JP7361295B2 - air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust attached to an air filter.

Conventionally, as this type of air conditioner, for example, one disclosed in Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2017/037990) is known.

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

International Publication No. 2017/037990

In the air conditioner of Patent Document 1, there is still room for improvement in terms of improving the dust removal efficiency.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can further improve dust removal efficiency in solving the above problems.

In order to solve the conventional problems, the air conditioner of the present invention has the following features:
An air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust attached to an air filter,
a brush that is provided to extend in the width direction of the air filter and removes dust attached to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
A dust removing section is provided that moves inside the dust receiving section to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a specific direction.

According to the air conditioner according to the present invention, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

A perspective view of an indoor unit included in an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention Cross-sectional view of the indoor unit in Figure 1 Enlarged cross-sectional view showing how dust attached to the surface of the air filter is removed Enlarged cross-sectional view showing how dust attached to the surface of the air filter is removed Enlarged sectional view showing how the dust removal unit scrapes off dust attached to the brush Enlarged sectional view showing how the dust removal unit scrapes off dust attached to the brush Enlarged sectional view showing how the dust removal unit scrapes off dust attached to the brush Enlarged cross-sectional view showing how the dust removal unit scrapes and collects dust attached to the brush Enlarged cross-sectional view showing how the dust removal unit scrapes and collects dust attached to the brush Enlarged cross-sectional view showing how the dust removal unit scrapes and collects dust attached to the brush Enlarged cross-sectional view showing how the dust removal unit scrapes and collects dust attached to the brush A perspective view showing the inside of the main body of the indoor unit in Figure 1 A perspective view showing the state in which the dust receiver is removed from the state shown in Figure 7. A perspective view showing the dust removal section included in the indoor unit of FIG. 1 Exploded perspective view of the dust removal section in Figure 9 Front view of the dust removal unit included in the indoor unit in Figure 1 A1-A1 line sectional view in Figure 11 A side view showing how the dust removing section in FIG. 9 moves along the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section. A side view showing how the dust removing section in FIG. 9 moves along the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section. A side view showing how the dust removing section in FIG. 9 moves along the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section. A side view showing the state of dust when the dust removing section in FIG. 9 moves along the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section. A side view showing a modified example of the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving portion of the indoor unit in FIG. 1 A side view showing a modified example of the inner bottom surface of the dust removing section and dust receiving section provided in the indoor unit of FIG. 1 A side view showing an example of the configuration of a drive device that moves the dust removal section included in the indoor unit of FIG. 1 An enlarged perspective view showing the connecting part between the drive device and the dust removal section in FIG. 16 A cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the drive device, dust removal section, and dust receiving section in FIG. 16

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As an air conditioner according to an embodiment, a so-called separate air conditioner having an indoor unit mounted on a wall and an outdoor unit installed outdoors will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The present invention is not limited by this. The air conditioner of the present invention is a device for adjusting the temperature, humidity, and/or cleanliness of air in a specific target space. This includes various devices for conditioning the air, such as air purifiers, air purifiers, and humidifiers. Further, in the drawings, substantially the same members are designated by the same reference numerals.

First, various aspects of the air conditioner of the present disclosure will be illustrated.
An air conditioner according to a first aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner including a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust attached to an air filter,
a brush that is provided to extend in the width direction of the air filter and removes dust attached to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
A dust removing section is provided that moves inside the dust receiving section to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a specific direction.

According to this configuration, by moving the dust removing section inside the dust receiving section that has received the dust removed by the brush, it becomes possible to move the dust inside the dust receiving section in a specific direction, which is better than before. Also, the structure allows easy removal of dust, and the efficiency of removing dust can be improved.

The air conditioner according to the second aspect of the present invention is the same as the first aspect, further comprising a suction device,
The dust receiver is connected to the suction device and has a suction hole for sucking air inside the dust receiver,
The dust removing section is configured to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a direction where the suction hole exists,
It may be configured such that air inside the dust receiving section is exhausted to the outside through a suction hole by driving the suction device. According to this configuration, the dust inside the dust receiving part is reliably exhausted through the suction hole, and the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the dust removing section has a guide surface that slopes downward as it approaches the suction hole, and the inside of the dust receiving section In this case, the dust scraped off from the brush may be guided by the guiding surface in a direction where the suction hole exists rather than the dust removing section. According to this configuration, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the dust removing section has a pressing surface, and the dust removing section connects the inside of the dust receiving section with the suction hole. When moving in the direction in which the suction hole exists, the pressing surface may be configured to press dust inside the dust receiving part in the direction in which the suction hole exists. According to this configuration, the dust inside the dust receiving part is reliably exhausted through the suction hole, and the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the dust removing section removes dust inside the dust receiving section where the suction hole exists. On the bottom surface opposite to the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving part, the end on the side where the suction hole is formed is closest to the inner bottom surface, and as the dust moves away from the suction hole, it becomes farther away from the inner bottom surface. It may be formed with a curved surface or an inclined surface. According to this configuration, the dust inside the dust receiving part can be reliably moved to the suction hole side, and the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to fifth aspects, the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section is configured to prevent dust on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section from being damaged. It may also be configured to have a movement direction regulating shape that specifies the movement direction to one direction. According to this configuration, the dust on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving part can be moved in a specific direction toward the suction hole, and the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section according to any one of the second to sixth aspects is configured to prevent dust from forming on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section. The surface may be configured such that movement in the direction where the suction holes are present has a lower resistance than movement in the opposite direction where the suction holes are not present. According to this configuration, it becomes possible to move the dust on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving part to the suction hole side, and it is possible to further improve the dust removal efficiency.

In the air conditioner according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section in the sixth or seventh aspect has a cross-sectional shape cut along the moving direction of the dust removing section with a saw blade. It may be configured into a shape. According to this configuration, the dust on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving part can be easily moved to the suction hole side, and the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section according to the sixth or seventh aspect has a large number of bristles that are inclined in the direction in which the suction holes are present. Good too. As a result, the efficiency of removing dust inside the dust receiving section can be further improved.

The air conditioner according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any one of the second to ninth aspects, wherein the dust removing section communicates with the suction device and the dust receiving section. The hole may be configured to be closable. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent dust from entering the suction device from the suction hole when not intended, and to prevent damp outside air from entering the dust receiving section, resulting in further improving the dust removal efficiency. can be improved.

In an air conditioner according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the dust removing section is arranged along the extending direction of the brush inside the dust receiving section according to any one of the first to tenth aspects. further comprising a drive device for moving the brush, and a cover member provided along the extending direction of the brush,
The drive device is provided at a position facing the dust removal section with a cover member in between,
The dust removal section and the drive device may be joined by a drive block joint that extends over the upper end of the cover member. According to this configuration, the dust scraped off from the brush by the dust removal section is prevented from climbing over the cover member and entering the drive device side, and the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to tenth aspects, an air intake hole through which an airflow toward the suction hole passes inside the dust receiving part is provided. It may be formed in the dust removal section. According to this configuration, since an airflow toward the suction hole is formed inside the dust receiver, the dust inside the dust receiver can be reliably sucked by the suction hole, further improving the dust removal efficiency. be able to.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As an air conditioner according to an embodiment, a so-called separate air conditioner having an indoor unit mounted on a wall and an outdoor unit installed outdoors will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The present invention is not limited by this. The air conditioner of the present invention is a device for adjusting the temperature, humidity, and/or cleanliness of air in a specific target space. This includes various devices for conditioning the air, such as air purifiers, air purifiers, and humidifiers. Further, in the drawings, substantially the same members are designated by the same reference numerals.

《Embodiment 1》
The air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention includes an outdoor unit that is connected to each other through piping through which a refrigerant flows, and an indoor unit that is 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 a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the main internal configuration of the indoor unit 1 of FIG. 1.

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

As shown in FIG. 2, inside the main body 2, there is an air filter 18 through which the indoor air taken in from the top opening 2b serving as the suction port 9 passes, and a heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the indoor air that has passed through the air filter 18. An exchanger 6 and a fan 8 which is a wind power source for blowing 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. Further, near the air outlet 10, there are a plurality of vertical wind direction changing blades 12 that open and close the air outlet 10 and change the air blowing direction up and down, and left and right wind direction changing blades 14 that change the air blowing direction left and right. is provided.

When the air conditioner starts air conditioning operation, the vertical wind direction changing blades 12 perform an opening operation and the air outlet 10 is opened. By driving the fan 8 with the vertical wind direction changing blades 12 in the open state, indoor air is taken into the interior of the indoor unit 1 through the top opening 2b. The indoor air that has been taken in passes through the air filter 18, undergoes heat exchange with the heat exchanger 6, passes through the fan 8, is guided to the ventilation path 16 formed on the downstream side of the fan 8 in the air blowing direction, and is then directed to the air outlet. It is blown 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 the first embodiment includes a filter cleaning device 3 that cleans dust attached to the mesh portion of the air filter 18.

Further, in the air conditioner of the first embodiment, an active clean filter 11 is provided on the front side of the air filter 18 of the main body 2. A control unit (not shown) provided in the air conditioner moves the active clean filter 11 to the upper surface side of the filter 18 when determining that the air in the room where the indoor unit 1 is installed is contaminated. As a result, the indoor air is drawn in through the active clean filter 11 and the filter 18, and indoor dust and the like are more actively collected, thereby purifying the indoor air.

The air filter 18 is held by a filter holding member 20. 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 transported by the filter transport device 22 to the first holding space 20A and the second holding space 20B.

The filter conveyance device 22 includes a shaft 24 extending in the width direction (in the depth direction in FIG. 2) of the indoor unit 1, and a shaft 24 formed on the outer circumferential 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 placed around the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 24 and is attached to engage with the gear 26 .

The air filter 18 is normally located within the first holding space 20A and removes dust contained in the indoor air sucked through the upper surface opening 2b. In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the cleaning operation for the air filter 18 is started when the air conditioning operation time has elapsed for a predetermined period of time or when an air filter cleaning instruction is input. These drive controls are executed in a control section (not shown) provided inside the main body 2. When the cleaning operation for the air filter 18 starts, the gear 26 of the filter conveyance device 22 rotates in the forward direction (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 transported to the second holding space 20B, the gear 26 rotates in the opposite direction (clockwise in FIG. 2), and the air filter 18 is transported from the second holding space 20B to the first holding space 20A. Ru.

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

3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views schematically showing how dust attached to the surface of the air filter 18 is removed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a guide member 28 is provided near the shaft 24 of the filter conveyance device 22 to guide the air filter 18 so that it moves 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.

Further, a brush 30 for removing dust attached to the surface of the air filter 18 is provided near the shaft 24. A base end portion of the brush 30 is held by a brush holding portion 32, which is an example of a brush moving device. The brush 30 and the brush holding part 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 part 32 extend along the width direction of the air filter 18 and are arranged in parallel. The brush holding portion 32 is configured to rotate around a rotating shaft 32a extending in the width direction of the indoor unit 1. A dust removal section 34 for removing dust attached to the brush 30 is provided below the brush holding section 32 .

The brush holding part 32 rotates about its rotation axis 32a, thereby moving the tip 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) where it contacts the air filter 18 present in the second holding space 20B and at a second position (see FIG. 4) where it can come into contact with the dust removal section 34. When the tip of the brush 30 is in the first position, the dust attached to the air filter 18 is scraped off by the brush 30 as the air filter 18 reciprocates on the forward and backward transport paths. On the other hand, when the brush holder 32 rotates and the tip of the brush 30 is in the second position, the operation for removing dust attached to the brush 30 is started. In the removal operation for dust attached to the brush 30, there is a "swinging scraping operation" in which the brush 30 is oscillated and brought into contact with the dust removal section 34 to scrape off the dust on the brush 30, and a "swinging scraping operation" in which the brush 30 is oscillated and brought into contact with the dust removal section 34, and the dust is scraped off in the direction in which the brush 30 extends. This includes a "sliding raking operation" in which the dust removing section 34 is moved (sliding) along , thereby raking up dust.

A dust receiving part 40 is provided below the dust removing part 34 so as to cover the lower part of the dust removing part 34. The dust receiving section 40 is configured to receive the dust scraped off from the air filter 18 by the brush 30 and to receive the dust scraped off by the dust removing section 34. The dust receiving section 40 is configured in the shape of an elongated box with an open top surface, and is arranged along the direction in which the brush 30 extends. The dust removing section 34 is configured to move (slide) inside the elongated box-shaped dust receiving section 40 along the direction in which the brush 30 extends.

5A to 5C and FIGS. 6A to 6D are diagrams showing a removing operation when the dust removing section 34 scrapes off and collects dust attached to the brush 30. FIGS. 5A to 5C are enlarged cross-sectional views schematically showing a rocking scraping operation when the dust removal section 34 scrapes off dust attached to the brush 30 by the rocking motion of the brush 30. 6A to 6D are front views showing a sliding scraping operation and/or a sliding scraping operation in which the dust removal section 34 moves (slides) along the extending direction of the brush 30. 6A to 6D schematically show how the dust removing section 34 scrapes off dust attached to the brush 30 and scrapes off the dust scraped onto the dust receiving section 40 by sliding the dust removing section 34. It shows.

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the brush 30 and the brush holding part 32 rotate forward/reversely (swinging action) about the rotating shaft 32a, so that the brush 30 is attached to the dust removing part 34. be rubbed against. In this manner, the brush 30 swings in a direction (for example, orthogonal) to the direction in which the brush 30 extends, thereby causing the dust removal unit 34 to scrape off the dust attached to the brush 30. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the tip of the brush 30 is configured to swing from side to side with the downward position in contact with the dust removal unit 34 as the center of operation. Due to this swinging motion, the brush 30 comes into rubbing contact with the dust removing section 34, and the dust adhering to the brush 30 is scraped off by the dust removing section 34. The dust scraped off by the dust removing section 34 is received by a dust receiving section 40 provided so as to surround the dust removing section 34 from below. A suction hole 40b is formed at the left end of the dust receiving section 40. This suction hole 40b is connected to a suction device 42 provided on the left end side of the main body 2, and the air inside the dust receiving section 40 is sucked through the suction hole 40b by the operation of the suction device 42.

The dust removal section 34 has a blade section for scraping off dust attached to the brush 30, and the blade section in the first embodiment includes a first blade section (a front blade 34a and a rear blade 34b) as described later. ) and second blade portions (lateral blades 34e, 34f).

The dust removal section 34 has a second blade section for scraping off dust attached to the brush 30 when the brush 30 swings, and the second blade section includes at least one side blade (34e, 34f). The second blade portion in the first embodiment extends parallel to the extending direction of the brush 30, and includes two side blades 34e and 34f arranged in parallel so as to face each other. Dust scraped off from the brush 30 by the side blades 34e, 34f falls into the rear space S2 between the two side blades 34e, 34f. Details of this swing scraping operation will be described later.

In the sliding scraping operation and/or sliding scraping operation shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D, FIG. 6A shows the initial position of the dust removal section 34. That is, FIG. 6A shows the stop position of the dust removal section 34 at the start and end of the sliding scraping operation and/or the sliding scraping operation. In this initial position, the dust removal section 34 is arranged at the left end of the brush 30 extending in the width direction. In the first embodiment, the initial position of the dust removal unit 34 is the left end position of the brush 30, but this is because the suction device 42, which serves as a suction source for dust suction, is provided on the left end side of the indoor unit 1. This is because there is. Therefore, the initial position of the dust removing section 34 is determined by taking into consideration the arrangement position of the suction device 42, the formation position of the suction hole 40b in the dust receiving section 40, etc.

FIG. 6B shows a state in which the dust removal unit 34 is placed at a position opposite to the initial position, and is placed at the right end of the brush 30. In the first embodiment, this right end position is the starting position of the sliding scraping operation and/or sliding scraping operation by the dust removal section 34. FIG. 6C shows an operation in which the dust removing section 34 slides inside the dust receiving section 40 to scrape off dust attached to the brush 30, and a sliding raking operation in which dust inside the dust receiving section 40 is scraped off. Indicates the condition. Further, FIG. 6D shows a state in which the dust removal section 34 performs a sliding scraping operation and/or a sliding scraping operation and reaches the dust discharge position on the left end side of the brush 30. At this dust discharge position, the dust collected by the dust removal section 34 is sucked and discharged by the operation of the suction device 42 through the suction hole 40b.

As shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D, the dust removing unit 34 removes the brush 30 by sliding in the direction in which the brush 30 extends (that is, in the width direction of the indoor unit 1) so as to rub the tip of the brush 30. The dust adhering to is scraped off by the dust removing section 34 and collected on the left end side (suction hole 40b side) of the dust receiving section 40. Further, when sliding, the brush 30 may perform the swinging scraping operation shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C.

The dust removing section 34 includes a first component (scraping component) 36 against which the brush 30 is rubbed when the tip of the brush 30 is in the second position, and a second component that collects dust dropped into the dust receiving section 40. (raking parts) 38. The second part 38 is configured to be removable from the first part 36. The specific configuration of the dust removal section 34 in the first embodiment will be described in detail later.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the filter cleaning device 3 inside the main body 2 in the first embodiment, and shows the air filter 18, the dust removing section 34, the dust receiving section 40, the suction device 42, and the like. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the dust receiving section 40 is removed from the state shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the dust receiving section 40 is provided so as to extend in the width direction of the main body 2. As shown in FIGS. The dust removing section 34 is configured to perform a sliding raking operation in conjunction with the swinging raking operation of the brush 30 inside the dust receiving section 40 . The position (initial position) of the dust removing unit 34 when the air conditioner according to the first embodiment is stopped is on the left end side inside the dust receiving unit 40, and the suction hole 40b in the dust receiving unit 40 is formed. Become a side.

When the air filter cleaning operation is started, the dust removing section 34 moves to a retracted position at the right end of the dust receiving section 40. At this time, the air filter 18 is in the first holding space 20A where the brush 30 does not contact, and the brush 30 is in the first position. Next, the air filter 18 performs a reciprocating conveyance operation between the first holding space 20A and the second holding space 20B, and the dust attached to the air filter 18 is removed by the brush 30. After the dust adhering to the air filter 18 is removed by the brush 30, the brush 30 is rotated to the second position, the dust removing section 34 moves to the left in the dust receiving section 40, and the dust is removed from the brush 30. Start operation. After the dust removing section 34 has moved to the right end position (retreat position) inside the dust receiving section 40 in this manner, the dust removing operation for the air filter 18 and the dust removing operation for the brush 30 are sequentially performed.

As described above, the dust removal unit 34 includes a first part (scraping part) 36 and a second part (scraping part) 38, and the second part 38 is removable from the first part 36. . The dust receiving section 40 is formed with an opening 40 a for removing the second component 38 from the first component 36 of the dust removing section 34 . The second component 38 removed from the first component 36 is taken out to the outside through the opening 40a. When the first part 36 and the second part 38 are assembled, the dust receiving part 40, which is provided to cover the dust removing part 34 from below, receives the dust from the main body 2 by the second part 38 of the dust removing part 34. This configuration inhibits attachment and detachment. However, by removing the second part 38 from the first part 36, the dust receiving part 40 becomes detachable from the main body 2.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a suction device (also referred to as an exhaust device) 42 is provided on the left end side of the main body 2 to suck out dust inside the dust receiving section 40. Further, a suction hole 40b (see FIG. 8) is formed at the left end of the dust receiving portion 40 extending in the width direction on the front side of the main body 2. The suction device 42 includes a suction tube 44 and a suction fan 46 that generates suction force in the suction tube 44 . One end 44a of the suction pipe 44 is connected to a suction hole 40b at the left end of the dust receiving part 40, and the other end 44b of the suction pipe 44 is connected to one end so that the dust passing through the suction pipe 44 can be discharged to the outside. is connected to an exhaust hose (not shown) that opens outdoors. By moving the dust removing section 34 inside the dust receiving section 40 in the direction in which the suction hole 40b is formed (leftward in FIGS. 7 and 8), the dust inside the dust receiving section 40 is removed from the suction hole. The configuration is such that it can be moved to the 40b side.

Next, the configurations of the dust removing section 34 and the dust receiving section 40 will be explained in more detail. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the dust removal section 34. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the dust removal section 34, which is an exploded view of the dust removal section 34 into a first component (scraping component) 36 and a second component (scraping component) 38. FIG. 11 is a diagram of the dust removal unit 34 viewed from the front side in the moving direction. FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line A1-A1 in FIG. 11. In addition, in the moving direction of the dust removal unit 34, the direction approaching the suction hole 40b is defined as the front side, and the direction away from the suction hole 40b is defined as the rear side.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first component (scraping component) 36 of the dust removing section 34 has a first blade section for scraping off dust attached to the brush 30 during sliding operation. The blade portion includes a front blade 34a and a rear blade 34b. The front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b are each provided with an edge that serves as a scraping blade and extends in a direction intersecting (for example, orthogonal to) the extending direction of the brush 30. The front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b are arranged with an interval (rear space S2) from each other in the extending direction of the brush 30.

In addition, during the swinging motion of the brush 30 (see FIGS. 5A to 5C), the second blade portions (34e, 34f) having edges that serve as scraping blades for scraping off dust attached to the brush 30 move the dust away. It is provided in the first part (scraping part) 36 of the removal part 34. The second blade section includes two lateral blades 34e, 34f. The two side blades 34e and 34f are formed to extend in the extending direction of the brush 30, and are disposed facing each other with an interval (rear space S2) between them. That is, a rear space S2 surrounded on all sides is defined by the first blade part (front blade 34a, rear blade 34b) and the second blade part (side blades 34e, 34f).

Furthermore, in the first component (scraping component) 36 of the dust removal section 34, a guiding surface 34g is formed on the lower side of the rear space S2. The guiding surface 34g is formed of an inclined surface whose front side is lower than the rear side, and the dust scraped into the rear space S2 is guided by the guiding surface 34g and falls under the front blade 34a. be.

The thickness (height) of the front blade 34a is designed to be such a dimension (for example, 2 mm or more) that entangled lumps of dust will not wrap around the front blade 34a.

In the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b of the first blade part and the side blades 34e and 34f of the second blade part in the first embodiment, the edges where the brush 30 is rubbed are used to remove dust attached to the brush 30. Edge shapes (right angle or acute angle) are formed to improve efficiency.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the first component (scraping component) 36 of the dust removal section 34, a first side wall 34c and a second side wall 34d are provided on both sides below the front blade 34a. In the first component (scraping component) 36, the first side wall 34c and the second side wall 34d are provided to protrude forward from the front blade 34a. Further, both sides of the front edge of the front blade 34a where the brush 30 is rubbed are formed so as to follow the first side wall 34c and the second side wall 34d, and are arranged so that the front side of the front blade 34a widens. It has a closed edge.

As described above, in the dust removal section 34, the first side wall 34c and the second side wall 34d protrude further forward than the front blade 34a (toward the suction hole 40b side), and the first side wall 34c and the second side wall 34d A front space S1 is defined by the front blade 34a. Therefore, the dust scraped off from the brush 30 by the edge of the front blade 34a is suppressed from protruding from the front space S1. As a result, in the dust receiving part 40 provided so as to wrap around the lower side of the dust removing part 34, the dust scraped from the brush 30 by the front blade 34a etc. passes through the front space S1 and passes through the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40. The structure is such that it will fall securely to the top. The length by which the first side wall 34c and the second side wall 34d of the dust removal 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 centered on the rotating shaft 32a of the brush holding part 32. In the first embodiment, both the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b are formed in an arc shape centered on the rotating shaft 32a of the brush holding part 32.

In the dust removal operation of the dust removal section 34 configured as described above, the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b scrape off the dust attached to the brush 30 by sliding movement toward the front inside the dust receiving section 40. Dust is dropped into the front space S1 and the rear space S2. Further, in the swinging motion of the brush 30 that is performed simultaneously with the sliding motion, the dust adhering to the brush 30 is scraped off by the side blades 34e and 34f of the second blade section arranged in parallel. The dust falls through the rear space S2. The dust scraped into the rear space S2 is guided toward the front space S1 by the guiding surface 34g located below the rear space S2, and falls onto the inner bottom surface 40c, which is the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section 40. Note that the dust that falls onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 falls in the form of a lump and is received by the inner bottom surface 40c.

As described above, when a lump of dust scraped from the brush 30 by the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b of the first blade part and the opposing side blades 34e and 34f of the second blade part falls into the rear space S2. The dust is reliably guided by the guide surface 34g provided below the rear space S2, and falls onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40. Note that the distance between the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b of the first blade section and the distance between the side blades 34e and 34f of the second blade section, which are arranged in parallel, are determined by the amount of dust scraped from the brush 30 by each blade. It is designed to be, for example, 14 mm or more so that it will fall reliably through the rear space S2. The front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b of the first blade part, and the side blades 34e and 34f of the second blade part are made of a material that can easily scrape off lumps of dust and has excellent sliding properties, such as polyacetal. .

In the dust removal section 34, a guiding surface 34g provided below the rear space S2 and guiding toward the front space S1 is configured with a slope where the suction hole 40b side, which is the front side, slopes downward. The shape of the guide surface 34g may be such that the front side thereof is inclined downward so that the dust particles can slide into the front space S1, and may be a flat or curved surface. The inclination angle of the guiding surface 34g with respect to the horizontal plane is, for example, 30 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less. As described above, the dust removing section 34 uses gravity to guide the lump of dust scraped off from the brush 30 by the guiding surface 34g to the suction hole 40b side, that is, to the front side of the dust removing section 34. , the dust is dropped onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40.

Further, the dust removing section 34 is connected to the space on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 on the front side of the dust removing section 34 and the upper space of the dust removing section 34 via the front space S1 and the rear space S2. An intake hole 34i is formed to communicate with each other. As shown in FIG. 9, the intake hole 34i in the first embodiment is formed near one side blade 34f of the second blade part of the first part (scraping part) 36 of the dust removing part 34, It is constituted by an elongated through hole along the edge of the side blade 34f. In the first embodiment, the first blade section (front blade 34a, rear blade 34b), first side wall 34c, second side wall 34d, second blade section (side blades 34e, 34f), guide surface 34g, and intake hole 34i is provided on the first component (scraping component) 36.

As shown in FIG. 10, a second component (scraping component) 38 is configured to be detachable from the first component (scraping component) 36 configured as described above. A fitting recess 34 m is formed in the first component 36 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of sliding movement of the dust removing section 34 . On the other hand, the second component 38 is provided with a protruding fitting protrusion 34n that fits into the fitting recess 34m of the first component 36. Further, the second part 38 is formed with a fitting surface 34p that becomes a contact surface when the second part 38 is fitted with the first part 36. This fitting surface 34p has an uneven surface that continues in a direction orthogonal to the direction of sliding movement. The first component 36 and the second component 38 configured as described above are configured to be inserted and removed by being inserted and removed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of sliding movement, and are fixed to each other by bolts 70.

In the dust removal section 34, the second component 38 that is attached to and detached from the first component 36 as described above has a third side wall 34q and a third side wall 34c continuous with the first side wall 34c and second side wall 34d of the first component 36. A fourth side wall 34r is provided to protrude forward. The third side wall 34q and the fourth side wall 34r cooperate with the first side wall 34c and the second side wall 34d to cause the lump of dust scraped into the front space S1 to fall to the front side of the dust removal section 34. As a result, the dust lumps scraped off by the dust removing section 34 are configured to fall reliably onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 on the front side of the dust removing section 34.

In addition, when the dust removing section 34 performs a sliding operation (sliding raking operation), the second component (raking component) 38 of the dust removing section 34 collects a lump of dust on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40. A pressing surface 34h is formed for scraping up. The pressing surface 34h is formed between the third side wall 34q and the fourth side wall 34r, and is located below the guiding surface 34g of the first component (scraping component) 36. That is, the pressing surface 34h of the second component (raking component) 38 presses the lump of dust inside the dust receiver 40 toward the suction hole 40b when the dust removing section 34 slides toward the suction hole 40b. It has the function of moving the The pressing surface 34h is designed to have a smaller inclination angle with respect to the vertical direction than the guiding surface 34g. Note that in the first embodiment, the pressing surface 34h is configured as a vertical surface.

The dust removing section 34 configured as described above performs a sliding raking operation to collect dust by moving (sliding operation) along the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40. In this sliding raking operation, the lump of dust scraped off the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiver 40 is moved to the left side of the dust receiver 40 where the suction hole 40b is formed. 13A to 13D are cross-sectional views schematically showing how the second component (raking component) 38 of the dust removing section 34 moves along the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40.

As shown in FIGS. 13A to 13D, in the second component (raking component) 38, the bottom surface 34j that faces the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 is formed of a curved surface. In the first embodiment, the rear surface side opposite to the pressing surface 34h formed on the front side of the second component 38 is configured with a curved surface continuous to the bottom surface 34j. The bottom surface 34j of the second component 38 in Embodiment 1 has a configuration in which the suction hole 40b side (the left side in FIGS. 13A to 13D) is closest to the inner bottom surface 40c, and curves away from the inner bottom surface 40c as it moves away from the suction hole 40b. It is. The shape of the bottom surface 34j of the second part 38 of the dust removal section 34 in the first embodiment is such that, in a cross section taken in the direction of sliding operation, the front side (pressing surface 34h) is approximately vertical, and the rear side (bottom surface 34j) is approximately vertical. is curved, and the lowermost end of the pressing surface 34h on the front side is closest to the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40 and is close to the inner bottom surface 40c.

In the configuration of the first embodiment, an example will be explained in which the bottom surface 34j of the second component 38 is a curved surface, but the shape of the bottom surface 34j is such that the suction hole 40b side is formed with an inclined surface closest to the inner bottom surface 40c. Good too.

On the other hand, the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40, which the bottom surface 34j of the second component 38 is close to, has a movement direction regulating shape that specifies the movement direction of the dust lump in one direction. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 13A to 13D, the cross-sectional shape taken in the direction of the sliding motion, which is the moving direction of the dust removing section 34, has a saw blade shape. That is, in the mountain shape of the saw blade, the suction hole 40b side (front side) has a substantially vertical and steep shape, and the opposite side (rear side) has an angle with respect to the vertical line and has a gentle surface. It is the shape. As a result, inside the dust receiving part 40, the dust lump can move smoothly in the direction in which the suction hole 40b is formed (to the left in FIGS. 13A to 13D), and in the opposite direction (to the left in FIGS. 13A to 13D). The configuration is such that the dust particles face resistance and are difficult to move in the direction away from the suction hole 40b (rightward in FIG. 13D).

In the dust removing section 34 and the dust receiving section 40 configured as described above, when the dust removing section 34 moves (slides) inside the dust receiving section 40 in the direction (rightward) away from the suction hole 40b (Fig. 13A to FIG. 13C), even if a lump of dust on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40 is pushed by the bottom surface 34j of the second part 38, the lump of dust will move to the right due to the movement direction regulating shape of the inner bottom surface 40c. movement is prevented. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 13A to 13C, inside the dust receiving section 40, the bottom surface 34j of the second part 38 of the dust removing section 34 moves to the right over the mass of dust. As a result, even if the dust removing section 34 moves to the right, the lump of dust on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 remains at substantially the same position without moving. Thereby, the aforementioned dust lump is located between the suction hole 40b and the dust removal section 34.

As shown in FIGS. 13A to 13D, the dust removing unit 34 moves (slides) inside the dust receiving unit 40 in the direction away from the suction hole 40b (rightward), climbs over the lump of dust, and removes the dust again. When the part 34 moves (slides) in the direction approaching the suction hole 40b (to the left), the second part 38 of the dust removing part 34 presses the dust lump on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40. . FIG. 13D shows that the second part 38 of the dust removing section 34 moves along the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 and presses the lump of dust on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 with the pressing surface 34h. FIG. In FIG. 13D, the direction in which the pressing surface 34h presses the dust mass (leftward direction) is the direction in which the suction holes 40b are formed. When the dust removing section 34 moves to the left end side of the dust receiving section 40 and the dust lumps on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 are collected on the left end side, the suction device 42 is activated and the dust receiving section 40 is moved to the left end side. It is sucked in through the suction hole 40b at the left end of the screen and discharged outdoors.

In the first embodiment, when the filter cleaning operation for the air filter 18 starts, the dust removal section 34 moves (slides) from the initial position to the right, and the tip of the brush 30 is at the first position. The dust attached to the air filter 18 is scraped off by the brush 30. Thereafter, the tip of the brush 30 is rotated to the second position, and a dust removal operation for removing dust attached to the brush 30 is started. The present invention is not limited to the configuration disclosed in the first embodiment. For example, after the dust attached to the air filter 18 is scraped off by the brush 30, the tip of the brush 30 is removed. A configuration may also be adopted in which the dust removing section 34 is moved to the right while remaining in position 1 and the dust removing operation for the brush 30 is started. Further, after the dust adhering to the air filter 18 is scraped off by the brush 30, the tip of the brush 30 is rotated to the second position, the dust removing part 34 is moved to the right, and the brush 30 is moved to the right. It is also possible to perform a dust removal operation for 30.

Next, an example of a cleaning operation for discharging dust attached to the air filter 18 outdoors will be described. Note that the filter cleaning operation for the air filter 18 is performed under the control of a control section (not shown).

Before the filter cleaning operation for the air filter 18, the dust removing section 34 is located at the initial position closest to the suction hole 40b inside the dust receiving section 40 (see FIG. 6A). Note that at this time, the dust removing section 34 may be configured to be able to close the suction hole 40b that communicates the suction device 42 and the dust receiving section 40. For example, a projection (not shown) may be provided on the pressing surface 34h of the dust removing section 34, and the suction hole 40b of the dust receiving section 40 may be closed by the projection. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent dust from entering the suction device 42 at unintended times other than when the air filter 18 is being cleaned. Further, for example, it is possible to prevent humid outside air from entering the dust receiving part 40 and forming dew condensation.

When the dust removal unit 34 is placed at the initial position, when the user operates a controller (not shown) to instruct the air filter 18 to start the filter cleaning operation, the air filter 18 is activated as shown in FIG. 6B. , the dust removing section 34 moves to the retracted position, which is the farthest right end position from the suction hole 40b. At this time, as described above, the gear 26 of the filter conveyance device 22 rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 2), and the air filter 18 is conveyed from the first holding space 20A to the second holding space 20B. .

As described above, when the air filter 18 is conveyed from the first holding space 20A to the second holding space 20B and the front end of the air filter 18 passes between the brush holding part 32 and the shaft 24, the brush holding part 32 rotates, and the tip of the brush 30 comes into contact with the tip of the air filter 18.

When the gear 26 of the filter conveying device 22 is further rotated in the forward direction and the air filter 18 is further conveyed to the second holding space 20B, the brush holding part 32 is moved to the tip of the brush 30, as shown in FIG. is fixed at a position where it contacts the air filter 18. As a result, the dust adhering to the air filter 18 is blocked by the tip of the brush 30 fixed at a predetermined position, and accumulated on the upstream side of the brush 30 in the transport direction of the air filter 18. At this time, the dust accumulated on the brush 30 and the dust attached to the air filter 18 being transported are intertwined and clump together like paper tangles. Thereby, dust attached to the air filter 18 can be removed. At this time, part of the dust attached to the brush 30 is directly scraped off onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 disposed below the brush 30. Note that in order to keep the pressing force of the brush 30 against the air filter 18 constant, the brush 30 may be provided with an elastic body such as a damper, for example. This further improves the efficiency of removing dust attached to the air filter 18.

When the gear 26 of the filter conveyance device 22 further rotates 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 a portion of the tip of the brush 30 is in contact with the rear end (frame portion) of the air filter 18 outside the cleaning area of the air filter 18.

When the air filter 18 is conveyed to the second holding space 20B as described above, the gear 26 of the filter conveying device 22 rotates in the opposite direction (clockwise in FIG. 2), and the air filter 18 is transferred to the second holding space 20B. from there to the first holding space 20A. Even in this reverse conveyance operation, the dust attached to the air filter 18 may be scraped off by the brush 30.

After the dust attached to the air filter 18 is scraped off by the brush 30 as described above, the brush holding part 32 can rotate in the forward direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 3) and come into contact with the dust removal part 34. and a second position (see FIG. 4). That is, the brush 30 performs a sliding and swinging operation in the second position, and the brush 30 moves between the first blade section (front blade 34a, rear blade 34b) and the second blade section (side blade) in the dust removal section 34. 34e, 34f) etc., and mainly the side blades 34e, 34f of the second blade portion, and dust attached to the brush 30 is removed.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 6B to 6D, the dust removal section 34 moves (slides) to the left so as to approach the suction hole 40b connected to the suction device 42. Due to this sliding movement to the left, the dust attached to the brush 30 is mainly transferred to the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b of the first blade part, and the side blades 34e, 34f of the second blade part, etc. It is scraped off by the rear blade 34b. The dust scraped off by the front blade 34a, the rear blade 34b, etc. falls onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiver 40 via the front space S1 and the rear space S2. At this time, the lump of dust falling through the rear space S2 is guided by the guide surface 34g and reliably falls toward the suction hole 40b, which is the front side of the dust removal section 34. In this way, the dust lumps guided to the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40 are dropped to the suction hole 40b side by the dust removing part 34. As a result, the dust removing section 34 moves toward the suction hole 40b (sliding operation to the left), and the dust lump on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 is removed from the pressing surface 34h of the dust removing section 34. is scraped up near the suction hole 40b. The moving speed of the dust removal section 34 is, for example, 5 mm/sec.

In addition, when the dust removing section 34 moves to the left, the brush holding section 32 performs a plurality of swinging operations in which the brush holding section 32 rotates forward and backward around the rotating shaft 32a. In this way, by swinging the brush 30 multiple times in the direction intersecting the extending direction, the side blades 34e of the second blade portion 34f or the like onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40.

As shown in FIG. 6D, when the dust removal unit 34 is moved to the vicinity of the suction hole 40b, the suction fan 46 of the suction device 42 is driven, and an airflow that becomes a suction force is generated in the suction tube 44. Due to this airflow, the dust particles collected near the suction hole 40b by the pressing surface 34h of the dust removal section 34 are discharged to the outside through the suction pipe 44.

As described above, the first dust removal operation in the dust removal operation for the brush 30 is completed. After the dust evacuation operation is completed, the dust removal section 34 is moved again to the rightmost retracted position farthest from the suction hole 40b (see FIG. 6B). When the dust removal section 34 moves to the right at this time, as explained with reference to FIGS. 13A to 13C, most of the dust lumps on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 move to the right. It is not allowed to fall and remains in the same position where it fell. As a result, when the dust removing section 34 moves to the rightmost retracted position, the lump of dust on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 is removed from the pressing surface 34h of the second component (raking component) of the dust removing section 34. It is located on the left side, which is the position on the suction hole 40b side of the dust receiving section 40.

Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the dust removing section 34 moves (sliding operation) toward the suction hole 40b again. As a result, the lump of dust on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40 is pushed toward the suction hole 40b by the pressing surface 34h of the second part (raking part) of the dust removing part 34, as shown in FIG. 13D. Being pushed.

As shown in FIG. 6D, when the dust removal unit 34 moves to a position near the suction hole 40b (dust discharge position), the suction fan 46 of the suction device 42 is driven, and an airflow that becomes a suction force is generated in the suction pipe 44. Occur. Due to this airflow, the dust particles collected near the suction hole 40b by the pressing surface 34h of the dust removal section 34 are discharged to the outside through the suction pipe 44. Note that this dust evacuation operation accompanied by the sliding operation of the dust removal section 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.

Note that, as described above, the series of oscillating scraping operations, sliding scraping operations, and dust discharge operations for dust attached to the brush 30 may be performed at least once or consecutively multiple times. Furthermore, the air conditioner of the present invention may be configured to perform the rocking scraping operation and the sliding scraping operation continuously, or one of them may be performed selectively depending on the situation. Preferably, the dust discharge operation is performed after the sliding raking operation.

According to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal unit 34 moves in the extending direction of the brush 30 while contacting the brush 30 (sliding operation), so that the dust attached to the brush 30 becomes entangled with each other. This makes it easier to clump together, making it possible to improve the dust removal efficiency compared to the conventional method. Furthermore, the contact area between the brush 30 and the dust removal section 34 is small, and the contact pressure that the dust removal section 34 receives from the brush 30 can be reduced, so the driving force for sliding the dust removal section 34 can be reduced. can do. Further, since the dust removing section 34 itself has a small shape and is lightweight, the driving force for the dust removing section 34 can be reduced.

According to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, since the configuration is such that the suction device 42 is activated after moving the dust inside the dust receiving portion 40 to the vicinity of the suction hole 40b connected to the suction device 42, the dust receiving portion There is no need to increase the airtightness at 40. Therefore, the configuration of the dust receiving section 40 can be simplified, the driving force of the suction device 42 can be reduced, and the suction time of the suction device 42 can be shortened. As a result, noise during operation of the suction device 42 can be reduced.

According to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal unit 34 includes a plurality of blades (front blade 34a and rear blade 34b) extending in a direction crossing the direction in which the brush 30 extends. Therefore, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the brush 30 is configured to swing in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the brush 30 in a state where the dust removal section 34 can come into contact with the brush 30. Therefore, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the efficiency of removing dust attached to the brush 30 can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removing section 34 has side blades 34e and 34f of the second blade section extending substantially parallel to the extending direction of the brush 30. Since the brush 30 is disposed within this range, the side blades 34e and 34f of the second blade section are configured to scrape off dust attached to the brush 30 during the swinging motion of the brush 30. Therefore, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b are formed in an arc shape centered on the rotating shaft 32a. Thereby, the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b are configured to contact each bristles of the brush 30 at the same distance from the base end of the brush 30, and scrape off dust attached to the brush 30. ing. As a result, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal unit 34 has an assembled structure of a first part 36 disposed above as a scraping part and a second part 38 disposed below as a scraping part. be. Further, the dust removing section 34 is configured to be wrapped by the dust receiving section 40 from below. For this reason, even if the shape of the dust receiving section 40 is to be increased, the configuration can be accommodated by enlarging the shape of the second component 38 located below the dust removing section 34. Furthermore, even if the dust removing section 34 has a large shape, the dust receiving section 40 can be easily removed from the main body 2 by removing the lower second component. Furthermore, in order to make the gap between the bottom surface 34j of the dust removing section 34 and the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 a desired distance, a configuration that can be accommodated by the shape of the second part 38 of the dust removing section 34 is adopted. Become. As a result, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, it is possible to reliably collect the dust in the dust receiving part 40 to the suction hole 40b side, and it is possible to further improve the dust removal efficiency.

Further, in the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal section 34 guides the dust that has fallen into the rear space S2 to the front side (suction hole 40b side) from the pressing surface 34h of the dust removal section 34 using the guiding surface 34g. is configured to do so. As a result, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal unit 34 has the pressing surface 34h below the guiding surface 34g, which has a smaller inclination angle with respect to the vertical direction than the guiding surface 34g. This structure allows dust on the front side (suction hole 40b side) to be moved more reliably to the suction hole 40b side. Thereby, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 moves closer to the suction hole 40b than the dust on the inner bottom surface 40c moves away from the suction hole 40b. has an easier configuration. According to this configuration, the dust removed from the brush 30 onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 can be easily scraped up by the dust removing section 34 in the direction in which the suction hole 40b is provided. As a result, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, for example, the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 has a sawtooth cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the sliding direction of the dust removing section 34, and the dust receiving section 40 When the dust lump on the inner bottom surface 40c moves in one direction, the resistance is large, and when it moves in the other direction, the resistance is small. As a result, with a simpler configuration, the dust can be collected in a specific direction due to the difference in resistance to the dust lumps on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40.

In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the bottom surface 34j of the dust removing section 34 facing the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40 has the suction hole 40b side of the dust receiving section 40 closest to the inner bottom surface 40c, and the suction hole 40b side. The inner bottom surface 40c is curved or sloped so that the distance from the inner bottom surface 40c increases. According to this configuration, even if the dust scraped off from the brush 30 falls on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40 on the side opposite to the suction hole 40b than the dust removing part 34, the dust is removed. The portion 34 allows it to be easily moved to the vicinity of the suction hole 40b. As a result, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal section 34 has a space on the suction hole 40b side of the dust removal section 34 and a space opposite to the suction hole 40b side of the dust removal section 34 communicating with each other. An intake hole 34i is formed. According to this configuration, an air flow is generated inside the dust receiver 40 through the intake hole 34i, and the airflow generated by the suction device 42 passes through the intake hole 34i and sucks the dust inside the dust receiver 40. It has an easy configuration. As a result, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the intake hole 34i in the dust removal section 34 has a through-hole shape that opens upward where the brush 30 is disposed. Further, a guide surface 34g is formed below the intake hole 34i. As a result, the dust scraped off from the brush 30 passes through the suction hole 34i, is guided by the guiding surface 34g, and falls from the pressing surface 34h of the dust removal section 34 toward the suction hole 40b. As a result, according to the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust particles are prevented from falling to the area on the opposite side of the suction hole 40b from the dust removal section 34.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the first embodiment described above, and can be implemented in various other forms. For example, in the first embodiment, the dust removing section 34 is configured to scrape off dust adhering to the brush 30 by moving in the extending direction of the brush 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the air conditioner of the present invention may be configured to scrape off dust adhering to the brush 30 by moving the brush 30 in the direction in which the brush 30 extends relative to the dust removal section 34. That is, the dust removal unit 34 may be configured to scrape off dust attached to the brush 30 by relatively moving in the extending direction of the brush 30 while in contact with the brush 30.

In the first embodiment described above, the intake hole 34i in the dust removal section 34 is configured to open upward, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the intake hole 34i may be provided on the rear surface of the dust removal section 34, which is the surface opposite to the suction hole 40b side. When the intake hole 34i penetrating the rear surface of the dust removal section 34 is provided in this way, air flows in a straight line or a substantially straight line inside the dust receiving section 40 through the intake hole 34i, and the suction device 42 This configuration allows dust inside the dust receiving section 40 to be more easily sucked.

In the first embodiment, the suction device 42 is provided to suck the dust inside the dust receiving section 40, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the dust inside the dust receiving section 40 is manually disposed of without providing the suction device 42. By removing the dust receiving section 40 from the main body 2, it becomes possible to manually discard the dust inside the dust receiving section 40. In this case, since the dust inside the dust receiving part 40 does not need to be collected on the suction hole 40b side, the dust removing part 34 may not include the second part 38 on which the pressing surface 34h and the bottom surface 34j are formed. .

In the first embodiment, the brush 30 is configured to swing in a direction intersecting the direction in which the brush 30 extends, but the present invention is not limited to this. The brush 30 does not necessarily have to be configured to swing in a direction intersecting the direction in which the brush 30 extends.

In the first embodiment, the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving portion 40 has a sawtooth cross section, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40 is inclined in the direction in which the suction holes 40b are formed (the left direction in FIG. 14). It may have a large number of bristles 40d. That is, the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving part 40 may have a structure like a so-called etiquette brush (registered trademark). Further, in this case, the bottom surface 34j of the second component 38 of the dust removing section 34 may have a structure having a large number of bristles 34k that come into contact with the large number of bristles 40d of the dust receiving section 40, as shown in FIG. With this configuration, on the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving portion 40, it is possible to realize a difference in resistance against dust, similar to the configuration of the first embodiment.

In the first embodiment, the dust removal section 34 has the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b extending in a direction crossing the direction in which the brush 30 extends, but the present invention is not limited to this. . For example, the dust removal unit 34 may have one blade or three or more blades extending in a direction crossing the direction in which the brush 30 extends.

In the first embodiment described above, the dust removal section 34 scrapes off the dust attached to the brush 30 using the front blade 34a and the rear blade 34b of the first blade section and the side blades 34e and 34f of the second blade section. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the dust removal unit 34 may be configured to scrape off dust attached to the brush 30 using another structure such as an etiquette brush (registered trademark).

In the first embodiment, the dust removal unit 34 is moved to a position near the suction hole 40b of the dust receiving unit 40 (dust discharge position), and then the dust is sucked by the suction device 42, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after moving the dust removing section 34 to a position near the suction hole 40b, the dust removing section 34 is moved backward from the suction hole 40b by, for example, several centimeters, and then, the dust removing section 34 is moved to a position near the suction hole 40b. The configuration may be such that the dust is sucked by the suction device 42. With this configuration, by temporarily separating the dust removing section 34 from the suction hole 40b during suction, the lump of dust caught between the pressing surface 34h of the dust removing section 34 and the inner surface of the dust receiving section 40 can be removed. This can provide an opportunity for the dust to fall onto the inner bottom surface 40c of the dust receiving section 40. Thereby, the dust inside the dust receiving part 40 can be easily sucked cleanly by the suction operation by the suction device 42, and the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In addition, in the structure of Embodiment 1, although the guide surface 34g shown in the cross section in FIG. 12 was shown as a plane, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the guide surface 34g may have a plurality of groove-shaped uneven structures extending downward. With such a structure, the dust scraped off from the brush 30 can be prevented from adhering to the guide surface 34g, and the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a drive mechanism of the dust removal section 34 in the air conditioner according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the air conditioner according to the first embodiment includes a drive device 50 for moving the dust removal section 34 in the extending direction of the brush 30 (sliding operation). In the configuration example shown in FIG. 16, the drive device 50 includes a drive pulley 52, a driven pulley 54, a wire 56 that is wound around the drive pulley 52 and the driven pulley 54, and a motor 58 that rotates the drive pulley 52. , and a drive block 60 attached to the wire 56. The dust removal section 34 is fixed to the drive block 60, and the dust removal section 34 is configured to slide as the drive block 60 moves.

In the drive device 50, when the motor 58 is rotationally driven, the drive pulley 52 rotates to move the wire 56, 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 drive device 50 of the dust removing section 34 is provided inside the main body 2, for example, on a cover member 62 provided on the back side of the dust receiving section 40. The cover member 62 is, for example, a flat plate, and is provided along the extending direction of the brush 30 (the left-right direction in FIG. 16). The driving device 50 is provided on one side with the cover member 62 in between, and the dust removing section 34 and the dust receiving section 40 are provided on the other side.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the drive block 60 of the drive device 50 and the dust removal section 34. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the dust removal section 34 provided inside the dust receiving section 40 and the drive block 60 of the drive device 50.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, a drive block joint 60a extending from the drive block 60 over the cover member 62 is joined to the first side wall 34c of the dust removal section 34. In the configuration of the first embodiment, the end portion of the drive block joint portion 60a is fitted into and fixed to a recess formed in the upper portion of the first side wall 34c. Further, the drive block joint portion 60a is arranged so as to straddle the upper side portion of the flat cover member 62. As a result, the dust removal section 34 moves along the cover member 62 as the drive block 60 moves. Since the extending direction of the cover member 62 is substantially the same as the extending direction of the brush 30, the dust removing section 34 moves (sliding motion) along the extending direction of the brush 30.

As described above, the end of the drive block joint 60a is fitted to the upper part of the first side wall 34c of the dust removing section 34, and the side blade of the second blade section of the dust removing section 34 on the cover member 62 side The surface from 34e to the cover member 62 side is configured to smoothly rise. In this way, the end of the drive block joint 60a is fixed to the upper part of the first side wall 34c, and the drive block joint 60a is provided at a higher position than the side blade 34e on the cover member 62 side of the second blade part. It is being Therefore, the drive block joint 60a and the cover member 62 prevent the dust scraped off from the brush 30 by the dust removal unit 34 from climbing over the cover member 62 and entering the drive device 50 side. As a result, in the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In addition, in the configuration of the first embodiment, the intake hole 34i of the dust removal section 34 is on the opposite side from the side blade 34e on the cover member 62 side in the second blade section, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C. An intake hole 34i is formed near the side blade 34f in the second blade portion remote from the cover member. That is, the intake hole 34i is formed on the second side wall 34d side. In this manner, by providing the intake hole 34i apart from the cover member 62, it is possible to further suppress dust from climbing over the cover member 62 and entering the drive device 50 side. As a result, in the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, the dust removal efficiency can be further improved.

In the configuration of the first embodiment, when performing a removing operation for dust attached to the brush 30, the dust removal section 34 is moved (sliding) along the extending direction of the brush 30 to scrape off the dust. As a method for removing dust attached to the brush 30, for example, a blade having a length similar to the length of the brush 30 in the longitudinal direction is extended parallel to the brush 30, and a blade is removed at a position where the brush 30 contacts the blade. A method may also be used in which dust attached to the brush 30 is removed by swinging. Moreover, the shape of the brush 30 may be, for example, a roller-shaped brush other than the configuration of the first embodiment.

Although the invention has been fully described with reference to preferred embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, various variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that such variations and modifications are included insofar as they do not depart from the scope of the invention according to the appended claims.

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

1 Indoor unit 2 Main unit (air conditioner main unit)
2a Front opening 2b Top opening 3 Filter cleaning device 4 Front panel 6 Heat exchanger 8 Fan 9 Inlet 10 Air outlet 12 Up/down air direction changing blade 14 Left/right air direction changing blade 16 Ventilation duct 18 Air filter 20 Filter holding member 20A 1st Holding space 20B Second holding space 22 Filter conveyance device 24 Shaft 26 Gear 28 Guide member 30 Brush 32 Brush holding section 34 Dust removal section 34a Front blade (first blade section)
34b Rear blade (first blade part)
34c First side wall 34d Second side wall 34e Side blade (second blade part)
34f Side blade (second blade part)
34g Guidance surface 34h Pressure surface 34i Intake hole 34j Bottom surface 34k Hair 36 First part 38 Second part 40 Dust receiver 40a Opening 40b Suction hole 40c Inner bottom surface 42 Suction device 46 Suction fan 50 Drive device 60 Drive block 62 Cover member S1 Front space S2 Rear space

Claims (12)

An air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust attached to an air filter,
a brush that is provided to extend in the width direction of the air filter and removes dust attached to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
a dust removing section that moves inside the dust receiving section to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a specific direction;
a suction device;
Equipped with
The dust receiver is connected to the suction device and has a suction hole for sucking air inside the dust receiver,
The dust removing section is configured to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a direction where the suction hole exists,
The air inside the dust receiving section is configured to be exhausted to the outside through the suction hole by driving the suction device,
The dust removing section has a guide surface that slopes downward as it approaches the suction hole, and the guide surface allows the dust scraped off from the brush to be removed from the dust removal section by the guide surface within the dust receiving section. An air conditioner configured to guide in the direction of a suction hole . An air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust attached to an air filter,
a brush that is provided to extend in the width direction of the air filter and removes dust attached to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
a dust removing section that moves inside the dust receiving section to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a specific direction;
comprising a suction device;
The dust receiver is connected to the suction device and has a suction hole for sucking air inside the dust receiver,
The dust removing section is configured to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a direction where the suction hole exists,
The air inside the dust receiving section is configured to be exhausted to the outside through the suction hole by driving the suction device ,
The dust removing section is arranged at an end on the bottom surface opposite to the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section on the side where the suction hole is formed so as to collect dust inside the dust receiving section in the direction in which the suction hole exists. The air conditioner is formed of a curved surface or an inclined surface such that a portion thereof is closest to the inner bottom surface and moves away from the inner bottom surface as it moves away from the suction hole. The dust removing section has a pressing surface, and when the dust removing section moves inside the dust receiving section in the direction in which the suction hole exists, the pressing surface removes the dust inside the dust receiving section. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the air conditioner is configured to press in a direction where the suction hole exists. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section has a movement direction regulating shape that specifies a moving direction of dust on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section in one direction. Machine. The inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section is a surface where movement of dust on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section in the direction where the suction hole is present has lower resistance than movement in the opposite direction where the suction hole is not present. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , configured to: An air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust attached to an air filter,
a brush that is provided to extend in the width direction of the air filter and removes dust attached to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
a dust removing section that moves inside the dust receiving section to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a specific direction;
a suction device;
Equipped with
The dust receiver is connected to the suction device and has a suction hole for sucking air inside the dust receiver,
The dust removing section is configured to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a direction where the suction hole exists,
The air inside the dust receiving section is configured to be exhausted to the outside through the suction hole by driving the suction device,
The inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section has a movement direction regulating shape that specifies the movement direction of the dust on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section in one direction, and in the movement direction regulating shape, the movement direction of the dust removing section is determined. An air conditioner whose cross-sectional shape when cut along is a saw blade shape. An air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust attached to an air filter,
a brush that is provided to extend in the width direction of the air filter and removes dust attached to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
a dust removing section that moves inside the dust receiving section to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a specific direction;
a suction device;
Equipped with
The dust receiver is connected to the suction device and has a suction hole for sucking air inside the dust receiver,
The dust removing section is configured to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a direction where the suction hole exists,
The air inside the dust receiving section is configured to be exhausted to the outside through the suction hole by driving the suction device,
The inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section is a surface where movement of dust on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section in the direction where the suction hole is present has lower resistance than movement in the opposite direction where the suction hole is not present. It is configured so that
In the air conditioner, the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving part has a saw blade shape in cross section when cut along the moving direction of the dust removing part. An air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust attached to an air filter,
a brush that is provided to extend in the width direction of the air filter and removes dust attached to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
a dust removing section that moves inside the dust receiving section to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a specific direction;
a suction device;
Equipped with
The dust receiver is connected to the suction device and has a suction hole for sucking air inside the dust receiver,
The dust removing section is configured to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a direction where the suction hole exists,
The air inside the dust receiving section is configured to be exhausted to the outside through the suction hole by driving the suction device,
In the air conditioner, the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section has a large number of hairs that are inclined in the direction in which the suction hole exists , and the movement direction of the dust on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiving section is specified in one direction . An air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device for cleaning dust attached to an air filter,
a brush that is provided to extend in the width direction of the air filter and removes dust attached to the air filter;
a dust receiver located below the brush and receiving dust removed by the brush;
a dust removing section that moves inside the dust receiving section to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a specific direction;
a suction device;
Equipped with
The dust receiver is connected to the suction device and has a suction hole for sucking air inside the dust receiver,
The dust removing section is configured to move dust inside the dust receiving section in a direction where the suction hole exists,
The air inside the dust receiving section is configured to be exhausted to the outside through the suction hole by driving the suction device,
The inner bottom surface of the dust receiver has a large number of bristles that are inclined in the direction in which the suction hole exists, and the movement of the dust on the inner bottom surface of the dust receiver in the direction in which the suction hole exists is caused by the An air conditioner configured to provide a surface with less resistance to movement in the opposite direction without suction holes . The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the dust removing section is configured to be able to close the suction hole that communicates the suction device and the dust receiving section. Further comprising a drive device that moves the dust removing section along the extending direction of the brush inside the dust receiving section, and a cover member provided along the extending direction of the brush,
The drive device is provided at a position facing the dust removal section with the cover member in between,
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the dust removal section and the drive device are joined by a drive block joint that extends over the upper end of the cover member. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the dust removing section has an intake hole formed inside the dust receiving section through which an airflow toward the suction hole passes.

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