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the dust receiver 40 is provided so as to extend in the width direction of the indoor unit. The dust receiving portion 40 is provided with an opening 40a for taking out the second component 38 removed from the first component 36 of the dust removing portion 34 to the outside. The dust receiving portion 40 is configured such that the dust removing portion 34 prevents attachment and detachment of the dust receiving portion 40 with respect to the filter device 3 when the first component 36 and the second component 38 are assembled. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9 , the dust removing section 34 is configured to be detachable from the filter device 3 in a state where the second component 38 is removed from the first component 36 .

A suction device (also referred to as an exhaust device) 42 for sucking dust in the dust receiving portion 40 is connected to an end portion of the dust receiving portion 40 . The suction device 42 includes a suction pipe 44 and a suction fan 46 for generating a suction force in the suction pipe 44 . A dust suction portion 48 is provided at one end portion 44a of the suction pipe 44, which is connected to the suction hole 40b at the end portion of the dust receiving portion 40, and the other end portion 44b of the suction pipe 44 is open. The other end 44b of the suction pipe 44 is connected to an exhaust hose (not shown) one end of which is open to the outside of the room so that the dust passing through the suction pipe 44 can be discharged to the outside of the room. The dust removing section 34 is configured to move the dust in the dust receiving section 40 toward the suction device 42 by moving toward the suction device 42 .

Next, the configurations of the dust removing section 34 and the dust receiving section 40 will be described more specifically. 10 is a perspective view of the dust removing section 34. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the dust removing section 34. FIG. FIG. 12 is a front view of the dust remover 34. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1 of FIG. 12. FIG. In the dust removing section 34, the side closer to the suction device 42 is called "front", and the side away from the suction device 42 is called "rear".

As shown in FIG. 10, the dust removing section 34 has a front blade 34a and a rear blade 34b for scraping off dust adhering to the brush 30. As shown in FIG. The front blade 34 a and the rear blade 34 b each extend in a direction crossing (for example, perpendicular to) the extending direction of the brush 30 . The front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b are spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the brush 30 extends. In Embodiment 1, the front end portions of the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b on the suction device 42 side are formed in an edge shape (right angle or acute angle) in order to improve efficiency in removing dust adhering to the brush 30.

The thickness (height) of the front blade 34a is designed to have a dimension (for example, 2 mm or more) that does not wind the front blade 34a with clumps of tangled dust.

Further, the dust removing portion 34 is configured such that the first side wall 34c and the second side wall 34d protrude forward (toward the suction device 42) from the front end portion of the front blade 34a. A front space S1 is defined by the first side wall 34c, the second side wall 34d, and the front blade 34a. The clumps of dust scraped from the brush 30 by the front blade 34a are prevented from protruding from the front space S1 and easily fall onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiver 40. As shown in FIG. The length by which the first side wall 34c and the second side wall 34d of the dust removing section 34 protrude forward from the front blade 34a is, for example, 7 mm or more.

At least one of the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b is formed in an arc shape around the rotation shaft 32a of the brush holder 32. As shown in FIG. In Embodiment 1, both the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b are formed in an arc shape centering on the rotating shaft 32a of the brush holder 32. As shown in FIG.

Between the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b, a rear space S2 is provided for dropping lumps of dust scraped from the brush 30 by the rear blade 34b. The distance between the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b is designed to be, for example, 14 mm or more so that the clumps of dust scraped from the brush 30 by the rear blade 34b drop more reliably through the rear space S2.

The dust removing section 34 is arranged within the swinging range of the brush 30 when viewed from the extending direction of the brush 30 (the depth direction in FIGS. 5A to 5C), and scrapes off dust attached to the brush 30. It has two lateral blades. In Embodiment 1, the dust removing section 34 has two side blades 34e and 34f extending in the extending direction of the brush 30. As shown in FIG. The rear space S2 is defined by the front blade 34a, the rear blade 34b, and the side blades 34e and 34f. The front blade 34a, the rear blade 34b, and the side blades 34e and 34f are made of a material such as polyacetal that easily scrapes off dust and has excellent slidability. As the brush 30 swings as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the brush 30 and the side blades 34e and 34f come into contact with each other, and the clumps of dust scraped from the brush 30 by the side blades 34e and 34f are pushed back. It falls through the side space S2. In Embodiment 1, the front end portions of the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b on the suction device 42 side are formed in an edge shape (right angle or acute angle) in order to improve efficiency in removing dust adhering to the brush 30.

The dust removing section 34 also has a guide surface 34g that slopes or curves downward as it approaches the suction device 42 . In the first embodiment, the guide surface 34g is an inclined surface that slopes downward as it approaches the suction device 42 . The inclination angle of the guide surface 34g with respect to the horizontal plane is, for example, 30 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less. The dust removing section 34 is configured to use gravity to guide the dust scraped off the brush 30 by the guide surface 34g to the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 positioned closer to the suction device 42 than the dust removing section 34. It is

Further, the dust removing section 34 separates a rear space closer to the suction device 42 than the dust removing section 34 in the dust receiving section 40 and a front space farther from the suction device 42 than the dust removing section 34 in the dust receiving section 40 in a state of contact with the brush 30 . It has a communicating intake hole 34i. In Embodiment 1, the intake holes 34i are open upward as shown in FIG. In the first embodiment, the front blade 34a, the rear blade 34b, the side blades 34e, 34f, the guide surface 34g and the intake holes 34i are provided in the first part 36. As shown in FIG.

Further, the dust removing section 34 has a pressing surface 34h below the guide surface 34g for pressing the dust in the dust receiving section 40 toward the suction device 42 when moving toward the suction device 42. As shown in FIG. The pressing surface 34h is designed to have a smaller angle of inclination with respect to the vertical direction than the guiding surface 34g. In Embodiment 1, the pressing surface 34h is a plane extending in the vertical direction.

14A to 14D are side views showing how the dust removing portion 34 moves along the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving portion 40. FIG.

A bottom surface 34j of the dust removing portion 34 facing the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving portion 40 is configured to be inclined or curved toward the inner bottom surface 40c as it approaches the suction device 42 (left side in the figure). In Embodiment 1, the bottom surface 34j of the dust removing portion 34 is a curved surface protruding downward. In addition, the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving portion 40 receives the frictional force that the dust receives when the dust moves away from the suction device 42, and the frictional force that the dust receives when the dust moves toward the suction device 42. It is configured to be greater than the frictional force. In the first embodiment, the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving portion 40 has a sawtooth wave cross section, as shown in FIGS. 14A to 14D.

With this configuration, a clump of dust that has fallen to a position farther from the suction device 42 than the dust removing unit 34 moves away from the suction device 42 as shown in FIGS. 14A to 14C. Therefore, it becomes easier to move toward the suction device 42 than to the dust removing section 34 . After that, as shown in FIG. 14D , the dust removing section 34 moves closer to the suction device 42 , so that the dust removing section 34 can move the lump of dust toward the suction device 42 with the pressing surface 34 h. can. In Embodiment 1, the pressing surface 34 h and the bottom surface 34 j are provided on the second component 38 .

Next, an example of a cleaning operation for discharging dust adhering to the air filter 18 to the outside will be described. The cleaning operation of the air filter 18 is performed under the control of a control unit (not shown).

Prior to the cleaning operation of the air filter 18, the dust remover 34 is positioned at the end position closest to the suction device 42, as shown in FIG. 6A. The dust remover 34 slides to an arbitrarily determined origin position when air-conditioning operation of the main body 2 is started, and reset operation is performed at the origin position by, for example, a limit switch, so that the origin position is recognized. In this case, the arbitrarily determined origin position may be the end point position closest to the suction device 42 or the arbitrarily determined starting position.

When the start of the cleaning operation of the air filter 18 is instructed by operating a controller (not shown) from this state, the dust removing section 34 moves to an arbitrarily determined start position and/or waits. For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the dust remover 34 may be moved to the farthest position from the suction device 42 . Further, the gear 26 is rotated in the forward direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 4) from the state of FIG. As a result, the air filter 18 is transported from the first holding space 20A to the second holding space 20B. When the tip of the air filter 18 passes between the brush holder 32 and the shaft 24, the brush holder 32 rotates forward (counterclockwise in FIG. 4) or reverse (clockwise in FIG. 4). As a result, the tip of the brush 30 comes into contact with the tip of the air filter 18 and the mesh part so as to straddle the mesh.

When the gear 26 is further rotated in the forward direction, the air filter 18 is further conveyed to the second holding space 20B. During this transportation, the brush holder 32 fixes the brush 30 at a position where it contacts the air filter 18, as shown in FIG. As a result, the dust adhering to the air filter 18 is dammed up by the brush 30 fixed at a fixed position, and accumulated on the upstream side of the air filter 18 in the conveying direction of the brush 30 . At this time, the dust collected on the brush 30 and the dust adhering to the air filter 18 are entangled and bundled together like a twisted paper. As a result, dust adhering to the air filter 18 can be removed. Some of the dust adhering to the brush 30 is scraped off directly onto the inner bottom surface 40 c of the dust receiving portion 40 .

When the gear 26 is further rotated in the forward direction and the air filter 18 reaches the second holding space 20B, the forward rotation of the gear 26 is stopped. At this time, at least part of the tip portion of the brush 30 is in contact with the rear end portion (frame portion) of the air filter 18 outside the cleaning area of the air filter 18 .

After that, the brush holder 32 is rotated in the forward direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 3), and as shown in FIG. do.

After that, the dust removing section 34 moves in the extension direction of the brush from an arbitrarily determined start position, and performs a one-stroke operation of scraping off the dust adhering to the brush 30 . The one-stroke operation of scraping off dust adhering to the brush 30 includes an operation of moving from one end in the extending direction of the brush to the other end at least once. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the dust removing section 34 is moved from the farthest position from the suction device 42 so as to approach the suction device 42 (suction hole 40b). In addition, when there are a plurality of brushes, the brush may be moved from one end to the farthest end. As a result, dust adhering to the brush 30 is scraped off by the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b, and guided by the guide surface 34g to the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving portion 40 located closer to the suction device 42 than the dust removing portion 34. be. Further, the dust guided to the inner bottom surface 40 c of the dust receiving portion 40 is pressed toward the suction device 42 by the pressing surface 34 h of the dust removing portion 34 . The moving speed of the dust removing section 34 is, for example, 5 mm/sec.

Further, while the dust removing section 34 is moving, the brush holding section 32 rotates forward and backward about the rotating shaft 32a, thereby swinging the brush 30 in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the brush 30. As shown in FIG. As a result, the side blades 34e and 34f scrape off the dust clumps scraped from the brush 30 onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiver 40 before they become excessively large.

After that, as shown in FIG. 6D, when the dust removing section 34 is moved to the vicinity of the suction hole 40b, the suction fan 46 of the suction device 42 is driven to generate an airflow as a suction force in the suction pipe 44. Due to this airflow, the lumps of dust collected in the vicinity of the suction hole 40b by the pressing surface 34h of the dust removing portion 34 are discharged outside through the suction pipe 44. As shown in FIG.

After that, the dust removing section 34 is moved again to the farthest position from the suction device 42 . At this time, the dust that has fallen onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving portion 40, which is farther from the suction device 42 than the dust removing portion 34, is dropped from the dust removing portion 34, as described with reference to FIGS. 14A to 14C. Move to the suction device 42 side.

After that, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the dust remover 34 is again moved closer to the suction device 42 . As a result, the dust that has moved closer to the suction device 42 than the dust removing section 34 is pressed toward the suction device 42 by the pressing surface 34h of the dust removing section 34, as shown in FIG. 14D.

After that, as shown in FIG. 6D, when the dust removing section 34 is moved to the vicinity of the suction hole 40b, the suction fan 46 of the suction device 42 is driven to generate an airflow as a suction force in the suction pipe 44. Due to this airflow, the lumps of dust collected in the vicinity of the suction hole 40b by the pressing surface 34h of the dust removing portion 34 are discharged outside through the suction pipe 44. As shown in FIG. The movement of the dust removing unit 34 and the suction operation by the suction device 42 may be performed multiple times. This completes the cleaning operation of the air filter 18 .

In the above description, the suction device 42 is provided to suck the dust in the dust receiving portion 40 and discharge it to the outside of the room. Manual ejection is also possible.

In this case, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lid 47 provided on the dust receiving portion 40 is removed, and the second component 38 is removed from the first component 36 of the dust removing portion 34, as shown in FIG. In addition, the dust removal section 40 is configured to be drawn forward.

The dust removing section 34 is configured so that the second component 38 can be attached to and detached from the first component 36 . As shown in FIG. 11, the first part 36 is formed with a fitting recess 34m extending in a direction orthogonal to the direction of sliding motion of the dust removing portion 34. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, the second part 38 is provided with a fitting protrusion 34n that fits into the fitting recess 34m of the first part 36. As shown in FIG. The first part 36 and the second part 38 configured in this way can be attached and detached by inserting and withdrawing them in a direction orthogonal to the direction of sliding motion, and are fixed to each other by bolts 70 .

15A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the dust removing portion 34 with the second component 38 removed and the dust receiving portion 40. FIG. As shown in FIG. 15B, when the second part 38 is removed, nothing restrains the back wall 40d of the dust receiving portion 40, so that the dust receiving portion 40 can be pulled forward as shown in FIG. 15B. Become.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16A, the bottom surface of the dust receiver 40 is provided with a suction hole 40b communicating with a suction device 42 and a sliding lid 49. As shown in FIG. The sliding lid 49 is configured to be slidable, and can close the suction hole 40b as shown in FIG. 16B. As a result, the suction hole 40b can be isolated from the suction device 42, and the dust scraped into the dust receiving portion 40 can be collected without spilling out of the dust receiving portion 40. there is

Next, a cleaning operation for scraping off dust adhering to the air filter 18 onto the dust receiving portion 40 will be described.

Before the cleaning operation of the air filter 18, the dust removing section 34 is at an arbitrary position such as the origin position or the start position. For example, it is located at the end position closest to the suction device 42 as shown in FIG. 17A. The dust remover 34 slides to an arbitrarily determined origin position when air-conditioning operation of the main body 2 is started, and reset operation is performed at the origin position by, for example, a limit switch, so that the origin position is recognized. In this case, the arbitrarily determined origin position may be the end point position closest to the suction device 42 or the arbitrarily determined starting position. From this state, when the start of the cleaning operation of the air filter 18 is instructed, the dust removing section 34 moves to an arbitrarily determined start position and/or waits. For example, as shown in FIG. 17B, the dust removing section 34 moves to the farthest position from the end position. Further, the gear 26 is rotated in the forward direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 4) from the state of FIG. As a result, the air filter 18 is transported from the first holding space 20A to the second holding space 20B. When the tip of the air filter 18 passes between the brush holder 32 and the shaft 24, the brush holder 32 rotates forward (counterclockwise in FIG. 4) or reverse (clockwise in FIG. 4). As a result, the tip of the brush 30 comes into contact with the tip of the air filter 18 and the mesh part so as to straddle the mesh.

When the gear 26 is further rotated in the forward direction, the air filter 18 is further conveyed to the second holding space 20B. During this transportation, the brush holder 32 fixes the brush 30 at a position where it contacts the air filter 18, as shown in FIG. As a result, the dust adhering to the air filter 18 is dammed up by the brush 30 fixed at a fixed position, and accumulated on the upstream side of the air filter 18 in the conveying direction of the brush 30 . At this time, the dust collected on the brush 30 and the dust adhering to the air filter 18 are entangled and bundled together like a twisted paper. As a result, dust adhering to the air filter 18 can be removed. Some of the dust adhering to the brush 30 is scraped off directly onto the inner bottom surface 40 c of the dust receiving portion 40 .

When the gear 26 is further rotated in the forward direction and the air filter 18 reaches the second holding space 20B, the forward rotation of the gear 26 is stopped. At this time, at least part of the tip portion of the brush 30 is in contact with the rear end portion (frame portion) of the air filter 18 outside the cleaning area of the air filter 18 .

After that, the brush holder 32 is rotated in the forward direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 3), and as shown in FIG. do.

After that, the dust removing section 34 moves in the extension direction of the brush from an arbitrarily determined start position, and performs a one-stroke operation of scraping off the dust adhering to the brush 30 . The one-stroke operation of scraping off dust adhering to the brush 30 includes an operation of moving from one end in the extending direction of the brush to the other end at least once. For example, as shown in FIGS. 17C and 17D, the dust removing section 34 is moved from the farthest position from the suction device 42 to approach the endpoint position. In addition, when there are a plurality of brushes, the brush may be moved from one end to the farthest end. As a result, dust adhering to the brush 30 is scraped off to the dust receiving portion 40 by the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b.

Further, by moving the dust removing section 34 to the end point position and then moving it to the start position again, the dust remaining on the brush 30 can be scraped off. Furthermore, by repeating the reciprocating motion as described above a plurality of times, the dust remaining on the brush 30 can be completely scraped off onto the dust receiving portion 40 .

Also, as described above, while the dust removing unit 34 is in operation, the brush 30 is swung as shown in FIGS. In addition, the dust can be evenly scraped off to the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving portion 40. As shown in FIG. In particular, when the dust is not discharged outside by the suction device 42, if the dust is collected in a specific portion, the dust may concentrate in the specific portion and fill it up quickly. A large amount of dust can be collected by scraping it evenly onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the 40 .

When the cleaning operation is repeated and a large amount of dust accumulates in the dust receiving portion 40, the dust receiving portion 40 is removed from the filter device 3 and the dust accumulated inside is put into a dustbin or the like, as shown in FIG. By throwing it away, the dust receiver 40 can be manually cleaned.

According to the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1,
When the dust removing part 34 moves in the extending direction of the brush 30 while being in contact with the brush 30, the dust adhering to the brush 30 is easily entangled and collected, and the dust removing efficiency can be improved more than before. can. In addition, since the contact portion between the brush 30 and the dust removing section 34 can be reduced to reduce the frictional force that the dust removing section 34 receives from the brush 30, the driving force for moving the dust removing section 34 can be reduced. can. Furthermore, the size of the dust removing section 34 itself can also be reduced.

Further, according to the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, by moving in the extension direction of the brush 30 from an arbitrarily determined start position and moving along the brush 30 for one stroke, the dust adhering to the brush 30 is removed. can be scraped off more efficiently.

Further, according to the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, after moving the dust removing section 34 to the start position after the one-stroke operation, by again performing the one-stroke operation along the brush 30 from the start position, The dust remaining on the brush 30 can be scraped off to the dust receiving part 40. - 特許庁

Further, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, by moving the dust removing unit 34 to the start position before the dust removing unit 34 starts the operation of scraping off the dust adhering to the brush 30, , cleaning time can be shortened.

Further, according to the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, the dust removing unit 34 moves from the start position in the extending direction of the brush 30 to scrape off the dust adhering to the brush 30. By reciprocating the brush 34 a plurality of times at an arbitrarily determined position, the dust adhering to the brush 30 can be scraped off to the dust receiving portion 40 before the clumps become excessively large.

Further, according to the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, the dust removing unit 34 moves from the start position in the extending direction of the brush 30 to scrape off the dust adhering to the brush 30. After the brush 34 is reversed at an arbitrarily determined position and returned to the starting position, the brush 30 may be moved again toward the end point position. As a result, the dust adhering to the brush 30 can be scraped off to the dust receiving portion 40 before the clumps become excessively large, and any leftover dust can be eliminated.

Further, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the brush 30 is swung while the dust removing section 34 is in operation. The dust can be scraped off to the dust receiving portion 40 and can be evenly scraped off to the inner bottom surface 40c.

Further, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, when the air conditioning operation of the main body 2 is started, the dust adhering to the brush 30 is scraped by recognizing the origin position of the dust removing section 34 at an arbitrarily determined origin position. Since the dropping operation can be performed as quickly as possible, the filter cleaning time can be shortened.

Further, in the above description, the brush 30 is configured to swing in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the brush 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. The brush 30 does not necessarily have to be configured to oscillate in the direction intersecting with the extending direction of the brush 30 .

In the above description, the dust removing section 34 has the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b extending in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the brush 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the dust removing section 34 may have one blade or three or more blades extending in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the brush 30 .

In the above description, the dust removing unit 34 is configured to scrape off dust adhering to the brush 30 with the front blade 34a, the rear blade 34b, and the side blades 34e and 34f, but the present invention is not limited to this. . For example, the dust remover 34 may be configured to scrape off dust adhering to the brush 30 with another structure such as an etiquette brush (registered trademark).

18, the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 may further include a driving device 50 that moves the dust removing section 34 in the direction in which the brush 30 extends. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 15, the driving device 50 includes a driving pulley 52, a driven pulley 54, a wire 56 wound around the driving pulley 52 and the driven pulley 54, and a motor 58 that rotates the driving pulley 52. , and a drive block 60 attached to the wire 56 . When the motor 58 is rotationally driven, the drive pulley 52 rotates, the wire 56 is sent to the driven pulley 54 side, and the driven pulley 54 rotates. This allows the drive block 60 to move between the drive pulley 52 and the driven pulley 54 . The driving device 50 is provided at a position facing the dust removing section 34 via a cover member 62 extending in the extending direction of the brush 30 (horizontal direction in FIG. 15). The cover member 62 is composed of, for example, a flat plate.

Further, in the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1, the active clean filter 11 may be provided on the front side of the air filter 18 of the main body 2, as shown in FIG. When a control unit (not shown) provided in the air conditioner determines that the air in the room where the indoor unit 1 is provided is dirty, the active clean filter 11 is moved to the upper surface side of the air filter 18. - 特許庁As a result, indoor air is sucked through the active clean filter 11 and the air filter 18, and finer dirt in the air is collected to clean the indoor air.

Further, when the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 is configured to have the active clean filter 11 mounted thereon, when the air conditioner is configured to have a manual discharge configuration, as shown in FIG. 11 is moved upward, the front opening portion 2a is opened, the lid 47 attached to the opening portion 40a of the dust receiving portion 40 is removed, and the second component 38 of the dust removing portion 34 passes through the opening portion 40a. 1 Removed from part 36 . By removing the second part 38 of the dust removing part 34 from the first part 36 in this way, the dust receiving part 40 provided to cover the dust removing part 34 from below can be easily removed.

Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with preferred embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, various variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications are to be included therein insofar as they do not depart from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the air conditioner according to the present invention can improve dust removal efficiency, and is useful as various air conditioners including air conditioners used in general households.

1 indoor unit 2 main body (air conditioner main body)
2a front opening 2b top opening 3 filter device 4 front panel 6 heat exchanger 8 fan 10 outlet 11 active clean filter 12 vertical wind direction changing blade 14 left and right wind direction changing blade 16 ventilation path 16A opening 18 air filter 20 filter holding member 20A First holding space 20B Second holding space 22 Filter conveying device 24 Shaft 26 Gear 28 Guide member 30 Brush 32 Brush holding part 32a Rotating shaft 34 Dust removal part 34a Front blade 34b Rear blade 34c First side wall 34d Second side wall 34e Side Blade 34f Side blade 34g Guide surface 34h Pressing surface 34i Suction hole 34j Bottom surface 34m Fitting recess 34n Fitting projection 36 First part 38 Second part 40 Dust receiving part 40a Opening 40b Suction hole 40c Inner bottom 40d Rear wall 42 Suction Device 44 Suction Pipe 44a One End 44b Other End 46 Suction Fan 47 Lid 48 Dust Suction Unit 49 Sliding Door 50 Drive Device 52 Drive Pulley 54 Driven Pulley 56 Wire 58 Motor 60 Drive Block 62 Cover Member S1 Front Space S2 Rear side space

Claims (4)

An air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust adhering to an air filter,
a brush extending in the width direction of the air filter for removing dust adhering to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
a dust removing unit that moves within the dust receiving unit and scrapes off dust adhering to the brush,
the dust removing unit moves from an arbitrarily determined start position in the extending direction of the brush to operate one stroke along the brush ;
The brush is swung while the dust removing section is moving . 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein said one-stroke operation includes an operation of moving from one end in the extending direction of the brush to the other end at least once. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein after the one-stroke operation, the dust removing unit is moved to the start position, and then the one-stroke operation is performed along the brush from the start position again. 4. The dust removing unit according to claim 1, wherein the dust removing unit moves to the start position and/or stands by before starting the operation of scraping off the dust adhering to the brush. Air conditioner.

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