TWI650490B - air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an air conditioner for cleaning a device including an indoor fan. The air conditioner (100) includes: an indoor heat exchanger (15); an indoor fan (16); a dew receiving pan (18), which is arranged below the indoor heat exchanger (15); and a fan cleaning section (24), which It is arranged between the indoor heat exchanger (15) and the indoor fan (16), and cleans the indoor fan (16). Below the fan cleaning part (24), there is an indoor heat exchanger (15) and a dew receiving dish (18). At least one of them. This makes it possible to clean a device including an indoor fan.

Description

air conditioner

The invention relates to an air conditioner.

As a technique for cleaning an indoor fan (fan) of an air conditioner, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a device provided with a "fan cleaning device for removing dust from the fan". In addition, in the first diagram of Patent Document 1, there has been described a configuration in which a fan cleaning device is provided near a blowout port of an indoor fan. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-71210

[Problems Solved by Invention]

In the technology described in Patent Document 1, as described above, the fan cleaning device is provided near the blowout port of the indoor fan. In this way, the dust scraped from the indoor fan by the fan cleaning device may be blown out to the air-conditioned space during the subsequent air-conditioning operation. Although it is desirable for us to further improve the comfort of air conditioners and to clean equipment such as indoor fans (including indoor heat exchangers), such a technology is not described in Patent Document 1.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner for cleaning a device including an indoor fan. [Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the foregoing problems, an air conditioner related to the present invention includes: an indoor heat exchanger; an indoor fan; a dew receiving tray disposed below the indoor heat exchanger; and a fan cleaning section disposed in the indoor heat exchanger. Between the indoor fan and the indoor fan, the indoor fan is cleaned; at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the dew receiving tray is located below the fan cleaning section.

The air conditioner according to the present invention includes: an indoor heat exchanger; an indoor fan; a dust receiving unit disposed below the indoor heat exchanger; and a fan cleaning unit disposed between the indoor heat exchanger and the indoor unit. Between the fans, the indoor fan is cleaned; under the fan cleaning section, at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the dust receiving section exists. [Effect of the invention]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner that cleans a device including an indoor fan.

[Embodiment Mode] <Configuration of Air Conditioner> FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the refrigerant circuit Q of the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment. In addition, the solid arrows in Figure 1 show the refrigerant flow during the heating operation. Furthermore, the dotted arrows in Fig. 1 show the flow of the refrigerant during the operation of the cold room. As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 includes a compressor 11, an outdoor heat exchanger 12, an outdoor fan 13, and an expansion valve 14. The air conditioner 100 includes an indoor heat exchanger 15, an indoor fan 16, and a four-way valve 17 in addition to the aforementioned configuration.

The compressor 11 is a machine that compresses a low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant by driving the compressor motor 11a and ejects the gas refrigerant with a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant. The outdoor heat exchanger 12 is a heat exchanger that circulates the refrigerant passing through its heat transfer tube (not shown) and exchanges heat with the external gas sent from the outdoor fan 13.

The outdoor fan 13 is a fan that sends outside air into the outdoor heat exchanger 12 by being driven by the outdoor fan motor 13a, and is installed near the outdoor heat exchanger 12. The expansion valve 14 is a valve that decompresses the refrigerant condensed by the "condenser" (one of the outdoor heat exchanger 12 and the indoor heat exchanger 15). The refrigerant decompressed in the expansion valve 14 is guided to the "evaporator" (the other of the outdoor heat exchanger 12 and the indoor heat exchanger 15).

The indoor heat exchanger 15 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant passing through the heat transfer tube g (see FIG. 2) and the indoor air (air in the air-conditioned space) sent from the indoor fan 16. The indoor fan 16 is a fan that sends indoor air into the indoor heat exchanger 15 by being driven by the indoor fan motor 16c (see FIG. 5), and is installed near the indoor heat exchanger 15. To explain in more detail, the indoor fan 16 is disposed on the downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 15 in the flow of air when the indoor fan 16 is rotating forward.

The four-way valve 17 is a valve that switches the flow path of the refrigerant in accordance with the operation mode of the air conditioner 100. For example, during cold room operation (see the dotted arrow in Figure 1), the compressor 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (condenser), the expansion valve 14, and the indoor heat exchanger 15 (evaporator) pass through the four-way valve 17. In the refrigerant circuit Q in which the rings are sequentially connected, the refrigerant is circulated in a refrigeration cycle.

On the other hand, when the greenhouse is operating (see the solid arrows in Figure 1), the compressor 11, the indoor heat exchanger 15 (condenser), the expansion valve 14, and the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (evaporator) pass through the four-way In the refrigerant circuit Q in which the valves 17 are connected in a ring shape in sequence, the refrigerant is circulated in a refrigeration cycle.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the compressor 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 12, the outdoor fan 13, the expansion valve 14, and the four-way valve 17 are installed in the outdoor unit Uo. On the other hand, the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16 are installed in the indoor unit Ui.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the indoor unit Ui. In addition, FIG. 2 illustrates a state in which the indoor fan 16 is not cleaned by the fan cleaning unit 24. The indoor unit Ui includes, in addition to the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16, the dew receiving pan 18, the housing base 19, the filters 20a, 20b, the front panel 21, the left and right wind direction plates 22, the up and down wind direction plates 23, and Fan cleaning section 24.

The indoor heat exchanger 15 includes a plurality of fins f and a plurality of heat transfer tubes g passing through the fins f. From another point of view, the indoor heat exchanger 15 includes a front indoor heat exchanger 15a and a rear indoor heat exchanger 15b. The front-side indoor heat exchanger 15 a is disposed on the front side of the indoor fan 16. On the other hand, the rear indoor heat exchanger 15 b is disposed on the rear side of the indoor fan 16. The upper end portion of the front indoor heat exchanger 15a is connected to the upper end portion of the rear indoor heat exchanger 15b.

The dew receiving pan 18 is for receiving condensate from the indoor heat exchanger 15 and is arranged below the indoor heat exchanger 15 (in the example shown in FIG. 2, the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15 a).

The indoor fan 16 is, for example, a cylindrical cross flow fan, and is arranged near the indoor heat exchanger 15. The indoor fan 16 includes a plurality of fan blades 16a, a partition plate 16b provided with the fan blades 16a, and an indoor fan motor 16c as a drive source (see FIG. 5).

The indoor fan 16 is preferably coated with a hydrophilic coating agent. As such a coating material, for example, a silica dioxide sol dispersed in isopropanol as a hydrophilic material, and a binder (a silicon compound having a hydrolyzable group), butanol, tetrahydrofuran, and an antibacterial agent can be used. .

Thereby, a hydrophilic film is formed on the surface of the indoor fan 16, so that the resistance value of the surface of the indoor fan 16 becomes small, so that dust does not easily adhere to the indoor fan 16. In other words, during the driving of the indoor fan 16, static electricity accompanying the friction of the air is unlikely to be generated on the surface of the indoor fan 16, and therefore, adhesion of dust to the indoor fan 16 can be suppressed. If so, the aforementioned coating agent can still function as an antistatic agent for the indoor fan 16.

The housing base 19 shown in FIG. 2 is a housing provided for devices such as the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16. The 20 filter 20 a is a dust removing air from the air inlet h1 on the front side, and is provided on the front side of the indoor heat exchanger 15. The 20 filter 20 b is a dust removing air from the air intake port h2 toward the upper side, and is provided on the upper side of the indoor heat exchanger 15.

The front panel 21 is a panel provided so as to cover the filter 20a on the front side, and the lower end is pivotable toward the front side. The front panel 21 may be configured not to rotate.

The left-right airflow direction plate 22 is a plate-shaped member that adjusts the flow in the left-right direction of the air blown into the room as the indoor fan 16 rotates. The left and right wind direction plates 22 are arranged in the blowout air path h3, and are rotated in the left and right directions by the left and right wind direction plate motors 25 (see FIG. 5). (2) The up-and-down wind direction plate 23 is a plate-like member that adjusts the upward and downward flow of the air blown into the room as the indoor fan 16 rotates. The up-and-down wind direction plate 23 is arranged near the air outlet h4, and is rotated in the up-and-down direction by the up-and-down wind direction plate motor 26 (see FIG. 5).

The air sucked in through the air suction ports h1 and h2 is used for heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer pipe g passing through the indoor heat exchanger 15, and the heat-exchanged air is guided to the blow-out air path h3. The air flowing through the blow-out air path h3 is guided to a specific direction by the left and right wind direction plates 22 and the up-and-down wind direction plates 23, and is further blown out to the room through the air blowing outlet h4.

In addition, most of the dust moving toward the air intake ports h1 and h2 along with the flow of air is collected by the filters 20a and 20b. However, fine dust may pass through the filters 20 a and 20 b and attach to the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16. Therefore, it is desirable to regularly clean the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16. For this reason, in this embodiment, after the indoor fan 16 is cleaned by the fan cleaning unit 24 described below, the indoor heat exchanger 15 is rinsed with water.

The fan cleaning unit 24 shown in FIG. 2 is for cleaning the indoor fan 16 and is arranged between the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16. To explain in more detail, the fan cleaning portion 24 is disposed on the recess r of the front side indoor heat exchanger 15a in a sigmoidal shape when viewed in longitudinal section. In the example shown in FIG. 2, below the fan cleaning portion 24, an indoor heat exchanger 15 (the lower portion of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15 a) is present, and there is a dew receiving pan 18.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the indoor unit Ui. The fan cleaning unit 24 includes a fan cleaning motor 24c in addition to the shaft portion 24a and the brush 24b shown in FIG. 3 (see FIG. 5). The shaft portion 24 a is a rod-shaped member parallel to the axial direction of the indoor fan 16, and both ends of the shaft are supported.

The brush 24b is provided on the shaft portion 24a to remove dust adhering to the fan blade 16a. The fan cleaning motor 24c (see FIG. 5) is, for example, a stepping motor, and has a function of rotating the shaft portion 24a at a specific angle.

When the indoor fan 16 is cleaned by the fan cleaning unit 24, the fan cleaning motor 24c (see FIG. 5) is driven so that the brush 24b is in contact with the indoor fan 16 (see FIG. 5), and the indoor fan 16 is reversed. Then, once the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning unit 24 is completed, the fan cleaning motor 24c is driven again and the brush 24b is deflected, and the brush 24b is separated from the indoor fan 16 (see FIG. 2).

In the present embodiment, the front end of the brush 24 b faces the indoor heat exchanger 15 except when the indoor fan 16 is cleaned, as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the brush 24b is spaced apart from the indoor fan 16 in a horizontal (substantially horizontal) state except when the indoor fan 16 is being cleaned (including during normal air-conditioning operation). The reason for disposing the fan cleaning unit 24 in this manner will be described below using FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of air near the fan cleaning unit 24 during the air-conditioning operation. In addition, the directions of the arrows shown in FIG. 4 indicate the directions of air flow. The length of each arrow indicates the flow velocity of air. During normal air-conditioning operation, the indoor fan 16 rotates forward, and the air passing through the gap between the fins f of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15 a is directed toward the indoor fan 16. Particularly, in the vicinity of the recess r of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a, as shown in FIG. 4, air flows laterally (in a substantially horizontal direction) toward the indoor fan 16.

In this recessed portion r, as described above, the fan cleaning portion 24 is arranged in a state where the brush 24b faces in the lateral direction. In other words, during normal air-conditioning operation, the direction of the brush 24b is parallel to the direction of air flow. In this way, since the extending direction of the brush 24b is substantially parallel to the flow direction of the air, the fan cleaning portion 24 is hardly an obstacle to the flow of air.

In addition, the fan cleaning unit 24 is not disposed in the upstream and downstream regions (near the air blowing outlet h4 shown in FIG. 2) during the flow of air when the indoor fan 16 is rotating forward. Further, the air passing through the brush 24b in the lateral direction is accelerated by the fan blade 16a, and the accelerated air is directed toward the air blowing outlet h4 (see FIG. 2). As described above, since the fan cleaning unit 24 is disposed in the upstream region where the air flows at a low speed, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the amount of air flow caused by the fan cleaning unit 24. In addition, even when the indoor fan 16 is stopped, the fan cleaning unit 24 can be maintained in the same state as in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the air conditioner 100.室内 The indoor unit Ui shown in FIG. 5 includes a remote control transmitting / receiving unit 27 and an indoor control circuit 31 in addition to the aforementioned configuration. The remote control transmitting / receiving unit 27 exchanges specific information with the remote control 40. The indoor control circuit 31, which is not shown in the figure, includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). And various electronic circuits. If so, the program stored in ROM is read out and expanded into RAM, and the CPU executes various processes.

As shown in FIG. 5, the indoor control circuit 31 includes a memory section 31 a and an indoor control section 31 b. The memory unit 31a stores, in addition to a specific program, data received via the remote control transmitting / receiving unit 27, and detection values of various sensors (not shown). The indoor control unit 31b performs control of the fan cleaning motor 24c, the indoor fan motor 16c, the left and right wind direction board motors 25, and the up and down wind direction board motors 26 based on the data stored in the storage unit 31a.

The outdoor unit Uo has an outdoor control circuit 32 in addition to the above-mentioned configuration. The outdoor control circuit 32 is not shown in the figure, and is configured by an electronic circuit including a CPU, ROM, RAM, and various interfaces, and is connected to the indoor control circuit 31 via a communication line. As shown in FIG. 5, the outdoor control circuit 32 includes a memory section 32 a and an outdoor control section 32 b.

In addition to the specific program, the memory unit 32a also stores data and the like received from the indoor control circuit 31. The outdoor control unit 32b controls the compressor motor 11a, the outdoor fan motor 13a, the expansion valve 14, and the like based on the data stored in the storage unit 32a. Hereinafter, the indoor control circuit 31 and the outdoor control circuit 32 are collectively referred to as a "control unit 30".

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of processing performed by the control section 30 (see FIG. 2 as appropriate). In addition, when "starting" in FIG. 6 is performed, it is assumed that the air-conditioning operation is not performed and the front end of the brush 24b faces the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a (the state shown in FIG. 2).

In step S101 in FIG. 6, the control unit 30 cleans the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning unit 24. In addition, as a trigger for triggering the cleaning of the indoor fan 16, for example, the condition is that the accumulated time of the air-conditioning operation since the last cleaning reaches a specific time.

FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing a state during cleaning of the indoor fan 16. In addition, in FIG. 7A, the indoor heat exchanger 15, the indoor fan 16, and the dew receiving pan 18 are shown. As for other components, illustration is omitted. The control unit 30 makes the fan cleaning unit 24 contact the indoor fan 16 and rotates (reverses) the indoor fan 16 in the reverse direction from the normal air-conditioning operation.

In other words, the control unit 30 faces the indoor heat exchanger 15 from the front end of the brush 24b (see FIG. 2), and deflects the brush 24b about 180 ° around the shaft portion 24a, so that the front end of the brush 24b faces the indoor fan. 16 (see Figure 7A). Thereby, the brush 24b contacts the fan blade 16a of the indoor fan 16.

In the example shown in FIG. 7A, as shown by the one-dot chain line L, below the contact position K in a state where the fan cleaning portion 24 is in contact with the indoor fan 16, the indoor heat exchanger 15 (the indoor heat exchange on the front side) is removed. In addition to the presence of the device 15a), there is still a dew receiving dish 18 present.

As described above, since the indoor fan 16 is reversed, the front end of the brush 24b is flexed with the movement of the fan blade 16a, and this brush 24b is pushed by sweeping the back surface of the fan blade 16a. In this way, the dust accumulated near the front end (radial end portion) of the fan blade 16a is removed by the brush 24b.

In particular, dust is liable to accumulate near the front end of the fan blade 16a. The reason is that during the air-conditioning operation of the indoor fan 16 in the forward rotation (see FIG. 4), the air hits the vicinity of the front end of the abdomen of the fan blade 16 a, so that dust is attached near the front end. The air near the front end of the impinging fan blade 16a passes through the gap between the adjacent fan blades 16a and 16a along the curved surface of the abdomen of the fan blade 16a.

In this embodiment, as described above, the brush 24b is brought into contact with the fan blade 16a, and the indoor fan 16 is reversed. Thereby, the brush 24b contacts the vicinity of the front end near the back surface of the fan blade 16a, and the dust accumulated near the front ends of both the ventral back surface of the fan blade 16a is removed as a whole. As a result, most of the dust accumulated in the indoor fan 16 can be removed.

In addition, by reversing the indoor fan 16, a gentle air flow is generated inside the indoor unit Ui (see FIG. 2) in a direction opposite to that during the normal rotation (see FIG. 4). Therefore, the dust j removed from the indoor fan 16 is not blown to the air outlet h4 (see FIG. 2), but is passed through the gap between the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a and the indoor fan 16 as shown in FIG. 7A. Guide to the dew receiving dish 18.

To explain in more detail, the dust j removed from the indoor fan 16 by the brush 24b is gently pressed against the front indoor heat exchanger 15a by wind pressure. Further, the dust j is dropped on the dew receiving pan 18 along the inclined surface (edge portion of the fin f) of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a (see the arrow in FIG. 7A). Therefore, it is rare that the dust j adheres to the inner side of the up-and-down wind direction board 23 (see FIG. 2) through a small gap between the indoor fan 16 and the dew receiving pan 18. This prevents dust j from being blown out into the room during the next air-conditioning operation.

Furthermore, there is a possibility that a part of the dust j removed from the indoor fan 16 does not fall on the dew receiving pan 18 and attaches to the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a. The dust j adhering to the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a in this manner is removed by the process of step S103 described later.

In addition, during the cleaning of the indoor fan 16, the control unit 30 may drive the indoor fan 16 at a rotation speed in the medium and high speed range, and may drive the indoor fan 16 at a rotation speed in the low speed range. The range of the rotation speed of the high-speed range in the indoor fan 16 is, for example, 300 min ^-1 or more and less than 1700 min ^-1 . As described above, since the indoor fan 16 is rotated in the middle and high-speed range, the dust j is easy to move toward the front indoor heat exchanger 15a. Therefore, as described above, the dust j is not easily attached to the inner side of the up-and-down wind direction plate 23 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, it is possible to prevent dust j from being blown out into the room during the next air-conditioning operation.

The range of the rotation speed in the low speed range of the indoor fan 16 is, for example, 100 min ^-1 or more and less than 300 min ^-1 . If so, the indoor fan 16 is rotated in a low speed range, and the indoor fan 16 can be cleaned with low noise.

After the processing of step S101 in FIG. 6 is completed, the control unit 30 moves the fan cleaning unit 24 in step S102. That is, the state where the control section 30 faces the indoor fan 16 from the front end of the brush 24b (see FIG. 7A), the brush 24b is deflected 180 ° with the shaft portion 24a as the center, so that the front end of the brush 24b faces the indoor heat exchanger 15 (see FIG. 7A). Figure 7B). Thereby, in the subsequent air-conditioning operation, it is possible to prevent the fan cleaning portion 24 from being an obstacle to the air flow.

Next, in step S103, the control unit 30 sequentially freezes / thaws the indoor heat exchanger 15. First, the control unit 30 causes the indoor heat exchanger 15 to function as an evaporator, and frosts and freezes the moisture contained in the air taken into the indoor unit Ui in the indoor heat exchanger 15. The process of freezing the indoor heat exchanger 15 includes the matter of "adhering condensed water" to the indoor heat exchanger 15.

When freezing the indoor heat exchanger 15, it is preferable that the control unit 30 lower the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 15. Specifically, the control unit 30 adjusts the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 15 when the indoor heat exchanger 15 functions as an evaporator and freezes the indoor heat exchanger 15 (condensation water adheres). The refrigerant evaporates at a lower temperature than during normal air conditioning operation.

For example, the control unit 30 reduces the opening degree of the expansion valve 14 (see FIG. 1), and causes the refrigerant having a low evaporation temperature to flow into the indoor heat exchanger 15 at a low pressure. Thereby, the frost or ice (symbol i shown in FIG. 7B) in the indoor heat exchanger 15 is easy to grow, so that in the subsequent thawing, the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be washed with a large amount of water.

In the indoor heat exchanger 15, the area below the fan cleaning section 24 is preferably a downstream domain (in other words, an upstream domain or a midstream domain) other than the flow of the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 15. ). Therefore, at least below (below) the fan cleaning portion 24, a low-temperature gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows, so that the thickness of frost or ice adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be increased. Therefore, in the subsequent thawing, the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be washed with a large amount of water. In addition, in the indoor heat exchanger 15, the area located below the fan cleaning portion 24 is liable to attach dust scraped off from the fan 16 by the fan cleaning portion 24. Therefore, by flowing a low-temperature gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant in a region below the fan cleaning portion 24 in the indoor heat exchanger 15, frost or ice is easy to grow. Furthermore, by dissolving such frost or ice, it is possible to The dust of the indoor heat exchanger 15 is appropriately removed.

When the indoor heat exchanger 15 functions as an evaporator, and the indoor heat exchanger 15 is frozen (condensed), the control unit 30 preferably closes the up-and-down air direction plate 23 (see FIG. 2). Or, set the angle of the up and down wind direction plate 23 to be more horizontal and upward. Thereby, leakage of low-temperature air cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 15 into the room can be suppressed, and freezing of the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the like can be performed in a comfortable state for the user.

After the indoor heat exchanger 15 is frozen in this way (S103 in FIG. 6), the control unit 30 defrosts the indoor heat exchanger 15 (S103). For example, the control unit 30 naturally defrosts the room heat exchanger 15 at room temperature by maintaining the stopped state of each device. In addition, the control unit 30 may perform a greenhouse operation or a ventilation operation to dissolve frost or ice adhered to the indoor heat exchanger 15.

FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing a state during thawing of the indoor heat exchanger 15. By thawing the indoor heat exchanger 15, the frost or ice adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 is dissolved, and a large amount of water w flows down through the heat sink f in the dew receiving dish 18. Thereby, the dust j adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 during the air-conditioning operation can be eliminated.

In addition, as the indoor fan 16 is cleaned with the brush 24b, the dust j adhering to the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a is also washed away, and flows to the dew receiving pan 18 (see the arrow in FIG. 7B). The water w flowing down to the dew receiving tray 18 as it is is discharged through the drain hose (not shown) together with the dust j (see FIG. 7A) directly falling to the dew receiving tray 18 during the cleaning of the indoor fan 16. To the outside. As described above, the drain hose or the like (not shown), which has a large amount of water flowing from the indoor heat exchanger 15 during thawing, hardly becomes clogged by dust j.

In addition, it is omitted in FIG. 6, and after the freezing / thawing of the indoor heat exchanger 15 (S103), the control unit 30 can perform a greenhouse operation or a ventilation operation to dry the interior of the indoor unit Ui. This makes it possible to suppress bacterial growth in the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the like.

<Effects> According to this embodiment, since the indoor fan 16 (S101 in FIG. 6) is cleaned by the fan cleaning unit 24, it is possible to suppress dust j from being blown out into the room. Moreover, since the fan cleaning part 24 is arrange | positioned between the front side indoor heat exchanger 15a and the indoor fan 16, the dust j scraped off from the indoor fan 16 by the brush 24b can be guided to the dew receiving dish 18. In addition, during cleaning of the indoor fan 16, the control unit 30 reverses the indoor fan 16. This prevents the dust j from being blown to the air outlet h4.

In addition, during normal air-conditioning operation, the brush 24b is in a horizontal state (see FIG. 4), and therefore, there is almost no possibility that the flow of the brush 24b is obstructed by the influence of the brush 24b. Furthermore, the provision of the fan cleaning unit 24 in the upstream area of the air flow complements this. In normal air-conditioning operation, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the amount of air flow caused by the fan cleaning unit 24, and also to suppress the increase in the power consumption of the indoor fan 16. .

Incidentally, if a large amount of dust is attached to the indoor fan 16, depending on the situation, in the cold room operation, in order to compensate for the decrease in the performance of the indoor fan 16, the blowing temperature of the air is reduced, so that dew drips into the room Possibility. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as described above, since the indoor fan 16 is appropriately cleaned, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the air volume of the indoor fan 16 due to the adhesion of dust. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the dew droplets from being caused by the dust of the indoor fan 16.

In addition, the control unit 30 sequentially freezes / thaws the indoor heat exchanger 15 (S103 in FIG. 6), and the dust j adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 is washed away by the water w and flows to the dew receiving tray 18 . As such, according to this embodiment, the indoor fan 16 can be set to a clean state, and the indoor heat exchanger 15 can also be set to a clean state. Therefore, the air conditioner 100 can perform comfortable air conditioning. In addition, the user's labor or maintenance costs required for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16 can be reduced.

≪Modifications≫ Although the air conditioner 100 according to the present invention has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions, and various changes can be made. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of an indoor unit UAI of an air conditioner according to a modification.变化 In the modification shown in FIG. 8, the groove member M having a concave shape in a longitudinal section is provided below the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15 a. A rib 28 extending from the bottom surface of the groove member M to the upper side is provided on the groove member M. The other points are the same as the embodiment.

In the groove member M shown in FIG. 8, a portion on the front side of the rib 28 functions as a dew receiving portion 18A that receives condensed water from the indoor heat exchanger 15. In the groove member M, a portion on the rear side of the rib 28 functions as a dust receiving portion 29 that receives dust falling from the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16. This dust receiving portion 29 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 15.

In addition, below the fan cleaning portion 24, there is a dust receiving portion 29 in addition to the indoor heat exchanger 15 (the lower portion of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a). To explain in more detail, although the illustration is omitted, an indoor heat exchanger 15 is present below the contact position in a state where the fan cleaning portion 24 is in contact with the indoor fan 16, and a dust receiving portion 29 is also present. Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the aforementioned embodiment can be exhibited. In addition, when the indoor heat exchanger 15 is thawed, water flows down to the dew receiving portion 18A and also flows to the dust receiving portion 29. Therefore, there is no fear that the discharge of the dust accumulated in the dust receiving portion 29 will be hindered.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the upper end of the rib 28 is not in contact with the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15 a, but is not limited thereto. That is, the upper end of the rib 28 may be in contact with the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor fan 16 and a fan cleaning unit 24A included in an air conditioner according to another modification. In the modification shown in FIG. 9, the fan cleaning portion 24A includes a rod-shaped shaft portion 24 d parallel to the axial direction of the indoor fan 16, brushes 24 e provided on this shaft portion 24 d, and both ends of the shaft portion 24 b. One pair supports 24f, 24f. In addition, although the fan cleaning part 24A is not shown in the figure, it has a moving mechanism which moves the fan cleaning part 24A to an axial direction etc.

As shown in FIG. 9, the length of the fan cleaning portion 24A in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the indoor fan 16 is shorter than the axial length of the indoor fan 16 itself. In cleaning the indoor fan 16, the fan cleaning portion 24A moves in the axial direction of the indoor fan 16 (left-right direction when viewed from the front of the indoor unit). In other words, in the axial direction of the indoor fan 16, for each specific area corresponding to the length of the fan cleaning portion 24A, the indoor fan 16 is sequentially cleaned. In this case, compared with the first embodiment, the configuration of moving the fan cleaning unit 24A having a shorter length can reduce the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner.

Alternatively, a rod (not shown) extending parallel to the shaft portion 24d may be provided near the fan cleaning portion 24A (for example, above the shaft portion 24d), and a specific moving mechanism (not shown) may be provided along the The fan cleaning section 24A is moved by a stick. In addition, after the fan cleaning unit 24A is cleaned, the fan cleaning unit 24A may be appropriately deflected or moved in parallel by a moving mechanism (not shown), and the fan cleaning unit 24A may be retracted from the indoor fan 16.

In the embodiment, the process in which the control unit 30 brings the fan cleaning unit 24 into contact with the indoor fan 16 and reverses (reverses) the indoor fan 16 during normal air-conditioning operation will be described, but it is not limited to this. . That is, the control unit 30 may be configured to bring the fan cleaning unit 24 into contact with the indoor fan 16 and turn the indoor fan 16 (forward rotation) in the same direction as during normal air-conditioning operation.

As such, by bringing the brush 24b into contact with the indoor fan 16 and rotating the indoor fan 16 forward, it is possible to effectively remove dust adhered to the vicinity of the front end of the abdomen of the fan blade 16a. In addition, since there is no need to reverse the circuit elements of the indoor fan 16, the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner 100 can be reduced. In addition, the rotation speed when the indoor fan 16 is normally rotated during cleaning is the same as the embodiment, and may be any of a low speed range, a medium speed range, and a high speed range.

In the embodiment, the configuration in which the brush 24b is deflected around the shaft portion 24a of the fan cleaning portion 24 is described, but is not limited thereto. For example, when the indoor fan 16 is cleaned, the control unit 30 may be configured to move the shaft portion 24 a to the side of the indoor fan 16 and contact the brush 24 b with the indoor fan 16. Further, after the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 is completed, the control unit 30 may be configured to retract the shaft portion 24 a and separate the brush 24 b from the indoor fan 16.

In the embodiment, the configuration in which the fan cleaning unit 24 includes the brush 24b is described, but the configuration is not limited thereto. Specifically, as long as it is a component that can clean the indoor fan 16, the use of a sponge or the like is also feasible.

In the embodiment, the structure of the downstream region of the indoor heat exchanger 15 below the fan cleaning unit 24 and not the flow of the refrigerant will be described, but it is not limited to this. For example, it may be an area in the indoor heat exchanger 15 whose height is higher than that of the fan cleaning unit 24, and is not a downstream domain (that is, an upstream domain or a midstream domain) of the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 15 ) This composition. In more detail, in the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a, a region located on the downstream side of the air flow during normal air-conditioning operation and having a height higher than that of the fan cleaning portion 24, preferably does not circulate through the room. Downstream of the flow of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 15. According to such a structure, in the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a, the area located on the downstream side of the air flow during normal air-conditioning operation (the right side of the paper surface of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a shown in FIG. 2), and its height is relatively In the area where the fan cleaning unit 24 is high, a thick frost adheres to the freezing of the indoor heat exchanger 15. Then, if the indoor heat exchanger 15 is thawed, a large amount of water will flow through the heat sink f. As a result, the dust (including the dust removed from the indoor fan 16) adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be washed out to the dew receiving dish 18.

In the embodiment, the configuration in which the control unit 30 brings the brush 24b of the fan cleaning unit 24 into contact with the indoor fan 16 is described in the cleaning of the indoor fan 16, but is not limited thereto. That is, during the cleaning of the indoor fan 16, the control unit 30 may be configured to bring the brush 24 b of the fan cleaning unit 24 close to the indoor fan 16. To explain in more detail, the control unit 30 brings the brush 24b and the indoor fan 16 close to each other so as to remove dust accumulated on the front end of the fan blade 16a and growing from the front end to the radially outer side. With such a configuration, dust accumulated in the indoor fan 16 can be appropriately removed.

Moreover, in each embodiment, although the process of washing the indoor heat exchanger 15 using freezing of the indoor heat exchanger 15 etc. was demonstrated, it is not limited to this. For example, the indoor heat exchanger 15 may be dew-condensed, and the dew condensation water (condensed water) may be used to wash the indoor heat exchanger 15. For example, the control unit 30 calculates the dew point of the indoor air based on the temperature and relative humidity of the indoor air. Then, the control unit 30 controls the opening degree and the like of the expansion valve 14 so that the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 15 is lower than the aforementioned dew point and higher than a specific freezing temperature.

The aforementioned "freezing temperature" refers to a temperature at which the moisture contained in the indoor air starts to be frozen by the indoor heat exchanger 15 when the temperature of the indoor air is lowered. As such, by dew condensation of the indoor heat exchanger 15, the dust of the indoor heat exchanger 15 can also be removed by the dew condensation water (condensed water).

In addition, the indoor heat exchanger 15 may be condensed by the control unit 30 by performing a cold room operation or a dehumidifying operation, and the indoor heat exchanger 15 may be washed with the dew condensation water (condensed water).

In addition, in the embodiment (see FIG. 2), the configuration in which the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the dew receiving pan 18 exist under the fan cleaning section 24 is described, but is not limited thereto. Specifically, it may be a configuration in which at least one of the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the dew receiving pan 18 is provided below the fan cleaning unit 24. For example, in a configuration in which the lower portion of the indoor heat exchanger 15 having a U-shape in a longitudinal section is extended in the vertical direction, a dew receiving dish 18 may be provided below (directly below) the fan cleaning portion 24.

In addition, in the modification shown in FIG. 8, the configuration in which the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the dust receiving section 29 are provided below the fan cleaning section 24 is described, but is not limited thereto. Specifically, a configuration may be adopted in which at least one of the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the dust receiving portion 29 is provided below the fan cleaning portion 24.

In addition, in the embodiment, the configuration in which the indoor unit Ui (see FIG. 1) and the outdoor unit Uo (see the same figure) are separately provided is described, but is not limited thereto. Specifically, a plurality of indoor units connected in parallel may be provided, and a plurality of outdoor units connected in parallel may also be provided. In the embodiment, the wall-mounted air conditioner 100 is described, but it can also be used for other types of air conditioners.

In addition, each embodiment is described in detail in order to make the description of the present invention easy to understand, but it is not limited to having to have all the structures described. In addition, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, other configurations may be added, deleted, or replaced. Moreover, the aforementioned institutions or structures are shown as those deemed necessary in the description, and are not limited to showing all institutions or structures in the product.

100‧‧‧ Air Conditioner

11‧‧‧compressor

12‧‧‧ outdoor heat exchanger

13‧‧‧outdoor fan

14‧‧‧Expansion valve

15‧‧‧ indoor heat exchanger

15a‧‧‧Front side indoor heat exchanger

15b‧‧‧ rear indoor heat exchanger

16‧‧‧ indoor fan

17‧‧‧ Four-way valve

18‧‧‧ Dew receiving dish

22‧‧‧left and right wind board

23‧‧‧Up and down wind direction board

24, 24A‧‧‧Fan cleaning department

24a, 24d‧‧‧Shaft

24b, 24e‧‧‧ Brush

24f‧‧‧Support Department

29‧‧‧ Dust Receiving Department

30‧‧‧Control Department

K‧‧‧ contact position

Q‧‧‧Refrigerant circuit

r‧‧‧ recess

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. (2) FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an indoor unit provided in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. (3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a part of an indoor unit included in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, cut away. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of air in the vicinity of the fan cleaning unit during the air conditioning operation in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of processing executed by the control unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing a state during cleaning of an indoor fan in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the indoor heat exchanger is thawed in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of an indoor unit provided in an air conditioner according to a modification of the present invention. (9) FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor fan and a fan cleaning unit provided in an air conditioner according to another modification of the present invention.

Claims (19)

An air conditioner includes: (i) an indoor heat exchanger; (ii) an indoor fan; (ii) a dew receiving tray disposed below the aforementioned indoor heat exchanger; and a fan cleaning section disposed between the aforementioned indoor heat exchanger and the aforementioned indoor fan, Clean the indoor fan; 下方 At least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the dew receiving dish is located below the fan cleaning section. An air conditioner includes: (i) an indoor heat exchanger; (ii) an indoor fan; (ii) a dust receiving portion disposed below the aforementioned indoor heat exchanger; and a fan cleaning portion disposed between the aforementioned indoor heat exchanger and the aforementioned indoor fan, Clean the indoor fan; 下方 At least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the dust receiving section is located below the fan cleaning section. For example, in the air conditioner of the first scope of the application, at least one of the aforementioned indoor heat exchanger and the aforementioned dew receiving dish exists below the contact position where the aforementioned fan cleaning section is in contact with the aforementioned indoor fan. For example, in the air conditioner of the second scope of the patent application, where at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the dust receiving portion is located below the contact position where the fan cleaning portion is in contact with the indoor fan. For example, the air conditioner of item 1 or 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein is provided with a control unit for bringing the fan cleaning unit into contact with the indoor fan and turning the indoor fan at a specific rotation speed. For example, for the air conditioner in the scope of application for the fifth item, the rotation speed is 300 min ^-1 or more and less than 1700 min ^-1 . For example, the air conditioner of the scope of application for patent No. 5 wherein the aforementioned rotation speed is 100 min ^-1 or more and less than 300 min ^-1 . For example, in the air conditioner for which the scope of the patent application is item 5, the control unit makes the fan cleaning unit contact the indoor fan, and rotates the indoor fan in the opposite direction to the normal air conditioner operation. For example, in the air conditioner for which the scope of the patent application is item 5, the control unit makes the fan cleaning unit contact the indoor fan, and rotates the indoor fan in the same direction as the normal air conditioner operation. For example, in the air conditioner for which the scope of the patent application is No. 5, in which the control unit cleans the indoor fan after the fan cleaning unit, causes the indoor heat exchanger to function as an evaporator, and causes condensed water to adhere to the indoor heat exchanger. For example, the air conditioner for item 10 of the scope of patent application includes an upper and lower wind direction board for adjusting the up-and-down flow of the air blown to the space to be air-conditioned with the rotation of the indoor fan; When the device functions so that the condensed water adheres to the indoor heat exchanger, the control unit closes the up-and-down air direction plate, or sets the angle of the up-and-down air direction plate to be relatively horizontal and upward. For example, in the air conditioner for which the scope of the patent application is item 10, the control unit makes the indoor heat exchanger function as an evaporator, and adjusts the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger when condensed water is attached to the indoor heat exchanger Compared with ordinary air-conditioning operation, the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant becomes lower. For example, the air conditioner of the scope of application for patent No. 10, wherein the area located below the fan cleaning section in the indoor heat exchanger is not the downstream area of the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger. For example, the air conditioner of the tenth aspect of the patent application, wherein the indoor heat exchanger has a front indoor heat exchanger disposed on the front side of the indoor fan; The front indoor heat exchanger is located in the air during normal air conditioning operation. The area on the downstream side of the flow, which is higher in height than the fan cleaning section, is not the downstream area of the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger. For example, in the air conditioner for which the scope of the patent application is item 1 or 2, the indoor heat exchanger has a front indoor heat exchanger arranged on the front side of the indoor fan, and the front indoor heat exchange is shaped like a ㄑ in a longitudinal section. The fan cleaning portion is disposed in the recess of the device. For example, in the air conditioner applying for the item 1 or 2 of the patent scope, wherein the fan cleaning portion has a rod-shaped shaft portion parallel to the axial direction of the indoor fan, and a brush provided on the shaft portion; The brush is in a horizontal orientation. For example, in the air conditioner applying for the item 1 or 2 of the patent scope, wherein the fan cleaning portion has a rod-shaped shaft portion parallel to the axial direction of the indoor fan, and a brush provided on the shaft portion; The direction of the brush is parallel to the direction of air flow. For example, the air conditioner of the first or second scope of the patent application, in which the aforementioned indoor fan is covered with a hydrophilic coating agent. For example, in the air conditioner for which the scope of the patent application is item 1 or 2, the length of the fan cleaning section in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the indoor fan is shorter than the axial length of the indoor fan itself; During cleaning, the fan cleaning portion is moved in the axial direction of the indoor fan.