TWI659182B - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of efficiently cleaning a cleaning member. The air conditioner includes: a heat exchanger (indoor heat exchanger 15); a fan cleaning unit 24 for cleaning an air supply fan (indoor fan 16); and a control unit 30 for selectively contacting the fan cleaning unit with the heat exchanger And supply air fans. The control unit generates dew condensation water in the refrigeration cycle through the heat exchanger before the fan cleaning unit is brought into contact with the heat exchanger or when the fan cleaning unit is brought into contact with the heat exchanger.

Description

air conditioner

The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

As a fan cleaning unit for cleaning a blower fan (indoor fan) of an air conditioner, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a “fan cleaning device for removing dust from a fan”. The air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which the fan cleaning unit is brought into contact with the blower fan, thereby cleaning the blower fan. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

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

[Technical problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, although dust is attached to the fan cleaning portion every time the air cleaning fan is cleaned, the dust can be removed only by a cleaning person. Therefore, in the conventional air conditioner, a function of efficiently cleaning the fan cleaning section is desired.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of efficiently cleaning a fan cleaning unit. [Technical solution to solve the problem]

In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the air conditioner of the present invention is configured to include: a refrigeration cycle having a heat exchanger; an air-supply fan; a fan cleaning unit for cleaning the air-supplying fan; The control unit is in contact with both the air-supply fan and the heat exchanger. The control unit is configured to contact the fan cleaning unit before contacting the heat exchanger or the fan cleaning unit to contact the heat exchanger. The refrigeration cycle generates dew condensation water through the aforementioned heat exchanger.

In addition, the air conditioner of the present invention is configured to include: a refrigerating cycle having a heat exchanger; a blower fan; a fan cleaning unit for cleaning the blower fan; and a control unit for selectively contacting the fan cleaning unit. The control unit performs the operation of rotating the fan cleaning unit a plurality of times on both the blower fan and the heat exchanger, and in a range including an angle at which the fan cleaning unit contacts the heat exchanger. [Effect of the invention]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioner that efficiently cleans a fan cleaning unit.

≪Embodiment≫ <Configuration of Air Conditioner> FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a refrigerant circuit Q of the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment. In the present embodiment, a case where the air conditioner 100 is set to have a function of performing the freezing and thawing operation of the indoor heat exchanger 15 will be described. However, the present invention can be applied even when the air conditioner 100 does not have a function of performing the freezing and defrosting operation of the indoor heat exchanger 15. In addition, the "freezing and thawing operation" refers to the operation of reducing the temperature of the heat exchanger to allow frost (or ice) to adhere to the surface of the fins of the heat exchanger, and then increasing the temperature of the heat exchanger. Operation to defrost the frost, and use the power of the thawed dew condensation water (condensate) to drop the dust attached to the heat exchanger. The solid arrows in Figure 1 indicate the refrigerant flow during the operation of the greenhouse. In addition, the dotted arrows in Fig. 1 indicate 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 fan 16 and a four-way valve 17 in addition to the aforementioned configuration.

The compressor 11 is a machine that is driven by a compressor motor 11 a to compress a low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant and discharge the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant. (2) The outdoor heat exchanger 12 is a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between a refrigerant flowing through a heat transfer pipe (not shown) and outside air sent from the outdoor fan 13.

The outdoor fan 13 is a fan that is driven by the outdoor fan motor 13 a and sends outside air to the outdoor heat exchanger 12, and is installed near the outdoor heat exchanger 12. The expansion valve 14 is a valve for reducing the pressure of 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 performs heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing 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 driven by an indoor fan motor 16 c (see FIG. 5), and is a fan that sends indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 15 and is installed near the indoor heat exchanger 15. To explain in more detail, in the flow of air when the indoor fan 16 is rotating normally, the indoor fan 16 is provided on the downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 15.

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, in a cold room operation (refer to the dotted arrow in FIG. 1), the compressor 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (condenser), the expansion valve 14, and the indoor heat exchanger 15 (evaporator) pass through a four-way valve 17. In the refrigerant circuit Q which is connected in a loop in order, the refrigerant is circulated by a refrigeration cycle.

On the other hand, in the warm room operation (refer to the solid arrow in FIG. 1), the compressor 11, the indoor heat exchanger 15 (condenser), the expansion valve 14, and the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (evaporator) pass through In the refrigerant circuit Q in which the valves 17 are sequentially connected in a ring shape, the refrigerant is circulated in a refrigeration cycle.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor unit Uo is provided with a compressor 11, an outdoor heat exchanger 12, an outdoor fan 13, an expansion valve 14, and a four-way valve 17. 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 the second figure, the state in which the indoor fan 16 is not cleaned by the fan cleaning unit 24 is shown. In addition to the indoor heat exchanger 15 or the indoor fan 16 described above, the indoor unit Ui includes a dew receiving pan 18, a frame base 19, filters 20a, 20b, a front panel 21, left and right wind direction plates 22, and an up and down wind direction plate 23. 。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. In addition, from another viewpoint, 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 receives condensed water from the indoor heat exchanger 15 and is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 15 (in the example shown in FIG. 2, the front indoor heat exchanger 15 a). In addition, a dew receiving tray provided integrally with the frame base 19 is disposed below the rear indoor heat exchanger 15b.

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 plated with a hydrophilic plating agent. As such a plating material, for example, a binder (a silicide having a hydrolyzable group), butanol, tetrahydrofuran, and an antibacterial agent can be added to the isopropyl alcohol-dispersed silica sol as a hydrophilic material.

Accordingly, since a hydrophilic film is formed on the surface of the indoor fan 16, the resistance 値 of the surface of the indoor fan 16 is reduced, and it is difficult for dust to adhere to the indoor fan 16. That is, during the driving of the indoor fan 16, it is not easy for the surface of the indoor fan 16 to generate static electricity accompanying friction with air. Therefore, adhesion of dust to the indoor fan 16 can be suppressed. In this way, the aforementioned plating agent also functions as an antistatic agent for the indoor fan 16.

The frame base 19 shown in FIG. 2 is a frame provided with equipment such as an indoor heat exchanger 15 or an indoor fan 16. The radon filter 20 a is used to remove dust from the air traveling through the air intake port h1 toward the front side, and is provided on the front side of the indoor heat exchanger 15. The grate filter 20b is used to remove dust from the air traveling through 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 front screen 20a, and can be turned toward the front side with the lower end as an axis. The front panel 21 may have a structure that does not rotate.

The left-right airflow direction plate 22 is a plate-shaped member that adjusts the flow of the air blown into the room in the left-right direction as the indoor fan 16 rotates. The left and right wind direction plates 22 are arranged in the blowout air passage h3, and are rotated in the left and right directions by the left and right wind direction plate motors 25 (see FIG. 5). The up-and-down wind direction plate 23 is a plate-shaped member that adjusts the vertical flow of air blown out into the room as the indoor fan 16 rotates. The up-and-down wind direction plate 23 is arranged near the air blow-out port 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 through the air inlets h1 and h2 is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tube g of 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 in a predetermined direction by the left and right air direction plates 22 and the up and down air direction plates 23, and is blown out to the room through the air blowing outlet h4.

In addition, most of the dust traveling toward the air intake ports h1 and h2 along with the flow of air is captured by the filters 20a and 20b. However, fine dust may pass through the filters 20a and 20b and attach to the indoor heat exchanger 15 or the indoor fan 16. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to periodically clean the indoor heat exchanger 15 or the indoor fan 16. Here, in this embodiment, after the indoor fan 16 is cleaned using the fan cleaning unit 24 described later, the indoor heat exchanger 15 is rinsed with water.

The fan cleaning unit 24 shown in FIG. 2 is used to clean the indoor fan 16 and is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16. In more detail, the fan cleaning part 24 is arrange | positioned at the recessed part r of the front side indoor heat exchanger 15a which has the shape of a figure when viewed in a longitudinal section. In the example shown in FIG. 2, an indoor heat exchanger 15 (the lower part of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15 a) is present below the fan cleaning section 24, and a dew receiving tray 18 is also present.

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

The brush 24b is a cleaning member which removes dust adhering to the fan blade 16a, and is provided in the shaft part 24a. In this embodiment, a description will be given with a brush 24b as a cleaning member. However, the cleaning member is not limited to the brush 24b, and may be composed of other articles (for example, sponges). The fan cleaning motor 24c (refer to FIG. 5) is, for example, a stepping motor, and has a function of rotating the shaft portion 24a only by a predetermined angle. However, the fan cleaning motor 24c (see FIG. 5) may also rotate the shaft portion 24a by 360 °.

The length of the brush 24b is longer than the longer one of the shortest distance from the center of the shaft portion 24a to the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the shortest distance from the center of the shaft portion 24a to the indoor fan 16. The brush 24b is configured to selectively abut (contact) both the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16 by rotating the shaft portion 24a.

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 contacts the indoor fan 16 (see FIG. 5A), and the indoor fan is driven. 16 series reverse rotation. When the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning unit 24 is completed, the fan cleaning motor 24c is driven again to rotate the brush 24b, and the brush 24b is separated from the indoor fan 16 (see FIG. 2).

Moreover, in this embodiment, the indoor unit Ui (refer to FIG. 1) is a case where the dew condensation (condensed water) is attached to the brush 24b, such as freezing, thawing operation, or cold room operation, and the brush 24b is made The structure which rotates to the downward rotation direction of the shaft part 24a (direction of arrow A1 shown in FIG. 2). That is, the indoor unit Ui (refer to FIG. 1) is such that after the dew condensation water is generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15 in the refrigeration cycle, the brush 24b is directed in the downward rotation direction of the shaft portion 24a (arrow A1 shown in FIG. 2) The direction) rotation. This is because the depth width of the dew receiving pan 18 is relatively short, so the dew condensation water (condensed water) adhering to the brush 24b is not easily scattered when dripped. That is, if the brush 24b is rotated in the upward rotation direction of the shaft portion 24a, dew condensation (condensed water) adhering to the brush 24b flows from the front end side of the brush 24b toward the shaft portion 24a side and accumulates in the shaft portion. 24a is a relatively large-diameter droplet, and drops from the shaft portion 24a. The dew condensation water (condensation water) dripping in this case easily scatters. Therefore, in this embodiment, the indoor unit Ui (refer to FIG. 1), in order to prevent the dew condensation (condensed water) from scattering, is operated when the dew condensation (condensed water) is attached to the brush 24b. The structure which rotates to the downward rotation direction of the shaft part 24a (direction of arrow A1 shown in FIG. 2).

With this structure, the following advantages can be obtained. That is, in this configuration, the dew condensation water (condensed water) adhering to the brush 24b flows from the shaft portion 24a side of the brush 24b toward the tip side, and drips from the tip of the brush 24b. At this time, the dew condensation water (condensed water) drips together with the dust adhering to the brush 24b. Therefore, the indoor unit Ui (refer to FIG. 1) can efficiently remove dust from the brush 24b.

In this embodiment, except when the indoor fan 16 is being cleaned, as shown in FIG. 2, the front end of the brush 24 b is brought close to the indoor heat exchanger 15, and the front end of the brush 24 b is brought into contact with the front indoor heat exchanger 15 a so that The clearance between the tip of the brush 24b and the front indoor heat exchanger 15a is better. 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 cleaned (including during normal air-conditioning operation). The reason for disposing the fan cleaning unit 24 in this manner will be described 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 speed of air flow. During normal air-conditioning operation, the indoor fan 16 is rotating, and the air passing through the gap between the fins f of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15 a will travel toward the indoor fan 16. In particular, near the recess r of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a, as shown in FIG. 4, air flows toward the indoor fan 16 in a horizontal direction (a substantially horizontal direction).

As described above, the recessed portion r is provided with the fan cleaning portion 24 in a state where the brush 24b is oriented in the horizontal direction. In other words, during normal air-conditioning operation, the direction of the brush 24b is parallel to the direction of air flow. As described above, since the extending direction of the brush 24b is substantially parallel to the air flow direction, the fan cleaning portion 24 hardly obstructs the air flow.

In addition, the fan cleaning unit 24 is not provided in the upstream region or the downstream region (near the air outlet h4 shown in FIG. 2) when the indoor fan 16 is rotating normally. The air flowing in the horizontal direction along the brush 24b is accelerated by the fan blade 16a, and the accelerated air travels toward the air outlet h4 (see FIG. 2). As described above, since the fan cleaning unit 24 is disposed in an upstream region where the air flows at a relatively low speed, it is possible to suppress the reduction of the air volume caused by the fan cleaning unit 24. Moreover, even when the indoor fan 16 is stopped, the fan cleaning unit 24 may 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 receiving / transmitting unit 27 and an indoor control circuit 31 in addition to the aforementioned configuration. The remote control receiving and transmitting unit 27 exchanges predetermined information with the remote control 40. The indoor control circuit 31 is a circuit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and various interfaces, although not shown. The program stored in the ROM is read and expanded into the 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. In the memory unit 31a, in addition to a predetermined program, it also stores data received by the remote transmitter / receiver unit 27, or detection values of various sensors (not shown). The indoor control unit 31b executes 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 memory unit 31a.

The outdoor unit Uo includes an outdoor control circuit 32 in addition to the aforementioned configuration. Although not shown, the outdoor control circuit 32 is a circuit including a CPU, ROM, RAM, various interfaces, and the like, 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 the memory unit 32a, in addition to a predetermined program, data and the like received from the indoor control circuit 31 are also stored. 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".

<Cleaning of the indoor fan> The indoor unit Ui, as a cleaning function of the indoor fan 16, has a function of cleaning the indoor fan 16 with dew (condensed water) generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15 by freezing, thawing operation, or cold room operation. Features. In addition, the indoor unit Ui has a function of cleaning the brush 24b by using the dew condensation water (condensed water) generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15 by freezing, thawing operation, or cold room operation as a cleaning function of the brush 24b.

Hereinafter, an operation during cleaning of the indoor fan 16 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the cleaning process of the indoor fan 16 executed by the control unit 30 (refer to FIG. 2 as appropriate). In the flow of FIG. 6, a state (state shown in FIG. 2) in which the air conditioner is not operated at the time of “START” and the front end of the brush 24 b is close to the front indoor heat exchanger 15 a will be described.

In step S101 of FIG. 6, the control unit 30 cleans the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning unit 24. In addition, as the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 (triggered to start the cleaning of the indoor fan 16), for example, a condition that the accumulated time of the air-conditioning operation from the time of the previous cleaning of the indoor fan 16 reaches a predetermined time can be mentioned.

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 tray 18 are shown, and illustration of other components is omitted. The control unit 30 controls the fan cleaning unit 24 to contact the indoor fan 16 and rotates the indoor fan 16 in a reverse direction (reverse rotation) during normal air-conditioning operation.

That is, the control unit 30 is in a state where the front end of the brush 24b is close to the indoor heat exchanger 15 (refer to FIG. 2), the brush 24b is rotated about 180 ° about the shaft portion 24a, and the front end of the brush 24b is close to the room. Fan 16 (see FIG. 7A). Thereby, the brush 24b contacts the fan blade 16a of the indoor fan 16.

In the example of FIG. 7A, as indicated by a single-dotted dotted line L, an indoor heat exchanger 15 (front-side indoor heat exchanger) exists below the contact position K in a state where the fan cleaning unit 24 is in contact with the indoor fan 16. 15a), and there is a dew receiving tray 18.

As described above, since the indoor fan 16 is rotated in the reverse direction, the tip of the brush 24b is flexed in accordance with the movement of the fan blade 16a, and the brush 24b is pressed so as to touch the back surface of the fan blade 16a. The dust accumulated near the front end (the end in the radial direction) of the fan blade 16a is removed by the brush 24b.

In particular, dust easily accumulates near the front end of the fan blade 16a. This is because, during the air-conditioning operation in which the indoor fan 16 is rotating normally (see FIG. 4), air collides with the vicinity of the front end of the abdomen of the fan blade 16 a, and thus dust adheres to the vicinity of 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 rotated in the reverse direction. Thereby, the brush 24b contacts the vicinity of the front end of the back surface of the fan blade 16a, and the dust accumulated near the front end of both the abdomen and the back surface of the fan blade 16a is integrated and removed. Therefore, most of the dust accumulated in the indoor fan 16 can be removed.

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

To explain in more detail, the dust j removed from the indoor fan 16 by the brush 24b is slightly pressed against the front indoor heat exchanger 15a by the wind pressure. The dust j is dropped onto the dew receiving pan 18 along the inclined surface (edge of the fin f) of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a (see the arrow in FIG. 7A). Therefore, there is almost no case where dust j adheres to the inside of the up-and-down wind direction board 23 (refer FIG. 2) through the slight gap between the indoor fan 16 and the dew receiving pan 18. This can prevent dust j from being blown out into the room during the next air-conditioning operation.

In addition, there is a possibility that a part of the dust j removed from the indoor fan 16 does not fall onto 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 washed away by the process of step S103 described later.

In 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 indoor fan 16 in the middle and high speed ranges is, for example, 300 min ^-1 or more and less than 1700 min ^-1 . By rotating the indoor fan 16 in such a medium and high-speed range, the dust j easily travels in the direction of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a. Therefore, as described above, the dust j is difficult to adhere to the up-and-down wind direction plate 23 (see FIG. 2) Inside. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the 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 . By rotating the indoor fan 16 in such a low speed range, the indoor fan 16 can be cleaned with low noise.

After the process of step S101 in FIG. 6 ends, the control unit 30 moves the brush 24b as a cleaning member in step S102. That is, the control unit 30 is in a state where the front end of the brush 24b is close to the indoor fan 16 (refer to FIG. 7A), the brush 24b is rotated about 180 ° about the shaft portion 24a, and the front end of the brush 24b is close to the indoor heat exchange. Device 15 (see FIG. 7B). This can prevent the fan cleaning unit 24 from obstructing the flow of air during subsequent air-conditioning operation. As shown in FIG. 7B, when the front end of the brush 24b is close to the indoor heat exchanger 15, the front end of the brush 24b is brought into contact with the front indoor heat exchanger 15a, and the front end of the brush 24b is brought into the front indoor heat exchanger 15a. The clearance is better.

Next, in step S103, the control unit 30 sequentially freezes and 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 received by the indoor unit Ui in the indoor heat exchanger 15. The process of freezing the indoor heat exchanger 15 is included in the matter of "adhering condensed water" to the indoor heat exchanger 15.

When the indoor heat exchanger 15 is frozen, the control unit 30 preferably lowers the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 15. That is, the control unit 30 causes the indoor heat exchanger 15 to function as an evaporator, and when the indoor heat exchanger 15 is frozen (condensation water adheres), the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant becomes higher than that of an ordinary air conditioner. In a lower mode, the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 15 is adjusted.

For example, the control unit 30 reduces the opening degree of the expansion valve 14 (see FIG. 1), or decreases or stops the number of revolutions of the indoor fan 16 to reduce the air volume of the indoor unit Ui. The refrigerant having a low evaporation temperature flows into the indoor heat exchanger 15. Thereby, since the frost or ice (symbol i shown in FIG. 7B) easily grows in the indoor heat exchanger 15, it is possible to wash the indoor heat exchanger 15 with a large amount of water during subsequent thawing.

In the indoor heat exchanger 15, a region located below the fan cleaning unit 24 is preferably not a downstream region (that is, an upstream region or a midstream region) of the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 15. Thereby, a low-temperature gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows at least below (lower side) of the fan cleaning portion 24, so that the thickness of frost or ice adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be made thick. Therefore, the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be washed with a large amount of water during the subsequent thawing. In addition, in the area below the fan cleaning unit 24 in the indoor heat exchanger 15, dust easily scraped from the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning unit 24 is easily attached. Therefore, by allowing a low-temperature gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant to flow in a region below the fan cleaning portion 24 in the indoor heat exchanger 15, frost or ice can be easily grown, and by melting the frost or ice, The dust of the indoor heat exchanger 15 is properly washed away.

In addition, when the indoor heat exchanger 15 functions as an evaporator and the indoor heat exchanger 15 is frozen (condensation water adheres), the control unit 30 closes the up-and-down air direction plate 23 (see FIG. 2), or It is preferable to make the angle of the up-and-down wind direction board 23 more upward than horizontal. Thereby, the low-temperature air cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be prevented from leaking into the room, and the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be frozen and the like in a comfortable state for the user.

After freezing the indoor heat exchanger 15 in this manner, the control unit 30 defrosts the indoor heat exchanger 15 (step S103 in FIG. 6). For example, the control unit 30 naturally defrosts the indoor heat exchanger 15 at room temperature while maintaining the stopped state of each device. In addition, the control unit 30 may perform the heating operation or the ventilation operation to melt the frost or ice adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15.

FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing a state during defrosting of the indoor heat exchanger 15. The indoor heat exchanger 15 is thawed, whereby the frost or ice adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 is melted, and a large amount of water w flows down to the dew receiving pan 18 via the heat sink f. Thereby, the dust j adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 during the air-conditioning operation can be washed away.

In addition, along with the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 by the brush 24b, the dust j adhering to the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a is also washed away and flows down to the dew receiving pan 18 (see the arrow in FIG. 7B). The water w flowing down to the dew receiving tray 18 in this way will be discharged to the outside through the drain pipe (not shown) together with the dust j (refer to FIG. 7A) directly falling to the dew receiving tray 18 during the cleaning of the indoor fan 16. . As described above, since a large amount of water flows down from the indoor heat exchanger 15 during thawing, there is almost no possibility that the drain pipe or the like (not shown) will be blocked by dust j.

Although omitted in FIG. 6, after freezing and thawing the indoor heat exchanger 15 (step S103), the control unit 30 may perform a greenhouse operation or a ventilation operation to dry the interior of the indoor unit Ui. This makes it possible to suppress bacteria from multiplying in the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the like.

In such a configuration, since the air conditioner 100 cleans the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning unit 24 (step S101 in FIG. 6), it is possible to suppress dust j from being blown out into the room. In addition, since the fan cleaning unit 24 is disposed between the front 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 tray 18. During cleaning of the indoor fan 16, the control unit 30 rotates the indoor fan 16 in the reverse direction. This can prevent the dust j from traveling toward the air outlet h4.

In addition, during normal air-conditioning operation, the brush 24b is in a horizontal direction (see FIG. 4), so there is almost no possibility that the flow of air is obstructed by the influence of the brush 24b. In addition, the fan cleaning unit 24 is disposed in the upstream region of the air flow. In general air-conditioning operation, the reduction in the air volume due to the fan cleaning unit 24 is suppressed, and the increase in the power consumption of the indoor fan 16 is also increased. suppressed. In addition, as a reason that the air flow reduction can be suppressed if the fan cleaning unit 24 is located on the upstream side, the area of the air inlets h1 and h2 is larger than the area of the air outlet h4, and the flow of wind on the upstream side becomes larger than that on the downstream side. The side is slower.

In addition, if a large amount of dust is attached to the indoor fan 16, there may be a case where the blowing temperature of the air is lowered in order to compensate for the decrease in the performance of the indoor fan 16 during cold room operation, and dew drops may fall into the room. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the indoor fan 16 is cleaned properly as described above. Therefore, 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 from falling due to the dust caused by the indoor fan 16.

In addition, the control unit 30 sequentially freezes and thaws the indoor heat exchanger 15 (step S103 in FIG. 6), whereby the dust j adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 is washed away by the water w and flows down to the dew receiving Plate 18. According to this embodiment, the indoor fan 16 can be cleaned, and the indoor heat exchanger 15 can also be cleaned. Therefore, the air conditioner 100 can perform comfortable air conditioning. In addition, it is possible to reduce labor and maintenance costs of a user required for cleaning the indoor heat exchanger 15 or the indoor fan 16.

<Cleaning Process of Cleaning Member (Brush)> Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 8, the operation during cleaning of the brush 24 b (cleaning member) will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a cleaning process of the brush 24b (cleaning means) executed by the control unit 30 (refer to FIG. 2 as appropriate). In addition, in the flow chart in FIG. 8, the "START" time is described as a person who does not perform air-conditioning operation.

In step S110 of FIG. 8, the control unit 30 performs abutment control of the brush 24 b (cleaning member) on the indoor heat exchanger 15. In addition, as the cleaning timing of the brush 24b (triggered to start the cleaning process of the brush 24b), for example, a condition that the accumulated time of the air-conditioning operation from the time of the previous cleaning of the brush 24b reaches a predetermined time can be mentioned. However, this is just one example. The control unit 30 may use the cooling operation or the freezing operation as the cleaning timing of the brush 24b, and may perform the cleaning of the fan cleaning unit 24 during the cooling operation or the freezing operation.

Next, in step S120, the control unit 30 starts controlling the operation of generating dew condensation. At this time, the control unit 30 performs a freezing, thawing operation, a cold room operation, or the like. Next, in step S130, the control unit 30 repeatedly determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed, and stands by until it is determined that the predetermined time ("Yes") has elapsed.

By the determination in step S130, when it is determined that a predetermined time has elapsed (in the case of "Yes"), in step S140, the control unit 30 ends the dew condensation water generation operation control. Next, in step S150, the control unit 30 performs closing control of the up-and-down wind direction plate 23 or setting control of making the up-and-down wind direction plate 23 a direction above the horizontal.

After that, if it is desired to perform the greenhouse operation in step S170, it is preferable that in step S160, the control unit 30 performs rotation stop control of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan). In the process of step S160, it is considered that when the brush 24b (cleaning member) is dried in the greenhouse operation in step S170, the heat-exchanged air is not blown out into the room, and the indoor comfort is maintained. Even when the process of step S160 is not performed (that is, even when the rotation of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) is not stopped), the air conditioner 100 can dry the brush 24b (cleaning member) in step S170. Therefore, the processing in step S160 is not necessary, but can be deleted. In addition, the process of step S160 is set to the case where a greenhouse operation is performed in step S170. If the greenhouse operation is not performed in step S170, the process of step S160 is deleted.

Next, in step S170, the control unit 30 starts the drying operation control of the brush 24b (the cleaning member). The air conditioner 100 is capable of drying the brush 24b (cleaning member) by performing a greenhouse operation, an air blowing operation, or the like using the indoor heat exchanger 15 as a condenser. Here, a case where the control unit 30 is set to perform a greenhouse operation will be described. Next, in step S180, the control unit 30 repeatedly determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed, and stands by until the predetermined time has elapsed.

When it is determined in step S180 that a predetermined time has passed (in the case of "Yes"), in step S190, the control unit 30 ends the drying operation control of the brush 24b (cleaning member). Then, in step S200, the control unit 30 performs the remote control of the indoor heat exchanger 15 by the brush 24b (the cleaning member). This completes the processing of a series of processes.

In addition, in steps S170 to S200, the temperature of the brush 24b can be raised to a temperature higher than the death temperature of the bacteria so that the bacteria (molds) can be sufficiently killed, and the state can be maintained for the required time. Here, the death temperature of bacteria is 50 degrees C or more. This temperature is, for example, 50 ° C (time: 5 minutes) of the thermal death condition temperature of the mold (conidia of Pythium) in Table 4 "Heat Resistance of Mold" disclosed on the top page of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. Based. However, the bacterial death temperature is not necessarily limited to above 50 ° C. (Home) http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/shingi/chousa/sonota/003/houkoku/08111918/002.htm

The aforementioned required time may be, for example, 5 minutes when the temperature is maintained at 50 ° C. The aforementioned required time can be shorter than 5 minutes when the holding temperature is higher than 50 ° C.

In the indoor unit Ui, when the temperature of the brush 24b is maintained at the bacterial death temperature in steps S170 to S200, bacteria (molds) can be killed, so the brush 24b can be kept clean.

The flow of FIG. 8 can be changed to the flow of FIG. 9, for example. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing another cleaning process of the brush 24b (cleaning means) executed by the control unit 30.

The flow of FIG. 9 is different from the flow of FIG. 8 in that the processes of steps S110a and S120a are performed instead of the processes of steps S110 and S120. The processing of step S110a of FIG. 9 corresponds to the processing of step S120 of FIG. 8, and the processing of step S120a of FIG. 9 corresponds to the processing of step S110 of FIG. 8. That is, the flow of FIG. 9 is a process in which steps S110 and S120 of FIG. 8 are replaced.

Specifically, in the flow chart of FIG. 9, in step S110 a, the control unit 30 starts control of the operation of generating dew condensation water. At this time, the control unit 30 performs a freezing, thawing operation, a cold room operation, or the like. In the flow chart in FIG. 9, in step S120 a, the control unit 30 performs abutment control of the brush 24 b (cleaning member) on the indoor heat exchanger 15.

<Direction of the cleaning member (brush)> The fan cleaning unit 24 is preferably, for example, as shown in FIG. 10A, and when the air-conditioning operation such as the warm room operation or the cold room operation is performed, the required allowance for the horizontal direction is the vertical direction. Within the range of the angle α, the direction of the brush 24b is maintained. In addition, the fan cleaning unit 24 preferably maintains the direction of the brush 24b as shown in FIG. 10A during the processing in step S110 in FIG. 8 or the processing in step S120a in FIG. 9. FIG. 10A is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the direction of the brush 24b (cleaning member) when the air-conditioning operation is performed. In this case, the indoor unit Ui maintains the direction of the brush 24b of the fan cleaning unit 24 in the direction shown in FIG. 10A, thereby preventing the flow of the wind flowing into the interior from being obstructed, so that a relatively good air conditioning efficiency can be obtained. . In the example shown in FIG. 10A, the shaft portion 24a of the fan cleaning portion 24 is disposed at a position P0 on the side of the flexion portion of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a. The brush 24b of the fan cleaning unit 24 is held in a direction within a range of a permissible angle α required for the horizontal direction to be the vertical direction.

In addition, inside the indoor unit Ui, wind flows toward the center O (see FIG. 10B) of the indoor fan 16. Therefore, if the position around the indoor fan 16 is higher than the center O of the indoor fan 16, the upward direction is a direction with a small air resistance. On the other hand, if it is lower than the center O of the indoor fan 16, In the position, the downward direction is a direction in which the air resistance is small. Here, it is preferable that the fan cleaning unit 24 maintains the direction of the brush 24b in a direction parallel to the flow of the wind when the air-conditioning operation such as the warm room operation or the cold room operation is performed as shown in FIG. 10B. In addition, the fan cleaning unit 24 preferably maintains the direction of the brush 24b as shown in FIG. 10B during the processing of step S110 of FIG. 8 or the processing of step S120a of FIG. 9. Fig. 10B is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the case where the air-conditioning operation is performed or the direction of the brush 24b (the cleaning member) during the cleaning operation of the brush 24b (the cleaning member). In the direction of the brush 24b in this case, for example, if the position of the shaft portion 24a is at a position P1 higher than the center O of the indoor fan 16, the tip of the brush 24b will be more upward than the horizontal direction. In the direction of the brush 24b in this case, for example, if the position of the shaft portion 24a is at a position P2 lower than the center O of the indoor fan 16, the front end of the brush 24b becomes a downward direction than the horizontal direction. In this case, the brush 24b of the fan cleaning unit 24 is in contact with the heat sink f, and the heat sink f is in contact with the heat transfer tube g through which the refrigerant in the gas domain or the two-phase domain in the indoor heat exchanger 15 flows. Further, in this case, the indoor unit Ui also keeps the direction of the brush 24b of the fan cleaning unit 24 in the direction shown in FIG. 10B, thereby preventing the flow of the wind flowing into the interior from being obstructed, so that a relatively good result can be obtained. Air conditioning efficiency.

However, as shown in FIG. 11, the fan cleaning unit 24 can set the direction of the brush 24 b such that the tip of the brush 24 b becomes even if the position of the shaft portion 24 a is higher than the center P of the indoor fan 16. Orientation downwards than horizontal. Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the direction of the brush 24b (cleaning member) when the air-conditioning operation is performed. In this case, the dew condensation water (condensed water) adhering to the brush 24b flows from the shaft portion 24a side of the brush 24b toward the tip side, and drips from the tip of the brush 24b. At this time, the dew condensation water (condensed water) drips together with the dust adhering to the brush 24b. Therefore, the indoor unit Ui can efficiently remove dust from the brush 24b.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11, it is preferable that the control unit 30 directs the dew condensation water from the front end side of the brush 24 b of the fan cleaning unit 24 toward a part of the indoor heat exchanger 15 (for example, below) when the dew condensation water is generated. Side part), or the direction in which the dew receiving pan 18 flows, so that the arrangement angle of the fan cleaning portion 24 faces the oblique downward direction. Thereby, the air conditioner 100 can make the fan cleaning part 24 function as a water path of dew condensation water.

In addition, the fan cleaning unit 24 is preferably, as shown in FIG. 12, when the indoor heat exchanger 15 is cooled in a cooling room operation or a dehumidification operation, and the brush 24b is kept away from the front indoor heat exchanger 15a. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the direction of the brush 24b (cleaning member) when the cold room operation or the dehumidifying operation is performed. In this case, the indoor unit Ui can prevent the dew condensation water (condensed water) generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15 from dripping through the brush 24b. Thereby, the indoor unit Ui can efficiently clean the indoor heat exchanger 15 with dew condensation (condensed water).

However, even if the fan cleaning unit 24 is in a cold room operation or a dehumidifying operation, for example, as shown in FIG. 10A, the direction of the fan cleaning unit 24 may be a horizontal direction or a range of a predetermined angle α with respect to the horizontal direction. In addition, even if the fan cleaning unit 24 is in a cold room operation or a dehumidifying operation, for example, as shown in FIG. 10B, the direction of the fan cleaning unit 24 may be parallel to the direction of the wind flow.

In addition, the fan cleaning unit 24 may keep the brush 24b away from the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a even in a warm room operation, for example, as shown in FIG. That is, the control unit 30 may make the fan cleaning unit 24 not to contact the indoor heat exchanger 15 during warm room operation, cold room operation, or dehumidification operation, for example, as shown in FIG. 12.

<Cleaning timing of the supply fan (indoor fan)> In the aforementioned embodiment, as the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 (triggered to start the cleaning of the indoor fan 16), it may be counted from the time of the previous cleaning of the indoor fan 16. The condition that the accumulated time for the air-conditioning operation reaches a predetermined time. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 can be changed depending on the application. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation example in a case where the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) is changed.

Hereinafter, an operation in a case where the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) is changed will be described with reference to FIG. 13. Here, the user of the air conditioner 100 will be described at any timing to instruct the air conditioner 100 to instruct execution of the air conditioning operation and stop of the air conditioning operation.

In step S610 in FIG. 13, the control unit 30 sets the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 based on the setting conditions previously stored in the storage unit 31 a (see FIG. 5). Here, as the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16, an operation condition in which the operating time (cumulative operating time) of the indoor fan 16 is set to reach a required time will be described. A description will be given of a case where the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 is changed when the operating time of the indoor fan 16 reaches a preset threshold. In addition, the control unit 30 may use the cumulative number of revolutions of the indoor fan 16 or the cumulative value of the rotation speed and the operating time of the indoor fan 16 instead of the operating time of the indoor fan 16.

Next, in step S620, the control unit 30 starts the air-conditioning operation when the user instructs execution of the air-conditioning operation. Next, in step S630, the control unit 30 measures the operating time of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan). Next, in step S640, the control unit 30 determines whether the operating condition is the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan).

In the determination of step S640, it is determined that the operating condition is the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) (the case of "Yes"), and the process proceeds to step S690. On the other hand, the determination in step S640 determines that the operating condition has not become the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) (in the case of "No"). In step S650, the control unit 30 determines that the indoor fan 16 ( Whether the running time of the supply fan reaches the threshold.

The determination in step S650 determines that the operating time of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) has not reached the threshold (in the case of "No"), and in step S660, the control unit 30 determines whether the operating conditions are the end of the air-conditioning operation. That is, whether the user instructs the stop of the air-conditioning operation.

The determination in step S660 determines that the operating condition has not reached the end of the air-conditioning operation (the case of "No"), and the process returns to step S630. On the other hand, the determination in step S660 determines that the operating condition is the end of the air-conditioning operation (the case of "Yes"), and in step S670, the control unit 30 ends the air-conditioning operation. This completes the processing of a series of processes.

In the foregoing determination in step S650, it is determined that the operating time of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) has reached a threshold value (in the case of "Yes"). In step S680, the control unit 30 is stored in the memory unit 31a in advance based on Fig. 5) change the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan). With this, the control unit 30 can clean the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) at a higher frequency than the current frequency, or conversely, clean the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) at a lower frequency than the current frequency. . After that, the process proceeds to step S690.

In step S690, the control unit 30 repeatedly determines whether the operating condition is the end of the air-conditioning operation, that is, whether the user instructs the stop of the air-conditioning operation, and stands by until the operating condition is determined to be the end of the air-conditioning operation ("Yes"). .

The determination in step S690 determines that the operation condition is the end of the air-conditioning operation (in the case of "Yes"), and in step S700, the control unit 30 ends the air-conditioning operation. Next, in step S710, the control unit 30 cleans the indoor fan 16 (supply fan). This completes the processing of a series of processes.

<Cleaning timing of the cleaning member (brush)> In the foregoing embodiment, as the cleaning timing of the brush 24b (triggered to start the cleaning process of the brush 24b), for example, the air-conditioning operation counted from the time of the previous cleaning of the brush 24b The condition that the accumulated time reaches the predetermined time. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, the cleaning timing of the brush 24b can be changed depending on the application. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation when the cleaning timing of the brush 24b (the cleaning member) is changed.

The operation of changing the cleaning timing of the brush 24b (the cleaning member) will be described below with reference to FIG. 14. Here, the user of the air conditioner 100 will be described at any timing to instruct the air conditioner 100 to instruct execution of the air conditioning operation and stop of the air conditioning operation.

In step S810 of FIG. 14, the control unit 30 sets the cleaning timing of the brush 24 b according to the setting conditions stored in the storage unit 31 a (see FIG. 5) in advance. Here, as the cleaning timing of the brush 24b, an operation condition in which the operating time (cumulative operating time) of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) is set to reach a required time will be described. A description will be given of a case where the cleaning timing of the brush 24b is changed when the operating time of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) reaches a predetermined threshold. The timing of cleaning the brush 24b is only one example. The control unit 30 may use the cooling operation or the freezing operation as the cleaning timing of the brush 24b, and may perform the cleaning of the fan cleaning unit 24 during the cooling operation or the freezing operation.

Next, in step S820, the control unit 30 starts the air-conditioning operation when the user instructs execution of the air-conditioning operation. Next, in step S830, the control unit 30 measures the operating time of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan). Next, in step S840, the control unit 30 determines whether the operating condition is the cleaning timing of the brush 24b.

In the determination of step S840, it is determined that the operation condition is the cleaning timing of the brush 24b (the case of "Yes"), and the processing proceeds to step S890. On the other hand, the determination in step S840 determines that the operating condition is not the cleaning timing of the brush 24b (the case of "No"). In step S850, the control unit 30 determines the operation of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan). Whether the time reaches the threshold.

The determination in step S850 determines that the operating time of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) has not reached the threshold (in the case of "No"), and in step S860, the control unit 30 determines whether the operating condition is the end of the air-conditioning operation. That is, whether the user instructs the stop of the air-conditioning operation.

The determination in step S860 determines that the operating condition has not reached the end of the air-conditioning operation (in the case of "No"), and the process returns to step S830. On the other hand, the determination in step S860 determines that the operation condition is the end of the air-conditioning operation (the case of "Yes"), and in step S870, the control unit 30 ends the air-conditioning operation. This completes the processing of a series of processes.

In the foregoing determination in step S850, it is determined that the operating time of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) has reached a threshold value (in the case of "Yes"). In step S880, the control unit 30 is stored in the memory unit 31a in advance (refer to (Figure 5), the cleaning timing of the brush 24b is changed. Accordingly, the control unit 30 can clean the brush 24b at a higher frequency than the current frequency, or conversely, clean the brush 24b at a lower frequency than the current frequency. After that, the process proceeds to step S890. In step S890, the control unit 30 repeatedly determines whether the operating condition is the end of the air-conditioning operation, that is, whether the user instructs the stop of the air-conditioning operation, and stands by until the operating condition is determined to be the end of the air-conditioning operation ("Yes"). .

The determination in step S890 determines that the operation condition is the end of the air-conditioning operation (in the case of "Yes"), and in step S900, the control unit 30 ends the air-conditioning operation. Next, in step S910, the control unit 30 cleans the brush 24b. This completes the processing of a series of processes.

<Frequency of cleaning by bringing the fan cleaning unit into contact with the indoor heat exchanger> In this embodiment, the indoor unit Ui uses the dew condensation water (condensation) generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15 by freezing, thawing operation, or cold room operation. (Water) The brush 24b (cleaning means) of the fan cleaning part 24 is cleaned. However, it takes energy to generate dew condensation. Therefore, the frequency of cleaning the fan cleaning unit 24 in contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15 is preferably as small as possible. In view of this point, the amount of dust attached to the fan cleaning unit 24 is smaller than the amount of dust attached to the indoor fan 16 (supply fan). Therefore, the frequency of cleaning the fan cleaning unit 24 in contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15 is preferably lower than the frequency of cleaning the indoor fan 16 (air supply fan) by the fan cleaning unit 24. Thereby, the air conditioner 100 can reduce power consumption.

<Main Features of Air Conditioner> (1) As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner 100 includes a refrigeration cycle including an indoor heat exchanger 15 (heat exchanger), an indoor fan 16 (supply fan), and a brush. 24b (cleaning means) cleans the fan cleaning part 24 and the control part 30 of the indoor fan 16 (refer FIG. 5). The brush 24 b is configured to be capable of selectively abutting on both the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 30 is capable of performing abutment control (refer to step S110) for bringing the brush 24 b into contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15 and generating dew condensation water (condensed water) by the indoor heat exchanger 15. Control (see step S120). As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the control unit 30 borrows from the refrigeration cycle before the fan cleaning unit 24 contacts the indoor heat exchanger 15 or when the fan cleaning unit 24 contacts the indoor heat exchanger 15. Dew condensation water is generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15.

The cleaning member may be a member such as a sponge instead of the brush 24b. (2) The dew condensation water (condensed water) generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15 may be water that has been thawed as a frost (or ice) attached to the indoor heat exchanger 15 once it is frozen. In addition, the order of the abutment control (refer to step S110 in FIG. 8) and the generation of motion control (refer to step S120 in FIG. 8) are the same as steps S110a and S120a viewed in FIG. 9, and the order may be reversed. .

Since the air conditioner 100 can clean the brush 24b with the dew condensation water (condensed water) generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15, the brush 24b can be efficiently cleaned.

(2) As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the control unit 30 performs a drying operation after the dew condensation water is generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15 in the refrigeration cycle. This drying operation is performed by a greenhouse operation using the indoor heat exchanger 15 as a condenser, or by a ventilation operation (see step S170).

Since the air conditioner 100 can dry the brush 24b efficiently, the brush 24b can be kept clean.

(3) As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, after the dew condensation is generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15 in the refrigeration cycle, and the drying operation is performed, it is assumed that the indoor heat exchanger 15 is used as the condenser in step S170. The control unit 30 preferably controls the fan cleaning unit 24 in step S110 in FIG. 8 or step S120a in FIG. 9 so that the brush 24b is in contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15.

The air conditioner 100 can efficiently transfer the heat of the indoor heat exchanger 15 to the brush 24b when performing the greenhouse operation in step S170. Therefore, the brush 24b can be quickly dried. However, the air conditioner 100 can dry the brush 24b without bringing the brush 24b into contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15.

(4) As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, after the dew condensation is generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15 in the refrigeration cycle and the drying operation is performed, the control unit 30 preferably closes the up-and-down air direction plate 23 or In a direction above the level (see step S150), the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) is stopped (see step S160), or both.

In this way, the air conditioner 100 performs the drying operation in a state where the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 15 is suppressed from being strongly blown from the air outlet h4 (see FIG. 2) into the room. Therefore, the air conditioner 100 can prevent the dew condensation water from leaking from the air outlet h4 (see FIG. 2) to the outside, and can keep the indoor air clean.

(5) As shown in FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B, or FIG. 11, the control unit 30 is preferably: when the drying operation is performed, the fan cleaning unit 24 is brought into contact with the heat sink f, which is This is a heat transfer tube g that contacts the refrigerant in the gas domain or the two-phase domain in the indoor heat exchanger 15.

In such an air conditioner 100, the temperature of the fan cleaning unit 24 can be efficiently raised by the heat transmitted from the heat sink f. In particular, the heat transfer pipe g through which the refrigerant in the gas domain or the two-phase domain flows in the indoor heat exchanger 15 is likely to have a higher temperature than the heat transfer pipe g through which the refrigerant in the liquid domain flows. Therefore, by bringing the fan cleaning unit 24 into contact with the heat sink f, which is in contact with the heat transfer tube g through which the refrigerant in the gas domain or the two-phase domain flows, the temperature of the fan cleaner unit 24 can be increased more easily.

(6) For example, as shown in FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B, or FIG. 11, in the example shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, in step S170, the indoor heat exchanger 15 is used as a condenser. In the warm room operation, the control unit 30 preferably has the direction of the fan cleaning unit 24 facing the indoor heat exchanger 15 so that the temperature of the fan cleaning unit 24 easily rises.

In this way, the air conditioner 100 can raise the temperature of the fan cleaning unit 24 by the heat transmitted from the heat sink f in such a manner that bacteria (molds) are sufficiently killed. Thereby, the air conditioner 100 can keep the fan cleaning part 24 clean.

(7) For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 30 may keep the fan cleaning unit 24 out of contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15 during warm room operation, cold room operation, or dehumidification operation.

Such an air conditioner 100 can suppress the movement of dust from the indoor heat exchanger 15 to the fan cleaning unit 24 during the warm room operation, the cold room operation, or the dehumidification operation, and can reduce the amount of dust adhered to the fan cleaning unit 24. In addition, since the air conditioner 100 can prevent the dew condensation water (condensed water) generated by the indoor heat exchanger 15 from dripping through the brush 24b, the indoor heat exchanger can be efficiently cleaned by the dew condensation water (condensed water). 15.

(8) The fan cleaning unit 24 has a structure that rotates around the shaft portion 24a. As shown in FIG. 10A, the control unit 30 may set the direction of the fan cleaning unit 24 to be a horizontal direction or a range of a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction during warm room operation, cold room operation, or dehumidification operation.

Since the air conditioner 100 can prevent the flow of the wind flowing into the air conditioner 100 in this way, relatively good air conditioning efficiency can be obtained.

(9) Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10B, the control unit 30 may set the direction of the fan cleaning unit 24 to be parallel to the direction of wind flow during warm room operation, cold room operation, or dehumidification operation.

Since the air conditioner 100 can prevent the flow of the wind flowing into the air conditioner 100 in this way, relatively good air conditioning efficiency can be obtained.

(10) In the air conditioner 100, a part (for example, a lower part) of the indoor heat exchanger 15 or the dew receiving pan 18 is disposed below the fan cleaning unit 24. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, it is preferable that the control unit 30 orients the fan cleaning unit 24 toward the obliquely downward direction so that the front end of the fan cleaning unit 24 is positioned downward. With this, the air conditioner 100 can cause the dew condensation water to flow from the front end side of the fan cleaning unit 24 toward a portion (for example, the lower portion) of the indoor heat exchanger 15 or the dew receiving pan 18 when the dew condensation water is generated. In this way, the fan cleaning unit 24 functions as a water path for dew condensation.

In such an air conditioner 100, by allowing the fan cleaning unit 24 to function as a water path for dew condensation water, the dust adhering to the fan cleaning unit 24 can be dropped together with the dew condensation water. Therefore, the air conditioner 100 can efficiently clean the fan cleaning unit 24.

(11) The frequency of cleaning the fan cleaning unit 24 in contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15 is preferably lower than the frequency of cleaning the indoor fan 16 (supply air fan) by the fan cleaning unit 24.

In this way, the air conditioner 100 can suppress the generation frequency of the dew condensation water (condensation water) used for cleaning by the fan cleaning unit 24. Therefore, the air conditioner 100 can reduce power consumption.

(12) As shown in FIG. 8, if the greenhouse operation is to be performed in step S170, it is preferable that in step S160, the control unit 30 performs operation control to stop the rotation of the indoor fan 16 (air-supply fan).

In such an air conditioner 100, since the greenhouse operation is performed while the rotation of the indoor fan 16 is stopped in step S170, the heat-exchanged air can be prevented from being blown out into the room, and the indoor comfort can be maintained.

(13) For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 30 preferably changes the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) in accordance with the operating time of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan).

Since the air conditioner 100 can automatically change the cleaning timing of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan), the cleaning efficiency of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) can be improved.

(14) For example, as shown in FIG. 14, it is preferable that the control unit 30 changes the cleaning timing of the brush 24 b (the cleaning member) in accordance with the operating time of the indoor fan 16 (supply fan).

Since the air conditioner 100 can automatically change the cleaning timing of the brush 24b (cleaning means), the cleaning efficiency of the brush 24b (cleaning means) can be improved. In addition, in such an air conditioner 100, for example, since the brush 24b is less likely to be soiled than the indoor fan 16, it is possible to clean the indoor fan 16 with the brush 24b in contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15 more frequently than with the fan cleaning unit 24. In a lower frequency mode, the cleaning timing of the brush 24b is set. Accordingly, the air conditioner 100 can set the frequency at which the brush 24b is brought into contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15 and cleaned to an appropriate value.

(15) The control unit 30 is capable of performing abutment control (refer to step S110 in FIG. 8) for bringing the brush 24b into contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15, thereby moving the dust adhering to the brush 24b from the brush 24b to the room. Heat exchanger 15.

Since the air conditioner 100 can wipe the dust adhered to the brush 24b to the indoor heat exchanger 15 and move the dust from the brush 24b to the indoor heat exchanger 15, the dust can be efficiently removed from the brush 24b. In addition, since the air conditioner 100 can drop the dust moving to the indoor heat exchanger 15 together with the dew condensation water flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 15, the washing efficiency can be improved. In addition, in general, the indoor heat exchanger 15 is grounded, so the air conditioner 100 can obtain the effect of removing electricity from the brush 24b (that is, the effect of removing electricity from the brush 24b and making it difficult for dust to adhere to the brush 24b). Therefore, the air conditioner 100 can make it difficult for dust to adhere to the brush 24b, and can easily keep the brush 24b clean.

(16) The control unit 30 rotates and moves the brush 24b after controlling the movement of dew condensation on the brush 24b. For the fan cleaning unit 24, the brush 24b is rotated in the downward rotation direction of the shaft portion 24a.

In this way, the air conditioner 100 can prevent the dew condensation water adhering to the brush 24b from flowing from the front end side of the brush 24b toward the shaft portion 24a side and accumulating in the shaft portion 24a to form a relatively large-diameter droplet and drip from the shaft portion 24a. . Therefore, the air conditioner 100 can suppress the dew condensation water from scattering.

As described above, according to the air conditioner 100 of this embodiment, the fan cleaning unit 24 can be efficiently cleaned.

<< Modifications >> As mentioned above, the air conditioner 100 of the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions, and various changes can be made.

<First Modification> Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing a cleaning process of the fan cleaning unit 24 of the air conditioner according to the first modification of the present invention.

In the first modification, the cleaning process of the fan cleaning unit 24 shown in FIG. 15 is performed at an arbitrary timing. For example, when the air conditioner of the first modification example performs the process shown in Fig. 8 (or Fig. 9) at a desired timing, it replaces Fig. 8 with a ratio of 1 in several times ( Alternatively, the processing shown in FIG. 9) may be performed by the processing shown in FIG. 15. Alternatively, instead of performing the processing shown in FIG. 8 (or FIG. 9), the processing shown in FIG. 15 may be performed.

In the example shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 30 determines whether it is the cleaning timing of the fan cleaning unit 24 (step S1010). In step S1010, it is determined that it is not the cleaning timing (case of "No"), and the processing system is ended. On the other hand, when it is determined that it is the cleaning timing (the case of "Yes"), the process proceeds to step S1020. In this case, the control unit 30 rotates the indoor fan 16 (air-supply fan) in a direction opposite to the direction in which it rotates during the air-conditioning operation (step S1020). Next, the control unit 30 performs the operation of rotating the fan cleaning unit 24 a plurality of times in a range including an angle at which the fan cleaning unit 24 contacts the indoor heat exchanger 15 (step S1030). With this, the processing system ends.

In such an air conditioner according to the first modified example, the fan cleaning unit 24 is brought into contact with the indoor heat exchanger 15 a plurality of times, so that dust adhering to the fan cleaning unit 24 can be wiped onto the indoor heat exchanger 15 and dropped. In the air conditioner 100 according to the first modification, since the indoor heat exchanger 15 is grounded, the static elimination effect of the brush 24b (that is, the effect of removing the brush 24b from electricity and making it difficult for dust to adhere to the brush 24b) can be obtained. Therefore, the air conditioner 100 according to the first modification can make it difficult for dust to adhere to the brush 24b, and can easily keep the brush 24b clean. In addition, the air conditioner 100 according to the first modification can reduce power consumption because no dew condensation is generated as compared with the case where the process shown in FIG. 8 (or FIG. 9) is performed.

Further, in the first modification, when the fan cleaning unit 24 is rotated, the indoor fan 16 (supply fan) is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction in which the air conditioner is rotated during operation (see step S1020). Thereby, the air conditioner of the first modification can suppress dust from flying inside the indoor unit Ui, and the dust is blown out from the air outlet h4 into the room.

<Second Modification> Fig. 16A is a side view of an indoor heat exchanger 15 of an air conditioner according to a second modification of the present invention. Fig. 16B is an inner view of the indoor heat exchanger 15 of the air conditioner according to the second modification of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 16A, the air conditioner according to the second modification is provided with a slit sl in the fin f attached to the indoor heat exchanger 15. As shown in FIG. 16A, the slit sl is preferably provided at a position where the brush 24 b of the fan cleaning unit 24 comes into contact with the fan cleaning unit 24 by the rotation of the fan cleaning unit 24. In the example shown in FIG. 16B, the slit sl is formed by alternately bending the inner surface portion of the heat sink f with one side of the heat sink f and the other side with a width of several mm.

The distance between the fins f of the indoor heat exchanger 15 (the fin pitch) may be wider than the thickness of the hairs of the brushes 24 b of the fan cleaning unit 24. In the air conditioner of the second modification, even in this case, the brush 24 b can be brought into contact with the heat sink f of the indoor heat exchanger 15 efficiently. Thereby, the air conditioner of the second modification can efficiently clean the fan cleaning unit 24.

<Third Modification> Fig. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view of an indoor unit UAI of an air conditioner according to a third modification of the present invention. In the third modification shown in FIG. 17, the groove member M having a concave shape when viewed 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 toward the upper side is provided to the groove member M. The other points are the same as those of the embodiment.

In the ditch member M shown in FIG. 17, the front portion 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 or the indoor fan 16. The dust receiving portion 29 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 15.

Below the fan cleaning unit 24, there is an indoor heat exchanger 15 (the lower part of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a), and there is a dust receiving unit 29. To explain in more detail, although not shown, an indoor heat exchanger 15 and a dust receiving portion 29 exist below the contact position where the fan cleaning portion 24 is in contact with the indoor fan 16. Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the aforementioned embodiment can be obtained. When the indoor heat exchanger 15 is thawed, water flows down to the dew receiving portion 18A, and water flows down to the dust receiving portion 29. Therefore, there is no fear that the discharge of the dust accumulated in the dust receiving portion 29 may be hindered.

In the example shown in FIG. 17, although the upper end of the rib 28 is not in contact with the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15 a, it is not limited to this. That is, the upper end of the rib 28 may be in contact with the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a.

<Fourth Modification> FIG. 18 is a schematic perspective view of an indoor fan 16 and a fan cleaning unit 124A included in an air conditioner according to a fourth modification of the present invention. In the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 18, the fan cleaning portion 124A includes a rod-shaped shaft portion 124d parallel to the axial direction of the indoor fan 16, a brush 124e provided on the shaft portion 124d, and a shaft One of both ends of the portion 124d is a pair of support portions 124f and 124f. In addition, although not shown, the fan cleaning unit 124A also includes a moving mechanism that moves the fan cleaning unit 124A in the axial direction or the like.

As shown in FIG. 18, the length of the fan cleaning portion 124A in a direction parallel to the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the indoor fan 16 is shorter than the length in the axial direction of the indoor fan 16 itself. The axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the indoor fan 16 is viewed from the front of the indoor unit Ui in the left-right direction. During cleaning of the indoor fan 16, the fan cleaning unit 124A moves in the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the indoor fan 16. That is, in the axial direction of the indoor fan 16, the indoor fan 16 is cleaned in each predetermined area corresponding to the length of the fan cleaning unit 124A. As described above, by configuring the fan cleaning unit 124A having a relatively short length, the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner can be reduced compared to the first embodiment.

Further, a rod (not shown) extending parallel to the shaft portion 124d is provided near the fan cleaning portion 124A (for example, the upper side of the shaft portion 124d), and a predetermined moving mechanism (not shown) causes the fan cleaning portion 124A to The stick can also be moved. In addition, after the cleaning by the fan cleaning unit 124A, the moving mechanism (not shown) may appropriately rotate or move the fan cleaning unit 124A in parallel, and the fan cleaning unit 124A may be retracted from the indoor fan 16.

In addition, in the embodiment, when cleaning the indoor fan 16, the control unit 30 causes the fan cleaning unit 24 to contact the indoor fan 16, and rotates the indoor fan 16 in a direction opposite to that during normal air-conditioning operation ( Reverse rotation) is described, but it is not limited to this. In other words, the control unit 30 may cause the fan cleaning unit 24 to contact the indoor fan 16 and rotate the indoor fan 16 in the same direction (forward rotation) as during normal air-conditioning operation.

By bringing the brush 24b into contact with the indoor fan 16 and rotating the indoor fan 16 in this manner, it is possible to effectively remove dust adhering to the front end of the abdomen of the fan blade 16a. In addition, since the circuit element for rotating the indoor fan 16 in the reverse direction is not required, the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner 100 can be reduced. In addition, the rotation speed when the indoor fan 16 is being rotated during cleaning is the same as in the embodiment, and may be in the low speed range, the medium speed range, or the high speed range.

In addition, in the embodiment, the configuration in which the brush 24b is rotated around the shaft portion 24a of the fan cleaning portion 24 as a center has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, when cleaning the indoor fan 16, the control unit 30 may move the shaft portion 24 a toward the indoor fan 16 and the brush 24 b may contact the indoor fan 16. After the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 is completed, the control unit 30 may retract the shaft portion 24 a and keep the brush 24 b away from the indoor fan 16.

In the embodiment, the configuration in which the fan cleaning unit 24 includes the brush 24b has been described, but it is not limited to this. That is, as long as it can clean the indoor fan 16, a sponge etc. may be used.

In the embodiment, the configuration of the downstream region where the region located below the fan cleaning unit 24 in the indoor heat exchanger 15 is not the flow of the refrigerant is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the indoor heat exchanger 15 is a region having a height higher than the fan cleaning unit 24, and is not a downstream region (that is, an upstream region or a midstream region) of the refrigerant flowing in the indoor heat exchanger 15. Yes. To explain in more detail, in the front indoor heat exchanger 15 a, a region located on the downstream side of the air flow during normal air-conditioning operation and having a height higher than the fan cleaning portion 24 does not circulate through the indoor heat exchanger 15. The downstream region of the refrigerant flow is preferred. According to this 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) has a height In a region higher than the fan cleaning unit 24, as the indoor heat exchanger 15 freezes, a thick frost adheres. When the indoor heat exchanger 15 is subsequently thawed, a large amount of water w flows down through the heat sink f. Therefore, the dust (including the dust removed from the indoor fan 16) adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be washed away to the dew receiving tray 18.

In addition, in the embodiment, the configuration in which the control unit 30 contacts the brush 24b of the fan cleaning unit 24 to the indoor fan 16 during cleaning of the indoor fan 16 will be described, but it is not limited to this. That is, during the cleaning of the indoor fan 16, the control unit 30 may cause the brush 24 b of the fan cleaning unit 24 to approach the indoor fan 16. To explain in more detail, the control unit 30 brings the brush 24b close to the indoor fan 16 to the extent that dust accumulated on the front end of the fan blade 16a can be removed to the outside of the front end in the radial direction. With this configuration, dust accumulated in the indoor fan 16 can also be properly removed.

In addition, in each embodiment, although the process of washing the indoor heat exchanger 15 by 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 indoor heat exchanger 15 may be washed with the dew condensation water (condensed water). 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. Next, the control unit 30 controls the opening degree of the expansion valve 14 and the like so that the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 15 is lower than the aforementioned dew point and higher than a predetermined freezing temperature.

The aforementioned "freezing temperature" refers to a temperature at which the moisture contained in the indoor air starts to freeze in the indoor heat exchanger 15 when the temperature of the indoor air is lowered. The indoor heat exchanger 15 is dew condensation in this way, and the dew condensation can be caused by this. Water (condensed water) removes dust from the indoor heat exchanger 15.

In addition, the control unit 30 may perform dehumidification operation or dehumidification operation to cause the indoor heat exchanger 15 to dew, and the indoor heat exchanger 15 may be cleaned by the dew condensation water (condensed water).

In the embodiment (see FIG. 2), the configuration in which the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the dew receiving pan 18 are provided below the fan cleaning unit 24 is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, a configuration in which at least one of the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the dew receiving pan 18 exists under the fan cleaning unit 24 may be adopted. For example, in a configuration in which the lower portion of the indoor heat exchanger 15 extending in a vertical shape as viewed in a longitudinal section extends vertically, a dew receiving tray 18 may be provided below (directly below) the fan cleaning portion 24.

In addition, in the third modification shown in FIG. 17, 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 it is not limited to this. That is, a configuration in which at least one of the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the dust receiving section 29 exists below the fan cleaning section 24 may be adopted.

In the embodiment, the configuration in which one indoor unit Ui (see FIG. 1) and one outdoor unit Uo (see FIG. 1) are provided is described, but the invention is not limited to this. That is, a plurality of indoor units connected in parallel may be installed, and a plurality of outdoor units connected in parallel may be installed. In the embodiment, although the wall-mounted air conditioner 100 is described, it can be applied to other types of air conditioners.

In addition, in the embodiment, a case where the air conditioner 100 is set to have a function of performing the freezing and thawing operation of the indoor heat exchanger 15 will be described. However, the present invention can be applied even when the air conditioner 100 does not have a function of performing the freezing and defrosting operation of the indoor heat exchanger 15.

The embodiments are described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not limited to those having all the components described. In addition, a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be added, deleted, or replaced with another configuration. In addition, the aforementioned mechanism or structure is necessary for indicating, and is not limited to indicating the mechanism or structure on all products. That is, the present invention is not limited to the indoor unit Ui, but can also be applied to the outdoor unit Uo.

f‧‧‧ heat sink

g‧‧‧heat transfer tube

h1‧‧‧Air intake

h2‧‧‧Air intake

h3‧‧‧ blowing out the wind

h4‧‧‧Air blowing outlet

i‧‧‧ frost or ice

j‧‧‧ dust

K‧‧‧ contact position

M‧‧‧ trench component

O‧‧‧ Center

Q‧‧‧Refrigerant circuit

r‧‧‧ recess

sl‧‧‧ slit

UAi‧‧‧Indoor unit

Ui‧‧‧ indoor unit

Uo‧‧‧Outdoor unit

w‧‧‧ water

11‧‧‧compressor

11a‧‧‧Compressor motor

12‧‧‧ outdoor heat exchanger

13‧‧‧outdoor fan

13a‧‧‧Outdoor fan motor

14‧‧‧Expansion valve

15‧‧‧ indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger)

15a‧‧‧Front side indoor heat exchanger

15b‧‧‧ rear indoor heat exchanger

16‧‧‧ indoor fan (supply fan)

16a‧‧‧fan blade

16b‧‧‧ divider

16c‧‧‧Indoor fan motor

17‧‧‧ Four-way valve

18‧‧‧ Dew receiving tray

18A‧‧‧ Dew receiving department

19‧‧‧ frame base

20a‧‧‧Filter

20b‧‧‧Filter

21‧‧‧Front panel

22‧‧‧left and right wind board

23‧‧‧Up and down wind direction board (wind direction board)

24‧‧‧Fan cleaning department

24a‧‧‧Shaft

24b‧‧‧Brush (cleaning member)

24c‧‧‧fan cleaning motor

25‧‧‧ Left and right wind direction board motor

26‧‧‧Motor for wind board

27‧‧‧Remote control unit

28‧‧‧ rib

29‧‧‧ Dust Receiving Department

30‧‧‧Control Department

31‧‧‧Indoor control circuit

31a‧‧‧Memory Department

31b‧‧‧Interior Control Department

32‧‧‧outdoor control circuit

32a‧‧‧Memory Department

32b‧‧‧Outdoor Control Department

40‧‧‧Remote control

100‧‧‧ Air Conditioner

124A‧‧‧Fan cleaning department

124d‧‧‧Shaft

124e‧‧‧Brush (cleaning member)

124f‧‧‧ support

[Fig. 1] An explanatory diagram of a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 2] It is a longitudinal sectional view of an indoor unit provided in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.第 [FIG. 3] A perspective view in which a part of an indoor unit included in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the invention is cut away. [Fig. 4] An explanatory diagram showing the flow of air in the vicinity of the fan cleaning portion 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 an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. 6] A flowchart of the cleaning process of the indoor fan executed by the control unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. 7A] An explanatory diagram showing a state during cleaning of an indoor fan in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 7B] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the cleaning members during operation in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. 8] A flowchart showing a cleaning process of the cleaning member executed by the control unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 9] is a flowchart of another cleaning process of the cleaning member executed by the control unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 10A] An explanatory diagram (1) showing an example of the direction of the cleaning member when the air-conditioning operation is performed. [Fig. 10B] An explanatory diagram (2) showing another example of the direction of the cleaning member when the air-conditioning operation is performed. [Fig. 11] An explanatory diagram showing another example of the direction of the cleaning member when the air-conditioning operation is performed.第 [Fig. 12] It is an explanatory diagram showing the direction of the cleaning member when the cold room operation or the dehumidification operation is performed. [Fig. 13] is a flowchart showing an example of the operation when the cleaning timing of the blower fan is changed. [Fig. 14] A flowchart showing an example of the operation when the cleaning timing of the cleaning member is changed. [FIG. 15] A flowchart showing a cleaning process of a fan cleaning unit of an air conditioner according to a first modification of the present invention. [Fig. 16A] is a side view of an indoor heat exchanger of an air conditioner according to a second modification of the present invention. [Fig. 16B] is an inner view of an indoor heat exchanger of an air conditioner according to a second modification of the present invention. [Fig. 17] is a longitudinal sectional view of an indoor unit provided in an air conditioner according to a third modification of the present invention. [FIG. 18] It is a schematic perspective view of an indoor fan and a fan cleaning unit provided in an air conditioner according to a fourth modification of the present invention.

Claims (16)

An air conditioner, comprising: a refrigerating cycle having a heat exchanger; a blower fan; a fan cleaning unit for cleaning the blower fan; and a control unit for selectively contacting the fan cleaning part with the blower fan And both the heat exchanger; the control unit, before the fan cleaning unit is brought into contact with the heat exchanger, or when the fan cleaning unit is brought into contact with the heat exchanger, the heat exchange is carried out in the refrigeration cycle The device generates condensation. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs a drying operation after the refrigeration cycle generates dew condensation water through the heat exchanger, and the drying operation is performed by using the heat exchanger as a condenser. Operation or blower operation. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the control unit makes the fan cleaning unit contact the heat exchanger when the drying operation is performed by operating the heat exchanger as a condenser. The air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3, wherein when the control unit performs the drying operation by operating the heat exchanger as a condenser, it performs at least one of the following: The panel is closed or is in a direction above the level; or the aforementioned blower fan is stopped. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the heat exchanger includes a heat transfer tube and a fin, and the control unit makes the fan cleaning portion contact the fin when the drying operation is performed, and the heat is radiated. The sheet is in contact with the heat transfer tube through which the refrigerant in the gas domain or the two-phase domain in the heat exchanger flows. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein, when the control section performs the drying operation by operating the heat exchanger as a condenser, the control section makes the fan cleaning section face the heat exchanger. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit keeps the fan cleaning unit out of contact with the heat exchanger during warm room operation, cold room operation, or dehumidification operation. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein the fan cleaning unit has a structure that rotates around a shaft portion, and the direction of the fan cleaning unit is made horizontal during warm room operation, cold room operation, or dehumidification operation. Or within a range of a predetermined angle in the horizontal direction. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein the fan cleaning unit has a structure that rotates around a shaft portion, and makes the direction of the fan cleaning unit parallel to the wind during warm room operation, cold room operation, or dehumidification operation. Direction of flow. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a part of the heat exchanger or a dew receiving tray is arranged below the fan cleaning section, and the control section makes the fan cleaning section when the dew condensation water is generated. The front end of the fan is positioned downward so that the fan cleaning unit is directed obliquely downward. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the frequency at which the fan cleaning unit is brought into contact with the heat exchanger to perform cleaning is lower than the frequency at which the fan is cleaned by the fan cleaning unit. An air conditioner, comprising: a refrigerating cycle having a heat exchanger; a blower fan; a fan cleaning unit for cleaning the blower fan; and a control unit for selectively contacting the fan cleaning part with the blower fan And both the heat exchanger; the control unit performs a plurality of operations of rotating the fan cleaning unit in a range including an angle at which the fan cleaning unit is brought into contact with the heat exchanger. The air conditioner according to claim 12, wherein during the operation of rotating the fan cleaning unit, the blower fan is rotated in a direction opposite to a direction in which the fan is rotated during air conditioning operation. The air conditioner according to claim 12, wherein a pitch of the fins of the heat exchanger is wider than a thickness of a hair of a brush of the fan cleaning portion, and a narrow space is provided in the fins of the heat exchanger. Seam. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or claim 12, wherein the fan cleaning unit has a structure that rotates a cleaning member around a shaft portion, and the control unit generates condensation on the refrigeration cycle through the heat exchanger. After the water, the cleaning member is rotated toward the downward rotation direction of the shaft portion. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or claim 12, wherein the fan cleaning unit is provided with a cleaning member having a length shorter than a length in the length direction of the blower fan and capable of facing the length of the blower fan. mobile.