JPH0539392Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] <Industrial application field> This invention relates to a filter sign display device in an air conditioning system.
One or more indoor units are controlled by one remote control unit, and the filter sign signal is transmitted by measuring the time corresponding to the functional limit of the filter installed in each indoor unit. In air conditioning systems, the filter sign display installed on the remote control unit allows
The present invention relates to a device that displays which type of functional limit time a filter sign signal has been transmitted under a condition where a plurality of indoor units are connected.

<Prior art> Conventional air conditioning systems include those in which one remote control unit controls only one indoor unit, and the so-called group control system in which one remote control unit controls multiple indoor units. are provided.

When one indoor unit is controlled by one remote control unit, a timer detects when the installed filter reaches its functional limit, generates a filter sign, and transmits it to the remote control unit. A filter sign is displayed on the remote control unit, and the timer is reset by operating a reset switch when the filter is cleaned or replaced. In this case, the filters installed in the indoor unit are roughly divided into normal filters, which have a functional limit of about 200 hours under normal atmosphere, and long-life filters, which have a functional limit of about 2,000 hours. Ru.

In addition, in the case of group control, a filter sign is transmitted from each indoor unit, and based on this filter sign, the display on the remote control unit,
Since the reset is performed by the switch operation, all indoor units are equipped with filters with the same functional limit time, and the filter signature transmitted from any indoor unit is used. A filter sign is displayed on the remote control unit, and the timer is reset by operating a reset switch when the filters for all indoor units have been cleaned or replaced.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> In the group-controlled air conditioning systems mentioned above, depending on the installation condition of the indoor unit, there are cases where the filter is easy to attach and remove, and cases where it is very difficult to attach and detach the filter. Therefore, if we focus only on the installation status of indoor units, ordinary filters are standard equipment for indoor units that are installed in locations where it is easy to install and remove, and filters that are extremely difficult to install and remove are equipped as standard. It is common for indoor units installed in locations to be equipped with long-life filters as standard equipment. However, if filters with different functional limit times are installed in each indoor unit for group control depending on the installation status, the filter sign will be transmitted to the remote control unit from the indoor unit equipped with a filter with a short functional limit time. The display of the filter sign by the remote control unit in a state where the filter sign is transmitted to the remote control unit from the indoor unit equipped with a filter with a long functional limit time is the same as the display of the filter sign by the remote control unit. There is a problem in that, even by looking at the filter sign display, it is not possible to determine from which indoor unit the filter sign is transmitted from which functional limit time filter is attached.

In addition, in order to eliminate such inconvenience,
If two displays are provided to display the filter sign, the number of displays installed on the remote control unit will increase, making the display panel more complex, making it difficult to recognize the status, and complicating the configuration, which increases costs. There is a problem with getting used to it.

Furthermore, the remote control unit may be used to control only one indoor unit, or may be used to control multiple indoor units, and in either case, one display There is a problem in that it is impossible to reliably display the fact that a filter has reached its functional limit time, or the type of filter that has reached its functional limit time in the case of multiple unit control.

<Purpose of the invention> This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and regardless of whether one indoor unit is controlled by one remote control unit or multiple indoor units are controlled by a group. , it is possible to attach a filter having the optimum functional limit time to the indoor unit according to the installation condition, and it is possible to display one filter sign indicating which type of filter is attached to the indoor unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a filter sign display device that can be displayed by a device.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In order to achieve the above object, the filter sign display device of this invention is designed so that the indoor units that are individually controlled or group controlled by one remote control unit are self-mounted. The remote control unit determines whether the number of indoor units to be controlled is one or two or more. drive by means for determining the number of indoor units, one filter sign display, and a clock signal from a clock means for timing either the long time or the short time under the condition that the number of indoor units is two or more. a first display drive signal generating means that generates a first drive signal that causes the filter sign display to light up continuously; a second display drive signal generating means that generates a second drive signal that causes the device to blink; and a first display drive signal generating means that generates a second drive signal that causes the device to blink; and control means for driving the signal generation means.

However, the first display drive signal generating means is driven by a clock signal from a clock means that clocks a long time, and generates a first drive signal that causes the filter sign display to light up continuously. It is preferable.

<Function> With the filter sign display device configured as described above, it is possible to tell whether one remote control unit is controlling one indoor unit individually or controlling multiple indoor units as a group. can be determined.

When it is determined that one indoor unit is being controlled independently, the control means forcibly drives the first display drive signal generation circuit based on the clock signal transmitted from the indoor unit. , by continuously lighting the filter sign display,
It can indicate that the filter has reached its functional limit time.

In addition, when it is determined that multiple indoor units are being controlled as a group, each indoor unit uses its timing means to measure the time corresponding to the functional limit of its own filter, and sends a timing signal. Transmit to remote control unit. In the remote control unit, one of the display drive signal generation means is driven based on the transmitted time signal, and a signal indicating that the filter sign display should be lit continuously or a signal indicating that the filter sign display should be lit continuously is generated. Since a signal indicating that the filter sign indicator should be blinked is selectively generated, the filter sign indicator is continuously lit or blinked, and by visually recognizing the lighting state of the filter sign indicator, It is possible to identify which type of filter has reached its functional limit time.

Further, the first display drive signal generation means includes:
In the case where the first drive signal is driven by a clock signal from a clock means for counting a long period of time and causes the filter sign display to light up continuously, the clock signal is transmitted from both clock means at the same time. In this case, the filter sign display can be lit continuously to display a display different from that corresponding to a filter with a short functional limit time.

<Examples> Hereinafter, examples will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings showing examples.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system that employs group control, in which a plurality of indoor units 2 are connected to at least one indoor unit 1, and a plurality of indoor units 2 are connected to at least one indoor unit 1. A common remote control unit 3 is connected to the remaining indoor units 2', and one remote control unit 3' is connected to each of the remaining indoor units 2'. In addition, each indoor unit 2, 2' is equipped with a filter having a different functional limit time depending on the installation condition (simply installed indoors, installed recessed in a wall, etc.). (Usually filter,
In addition, a timer (not shown) is installed to measure the time corresponding to the functional limit time of the installed filter.

Therefore, by setting air conditioning conditions such as set temperature and type of cooling/heating operation using the remote control unit 3, a plurality of indoor units 2 can be operated under the same air conditioning conditions, and each indoor unit 2 can be operated under the same air conditioning conditions. Based on the filter sign transmitted from the remote control unit 3, the filter sign can be displayed. In addition, by setting air conditioning conditions such as set temperature and type of cooling/heating operation using the remote control unit 3', the corresponding indoor unit 2'
can be operated under set conditions, and the filter sign can be displayed on the remote control unit 3' based on the filter sign transmitted from the indoor unit 2'.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the operation panel of the remote control unit, which includes temperature setting switches 31a, 31b,
Set temperature display LED 32a, 32b,...32
h, air volume selection switch 33, and air volume display
LED 34a, 34b, dry operation selection switch 35, filter sign reset switch 36
, a filter sign LED 37, an operation switch 38, an operation display LED 39, a dry operation display LED 40, and a defrost/hot start display LED 41.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the filter sign display device of this invention, which includes a normal filter display signal generation circuit 42 driven by inputting a time-up signal from the indoor unit 2 equipped with a normal filter. , a long-life filter display signal generation circuit 43 driven by a time-up signal from the indoor unit 2 equipped with the long-life filter being supplied through an OR gate 48;
The display signals output from both display signal generation circuits are
For a filter sign whose lighting and extinguishment are controlled based on the LED drive circuit 45 supplied through the OR gate 44 and the drive signal from the LED drive circuit 45
The inputs are the LED 37, a group control discrimination circuit 46 that discriminates whether or not group control is being performed, a discrimination signal from the group control discrimination circuit 46, and a time-up signal from the indoor unit 2 equipped with a normal filter, and the output signal is and an AND gate 47 that supplies the OR gate 48.

To explain in more detail, the normal filter display signal generation circuit 42 generates a blinking display signal that alternately repeats high level and low level by being supplied with a time-up signal. The display signal generation circuit 43 generates a display signal for continuous lighting in which only high levels are continuous by being supplied with a time-up signal, and the group control discrimination circuit 46 controls the setting of the number of connected indoor units by external operation,
Alternatively, the number of units to be controlled is determined based on the results of data transmission with the indoor units, and a determination signal with a continuous high level is output in response to a state in which only one unit is controlled.

The operation of the filter sign display device having the above configuration is as follows.

If it is an air conditioning system in which only one indoor unit 2' is controlled by one remote control unit 3',
Since a high level discrimination signal is always output from the group control discrimination means 46, when a time-up signal is transmitted from the indoor unit 2', the normal filter display signal generation circuit 42 and the long life filter display signal generation circuit 43 are driven together,
A normal filter display signal that alternately repeats a high level and a low level, and a long-life filter display signal that only continues at a high level are generated. Therefore, the LED drive circuit 45 is supplied with a continuous high-level signal, which causes the filter sign LED 37 to light up continuously to indicate that the filter has reached its functional limit time.

In the case of an air conditioning system in which only one indoor unit 2 is controlled by one remote control unit 3, when the air conditioning system is in operation, timer operation is performed in each indoor unit 2, and the operating cumulative value is calculated. When the time reaches the functional limit time of the normal filter, the indoor unit 2 equipped with the normal filter
A time-up signal is transmitted from the indoor unit 2 equipped with the long-life filter when the cumulative operating time reaches the functional limit time of the long-life filter.

The state in which the time-up signal is transmitted is a state in which only the time-up signal is transmitted from the indoor unit 2 that is normally equipped with a filter, and a state in which only the time-up signal is transmitted from the indoor unit 2 that is normally equipped with a filter. , and a state in which a time-up signal from the indoor unit 2 equipped with a long-life filter is transmitted together.The filter sign display operation will be explained below in accordance with each state.

[] In a state where only the time-up signal from the indoor unit 2 equipped with a normal filter is transmitted, the normal filter display signal generation circuit 42
A normal filter display signal that alternately repeats high and low levels is generated. And this normal filter display signal is
Since it is supplied to the LED drive circuit 45 through the OR gate 44, it is possible to blink the filter sign LED 37 to indicate that only the normal filter has reached its functional limit time.

[] Conversely, in a state where the time-up signal from the indoor unit 2 equipped with a normal filter and the time-up signal from the indoor unit 2 equipped with a long-life filter are transmitted together, the normal filter display signal generation circuit 42, and a long-life filter display signal generation circuit 43
is driven, and a normal filter display signal that alternately repeats high and low levels and a long-life filter display signal that only continues at high level are generated. Then, both filter display signals pass through the OR gate 44 to the LED drive circuit 4.
5, the LED drive circuit 45 is controlled based on the long-life filter display signal, and by continuously lighting the filter sign LED 37, both the normal filter and the long-life filter reach their functional limit time. You can display what you have achieved.

[] Also, exceptionally, a situation may occur in which only the time-up signal from the indoor unit 2 equipped with a long-life filter is transmitted, and in this case, only the long-life filter display signal generation circuit 43 is transmitted. is driven by the LED drive circuit 45 through the OR gate 44.
The signal supplied to is a signal in which only the high level is continuous, and the filter sign LED 37 is lit continuously as in the case [] above. That is, the same display as in the case [] above is performed, and it becomes impossible to identify each other. However, the functional limit time of a normal filter and that of a long-life filter are about 10 times different, and moreover, the work of attaching and removing a normal filter is significantly easier than that of a long-life filter. , when replacing the long-life filter,
If the filter is always cleaned normally, there is no need to distinguish between the two states.

In summary, when an air conditioning system in which only one indoor unit is controlled by one remote control unit is in operation, when a time-up signal is output from a timer that detects the filter's functional limit time, the filter sign LED 3
7 can be lit continuously.
When an air conditioning system in which a plurality of indoor units are controlled by one remote control unit is in operation, if a time-up signal is output from a timer that detects the functional limit time of a filter, the filter sign LED 37 is made to blink only if the time-up signal is from a timer for a normal filter under group control, and in other cases,
By continuously lighting the filter sign LED 37, it is possible to indicate which type of filter has reached its functional limit time.

Therefore, regardless of the configuration of the air conditioning system, each indoor unit can be operated normally again by replacing or cleaning the filter of the corresponding indoor unit based on the display state of the filter sign LED 37. can.

Note that this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments; for example, it is possible to have a microcomputer perform display operations similar to those of the above-mentioned embodiments (for example, when a time-up signal is transmitted, whether it is group control or not) is possible. If the control is not group control or if the time-up signal corresponds to a long-life filter, the filter sign LED is lit continuously. , conversely, if it is group control and the time-up signal normally corresponds to a filter, it is possible to blink the filter sign LED), and various other methods can be used without changing the gist of this invention. It is possible to make design changes.

<Effects of the invention> As described above, this invention determines whether or not it is group control, and if it is group control,
When the filter sign of any indoor unit is displayed on the remote control unit when the filter of any indoor unit reaches its functional limit time, the display state is changed according to the type of filter that has reached its functional limit time, and it is not a group control. When the filter reaches its functional limit time, the filter sign display on the remote control unit lights up continuously, so it can be used to control only one indoor unit or multiple indoor units. It can deal with any situation when performing group control of machines, and when performing group control, it can be shown which type of filter has reached its functional limit time using only one filter sign display. It has the unique practical effect of being able to

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the filter sign display device of this invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation panel of a remote control unit, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system. 2...Indoor unit, 3...Remote control unit, 37
... Filter sign LED, 42 ... Normal filter display signal generation circuit, 43 ... Long life filter display signal generation circuit, 46 ... Group control discrimination circuit, 47 ... AND gate, 48 ... OR gate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] 1. In an air conditioning system in which one remote control unit can select between individual control of one indoor unit and group control of multiple indoor units, , has a timer that measures one of two types of time, long and short, corresponding to the functional limits of the filter it is equipped with, and the remote control unit controls whether the number of indoor units to be controlled is 1 or 2. a number-of-units determining means for determining whether the number of indoor units is 2 or more; a first display drive signal generating means that is driven by a clock signal and generates a first drive signal that causes the filter sign display to light up continuously; and the other is driven by a clock signal from a clock means that clocks the time. a second display drive signal generation means for generating a second drive signal for blinking the filter sign display;
1. A filter sign display device for an air conditioning system, comprising: a control means for driving a first display drive signal generation means based on a clock signal from a time measurement means under certain conditions. 2. The above-mentioned practical application, wherein the first display drive signal generation means is driven by a clock signal from a clock means for counting a long time, and generates a first drive signal that causes the filter sign display to light up continuously. A filter sign display device for an air conditioning system according to claim 1.