KR20080025206A - Indoor unit of air-conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

Suction ports 4 and 6 and a blowoff port 9 are equipped on a ventilation passage between the suction ports 4 and 6 and blowoff port 9, a heat exchanger 10 and a blower 13 are arranged to an indoor unit proper 1, and air filters 11A and 11B are mounted between the suction port and the heat exchanger. In addition, a ventilation unit 15 which discharges indoor air to the outside is equipped, and air filters have a sweeping unit Z which removes dust adhering to the air filter surfaces and collects it in a dust box. The ventilation unit has a fan casing on which an intake port 31 and an exhaust port 32 are provided, an exhaust fan 35, and a connection hose 55 which communicates with a dust box of the sweeping unit and the ventilation unit, wherein the head end portion of the connection hose is connected to the outer circumferential portion upstream of the exhaust port of the fan casing. ® KIPO & WIPO 2008

Description

Indoor unit of air conditioner {INDOOR UNIT OF AIR-CONDITIONER}

The present invention relates to an exhaust structure for removing dust from an indoor unit of an air conditioner, particularly an air filter, and discharging the removed dust to the outside.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner, indoor air is sucked from the intake port into the indoor unit main body, and dust contained in the indoor air is captured by an air filter installed opposite to the intake port, and only indoor air is guided to the heat exchanger to exchange heat. As in the continuous air conditioning operation, the trapped dust accumulates on the air filter, and if left as it is, the flow of indoor air to the heat exchanger is disturbed and the heat exchange efficiency is lowered.

Ideally, dust adhering to the air filter is regularly removed and the heat exchange efficiency is improved. Therefore, the front panel constituting the front surface of the indoor unit main body is rotatably installed, and the air filter is exposed when the front panel is opened. By grasping and pulling the lower end of the air filter, the air filter can be easily removed from the indoor unit. After removing the dust adhering to the air filter, the upper end of the air filter can be brought into contact with the indoor unit body and pushed against the indoor unit body to return it to its original position.

However, in general, the indoor unit of the air conditioner is usually used as a wall-mounted and mounted on the wall of the high position of the room. Thus, for example, in the case of the elderly and the female, opening and closing of the front panel and detaching and detaching of the filter can be difficult, and it is easy to leave the air filter with dust as it is.

Therefore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2004-138329 and 2004-278923 use an air filter as a dust removing means to trap dust contained in indoor air, and automatically remove and remove dust attached to the air filter. An air conditioner provided with means for discharging dust outdoors.

According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-138329, an exhaust unit for discharging a part of the air in the main unit to the outside is installed inside the indoor unit main body, and the dust attached to the air filter on the exhaust path of the exhaust unit is recovered. Dust collection box is installed. The dust attached to the air filter is collected in the dust collection box, and the dust inside the dust collection box is discharged to the outside by the exhaust means.

In more detail, it is preferable to divide the dust recovery box into a plurality of boxes facing the air filter, and these dust recovery boxes communicate with each other in series from the upstream side to the downstream side of the exhaust path of the exhaust means. By the exhaust fan constituting the exhaust means, the dust accumulated in the dust collection box is guided to the exhaust pipe and discharged to the outside.

However, in the above-described technique, the dust accumulated in the dust collection box is blown by the air supplied from the exhaust fan and guided to the exhaust pipe. That is, since the wind pressure of the exhaust fan is directly applied to the dust inside the dust box, the dust inside the dust box is stirred. Under this condition, the dust cannot be smoothly guided to the exhaust pipe having a smaller cross-sectional area than the dust box, and the connection between the dust box and the exhaust pipe can be blocked.

If dust is blocked at the connection, the supplied dust accumulates, and eventually the connection is completely closed. Since the operation of the exhaust fan continues under this state, the wind pressure of the exhaust fan is applied to the brush which is the dust removing means. This causes the dust removed by the brush to flow back into the housing, which is filled with dust and attached to the heat exchanger and the exhaust fan, or the dust is scattered from the inlet or outlet to the room.

In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-278923, the indoor unit of the air conditioner is composed of at least a heat exchanger and a blower, and is provided with an intake and exhaust device for sucking and discharging air, and further from an intake duct and an intake and exhaust device communicating with the intake and exhaust device. An exhaust duct for discharging air to the outside is provided, and the intake and exhaust device is formed by a centrifugal blower incorporating a motor and a casing surrounding the centrifugal blower.

By arranging the intake and exhaust device on the side of the indoor unit, the contaminated air in the interior can be exhausted to the outside by passing the air through the intake duct, the intake and exhaust device with the centrifugal blower, and the exhaust duct in turn, and also the filter Dust adhering to the filter can be removed and cleaning of this filter can be carried out automatically.

However, in the method of discharging dust using such a centrifugal blower, in consideration of the purpose of use, it is impossible to provide a dedicated filter on the suction side of the intake and exhaust device provided with the centrifugal blower. Therefore, the dust removed from the filter is guided into the intake and exhaust apparatus, and the dust is easily attached to the intake and exhaust apparatus inner wall and the centrifugal blower.

When used for a long time, a large amount of dust adheres and accumulates on the blades of the centrifugal fan constituting the centrifugal blower. In particular, since the multi-blade centrifugal fan has a large number of fans and the clearance between the blades is narrow, it is clogged with dust accumulated between the blades, and this effect does not ensure the originally intended exhaust air flow rate and exhaust characteristics. Raises the issue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and an object of the present invention is to automatically remove dust attached to an air filter, and to remove the removed dust by the ventilation unit to discharge it to the outside, thereby clogging during discharge. It is to provide an indoor unit of the air conditioner to smoothly achieve the exhaust action, and to prevent contamination by dust of the ventilation unit including the heat exchanger and the blower.

In order to achieve the above object, the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention is an indoor unit body having an inlet and an outlet, an air disposed in the ventilation path between the inlet and the outlet of the indoor unit and trapping dust contained in the indoor air. It includes a filter, an exhaust unit for sucking indoor air into the indoor unit body and discharging it to the outside, and an air filter cleaner mechanism for removing dust attached to the surface of the air filter. The exhaust unit has an intake port for sucking air for ventilation on the side, and a fan casing having an exhaust port at a circumferential end thereof, an exhaust fan accommodated in the fan casing, and a fan connected to the exhaust fan and rotating the exhaust fan. Contains a motor. The air filter cleaning mechanism includes a removal means for removing dust trapped in the air filter from the air filter and a connection hose for discharging the dust removed by the removal means, and the distal end of the connection hose is connected to the fan casing of the exhaust unit. It is connected to the outer peripheral surface part on the upstream side rather than the exhaust port provided.

In addition, the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the present invention includes an air inlet and an air outlet, which is mounted in the ventilation path between the air inlet and the air outlet, and traps dust contained in the indoor air, dust attached to the surface of the air filter. It includes an air filter cleaner mechanism for removing the exhaust unit for discharging the removed dust to the outside.

The exhaust unit has an exhaust port at the circumferential end and an opening provided in a surface portion other than the projection side of the exhaust fan, and is composed of a fan casing formed in a scroll shape along the circumferential surface, a centrifugal fan, and the exhaust fan accommodated in the fan casing and the exhaust fan. It is connected to the fan and includes a fan motor for rotating the exhaust fan. The air filter cleaner mechanism includes a connection hose for dust discharge communicating with the fan casing of the exhaust unit.

According to the present invention, the effect of removing the dust attached to the air filter and quickly and smoothly discharging the removed dust to the outside, preventing the contamination by the dust of the ventilation unit having a heat exchanger and a blower as well as other effects can be achieved. have.

The advantages of the present invention will be described in detail below, and can be obtained by means described below and combinations thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which constitute the present invention, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and the following detailed description thereof illustrates the subject matter of the invention.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a perspective view showing one side portion of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment;

3 is a side view of the indoor unit according to the first embodiment in which the indoor unit main body is removed;

4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the connection of the hose connecting portion of the cleaning unit according to the first embodiment;

5 is a perspective view partially showing a cross section of one side of the cleaning unit according to the first embodiment;

6 is an exploded perspective view of the ventilation unit according to the first embodiment,

7 is a sectional view of a ventilation unit and a periphery according to the first embodiment,

8 is a perspective view showing one surface side of a ventilation unit according to the first embodiment;

9 is a front view of the inside of the ventilation unit according to the first embodiment when the secondary side air ventilation mode is selected,

10 is a front view of the inside of the ventilation unit according to the first embodiment when the ventilation damper full close mode is selected (and also when the cleaning unit is in operation);

11A is a schematic structural diagram of a ventilation unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

11B is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the fan casing of the ventilation unit according to the second embodiment,

12 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the ventilation unit according to the second embodiment,

13 is a schematic configuration diagram of a ventilation unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

14A is an operation explanatory diagram of the third embodiment;

14B is a view for explaining a comparative example of the operation of the third embodiment;

15A is a partial perspective view of a ventilation unit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention and

15B is a perspective view showing a part of the ventilation unit is omitted.

The first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner schematically shown.

FIG. 2 is a side view in which the front panel of the indoor unit main body 1 is removed to show the inside, and FIG. 3 is a side view in which the rear panel housing of the indoor unit main body 1 is removed. (The same applies below).

The indoor unit main body 1 consists of the front panel 2 and the rear panel housing 3, and is formed in a horizontally long shape. The front suction opening 4 opened to a part of the front side of the front panel 2 is opened, and the movable panel supported by the opening and closing drive mechanism is fitted. When the operation is stopped, the movable panel is flush with the front panel 2 and closes the front inlet 4. At the time of operation, the front panel is controlled to protrude to the ice side to form a clearance with the main body side, and to open the front suction port 4.

The upper inlet 6 is installed above the front panel 2 and the rear panel housing 3. A framed bar 7 is fitted into the upper inlet 6, whereby a plurality of spaces are formed. In the lower part of the movable panel, two blowout louvers 8a and 8b are provided in parallel. Each blowout louver 8a, 8b opens and closes the blowout opening 9 provided in the front lower part of the indoor unit main body 1, and sets the blowout direction of the heat-exchanged air according to operating conditions.

In the indoor unit main body 1, the heat exchanger 10 formed in substantially inverted V shape by the front side heat exchanger unit 10A and the rear side heat exchanger unit 10B is arrange | positioned. The front side heat exchanger unit 10A is formed in a substantially parallel curved shape with a clearance to the front panel 2, and the rear side heat exchanger unit 10B is inclined to face the upper inlet 6 in an almost upright position.

On the other hand, between the front suction port 4 and the front side heat exchanger unit 10A, a suction frame assembly Sa having the front air filter 11A is located. Between the upper suction port 6 and the upper heat exchange unit 10B, the upper frame assembly Sb provided with the upper air filter 11B is mounted. These frame assemblies Sa and Sb are formed with a main frame portion and a filter holding frame, and are assembled with each other with associated air filters 11A and 11B interposed therebetween.

A pair of rolls 50 are rotatably supported in parallel to the longitudinal direction at both ends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of each frame assembly Sa and Sb, and on these rolls 50, air filters 11A, Feed bands are provided on both sides of 11B). A drive mechanism is connected to one roll 50 side end of each of the frame assemblies Sa and Sb to rotate the roll in response to a control signal.

The above-mentioned conveying band is a so-called belt type, and travels without permission when the roll 50 rotates. Each air filter 11A, 11B is provided in a semicircle for the entire circumference of the conveying band, respectively, and forms an area shape opposite to each of the inlets 4, 6. Along with the clearance between the upper end of the suction frame assembly Sa and the front end of the upper frame assembly Sb, an air filter cleaner (hereinafter referred to as "cleaning unit") Z, which will be described later, is provided.

The electrostatic precipitator is provided in close contact with a part of the front side of the front side heat exchanger unit 10A of the heat exchanger 10. The electrostatic precipitator is composed of a charged side electrode which charges dust in the circulation air and a dust collecting side electrode which attracts and captures the charged dust.

An indoor blower 13 formed in an umbrella shape is disposed between the front and rear heat exchanger units 10A and 10B of the heat exchanger 10. The indoor blower 13 is comprised with the fan motor and the crossflow fan which one spindle was mechanically connected to the rotating shaft of this fan motor.

An exhaust unit (hereinafter referred to as an "ventilation unit") 15, which is provided adjacent to one end of the indoor blower 13 and has an axis located on an extension of the axis, is provided (Fig. In 1, the ventilation unit 15 is schematically shown).

The lower end of the front side heat exchanger unit 10A is located on the front drain pan 16a, and the lower end of the rear side heat exchanger unit 10B is located on the rear drain pan 16b, so as to provide respective heat exchanger units ( Effluent water from 10A, 10B is received and the effluent is discharged outdoors through a drain hose (not shown).

Some side wall outer surfaces of the front and rear drain fans 16a and 16b are installed at positions close to the indoor blower 13, and noses are formed for the crossflow fan of the indoor blower 13. The clearance between the edge of the outlet 9 and the side wall portions forming the noses of the front and rear drain pans 16a and 16b is connected by the partition member 17. The enclosed space of the partition member 17 forms the discharge ventilation path 18 which connects a nose with the blower outlet 9.

First, the ventilation unit 15 will be described in detail.

6 is an exploded perspective view of the ventilation unit 15, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the ventilation unit 15 and the periphery, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one side of the ventilation unit 15.

One side of the ventilation unit 15 is formed from the unit base 20, and the other side is formed from the blower mechanism 30. The damper 40 and the damper drive mechanism 45 are provided between the unit base 20 and the blower mechanism 30, and the ventilation unit 15 is formed by these.

The unit base 20 described above is provided with a vertical portion 20a, an inclined portion 20b and a horizontal portion 20c. The vertical portion 20a is formed in a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the side and coincides with the shape of the umbrella assembly of the front side heat exchanger unit 10A and the rear side heat exchanger unit 10B constituting the heat exchanger 10. do. The side end part of the heat exchanger 10 is located on the horizontal part 20c, and a gap is formed in the site | part which opposes the inclination part 20b.

The circular attachment opening 21 is provided in the substantially center part of the vertical part 20a, and the rib 22 which protrudes on the inner surface side of the vertical part 20a is attached along the circumferential surface of this opening part. On the outer surface side along the circumferential edge of the attachment opening 21, a reinforcing rib 23 is provided in the radial direction. On the inner surface side of the vertical portion 20a, a plurality of (7) complete closing parts 24 are provided along a substantially semicircular portion of the attachment opening 21 at predetermined intervals. A part of the completely closed piece 24 is opened, and this opening is called the second vent 25.

The bearing 26 is fixed by the opening part 21 for attachment of the vertical part 20a, and the bearing part 27 is comprised by these. This bearing part 27 pivotally supports one spindle h of the cross flow fan 13F which comprises the indoor blower 13. As shown in FIG. Two stays 28a are protrudingly mounted on the inner surface side of the vertical portion 20a, and the pinions 46 constituting the damper drive mechanism 45 are rotatably fitted to these supports 28a. do.

A plurality of struts 28b are provided in the vicinity of the strut 28a. A screw hole is mounted from the projecting end face of each strut 28b, and a fixing screw m is mounted to fix the blower mechanism 30 driven. Only the support | pillar 28b near the one-side closed part 24 for complete closure adjoins a circumference part, and the accommodating part 29 is integrally provided. The accommodating portion 29 is fixedly mounted with a drive motor 7 constituting the damper drive mechanism 45, and a drive gear 48 connected to the rotational shaft of the drive motor is also rotatably supported.

On the outer circumferential surface of the rib 22, a hole portion 41 provided at the center of the damper 40 is rotatably fitted. The damper 40 is formed to have a substantially disk-shaped cross section along the radial direction from the hole 41, and the gear unit 42 is formed along a circular peripheral edge. Two pinion 46 and drive gear 48 mesh with gear unit 42.

Between the hole part 41 of the damper 40 and the outer peripheral gear unit 42, the some guide ventilation opening 43 is provided in one part of the circumferential direction. These guide vents 43 have opening sizes and shapes that perfectly match the secondary vents 25 mounted in the vertical portion 20a of the unit base. Bars n between the guide ventilation ports 43 are set equal to the mutual spacing of the completely closed piece 24.

The damper 40 forms a clearance with the inner surface of the vertical portion 20a in a fitted state to the rib 22, and one side of the damper 40 is slidably in contact with the end edge of the one-piece closing portion 24 for complete closure. . Therefore, except for the state where the guide ventilation opening 43 of the damper 40 faces the secondary ventilation opening 25 of the vertical portion 20a, each secondary ventilation opening 25 is formed by the damper 40. It is closed.

The blower mechanism 30 has a fan casing 33 and a fan casing 33 having a rectangular exhaust port 32 protrudingly mounted along the circumferential end thereof, and having an inlet 31 opened to the side of the damper 40. It consists of the fan motor 34 attached to the opposite side of 31, and the fan 35 mounted on the rotating shaft of this fan motor.

The fan 35 sucks air from the axial direction and blows it in the circumferential direction as it rotates, and the circumferential surface of the fan casing 33 is in the form of a scroll fan (multi blade type). Therefore, the fan 35 functions to suck air from the intake port 31 of the fan casing 33 and blow air from the exhaust port 32.

Since the blower mechanism 30 is mounted to the vertical portion 20a of the unit base 20 via the damper 40 and the damper drive mechanism 45, a clearance is provided between the blower mechanism 30 and the vertical portion 20a. exist. Moreover, the circumferential surface of the blowing mechanism 30 is provided with clearance in the inclination part 20b and the horizontal part 20c of the unit base 20, and especially has a big clearance in the triangular protrusion part of the unit base 20. As shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the exhaust port 32 of the fan casing 33 is inserted into the ventilation nipple 51 protrudingly mounted at the bottom rear corner of the indoor unit main body 1, as shown in FIG. A discharge hose (not shown) is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the ventilation nipple 51, and the discharge hose extends outdoors. In the vicinity of the ventilation nipple 51, a drain drain nipple 52 is provided in parallel, and a drain hose connected to the front drain pan 16a is inserted. A drain hose extended outdoors is also connected to the drain drain nipple 52.

Next, the cleaning unit Z will be described. 2 and 3 show part of the cleaning unit Z. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the connecting hose 55 and the connecting portion 56 of the cleaning unit Z, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the connecting portion 56.

The cleaning unit (Z) is ventilated with a rotary brush (B) connected to a rotary drive mechanism, a dust collecting box (part of which is shown) 57, which is a dust container surrounding the rotating brush (B), and the dust collecting box (57). It consists of a connection hose 55 provided across one end of the unit 15.

The dust collecting box 57 is formed by assembling a divider divided into a plurality of pieces, and surrounds the upper end of the suction frame assembly Sa and the front end of the upper frame assembly Sb. The brush B is rotatably housed in the dust box 57. The brush B is in contact with part of the front air filter 11A and the upper air filter 11B over the entire width direction.

In the cleaning unit Z, the rotary drive mechanism for driving the rotary brush B is mounted on the side (right side) on the side opposite to the portion shown in Figs. One end of the connection hose 55 is connected to the side part shown in each figure.

That is, the lower end of one side of the dust box 57 is protruded in the longitudinal direction, and an end-connector 58 and an end-connector fixture 59 are integrally installed. The end-connector 58 communicates with the dust collection box 57 and fits one end of the connecting hose 55. The end-connector fixture 59 is fixed to the unit base 20 of the ventilation unit 15 via the fixture.

The connecting hose 55 has a bend portion a in the middle portion, and the other end is inserted into the unit base 20 of the ventilation unit 15. 8 to 10, the position of the connection hose 55 with respect to the unit base 20 is schematically shown by a dashed line. The connection hose 55 which penetrates the unit base 20 opposes the fan casing 33 of the blowing mechanism 30. A guide is provided on a part of the circumferential surface of the fan casing 33, and the discharge case 60 is attached to the circumferential surface of the fan casing 33 while surrounding the guide.

The discharge case 60 is provided with a fixing portion c having the same shape as the circumferential shape of the fan casing 33, so that there is no airflow leakage from the clearance with the guide. An end-connector (b) is integrally provided on the surface opposite to the fixed portion (c) of the discharge case (60) so as to protrude integrally, and the other end of the connection hose (55) is connected. Inside the discharge case 60, a damper cover 61 is mounted between the fixing part c and the end-connector b, to which a backflow damper 61 is mounted. This backflow prevention damper 61 allows air flow from the connection hose 55 to the guide port (fixing part c), and prevents air flow from the guide port to the connection hose 55.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner configured as described above, when the operation switch of the remote controller is turned ON, the movable panel opens the front intake port 4 and the blowout louver provided in the blowout port 9 in response to the designation of cooling operation and heating operation. 8a and 8b are swinged and their posture is set. At the same time, the indoor blower 13 performs an air-distribution operation, and the compressor of the outdoor unit is driven to start the refrigeration cycle operation.

The indoor air is guided from the upper inlet port 6 and the front inlet port 4 to the indoor unit main body 1 and passes through the front air filter 11A and the upper air filter 11B. The dust contained in the indoor air is captured by these air filters 11A and 11B, and the indoor air from which the dust is removed passes through the heat exchanger 10 to perform a heat exchange operation. Thereafter, the heat-exchanged air is guided along the blow-out ventilation path 18, and then guided from the blow-out port 9 to the blow-out louvers 8a and 8b, blown out into the room, and continue the high efficiency air conditioning operation.

The ventilation unit 15 is designed to be switched to three types of modes: "secondary side air ventilation mode", "primary side air ventilation mode", and "ventilation damper full close mode". The secondary side and primary side designations refer to the air at the time of circulating the heat exchanger 10 on the basis of the heat exchanger 10, and the primary air is the air before circulating to the heat exchanger 10. Say.

When the clean operation mode is selected at the end of the air conditioning operation, the "secondary air ventilation mode" functions automatically. That is, immediately after stopping the cooling operation or the dehumidification operation, moisture (flowing water) adheres to the heat exchanger 10, and the indoor unit main body 1 becomes a high humidity atmosphere. If it is left as it is, the moisture attached to not only the heat exchanger 10 but also other components is a factor of corrosion or mold generation without evaporation. Therefore, the clean operation mode is selected to perform drying and sterilization operation in the indoor unit main body 1.

As shown in FIG. 9, the damper drive mechanism 45 of the ventilation unit 15 is operated to rotate the damper 40, thereby guiding ventilation guide 43 of the damper 40 and two of the unit base 20. It faces the car ventilation opening 25. Thereafter, the blowing mechanism 30 of the ventilation unit 15 is operated to suck the secondary air into the ventilation unit 15 through the secondary ventilation port 25, the guide ventilation port 43, and the exhaust port 31. It is taken out from the exhaust port 32.

Specifically, as shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 7, the secondary side air flows from the clearance between the outer surface of the inclined portion 20b of the unit base 20 and the heat exchanger 10, and the cross-flow fan of the vertical portion 20a. The secondary ventilation port 25 and the guide ventilation port 43 flow through the gap between the end faces of the 13F, are sucked from the inlet port 31 of the fan casing 33, and are taken out from the exhaust port 32.

When the ventilation mode provided in the remote controller is selected, the "primary side air ventilation mode" is automatically executed. The ventilation mode may be selected in parallel with the air conditioning operation or at the time of stopping the air conditioning operation. That is, the ventilation mode is selected when the indoor ventilation is performed during the cooling operation or the heating operation.

The damper drive mechanism 45 pivotally drives the damper 40, and the damper drive mechanism 45 is located when the guide vent hole 43 is located at a position not facing the secondary vent hole 25 of the unit base 20. ) Is stopped. The surface of the damper 45 is in contact with the end of the one-piece closing portion of the unit base 20, and the secondary ventilation port 25 is closed by the damper. On the other hand, a gap is formed between the circumferential surface of the blower mechanism 30 and each inner surface of the unit base 20 opposite to the side surface of the damper 40, and the guiding vent 43 communicates with these gaps.

Thereafter, the blower mechanism 30 is operated to suck the indoor air into the indoor unit main body 1 from the upper suction port 6 which is normally open. After the air passes through the air filters 11A and 11B, the dust is captured, and the ventilation unit 15 is used as the primary air before passing through the heat exchanger 10, as indicated by the broken arrow and the solid arrow in FIG. It is directly guided to, and is discharged to the outside from the exhaust port (32).

In addition, in the " secondary air ventilation mode " and " primary side air ventilation mode ", when the blowing pressure is applied from the fan casing 33 constituting the blowing mechanism 30 to the discharge case 60, the discharge case The backflow prevention damper 61 provided in 60 prevents the flow of airflow to the connection hose 55 side. Therefore, there is no backflow of airflow from the connecting hose 55 to the dust collecting box 57.

In addition, the ventilation unit 15 is in direct communication with the outdoors via a hose connected to the ventilation nipple 51. In the case where an extremely large amount of dust is released outdoors or a loud noise occurs at night, these dusts enter the ventilation mode 15 through a hose, which is likely to enter the interior through the indoor unit body 10. . In such a case, the "ventilation damper full closing mode" which selects the ventilation unit 15 in the fully closed state is selected.

10 shows the state of the damper 40 when the ventilation damper full close mode is selected. That is, the damper drive mechanism 45 rotates the damper 40 as a closing means, and the bar n between the guide ventilation openings 43 is the one-piece 24 for completely closing the vertical portion 20a of the unit base 20. The rotation of the damper 40 is stopped at the position opposite to the edge of the end. All the guide vents 43 are surrounded by the fully closed piece 24 and the ribs 22 of the unit base 20 and are fully closed, and the secondary vent 25 of the unit base 20 is closed. It is completely closed by the damper 40. That is, the inlet port 31 of the fan casing 33 is closed.

In this state, the dust and noise of the outside can be reliably prevented from entering the room through the ventilation unit 15 and the indoor unit main body 1, and the comfort can be improved. After the end of the aforementioned in-body clean operation mode and after the end of the normal air conditioning operation, the air conditioner is automatically set to achieve the above-mentioned full close mode. In addition, selecting the fully closed mode during the air conditioning operation is equivalent to the normal air conditioning operation.

Then, after the user operates the remote controller (remote control panel) to select the "air filter cleaning mode", or after the completion of the air conditioning operation every predetermined period, or the "air filter cleaning mode" at a predetermined time or a predetermined time period, or the like. "Is carried out.

In order to coincide with the start and timing of this air filter cleaning mode, the ventilation damper full close mode is selected. That is, the upper air filter 11B is driven to drive toward the cleaning unit Z, and at the same time, the brush B is rotated to rotate the brush surface in the same direction as the moving surface of the upper air filter 11B. The rotation speed of the brush B is set to be faster than the traveling speed of the upper air filter 11B.

Since the brushes B rotate faster than the upper air filter 11B, and the contact surfaces of each other rotate (run) in the same direction, there is no resistance between them, and dust adhering to the upper air filter 11B is smooth. Is scrapped.

When the removal of the dust on the upper air filter 11B is completed, the brush B is then driven in reverse rotation, and the front air filter 11A is driven in the same direction as the moving surface of the brush, and the front air filter Dust adhering to 11A is removed. At this time, since the rotation speed of the brush B is faster than the traveling speed of the front air filter 11A and the contact surfaces are rotated (run) so that the contact surfaces thereof are in the same direction, dust is smoothly scraped without resistance between them. .

When the removal of the dust to both air filters 11A and 11B is complete | finished, the blower mechanism 30 act | operates and the exhaust fan 35 is rotationally driven. On the other hand, since the intake port 31 of the fan casing 33 is closed by the ventilation damper full closing mode, the fan casing 33 is in a negative pressure state.

Under this influence, the inside of the discharge case 60 mounted through the guide hole of the fan casing 33 also becomes a negative pressure state. The non-return damper 61 mounted in the discharge case 60 allows guiding the air flow from the end connector b to the guide port side, and a negative pressure acts on the dust collected in the dust collecting box 57. The dust in the dust collecting box 57 moves toward the connecting hose 55 in the dust collecting box 57 and is guided to the connecting hose 55 from one end.

The dust in the connection hose 57 passes through the backflow prevention damper 61, is guided from the discharge case 60 into the fan casing 33 through the guide port, and is taken out of the exhaust port 32. All the dust is discharged to the outside smoothly through the ventilation nipple 51 and the discharge hose.

In this way, the cleaning unit Z is removed from the front and upper air filters 11A and 11B, and the dust collected in the dust collecting box 57 is discharged using the exhaust fan 35 of the ventilation unit 15. In other words, the ventilation unit 15 can be effectively used by performing indoor ventilation and the action of discharging the collected dust to the outdoors.

The connection position of the connection hose 55 provided in the cleaning unit Z with respect to the ventilation unit 15, that is, the position of the discharge case 60, is taken out of the exhaust fan 35 and the It is set upstream rather than the exhaust port 32. Therefore, the dust moved by the negative pressure of the blowing caused by the rotation of the ventilation fan 35 is not directly in contact with the exhaust fan 35 but is attracted and guided by the flow of airflow.

In the fan casing 33, dust flows along the centrifugal side of the exhaust fan 35 and is not attached to the blades constituting the exhaust fan 35. Thus, dust is reduced to reduce the capability of the exhaust fan or causes a failure and efficient dust discharge is performed.

In the exhaust fan 35, which is a centrifugal fan accommodated in the scroll fan casing 33, in the normal centrifugal fan, the exhaust fan (in the state in which the flow path connected to the bell mouse, which is the only intake port 31, is completely closed) Rotate 35). At this time, the air flow in the centrifugal direction from the inner circumference to the outer circumference of the original exhaust fan 35 does not occur, but an induction air flow that rotates together with the exhaust fan 35 occurs around the exhaust fan 35.

The induction airflow on the outer circumferential side of the exhaust fan 35 is mostly separated from the exhaust fan 35 at the nose portion of the fan casing 33, and exhaust airflow is generated. Thereafter, this exhaust air flow causes negative pressure in the fan casing 33, and the intake capacity 60 and the connection hose 55 provided on the scroll circumferential surface 33a of the fan casing 33 are attained intake capacity.

By using this phenomenon, the dust removed from the front air filter 11A and the upper air filter 11B is dropped into the connection hose 55 connected to the discharge case 60 to form the blades constituting the exhaust fan 35. Exhaust outside without contacting dust. That is, even if the exhaust fan 35 is limited to the dust exhaust discharge application, no clogging of dust occurs on the blade, and the blowing ability as the exhaust fan 35 is maintained for a long time.

Furthermore, the ventilation unit 15 has a means for closing the intake port 31 of the fan casing 33 (a damper drive mechanism 45 for driving the damper 40), and the cleaning unit Z is forward, The intake port 31 is closed during the operation of removing dust attached to the upper air filters 11A and 11B and discharging it to the outside. Therefore, the negative pressure degree of the backflow prevention damper 61 and the connection hose 55 connected to the outer peripheral surface of an upstream side rather than the exhaust port 32 is high, the dust suction ability becomes high and it becomes possible to discharge dust more effectively.

Further, in the above embodiment, the front air filter 11A and the upper air filter 11B are formed in roll shapes, respectively, and when the air filter is cleaned, the respective air filters 11A and 11B are driven and driven, and the brush B is used. A cleaning unit Z for rotating the dust to remove dust is provided, but is not limited thereto.

For example, the air filter cleaner may be formed such that the front air filter and the upper air filter are formed in a flat plate shape in accordance with the cross-sectional shape of the intake port, and the dust is removed by sequentially reciprocating each air filter with respect to the rotating brush. It may be provided or another configuration. Mainly, the structure removes dust from each air filter and collects it into the dust collecting box 57 which is a dust accommodating part, and guides the dust in this dust collecting box 57 to the ventilation unit 15 through the connection hose 55. As shown in FIG. It should be good.

11A and 11B show a second embodiment in the present invention, in particular the ventilation unit 15 for explaining the position of the connection hose 55 connected to the fan casing 33 in the ventilation unit 15. It is a schematic block diagram and a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the fan casing 33.

The fan casing 33 is formed in a scroll shape along the circumferential surface 33a, and has an inlet 31 for sucking air for ventilation on a side thereof, and an exhaust port 32 communicating with the outdoors at the circumferential end thereof is installed. It is. In the fan casing 33, the exhaust fan 35 of the above-described centrifugal fan type is accommodated, and as shown by a dashed-dotted line in FIG. It is.

The cleaning unit Z and the ventilation unit 15 communicate with each other via a connection hose 55. In addition, although the discharge case 60 is attached to the fan casing 33 which comprises the ventilation unit 15 in the above-mentioned 1st Example, and the connection hose 55 is connected to this discharge case 60, it is here In the following, the discharge case 60 is omitted to simplify the description.

As shown in FIG. 11A, dust is removed from the front air filter 11A and the upper air filter 11B arranged side by side by rotating the exhaust fan 35 in a counterclockwise direction, and the dust collecting box ( The dust collected in 57 is guided from the dust collecting box 57 to the connecting hose 55 and sucked into the fan casing 33.

The dust is guided to a position separated from the blade portion of the exhaust fan 35 by the above-described action, and is discharged from the exhaust port 32 to the outside. Therefore, in the same manner as described above, it is possible to maintain high blowing performance over a long period of time without clogging dust on the blade portion of the exhaust fan 35.

In this embodiment, the connection hose 55 is connected to the circumferential surface 33a formed in the scroll shape of the fan casing 33. That is, since the inlet port 31 is located in the fan casing 33 side part, it is unnecessary to connect the front end of the connection hose 35. Furthermore, it is not necessary to connect to the side surface facing the inlet port 31 or to the projection surface X of the exhaust fan 35 as shown by fine hatching in FIG. 11B.

The connection position with respect to the fan casing 35 of the said connection hose 55 is set in the surface part of the fan casing 33 other than the projection surface X of these intake port 31 and the exhaust fan 35. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the dust guided from the cleaning unit Z to the ventilation unit 15 through the connecting hose 55 is guided to a position separated from the exhaust fan 35 in the fan casing 33, and the exhaust fan 35 Do not attach or block the blade.

FIG. 12 shows a third embodiment according to the invention and is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the ventilation unit 15 for setting the position of the connection hose 55 connected to the fan casing 55 of the ventilation unit 15. .

As described in the previous second embodiment, the distal end of the connecting hose 55 to the fan casing 33 is an inlet 31 of the fan casing 33, a side facing the inlet 31, and an exhaust fan. It is connected to surface parts other than the projection surface X of (35). For this reason, in this case, the front end of the connection hose 55 is connected to one side (right side) side part 33b of the fan casing 33 which is out of the projection surface X of the exhaust fan 35. Or it may be connected to the other (left) side part 33c as shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. In any case, the same effects as in the second embodiment can be obtained.

Fig. 13 shows a fourth embodiment according to the present invention and is a schematic configuration diagram of the ventilation unit 15 for setting the connection position of the connection hose 55 with respect to the fan casing 33 of the ventilation unit 15. Figs. .

In this case, the tip end of the connection hose 55 is connected to the circumferential surface 33a formed in the scroll shape of the fan casing 33, and the connection direction thereof is accompanied by the rotation of the exhaust fan 35 with the fan. It is directed to follow the flow direction K of the airflow generated in the casing 33.

That is, the inside of the fan casing 33 is basically sucked from an arbitrary part, but since it is not the original use of the centrifugal fan, the negative pressure and the amount of exhaust air generated at the same rotational speed are lowered.

In order to improve the exhaust performance to dust, it is necessary to reduce the pressure loss at the time of confluence inflow into the fan casing 33 as much as possible. That is, the air must flow in from approximately the same direction so as to follow the flow direction K of the airflow generated in the fan casing 33 in the rotational direction of the exhaust fan 35.

14A is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the case where the connection hose 55 is connected without considering the above-described circumstances. 14B is an explanatory view of the action of the external force when the connection hose 55 is connected in view of the above-described circumstances.

First, Fig. 14A will be described. While the removed dust is guided into the connecting hose 55, an air flow toward the exhaust port 32 is generated in the fan casing 33 when the exhaust fan 35 is rotated. As soon as the dust guided to the connecting hose 55 enters the fan casing 33, it collides with the airflow flowing in the fan casing 33.

That is, with respect to the flow direction N of the dust guided by the connection hose 55, since the flow direction K of the airflow which flows in the fan casing 33 is an angle of about 90 degrees or near 90 degrees, collision is avoided. Do not.

Therefore, the bend loss of the dust guided from the connecting hose 55 into the fan casing 33 is increased, and the pressure loss is increased because a large amount of small vortices are generated due to flow separation.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14B, the flow direction N of the dust guided to the connection hose 55 in the connection direction of the connection hose 55 to the fan casing 33 is determined by the exhaust fan 35. When set to rotate along the flow direction K of the air flow generated in the fan casing 33, the dust guided from the connecting hose 55 into the fan casing 33 merges smoothly with respect to the air flow. There is no bending loss or flow separation as described above, and the pressure loss is suppressed little, so that the negative pressure increases and the exhaust air volume increases.

FIG. 15A is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the ventilation unit 15 in the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 15B is a perspective view of the fan casing 33 side part of the ventilation unit 15 removed.

The discharge case 60 is equipped with a backflow prevention damper 61A connected to a driving source (not shown). The backflow prevention damper 61A drives the drive source in response to a drive signal from the control unit, and serves to open and close the inside of the discharge case 60.

When the primary side air ventilation mode and the secondary side air ventilation mode as described above are selected, the control unit sends a closing signal to the backflow prevention damper 61A and completely closes the connection hose 55. Therefore, backflow of air from the connecting hose 55 to the cleaning unit Z is prevented.

In addition, when the air filter cleaning mode is selected, control is performed by switching the open signal and the close signal to the backflow prevention damper 61A. That is, during the action of removing dust from the front and upper air filters 11A and 11B with respect to the cleaning unit Z and collecting it with the dust collecting box 57, a closing signal is sent to the backflow prevention damper 61A, The connecting hose 55 is completely closed.

Removal of dust to each of the air filters 11A and 11B is completed, and the exhaust fan 25 is driven to rotate, and is opened to the non-return damper 61A while the inlet port 31 of the fan casing 33 is closed. Send a signal Therefore, the dust collected in the cleaning unit Z is guided smoothly from the connection hose 55 into the fan casing 33 through the backflow prevention damper 61A.

In this case, the dust collected in the cleaning unit Z is discharged to the outside by using the ventilation unit 15 which selects, guides, and ventilates the primary air and the secondary air of the heat exchanger 10. . Accordingly, the backflow prevention damper 61A which is opened and closed by a drive signal to smoothly discharge dust from the cleaning unit Z to the outside through the ventilation unit 15 without causing the air for ventilation to flow back into the unit Z. Is needed.

In addition, the discharge case 60 for accommodating the non-return damper 61, 61A is made of a transparent material, whereby the operation of the non-return damper 61, 61A mounted therein can be confirmed from the outside.

That is, it is possible to confirm whether the backflow prevention dampers 61 and 61A operate normally in the manufacturing process of the indoor unit or the service inspection after the attachment.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, the embodiment may be embodied by modifying the components within the scope not departing from the gist. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriate combinations of a plurality of components disclosed in the above-described embodiments.

Additional advantages and modifications of the invention will be understood by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the details and examples. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the appended claims.

Claims (6)

An indoor unit body having a suction port and a discharge port; An air filter disposed in the ventilation path between the suction port and the blowout port of the indoor unit main body and configured to trap dust contained in the indoor air; An exhaust unit for sucking indoor air into the indoor unit body and discharging it to the outside; And An air filter cleaner for removing dust attached to the surface of the air filter, The exhaust unit is A fan casing having an inlet for sucking air for ventilation on a side thereof and having an exhaust port at a circumferential end thereof; An exhaust fan housed in the fan casing; And A fan motor connected to the exhaust fan and rotating the exhaust fan; The air filter cleaner Removal means for removing dust trapped in the air filter from the air filter; And A connection hose for discharging the dust removed by the removing means, An indoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein a distal end of the connecting hose is connected to an outer circumferential surface portion upstream of an exhaust port provided in a fan casing of the exhaust unit. The method of claim 1, The exhaust unit includes closing means for freely closing and closing the inlet of the fan casing, The indoor unit of the air conditioner, wherein during operation for discharging the dust removed by the air filter cleaner mechanism to the outside, the closing means is operated to close the intake port and to rotate the exhaust fan of the exhaust unit. . The method according to claim 1 or 2, An indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising a backflow prevention damper at a distal end of the connection hose. The method of claim 3, wherein The backflow prevention damper is accommodated in the discharge case communicating with the fan casing, the discharge case is an indoor unit of the air conditioner, characterized in that composed of a transparent material. An air filter having an intake port and an outlet port and mounted in a ventilation path between the intake port and the outlet port to trap dust contained in the air; An air filter cleaner for removing dust attached to the surface of the air filter; And An exhaust unit for discharging the removed dust to the outside, The exhaust unit is An exhaust fan consisting of a centrifugal fan; A fan casing having an exhaust port at a circumferential end and an opening portion provided at a surface portion other than the projection side of the exhaust fan, and formed in a scroll shape along the circumferential surface and accommodating the exhaust fan; And A fan motor connected to the exhaust fan and rotating the exhaust fan; The air filter cleaner An indoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising: a connection hose for dust discharge communicating with the opening of the fan casing of the exhaust unit. The method of claim 5, wherein An indoor unit of an air conditioner, wherein a distal end of the connection hose is connected to a scroll circumferential surface of the fan casing, and the connection direction is along a direction of air flow generated in the fan casing as the exhaust fan rotates.

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