JPH11159838A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent charged dust from adhering to an air conditioner itself or the peripheral wall by disposing the radiation electrode of an ion generator in an air supply passage or in the vicinity thereof and interlocking the operation of the ion generator with that of an air cleaner. SOLUTION: A negative ion generator is built in an air conditioner, a fin tube type heat exchanger 8 is disposed on the inside of suction ports 4, 7 and a cross-flow air supply fan 9 is disposed in the rear of the heat exchanger 8. An electrostatic dust collection unit 11 for cleaning the air comprises counter discharge electrodes and a discharge electrode between them and fixed to the upper space between the heat exchanger 8 and a front panel 3 in order to capture invisible dust in the air or the smoke of cigarette by means of the counter discharge electrodes after charging through the discharge electrode. Every time when negative ions are generated through operation of an ion generator, the dust collection unit 11 of air cleaner is operated to remove dust in the air.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner incorporating an ion generator for generating negative ions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It has been known that negative ions have a good effect on the human body, and they are used for improving physiological effects and for medical therapy. Further, as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-23777 as a conventional example, negative ions and positive ions are alternately generated by an ion generator incorporated in an air conditioner, and the amount of negative ions in the room is adjusted. The effect of the ions was to prevent a large amount of dust from adhering to peripheral devices and walls.

[0003]

Since such a conventional air conditioner does not remove the indoor dust itself, when the indoor dust is relatively large, the charged dust is charged by the air conditioner itself and the surrounding air. I was worried about sticking to walls and the like. In addition, this ion generator has a problem that it generates not only negative ions useful for the human body but also positive ions which are said to have an adverse effect on the human body.

[0004]

The present invention focuses on this point and solves the above-mentioned drawbacks. In particular, the present invention employs a configuration in which a ventilation path in a housing is provided with a heat exchanger for cooling and heating and an electrostatic type air purifier. A dust collecting unit and a fan are provided, and a radiation electrode of the ion generator is provided near the air flow path or the air flow path, and the ion generator is operated and stopped in conjunction with the operation and stop of the air cleaning apparatus. In addition, a heat exchanger for cooling and heating, an electrostatic dust collection unit and a fan of an air cleaning device are provided in a ventilation path in the housing, and a radiation electrode of an ion generator is provided in the ventilation path or in the vicinity of the ventilation path, and the dust collection unit is provided. Current detecting means for detecting the current of the air purifier, and when the current value detected by the current detecting means is not within a predetermined range, the air purifying device is stopped and the ion generator is stopped.

[0005]

The operation of the ion generator 16 and the air cleaning device 31 will be described. If the operation switch 34 of the remote controller 22 is turned on in ST1, the air conditioner starts operating and the compressor provided in the outdoor unit (FIG. (Not shown) is started, the refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit starts to circulate, and the heat exchanger 8 becomes low in the cooling operation, becomes high in the heating operation, and the fan 9 rotates to open the outlet 6.
A well-known air-conditioning operation for blowing air with more controlled temperature starts.

Next, in ST2, the cleaner switch 35
Is determined, the process proceeds to ST3 if ON, and proceeds to ST11 if OFF.

In ST3, the operation lamp 18, cleaner lamp 19, and ion lamp 20 provided on the display unit 15 are turned on, and the operation proceeds to ST4. In ST4, the operation state of the fan 9 is determined. If the fan 9 is operating, the process proceeds to ST5.
Go to 0.

In ST5, the cleaner relay 32 is turned on, a current is applied to the dust collection unit 11, and the air cleaning operation starts. In ST6, the ion relay 29 is turned on and the radiation electrode 17 is turned on.
Is applied with a pulse wave of -6 kilovolts, and negative ions are generated and spread by blowing air from the outlet 6.

In ST7, the operation state of the dust collection unit 11 is detected by the current detecting means 33, which detects a small current flowing between the electrodes during operation. It is determined whether the current value is normal and the current value is 30 μA or more. If the current value is lower than 30 μA due to abnormality, the process proceeds to ST8.
Proceed to.

In ST8, the discharge counter electrode 1 of the dust collection unit 11
When a large amount of dust or the like adheres between the discharge electrode 2 and the discharge electrode 13 and spark discharge occurs between the two electrodes, the air purifying device 30 is stopped for the purpose of preventing fire. In this case, the process proceeds to ST9. If an overcurrent occurs and the current value is higher than 200 microA, the cleaner lamp 19 is turned on quickly in ST14 and the process proceeds to ST11.
In ST9, the operation of the air conditioner is determined. If the operation is stopped, the ion generator 16 and the air cleaning device 30 are also stopped in ST15, and if the operation is continued, the process returns to ST2.

In steps ST10 and ST11, the cleaner lamp 19 and the cleaner relay 32 are stopped in response to the ion cleaner switch 35 OFF and the fan 9 being stopped.
In ST13, the ion lamp 20 and the ion relay 29 are stopped, and the process proceeds to ST9 to repeat these operations until the operation is stopped.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Reference numeral 1 denotes an indoor unit of a separate type air conditioner, wherein a casing is formed by a main body casing 2 and a front cover 3 at the front. An open panel 5 having a horizontally elongated slit-shaped suction port 4 is provided from the center to the upper part of the front cover 3 and is attached to the front of the front cover 3 so as to be freely openable and closable around a shaft (not shown) provided on the left and right of the upper part of the panel 5 as a fulcrum. A horizontally long outlet 6 is provided on the bottom surface of the front cover 3 from below the suction port 4, and an upper suction port 7 is provided on the upper surface of the front cover 3 in order to compensate for an opening area short of the suction port 4.

A heat exchanger 8 of a fin tube type, which is horizontally elongated and vertically bent in multiple stages, is provided inside the suction ports 4 and 7.
A cross-flow fan 9 for blowing air is disposed at the rear of the heat exchanger 8. A drain unit 10 integrally formed of a resin foam material is provided below the heat exchanger 8 to receive dew water and blow air from a fan 9 to an outlet 6.
It also functions as an air guide that leads to the air.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an electrostatic dust collecting unit for cleaning the air. A discharge counter electrode 12 in which a large number of aluminum plates connected to a DC power supply of about +2 kv are arranged in parallel to the blowing direction, and an electrostatic dust collecting unit is disposed between the discharge counter electrodes 12. And a discharge electrode 13 formed of a wire or a needle-like electrode connected to a DC power supply of -2 kv, and invisible dust or cigarette smoke in the air is charged by the discharge electrode 13 to the discharge counter electrode 12. It is attached to an upper space between the heat exchanger 8 and the front panel 3.

A mesh-shaped pre-filter 14 made of resin is provided between the suction ports 4 and 7 and the heat exchanger 8 or between the suction port 4 and the air cleaning unit 11 so as to remove relatively large dust in the air. Capture. On the right side of the outlet 6, there is provided a display unit 15 for displaying the operation state of the air conditioner by a lamp or the like. Further on the right side of the display unit 15, an ion generator 16 is provided.
Radiating electrodes 17 are arranged.

The amount of negative ions generated from the radiation electrode 17 and diffused into the room varies depending on the amount of air blown out from the outlet 6, and the larger the amount of air, the larger the amount of negative ions. The display unit 15 includes an operation lamp 18, a cleaner lamp 19 for displaying the operation of the air cleaning device 30, and an ion lamp 20 for displaying the generation of ions by a lamp.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the air volume and the ion volume in this embodiment. The horizontal axis represents the air volume, the vertical axis represents the number of negative ions per cc, and the height of the center of the room of about 8 tatami mats. It measures the number of negative ions at a height of about 1 m. The relationship between the air volume and the ion volume is proportional, and strong winds (about 8 m ³ / mi)
In n), about 5,000 ions / cc and about 1,000 ions / cc are measured in a breeze (about 4 m ³ / min), and are proportional to each other even in the middle and low winds.

Referring to FIG. 5, a block diagram of the control circuit will be described.
A control unit such as a microcomputer that controls the display unit, a receiving unit 23 of the wireless remote controller 22, a temperature sensor 24, a humidity sensor 25 and the like are connected to an input side, and an output side is a fan motor for driving the display unit 15 and the fan 9. 26
Relay 29 for turning on and off the power supply to the control device 27 of the outdoor unit and the high voltage generation circuit 28 of the ion generator 16 and the cleaner relay 32 for turning on and off the power supply to the high pressure unit 31 of the air cleaning device 30. It is connected.

The air purifying device 30 converts an AC power of 100 V into a DC of approximately +2 kV and a DC of approximately −2 kV by a high voltage unit 31 and supplies the DC to the air cleaning unit 11. The operation and the stop are performed by the control device 21 by the cleaner relay 32 provided in the above.

The high-pressure unit 31 is provided with current detecting means 33 for monitoring the current value between the discharge counter electrode 12 and the discharge electrode 13 of the dust collection unit 11, and sends a current value signal to the control device 21 to control the current value. The device 21 determines whether or not this current value is between 30 μA and 200 μA.

The wireless remote controller 22 has a number of button-type push switches, and operates a switch 34 for operating and stopping the air conditioner by pressing, operating and stopping the air purifier 30 and operating and stopping the ion generator 16. An ion cleaner switch 35 which operates in conjunction with the switch is provided, and a signal for operating the switches is transmitted to the receiving unit 23 by infrared rays, and an operation setting state is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 36.

The operation of the ion generator 16 and the air cleaner 31 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
If the operation switch 34 of the remote control 22 is turned on at 1,
The air conditioner starts operating, a compressor (not shown) provided in the outdoor unit starts, refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit starts circulating, and the heat exchanger 8 starts operating.
The temperature becomes low during the cooling operation and becomes high during the heating operation, and the well-known air conditioning operation in which the fan 9 rotates and blows the temperature-controlled air from the outlet 6 starts.

Next, in ST2, the cleaner switch 35
Is determined, the process proceeds to ST3 if ON, and proceeds to ST11 if OFF.

In ST3, the operation lamp 18, cleaner lamp 19, and ion lamp 20 provided on the display unit 15 are turned on, and the process proceeds to ST4. In ST4, the operation state of the fan 9 is determined. If the fan 9 is operating, the process proceeds to ST5.
Go to 0.

In ST5, the cleaner relay 32 is turned on, a current is applied to the dust collection unit 11, and the air cleaning operation starts. In ST6, the ion relay 29 is turned on and the radiation electrode 17 is turned on.
Is applied with a pulse wave of -6 kilovolts, and negative ions are generated and spread by blowing air from the outlet 6.

In ST7, the operation state of the dust collecting unit 11 is detected by the current detecting means 33, and a current flowing between the electrodes during operation is detected. It is determined whether the current value is normal and the current value is 30 μA or more. If the current value is lower than 30 μA due to abnormality, the process proceeds to ST8.
Proceed to.

In ST8, the discharge counter electrode 1 of the dust collection unit 11
When a large amount of dust or the like adheres between the discharge electrode 2 and the discharge electrode 13 and a spark discharge occurs between the two electrodes, the air purifying device 30 is stopped for the purpose of fire prevention. In this case, the process proceeds to ST9. If an overcurrent occurs and the current value is higher than 200 microA, the cleaner lamp 19 is turned on quickly in ST14 and the process proceeds to ST11.
In ST9, the operation of the air conditioner is determined. If the operation is stopped, the ion generator 16 and the air cleaning device 30 are also stopped in ST15, and if the operation is continued, the process returns to ST2.

In steps ST10 and ST11, the cleaner lamp 19 and the cleaner relay 32 are stopped in response to the ion cleaner switch 35 OFF and the fan 9 being stopped.
In ST13, the ion lamp 20 and the ion relay 29 are stopped, and the process proceeds to ST9 to repeat these operations until the operation is stopped.

As described above, when negative ions are generated by the operation of the ion generator 16, the dust collection unit 11 of the air purifier 30 is always operated to remove dust in the air, and the indoor unit 1 itself and peripheral walls are dusted. No contamination and no generation of positive ions harmful to the human body.
Further, when the dust collection unit 11 comes off or an abnormal stop occurs due to the flow of an overcurrent, the ion generator 16 also stops, so that the indoor unit itself and surrounding walls are not contaminated with dust.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, when negative ions are generated by the operation of the ion generator, the air purifier is always operated to remove dust in the air, and the indoor unit itself and surrounding walls are dust-free. And no harmful positive ions were generated. Also, when the dust collection unit comes off or an abnormal stop occurs due to the flow of overcurrent, the ion generator also stops, so that the indoor unit itself and surrounding walls and the like are not contaminated with dust.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the dust collection unit.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the air volume and the amount of negative ions.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the control circuit.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 indoor unit 4 suction port 6 outlet 9 fan 11 dust collection unit 15 display unit 17 radiation electrode

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An air supply path in a housing includes a heat exchanger for cooling and heating, an electrostatic dust collection unit of an air cleaning device, and a fan,
An air conditioner, wherein a radiation electrode of an ion generator is provided in or near the air blowing path, and the ion generator is operated and stopped in conjunction with operation and stop of the air cleaning device. 2. A cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger for cooling and heating, an electrostatic dust collecting unit of an air cleaning device, and a fan in a ventilation path in the housing.
A radiation electrode of the ion generator is provided near the ventilation path or the ventilation path, and current detection means for detecting the current of the dust collection unit is provided. An air conditioner characterized in that the device is stopped and the ion generator is stopped.