JPH1130437A - Wireless remote controller for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the visual confirmation property and reduce cost without inviting any enlargement of the size of an indicating unit by a method wherein letters and symbols, which show predetermined fundamental setting contents among the setting contents, are indicated fixedly at predetermined positions and when the setting contents are changed, the setting contents after changing are shown by emphasizing them. SOLUTION: When a fundamental operation mode is switched into cooling operation, for example, the letters of cooling are indicated in the operation mode indicating unit 42a of a first indicating area 42 while the letters of cooling, which are larger than those, which are indicated in the first indicating area 42, are indicated in a second indicating area 43 while being flashed for a predetermined period of time. Then, after the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the indication is returned to normal indication, in which a set temperature and the like are indicated, again and, thereafter, the normal indication is continued until the indication is switched next time. Accordingly, when the set content of the operation mode is changed, the changed content is indicated in the first indicating area 42 and the same content is indicated in the second indicating area 43 also for a predetermined period of time whereby the change of the set content can be known easily by a user thereby improving the visual confirmation property of a liquid crystal indicating unit 22.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless remote controller for an air conditioner for remotely controlling the operation of an air conditioner, and more particularly to a display unit for displaying various setting contents of an operation mode of the air conditioner on a liquid crystal or the like. Regarding improvement.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of wireless remote controller for an air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as "remote controller") sets various operation modes of the air conditioner by pressing various operation buttons, and the air conditioner according to the set contents. Is remotely controlled, and the settings are displayed on a display such as a liquid crystal display.

[0003]

However, in recent years, the number of items indicating the setting contents of the operation mode has increased with the expansion of the functions of the air conditioner, etc., so that the size of the liquid crystal display unit for displaying the setting contents has been increased. This leads to an increase in the size and cost of the remote control itself.

On the other hand, in order to prevent an increase in the size of the liquid crystal display, notations such as characters indicating many setting contents become small,
There is a problem that it becomes difficult to see.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of improving visibility and reducing costs without increasing the size of a display unit. It is an object to provide a wireless remote controller for use.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
An operation unit for remotely controlling the operation of the air conditioner body,
A wireless remote controller for an air conditioner having a display unit for displaying the setting contents of the operation set by the operation of the operation unit, wherein the display unit includes characters indicating predetermined basic setting contents of the setting contents. And a second display area for fixedly displaying characters and symbols at predetermined positions and a second display area for highlighting the changed setting contents when the setting contents are changed.
And a display area.

According to the present invention, when the setting content is changed, the changed setting content is emphasized and displayed in the second display area, so that the change of the setting content is urged to the user to improve the visibility. It can be further improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the second display area always displays the second set contents other than the first set contents displayed in the first display area when the set contents are not changed. Then, when the setting content is changed, the changed content is displayed by an enlarged character or an enlarged symbol for a predetermined time, and thereafter, the display is returned to the constant display again.

According to the present invention, in addition to the operation of the first aspect of the present invention, predetermined setting contents other than the basic setting contents are always displayed in the second display area. Need not be displayed in the display area. Therefore, the display space of the first display area can be saved correspondingly, so that the notation of the first display area can be enlarged and the visibility can be improved.

The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the first display area is formed of a liquid crystal pattern on which characters and symbols are printed in advance, and the second display area is formed of a dot matrix liquid crystal pattern.

According to the present invention, in addition to the function of the first aspect, the second display area is formed of a dot matrix liquid crystal pattern, so that the display content can be switched only by changing the display program of the remote controller. Can be.

According to the present invention, when the timer operation is set, the timer end time is displayed in the first display area, and the remaining time until the timer end time is displayed in the second display area. It is characterized in that it is configured to display.

According to the present invention, in addition to the operation of the first or second aspect, the remaining time until the timer end time is displayed in the second display area, so that the user can display the remaining time until the timer end time. It is convenient because there is no need to calculate

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a setting content confirmation button for confirming the setting content set by the operation of the work unit, and when the setting content confirmation button is operated, the first display is performed. The setting content displayed in the area is enlarged and displayed in the second display area.

According to the present invention, in addition to the operation of the first aspect, when the setting content confirmation button is operated, for example, the setting items displayed small in the first display area are enlarged, and the second setting items are enlarged. Is displayed in the display area, the setting contents can be easily and surely confirmed by looking at the enlarged display of the second display area, and the visibility can be improved.

[0016] The invention according to claim 6 has a setting content confirmation button for confirming the setting content set by operating the operation unit, and when the setting content confirmation button is operated, the first display is performed. After the display content displayed in the area is enlarged and displayed in the second display area, the setting content is sequentially displayed at predetermined time intervals.

According to the present invention, the setting contents are sequentially enlarged and displayed at predetermined time intervals, so that detailed setting contents other than the basic setting can be easily confirmed.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a setting content confirmation button for confirming the setting content set by operating the operation unit, and when the setting content confirmation button is operated, the first display is displayed. After the display content displayed in the area is enlarged and displayed in the second display area, the setting content is sequentially displayed at predetermined time intervals, and is made different depending on the setting content for displaying the predetermined time length.

According to the present invention, the duration of the enlarged display is made different according to the setting contents. Therefore, if the setting time of the important setting contents is made longer and the display time of the other detailed contents is made shorter, the setting time becomes longer. The time required for content confirmation can be shortened.

[0020] The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the second display area is configured to display predetermined setting contents in a moving image by sequentially displaying a plurality of figures.

According to the present invention, in addition to the operation of the first aspect of the present invention, for a predetermined setting such as an air cleaning operation mode, for example, a state before and after the air conditioner sucks in dust and the like is represented by a plurality of figures. Since the moving image is displayed by sequentially displaying the moving image, the predetermined setting contents can be strongly appealed to the user.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In these figures, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference characters.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an air conditioner 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioner 1 is configured by connecting an outdoor unit 3 to an indoor unit 2 by a refrigerant pipe 4, and by transmitting a control signal from a wireless remote controller 6 to a receiving unit 5 of the indoor unit 2 by infrared rays or the like,
The operation of the air conditioner 1 is remotely controlled as instructed by the control signal.

The indoor unit 2 has a suction port 9 formed in the upper front part of a front panel 8 mounted on the rear panel body 7, and an air outlet 10 for conditioned air formed in the lower front part. The air outlet 10 is provided with a left and right wind direction adjusting plate 10a and a vertical wind direction adjusting plate 10b so as to be swingable. The outdoor unit 3 has, for example, a
1, the suction port 12 is formed in the back surface and the side surface, respectively.

FIG. 2 shows an air conditioner 1 constructed as described above.
FIG. 1 is a refrigeration cycle diagram of the air conditioner 1. FIG. Thus, a refrigeration cycle in which the refrigerant is reversibly circulated by sequentially connecting the refrigerant pipes 4 in this order is constructed. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 20 denotes a room temperature sensor for detecting room temperature.

The refrigerating cycle is operated by switching the four-way valve 14 to circulate the refrigerant in the direction of the solid line arrow in the drawing, thereby performing the cooling operation, and circulating the refrigerant in the direction of the broken line arrow in the drawing to perform the heating operation.

FIG. 3 is an external front view of the remote controller 6. The remote controller 6 has a liquid crystal display section 22 on one front end of an elongated flat rectangular remote controller case 21 and an operation section 23 slightly below the figure. Are arranged respectively.

The operation unit 23 is a run / stop button 24 of a reversing switch button for repeatedly selecting operation and stop each time the button is pressed, a temperature setting button 25 for increasing temperature, a temperature setting button 26 for decreasing temperature, and healthy dehumidification (dry). An operation button 27, a clear button 28, an operation switching button 29 for sequentially switching each time a basic operation mode such as cooling, heating, or drying is pressed, a wind direction setting button 30, an air volume setting button 31, a sleep operation button 3
2, a reset button 33, a basic mode switching button 34 as a selection means for selecting a basic setting return mode and an operation content storage mode, an air laundry button 35 for selecting an air cleaning operation, a setting content confirmation button 36, an input timer button. 37, an off timer button 38, a timer time setting button 39, a timer reservation button 40, and the like. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 41 denotes a battery which is a power supply of the remote controller 6.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the liquid crystal display section 22 of the remote controller 6. The liquid crystal display unit 22 displays various setting contents of the operation mode of the air conditioner 1 set by the operation of the remote control operation unit 23 on a liquid crystal. The first liquid crystal display unit 22 has a U-shape in the figure. It has a display area 42 and a rectangular second display area 43 provided in the U-shaped opening of the first display area 42.

The first display area 42 is a portion on which predetermined setting contents such as a basic operation mode are displayed, and is composed of a liquid crystal pattern on which predetermined characters and symbols are printed, and displays the basic operation mode. Operation mode display section 42a
And a timer time display section 42b for displaying the time when the timer enters and the time for the timer to expire, an air volume display section 42c for displaying the air volume and the like, and an operation current display for displaying the operation current of the air conditioner 1. And a portion 42d.

Each time the operation switching button 29 is pressed, the operation mode display section 42a sequentially switches, for example, automatically (operation) → cooling (operation) → dry (operation) → heating (operation) → automatic (operation). This is the part that appears on click.

The timer time display section 42b displays the time when the operation of the air conditioner 1 during which operation is stopped is started by a predetermined operation of the ON timer button 37, the OFF timer button 38, the timer time setting button 39, and the timer reservation button 40. And a time at which the operation of the air conditioner 1 during operation is stopped.

Each time the air volume setting button 31 is pressed, the air volume display section 42c is a section for sequentially switching from automatic → quiet → light wind → weak wind → strong wind → automatic to display in a cyclic manner.
The light and strong winds are displayed not by characters but by the number of small, medium, and large block-shaped body notations.

On the other hand, the second display area 43 is composed of a dot matrix liquid crystal pattern, and the display contents are switched by a display program of a remote controller. The setting contents displayed in the first display area 42 The setting contents other than the above, for example, the set temperature are always displayed in characters larger than the display in the first display area 42. When the user operates the remote controller to switch the basic operation mode or the like displayed in the first display area 42, the display is switched to the switched setting and displayed. After that, the set temperature is always displayed again.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the basic operation mode is switched to cooling (operation), the word "cooling" is displayed on the operation mode display section 42a of the first display area 42, and A cooling character larger than the cooling character is blinked in the second display area 43 for a predetermined time (for example, three seconds).

After the elapse of the predetermined time, FIG.
As shown in (5), the display returns to the normal display for displaying the set temperature (for example, 24 ° C.) and the normal display is continued until the next switching display.

FIG. 6A shows a display example of the liquid crystal display unit 22 when the air volume is switched to a light air volume, for example. In this case, the air volume display section 42 of the first display area 42
c, the character of the air volume and one small block-like body notation 42 _c1 representing the breeze are displayed, and the second display area 43
Then, the character "breeze" is displayed in a large font by blinking for a predetermined time.

After a predetermined period of time, the display returns to the normal display for displaying the set temperature (for example, 24 ° C.) as shown in FIG. 5B, and the normal display is continued until the next switching display.

Therefore, when the set contents of the operation mode are changed, the changed contents are displayed on the first display area 42 and also on the second display area 43 for a predetermined time, and are displayed in large size. Therefore, the user can easily know the change of the setting content. That is, the visibility of the liquid crystal display unit 22 is improved.

In the second display area 43, when the set content confirmation button 36 is pressed, the set contents set up to that time are sequentially displayed one by one at predetermined time intervals. I'm going back.

FIGS. 7A to 7C show display examples of the second display area 43 in such a case. That is, when the setting content confirmation button 36 is pressed, as shown in FIG. 7 (A), various setting contents set so far, for example, large characters of cooling, are first set in the second display area 43. The time is displayed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7 (B), a large breeze character is displayed for a predetermined time in place of the character for cooling, and thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7 (C), the set temperature (24 ° C.) is again set. Return to the normal display shown.

Therefore, the contents set so far can be confirmed by the large characters in the second display area 43.

The second display area 43 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (A) and (B), for example, when the air laundry button 35 is pressed to set the air cleaning operation, a graphic image of the air cleaning operation, for example, the indoor unit 2 is indicated by a number of points. A plurality of drawings showing states before and after dust is sucked are sequentially displayed in chronological order to display moving images.

Therefore, it is possible to easily and strongly appeal to the user the functions, functions and effects of the special merit operation such as the air cleaning operation.

In the above embodiment, the setting contents are sequentially displayed at predetermined time intervals after the setting contents confirmation button 36 is pressed. However, the display time may be changed in accordance with the type of the setting contents. Display time of dynamic operation mode,
By shortening the other setting contents, the time required for confirming the setting contents can be shortened.

[0047]

As described above, according to the present invention, the setting contents of the operation mode of the air conditioner are displayed in the first display area and the second display area, respectively, so that all the setting contents are displayed in the first display area. When only the area is displayed, it is possible to prevent the notation indicating those setting contents from being reduced and the visibility to be reduced. On the other hand, when displaying all the setting contents only in the second display area, this is set. It is possible to prevent an increase in the size of the remote control itself and an increase in cost due to an increase in the size of the second display area.

When the set contents are changed, the changed contents are also displayed in the second display area, so that the change of the set contents can be urged to the user to further improve the visibility.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a partially cutaway overall configuration of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a refrigeration cycle diagram of the air conditioner shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary front view showing the entire remote controller shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of a liquid crystal display unit of the remote controller shown in FIG.

5A and 5B show an example of a display on a liquid crystal display unit of the remote controller shown in FIG. 4, in which FIG. 5A is a front view of the display unit showing an example of a display when switching to a cooling operation, and FIG. A)
The front view of the display part which shows an example of the normal display switched after the display of (1).

6A and 6B show an example of a display by the remote control display unit shown in FIG. 4, in which FIG. 6A is a front view of the display unit showing an example of a display when the mode is switched to the breeze operation, and FIG. The front view of the display part which shows an example of the normal display switched after the display of (1).

FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C are front views of a remote control display unit showing, in chronological order, an example of a display when a setting content confirmation button is pressed.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are front views of a remote control display unit, each showing an example of display when an image of the air cleaning operation is displayed as a moving image in a second display area.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air conditioner 6 Remote control 22 Liquid crystal display part of remote control 42 First display area 43 Second display area

Claims (8)

[Claims] A wireless remote controller for an air conditioner, comprising: an operation unit for remotely controlling the operation of the air conditioner main body; and a display unit for displaying the operation setting contents set by operation of the operation unit. The display unit includes a first display area for fixedly displaying characters and symbols indicating predetermined basic setting contents of the setting contents at a predetermined position, and a change area when the setting contents are changed. And a second display area for highlighting later setting contents. 2. The second display area constantly displays second setting contents other than the first setting contents displayed in the first display area when the setting contents are not changed, and the setting contents are changed. 2. The wireless remote controller for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein when the change is made, the contents of the change are displayed by an enlarged character or an enlarged symbol for a predetermined time, and thereafter, the display returns to the constant display again. 3. The air according to claim 1, wherein the first display area is formed of a liquid crystal pattern on which characters and symbols are printed in advance, and the second display area is formed of a dot matrix liquid crystal pattern. Wireless remote control for harmony machine. 4. When a timer operation is set, the timer end time is displayed in a first display area,
The wireless remote controller for an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the remaining time until the timer end time is displayed in a second display area. 5. A setting content confirmation button for confirming a setting content set by an operation of an operation unit, and is displayed in a first display area when the setting content confirmation button is operated. The wireless remote controller for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the setting content is enlarged and displayed in the second display area. 6. A setting content confirmation button for confirming the setting content set by operating the operation unit, and when the setting content confirmation button is operated, the setting content is displayed in the first display area. The wireless remote controller for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein, after the display content is enlarged and displayed in the second display area, the setting content is sequentially displayed at predetermined time intervals. 7. A setting content confirmation button for confirming the setting content set by operating the operation unit, and is displayed in the first display area when the setting content confirmation button is operated. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein, after the display content is enlarged and displayed in the second display area, the setting content is sequentially displayed at predetermined time intervals, and the setting content for displaying the predetermined time is made different depending on the setting content. Wireless remote control. 8. The second display area displays a predetermined setting content.
The wireless remote controller for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a moving image is displayed by sequentially displaying a plurality of figures.