JPH0399153A - Multi-type air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate a special interface unit by generating a signal for operating an indoor unit and a signal for specifying the indoor unit to be controlled by a remote controller, determining a special indoor unit by an outdoor unit, and sending a command thereto. CONSTITUTION:When an indoor unit B of other boom is controlled to be operated, for example, from an indoor unit A of a special room, a remote controller 6 outputs an indoor unit specifying signal 20 for specifying an indoor unit B to be operated from indoor unit specifying signal generating means 10, and outputs a command signal 21 for specifying a control content from command signal generating means 11. The unit A which receives both the signal sends it to an outdoor unit 1, and both the signals are input to indoor unit determining means 4. The means 4 determines B as the selected indoor unit, and command signal output means 5 outputs the signal 21 to the unit B. Thus, the unit B can be operated without providing an interface unit.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a multi-type air conditioner that can control the operation of an indoor unit in a separate room using a remote controller for a specific room.

(Prior Art) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-204514 can be cited as a conventional example of this type of multi-type air conditioner.

This conventional example has an air conditioner for a specific room controlled by a remote control, an air conditioner for a separate room, and an interface unit to connect these. It is designed to be able to operate a room air conditioner.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional example described above, a special interface unit is required to perform the above control, so there is a problem that the structure becomes complicated.

This invention was made in order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional technology, and its purpose is to provide a multi-function system that can control the operation of indoor units in other rooms from a specific room without using a special interface unit. Our goal is to provide air conditioners.

(Means for Solving the Problems) Therefore, in the multi-type air conditioner of the present invention, a plurality of indoor units A to C are connected in parallel to one outdoor unit 1, and transmission is possible to these indoor units A to C. This is a multi-type air conditioner equipped with a remote controller 6, and the remote controller 6 includes an indoor unit A-
A command signal generating means 11 that generates a command signal 21 for operating A-C, and an indoor unit specifying signal generating means 10 that generates an indoor unit specifying signal 20 for specifying the indoor units A to C to be controlled. In addition, the outdoor unit 1 is provided with an indoor unit discriminating means 4 for discriminating which indoor unit B is selected when a signal transmitted from the remote controller 6 is transmitted via the indoor unit A. and a command signal output means 5 for transmitting the command signal 2l to the selected indoor unit B.

(Function) In the multi-type air conditioner having the above structure, for example, from indoor unit A in a specific room to indoor unit B in another room, for example,
When performing operational control, the operation is as follows. First, a signal is output from the remote controller 6 to the indoor unit A in a specific room, but in the remote controller 6, an indoor unit specifying signal 20 for specifying the indoor unit I-B to be operated is output from the indoor unit specifying signal generating means IO. At the same time, a command signal 21 for specifying the control content is output from the command signal generating means 11. Both these signals 20, 2
The indoor unit A that received the signal 1 transmits both signals 20 and 21 to the outdoor unit 1, and both signals 20 and 21 are input to the indoor unit discriminating means 4. The indoor unit determining means 4 determines that the selected indoor units A to B are indoor units B based on the indoor unit identification signal 20, and then the command signal output means 5 transmits the command signal 21 to the selected indoor unit. Output to unit B. In this way, since a signal transmission system specific to multi-type air conditioners is used, a special interface unit etc. can be installed by outputting signals 20 and 21 from the remote controller 6 to the indoor unit A of a specific room. This means that the operation of the indoor unit I-B in the other room can be controlled without having to do so.

(Embodiments) Next, specific embodiments of the multi-type air conditioner of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In Figure 1, which is a structural diagram of a multi-type air conditioner,
1 is an outdoor unit, and one outdoor unit l has the following:
For example, three indoor units A to C are connected in parallel. Each of these indoor units A to C is connected to the outdoor unit 1 through refrigerant piping (not shown) so that refrigerant can flow between them, and various signals can be transmitted in both directions via transmission lines 2...2. communicably connected to. The outdoor unit I includes an outdoor microcomputer 3 (hereinafter referred to as
This outdoor microcomputer 3 is provided with an indoor unit discrimination section 4 (indoor unit discrimination means) and a command signal output section 5 (command signal output means). The above-mentioned indoor unit discriminator 4 is connected to each transmission line 2.
The indoor unit identification signal 20 (Fig. 2) transmitted to the outdoor microcomputer 3 through 2 (described in detail later) has a function to determine which indoor unit A to C is selected. , and the command signal output section 5 has a function of transmitting a command signal 2l (FIG. 2) to the selected indoor units A to C.

Each of the indoor units l-A to C is equipped with a remote controller 6...6 (hereinafter referred to as a remote control), which controls the operation of the air conditioner and controls the operating status from a remote location from the indoor units A to C. Monitoring is possible.

Note that the remote controllers 6 . . . 6 may be either wireless remote controllers or wired remote controllers. Each of the remote controllers 6...6 has a changeover switch 7 as shown in FIG.
An indoor unit specifying signal generating means 10 consisting of the indoor unit specifying signal generating section 9 and a certain command signal generating means 11 consisting of the control operation section 7a and the command signal generating section 8 are provided, respectively. The command signal generating section 8 generates a command signal 2l for operating the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor units l-A-C according to the operation contents on the control operation part 7a.
It has the ability to generate Further, the indoor unit specifying signal generating section 9 has a function of generating an indoor unit specifying signal 20 for specifying the indoor units A to C controlled by the command signal 2l. And the above changeover switch 7
By operating the indoor unit specifying signal 20, indoor units A to C specified by the indoor unit specifying signal 20 can be switched. The remote controllers 6, . . . 6 have a function of transmitting the above-mentioned signals 20 and 21 to the indoor units A-C, as well as a function of receiving and displaying the driving information signal from the indoor units A-C. . In other words, the above outdoor unit 1
It is assumed that the room temperature of another room, etc., transmitted via the outdoor microcomputer 3 can be displayed.

Next, the operating state of the above embodiment device will be explained. For example, a case where indoor unit B in room B is operated from room A where indoor unit A is installed will be explained with reference to FIG. "Room B" is specified, and control details such as start of operation, stop of operation, change of set temperature, etc. are specified by operating the control operation unit 7a. In this state, when the indoor unit identification signal and command signals 20 and 21 are transmitted from the indoor unit identification signal generation section 9 and the command signal generation section 8, both signals 20 and 21 are transmitted from the indoor unit A through the transmission line 2 in step S2. It is transmitted to the outdoor microcomputer 3. In the outdoor microcomputer 3, the indoor unit determining section 4 determines in step S3 that, for example, "Room B" is specified based on the indoor unit specifying signal 20. Then, the command signal output section 5 of the outdoor microcomputer 3 performs step S
4, a command signal 21 is output to the indoor unit B to control the operation of the indoor unit B. Therefore, it is possible to operate indoor unit I-B in room B while staying in room A.

On the other hand, when monitoring the room temperature in room B using the remote controller 6 in room A, the operating information signal for room B transmitted from indoor unit B to indoor unit A via the outdoor microcomputer 3 is sent to the remote controller 6. By operating a monitor switch (not shown), etc. provided, indoor unit A calls the remote controller 6 and displays the room temperature of room B on the remote controller 6.

As described above, in the above embodiment device, by using the signal transmission system provided in the multi-type air conditioner, it is possible to control the operation of indoor units A to C in other rooms while staying in one's own room. No need for interface etc.

Although the embodiments of this invention have been described above, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments and may be modified within the scope of this invention. For example, an example is shown in which the room temperature in another room can be monitored using the remote controllers 6...6.
Any device may be used as long as it has a transmitting function and can control the operation of indoor units A to C in other rooms.

(Effect of the invention) As described above, in the multi-type air conditioner of the present invention,
Command signals for indoor unit control can be transmitted from a remote controller in a specific room to an indoor unit in another room via the indoor unit and outdoor unit in that room sequentially without using a special interface unit. Operation of indoor units in other rooms can be controlled from a specific room.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-type air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a remote controller, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operating state. 1...Outdoor unit, 4...Indoor unit determination section (
indoor unit determination means), 5... command signal output section (command signal output means), 6... remote controller, 1
0... Indoor unit specific signal generation means, 11... Command signal generation means, A to C... Indoor units.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Multiple indoor units (A to C) are connected in parallel to one outdoor unit (1), and this indoor unit (A to C
), the remote controller (6) is equipped with a command signal (21) for controlling the operation of the indoor units (A to C). Command signal generating means (1
1) and an indoor unit specifying signal generating means (10) for generating an indoor unit specifying signal (20) for specifying the indoor unit (A to C) to be controlled. The unit includes an indoor unit determining means (which determines which indoor unit (B) is selected when a signal transmitted from the remote controller (6) is transmitted via the indoor unit (A).
4) and command signal output means (5) for transmitting the command signal (21) to the selected indoor unit (B).