JPH08178590A - Automatic washing equipment of air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain automatic washing equipment of an air conditioner which automates completely the whole washing process for a heat exchanger of a ceiling buried type air conditioner, from the start of washing to the completion of drying. CONSTITUTION: This automatic washing equipment has a washing nozzle 45 of a rotating type which is fitted to the main body of the equipment installed removably in the central part of a heat exchanger 25 and jets a plurality of kinds of fluids for washing against the heat exchanger, a detergent solution tank 2, a washing liquid tank 3, an air compressor 4, a pressure sending means 5 for a detergent solution and a washing liquid, piping systems 7A to 7C for supplying the detergent solution, the washing liquid and compressed air to the washing nozzle in a switching manner, selector valves 6A and 6B which are interposed in the piping systems and conduct selective supply of the detergent solution, the washing liquid and the compressed air to the washing nozzle and a control part 8 which conducts automatic switchover of the respective operations of the selector valves, the air compressor and the pressure sending means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cleaning nozzle which swirls in opposition to a heat exchanger arranged around a fan of an indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, and a detergent liquid for removing oily dirt and dirt. The present invention relates to an automatic cleaning device for an air conditioner, which sequentially supplies the cleaning liquid for washing the dropped heat exchanger and the compressed air for drying the wet heat exchanger.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a ceiling-embedded air conditioner in which a ventilation panel for an indoor unit is installed on the ceiling surface, the ventilation panel can be mounted at a position where the heat exchange efficiency is maximized, and the indoor floor surface can be effectively used. Since it is advantageous, it is particularly suitable for offices and restaurants. However, in these places, a considerable amount of oily smoke generated by smoking and cooking adheres to the heat exchanger.
If the heat exchanger is not cleaned frequently, the air conditioning function will drop rapidly. And this oily stain cannot be removed without using a detergent solution. However, wiping with a scrubbing cloth or a rag does not work very well because it is a work in high places.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, a method of spraying the detergent liquid onto the heat exchanger using an injection nozzle is used. In this method, after removing the ventilation panel of the indoor unit installed behind the ceiling and the fan etc. (not shown) axially fitted to the fan motor,
A funnel-shaped washing liquid receiver 102 made of a transparent vinyl sheet is vertically provided so as to surround the casing 101 of the indoor unit, and an injection nozzle 104 is inserted from a hole 103 provided on a side surface of the washing liquid receiver 102. The detergent liquid (washing water) is jetted toward the heat exchanger (see 25 in FIG. 3) arranged along the peripheral wall of the casing. 105 in the figure
Is a detergent liquid reservoir, 106 is a suction pump, and 107 is a suction hose having a spray nozzle 104 attached to the tip thereof. The washing liquid dripping from the heat exchanger is washed by the washing liquid receiver 102 and the drain hose 108.
And then collected in the washing liquid reservoir 109. Alternatively, as another cleaning method, a method of radially injecting the detergent liquid toward the heat exchanger from a ring-shaped nozzle arranged inside the cleaning liquid receiver 102 is also used.

[0003]

However, the method of injecting the detergent liquid from the above-mentioned injection nozzle inserted in the hole of the washing liquid receiver is far better than the method of wiping with a rag, but at a high place. There is no change in the fact that it involves a great deal of work and requires considerable effort. On the other hand, in the method using the ring-shaped nozzle, since the ring-shaped nozzle is fixed, it is difficult to spray the detergent solution to every corner of the heat exchanger that is provided in the casing, and complete cleaning is not possible. It was hard to do. Therefore, the applicant of the present application has developed an automatic cleaning device in which a cleaning (injection) nozzle is swirled toward the inner peripheral surface of the heat exchanger, and first, "Japanese Patent Application No. 5-269698" and "Japanese Patent Application No. 5
-266999 ". The present invention
According to an improvement of the above-mentioned prior invention, an object thereof is to sequentially switch and supply a plurality of kinds of cleaning fluids to a cleaning nozzle, and to dry the heat exchanger after cleaning from the start of cleaning. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic cleaning device for an air conditioner in which all the processes up to this point are almost completely automated.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the automatic cleaning apparatus for an air conditioner according to the present invention has a main body of a heat exchanger 25 of a ceiling-embedded air conditioner in which a main body of the apparatus can be freely attached and detached. The stationary type cleaning nozzle 45 is configured to sequentially switch and supply a plurality of types of cleaning fluids. The cleaning liquid tank 2, the cleaning liquid tank 3, the air compressor 4, the detergent liquid and the cleaning liquid are pressure-fed. Means 5 and a pipe system 7A to 7C for switching and supplying a detergent liquid, a cleaning liquid and compressed air to the cleaning nozzle 45, and a detergent liquid to the cleaning nozzle 45 interposed between the pipe systems 7A to 7C, Switching valves 6A and 6B that control selective supply of cleaning liquid and compressed air, and the switching valve 6
A, 6B, the air compressor 4, and the control unit 8 that controls automatic switching of the operation of each of the pressure feeding means 5.

[0005]

When the operating program of the automatic cleaning device is arbitrarily set by the control unit 8 and the device is started, the pressure feeding means 5 starts to operate,
First, the pressurized detergent liquid is supplied. And the heat exchanger 25
After finishing removing the oily dirt attached to the switch valve 6A,
6B is automatically switched, and the pressurized cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning nozzle 45. When the detergent liquid adhering to the heat exchanger 25 is washed off by the cleaning liquid, the operation of the pressure feeding means 5 is stopped, the air compressor 4 is started, and the switching valves 6A and 6B are automatically switched to the cleaning nozzle 45. Is supplied with compressed air to rapidly dry the heat exchanger 25 wet with the cleaning liquid. After that, the switching valves 6A and 6B are switched to the initial state of supplying the detergent liquid to the cleaning nozzle 45, and the series of automatic cleaning work is completed.

[0006]

First, a schematic structure of an indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded air conditioner will be described with reference to FIG. The casing 21 of the indoor unit 20 (hereinafter, referred to as an air conditioner) has four hanging bolts 22 and hanging metal fittings provided on the outer surface of the casing 21 with the lower surface thereof facing the ventilation hole a provided in the ceiling. 23, it is suspended and supported by the structural member of the roof or the floor (not shown) of the upper floor. Box-shaped casing 2 with open bottom
A fan motor 24 is vertically installed at the upper center of the inside of the unit 1. The figure shows a state in which the fan is removed. A heat exchanger 25 is arranged around the periphery of the fan so as to surround the fan. A dehumidified water receiving tray 26 equipped with a drainage pump (not shown) is installed at the lower surface opening of the casing 21.
An air inlet 26a for air to be conditioned is provided at the center of the tray, and an air outlet 26b for conditioned air is provided on the outer periphery thereof.

In the heat exchanger 25 through which the air to be conditioned passes, dust and oil smoke gradually adhere and accumulate with the passage of time. In particular, if the air conditioner is installed in an office, a restaurant, or the like, a considerable amount of oily smoke is generated due to smoking or cooking. Therefore, the heat exchanger 25 is frequently washed to reduce the heat exchange function. We must prevent it. Therefore, the applicant of the present application has developed the automatic cleaning device for the heat exchanger as described above and applied for a patent in advance.

The structure of this automatic cleaning device will be described with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 30 shown in FIG. 2 is a main body of the apparatus, which is provided with a disk-shaped mounting base 31, and a cylindrical liquid-proof cover 32 for preventing sprayed detergent liquid from splashing on the fan motor 24 is connected to the upper side thereof. are doing. The device body 30 is
With the liquid-proof cover 32 externally fitted to the fan motor 24, the screw 33 provided at a plurality of locations above the liquid-proof cover 32 is screwed into the fan motor 24 so that the fan motor 24 can be detachably locked. .

In the middle of the assembly base 31, the bearing 3
The rotary cylinder 35 supported by the No. 4 is vertically installed. The rotation cylinder 35 has a geared motor 3 attached to the assembly base 31.
The rotation of 6 is transmitted via the gears 37a and 37b.
38 is a battery that serves as a power source for this motor. Reference numeral 39 is a cover tube that covers the lower side of the assembly base 31, and is a liquid-proof cover 3
It is connected to the lower end of 2.

Reference numeral 40 is a short connecting pipe connected to the lower end of the rotary cylinder 35 in a screwed state, and also serves as a part of a cleaning liquid supply pipe. On the lower end side of this connecting pipe 40, the upper end side of a bearing cylinder 42 with a bearing 41 assembled is loosely fitted in a liquid-tight manner.
A pipe joint 43 is connected to the lower end of the bearing sleeve 42.

A nozzle mounting tube 44 that rises in an L shape along the outer peripheral surfaces of the cover tube 39 and the liquid-proof cover 32 is connected to the middle of the connecting tube 40. This nozzle mounting tube 4
A plurality of cleaning nozzles 45 are provided at the rising portion of No. 4 so as to face the inner surface of the heat exchanger 25 at appropriate intervals.

At the lower end of the bearing 34 that supports the rotary cylinder 35, a micro switch 46 that controls the energization of the geared motor 36 is attached. 46a is the switching element. On the other hand, the switching element 4 is provided at the upper end of the connecting pipe 40 located immediately below the micro switch 46.
A piston 47 that moves up and down to move toward and away from 6a is assembled.

This piston 47 is normally provided with an extension spring 48.
When the pressure of the fluid (described later) supplied into the connection pipe 40 exceeds the set value, the pressure rises against the spring force and pushes the switching element 46a to turn on the micro switch 46. The geared motor 36 is activated.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pipe joint 43 is connected to the end (upper end in the figure) of the liquid supply hose 1 extending from the cleaning fluid supply device 10. This fluid supply device 10
Is an optional operating program including a detergent solution for removing oily dirt attached to the heat exchanger 25, a cleaning solution for cleaning the dirty heat exchanger 25, and compressed air for drying the heat exchanger 25 wet with the cleaning solution. According to the above, the cleaning nozzle 45 is sequentially fed under pressure.

2 is a detergent liquid tank, 3 is a cleaning liquid tank, 4
Is an air compressor serving as a supply source of compressed air, and 5 is a liquid feeding pump (pressure feeding means). The liquid feed pump 5 is selectively connected to each of the detergent liquid tank 2 and the cleaning liquid tank 3 via a pipe system 7A having a first switching valve 6A interposed therebetween. 6B is a second switching valve, which is a piping system 7B connected to the air compressor 4 and a piping system 7C connected to the liquid feed pump 5.
And three connection ports for connecting the start end of the liquid supply hose 1 respectively. Reference numeral 8 denotes a control unit, which can arbitrarily set programs such as switching of each injection process of the detergent liquid, the cleaning liquid, and the compressed air, and operating conditions.

In FIG. 1, 70 is a funnel-shaped washing liquid receiver,
After being sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 45 toward the heat exchanger 25, it serves to receive and collect the cleaning liquid dripping downward. On the upper edge portion of the washing liquid receiver 70 made of a transparent vinyl sheet or the like, an L-shaped frame 71 for hanging, which is made of a pipe material or the like, is attached. A drainage hose 72 is connected to a drainage hole 70a provided at the lower end of the wash receptacle 70 so that the drainage is stored in a drainage reservoir 73.

In order to hang this washing liquid receiver 70 just below the ventilation hole a on the ceiling surface, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of each suspension wire 74 hooked on each suspension bolt 22 of the air conditioner 20 is installed. The hook may be hooked on the frame 71.

Next, the operation of the automatic cleaning device will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 30 is installed at a position directly below the fan motor 24. To do this, the ventilation panel covering the ventilation holes a is removed, and the fan (not shown) is removed from the fan motor 24. And the liquid-proof cover 32
Is engaged with the fan motor 24 as described above, and is locked to the fan motor 24, the apparatus main body 3
The deferment work of 0 ends easily.

Then, the fluid supply device 10 is connected to the pipe joint 43.
Connect the tip of the liquid supply hose 1 extending from the
As described above, 0 is hung vertically below the air conditioner 20.
Then, the control unit 8 determines the swirling speed of the nozzle mounting pipe 44, the automatic operation conditions such as the switching timing of each process of the detergent liquid injection, the cleaning water injection, and the compressed air injection, each injection pressure, the capacity of the air conditioner, If the heat exchanger 25 is arbitrarily set to match the degree of contamination, the operation preparation of the automatic cleaning device is completed.
At this time, the switching state of the first and second switching valves 6A and 6B is set to a state in which the liquid delivery pump 5 sucks up the detergent liquid in the detergent liquid tank 2 and pressure-feeds it to the cleaning nozzle 45.

Then, when the start switch of the automatic cleaning device is pushed, the liquid feed pump 5 is started to suck up the detergent liquid in the detergent liquid tank 2 and pump it toward the washing nozzle 45 under a predetermined pressure. Then, the piston 47 provided in the middle of this pressure feeding path is pushed up by receiving this hydraulic pressure, the micro switch 46 is turned on, and the guard motor 36 is turned on.
Is driven. Along with that, the detergent liquid is continuously sprayed over the entire surface of the heat exchanger 25 from the cleaning nozzle 45 attached to the nozzle mounting pipe 44 that has begun to swirl, and the attached oily dirt is efficiently removed.

After the first set time has elapsed after the start of the injection of the detergent liquid and the oily dirt adhering to the heat exchanger 25 has been removed, the first switching valve 6A causes the liquid delivery pump 5 to cause the cleaning liquid tank 3 to operate. It is automatically switched to the side that sucks up the cleaning liquid (water in this case). Then, the cleaning liquid is jetted from the cleaning nozzle 45 which continuously swirls. After starting the injection of cleaning liquid, the second
When the heat exchanger 25 to which the detergent liquid has adhered is cleanly washed after the set time of, the liquid feed pump 5 is stopped first, and then the first switching valve 6A causes the liquid feed pump 5 and the detergent to be washed. The connection between the liquid tank 2 and the cleaning liquid tank 3 is switched to the disconnected state, and the piston 47 descends to turn off the micro switch 46.

Subsequently, the second switching valve 6B is switched to a state in which the liquid supply hose 1 and the air compressor 4 are connected, the air compressor 4 is activated, the piston 47 is raised, and the micro switch 46 is turned on. Operate. Therefore, the compressed air is jetted from the cleaning nozzle 45 that has restarted the swirling, and the cleaning liquid remaining on the heat exchanger 25 is blown off and dried rapidly.

When the heat exchanger 25 dries after the third set time elapses after the air compressor 4 is started, the operation of the air compressor 4 is stopped and the geared motor 36 is stopped, so that the automatic cleaning device One working cycle is completed. Therefore, the washing liquid receiver 70 and the apparatus main body 30 may be removed to return the air conditioner 20 to the usage state.

[0024]

As is clear from the above description, the automatic cleaning device for an air conditioner according to the present invention has the excellent effects listed below. (A) A single cleaning nozzle can handle each of the spraying operations of the detergent solution to the heat exchanger, the cleaning solution to wash off the detergent solution, and the compressed air to dry the heat exchanger. (B) Therefore, it is possible to remarkably simplify the jetting mechanism of a plurality of types of washing fluid and the feeding mechanism of the washing fluid to the washing nozzle. (C) Of course, these cleaning fluid supply switching operations are fully automated, so that even an unskilled worker can reliably clean the heat exchanger at a high place without labor. (D) Since the heat exchanger can be dried quickly, the waiting time for removing the cleaning liquid receiver can be shortened, and the operating rate of the automatic cleaning device can be greatly increased.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of an automatic washing device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same as the above.

FIG. 3 is a sketch of an air conditioner (indoor unit).

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Fluid Supply Device 1 Liquid Supply Hose 2 Detergent Liquid Tank 3 Cleaning Liquid Tank 4 Air Compressor 5 Liquid Transfer Pump (Pressurizing Means) 6A First Switching Valve 6B Second Switching Valve 7A to 7C Piping System 8 Control Unit 20 Air Conditioner ( Indoor unit) 21 Casing 22 Suspending bolt 23 Suspending metal fitting 24 Fan motor 25 Heat exchanger 26 Dehumidifying water tray 26a Suction port 26b Air outlet 30 Device body 31 Assembly base 32 Liquid-proof cover 33 Push screw 34, 41 Bearing 35 Rotating cylinder 36 Geared motors 37a, 37b Gears 38 Battery 39 Cover tube 40 Connection tube 42 Bearing tube 43 Pipe joint 44 Nozzle mounting tube 45 Washing nozzle 46 Micro switch 46a Switching element 47 Piston 48 Expansion spring 70 Washing liquid receiving 70a Draining hole 71 Frame 72 Draining liquid Hose 73 Drainage reservoir 74 Suspension wire

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Munehiro Imao 1 Aichi Electric Co., Ltd. Aichi Electric Town, Kasugai City, Aichi Prefecture (72) Inventor Minoru Sugino 1 Aichi Electric Town, Aichi Electric Town, Aichi Prefecture Aichi Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus main body is detachably installed at the center of a heat exchanger 25 of a ceiling-embedded air conditioner, and a plurality of kinds of cleaning fluids are sequentially switched and supplied to a swirl type cleaning nozzle 45 thereof. A cleaning liquid tank 2, a cleaning liquid tank 3, an air compressor 4, a pumping means 5 for the cleaning liquid and the cleaning liquid, and a pipe for selectively supplying the cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid and the compressed air to the cleaning nozzle 45. Systems 7A to 7C and the cleaning nozzle 45 interposed between the piping systems 7A to 7C.
Switching valves 6A, 6B for selectively supplying the detergent liquid, the cleaning liquid, and the compressed air, and a control unit 8 for automatically switching the operations of the switching valves 6A, 6B, the air compressor 4 and the pressure feeding means 5 respectively. An automatic cleaning device for an air conditioner, characterized by being provided.