TWI706089B - air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The air conditioner (100) is equipped with: an indoor heat exchanger (15); an indoor fan (16) which sends air to the indoor heat exchanger (15); a fan cleaning part (24) which cleans the indoor fan ( 16); and the control section (30), which controls the fan cleaning section (24); the control section (30), when the indoor fan (16) is cleaned by the fan cleaning section (24) after the heating operation is completed After the heating operation is completed, the cleaning of the indoor fan (16) by the fan cleaning unit (24) is performed after the first specific time has elapsed from when the heating operation was stopped.

Description

air conditioner

The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

As a technique for cleaning an indoor fan (fan) of an air conditioner, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a device including a "fan cleaning device for removing dust from a fan". Moreover, FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which the fan cleaning device is installed near the air outlet of the indoor fan. [Prior Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4046755 Patent Publication

[The problem to be solved by the invention]

In the technique described in Patent Document 1, the fan cleaning device has a brush-like member for contacting the fan to remove dust from the fan. In addition, the fan cleaning device is equipped with a means to change the operation mode of the cleaning device from the mode change between the constant time, and it can accumulate a specific operation time by the operation time accumulation means every time, from the time between the constant time The mode is changed without the user's instruction and the cleaning operation is performed automatically. However, in the case of the aforementioned operation mode changing means, the state before the change of the operation mode is not considered. Therefore, there are problems such as deformation of the brush due to the conditions of the operation mode.

Here, the subject of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can prevent the deformation of the fan cleaning member. [Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the air conditioner of the present invention includes: an indoor heat exchanger; a blower fan (for example, an indoor fan 16) that sends air into the indoor heat exchanger; and a fan cleaning part that has a brush. Bring the brush into contact with the blower fan to clean the blower fan; and the control section, which controls the fan cleaning section; the control section, after the heating operation is completed, when the fan cleaning section cleans the blower fan, after the heating operation is completed, The blower fan is driven for the first specific time, and after that, the blower fan is cleaned by the fan cleaning section. Other aspects of the present invention will be described in the embodiments described later. [Invention Effect]

According to the present invention, the deformation of the fan cleaning member can be prevented.

The embodiments for implementing the present invention will be described in detail while referring to the drawings as appropriate. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the external configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment. The air conditioner 100 is a device that performs air conditioning by circulating a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle (heat pump cycle). The air conditioner 100 has: an indoor unit Ui; an outdoor unit Uo; and a remote controller 40 (air conditioning control terminal), which uses infrared rays, radio waves, communication lines, etc. to communicate with the indoor unit Ui, and is used to allow users to operate the air conditioner 100. Moreover, the indoor unit Ui and the outdoor unit Uo are connected by refrigerant pipes and communication cables. In the indoor unit Ui, an imaging unit 28 is arranged at the center in the left-right direction. The remote control transceiver 27 is arranged near the lower front portion of the indoor unit Ui, where it is easy to receive remote control signals. Furthermore, in the horizontal direction of the imaging unit 28, there is a lamp display unit 50 (see FIG. 3) that displays various operating states by lighting the lamp.

Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a vertical cross-sectional structure of an indoor unit Ui included in the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment. In addition to the indoor heat exchanger 15 or the indoor fan 16, the indoor unit Ui is also equipped with: a dew tray 18, a frame base 19, filters 20a, 20b, a front panel 21, left and right wind direction plates 22, and up and down wind directions Plate 23, and fan cleaning part 24. Furthermore, FIG. 2 illustrates a state where the indoor fan 16 has not been cleaned by the fan cleaning unit 24.

The indoor heat exchanger 15 has a plurality of fins f and a plurality of heat transfer tubes g penetrating the fins f. In addition, from another viewpoint, the indoor heat exchanger 15 has a front indoor heat exchanger 15a and a rear indoor heat exchanger 15b. The front indoor heat exchanger 15a is arranged in front of the indoor fan 16. On the other hand, the rear indoor heat exchanger 15b is arranged behind the indoor fan 16. Next, the upper end of the front indoor heat exchanger 15a and the upper end of the rear indoor heat exchanger 15b are connected.

The dew-receiving pan 18 receives the condensed water of the indoor heat exchanger 15 and is arranged below the indoor heat exchanger 15 (in the example shown in FIG. 2, the front indoor heat exchanger 15a).

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 these fan blades 16a, and an indoor fan motor 16m that is a driving source (see FIG. 8).

Furthermore, it is preferable that the indoor fan 16 is coated with a hydrophilic coating agent. As such a coating material, for example, a hydrophilic material, that is, isopropanol dispersed silica sol added with a binder (silicon compound having a hydrolyzable group), butanol, tetrahydrofuran, and an antibacterial agent can also be used.

Thereby, because the hydrophilic film is formed on the surface of the indoor fan 16, the resistance value of the surface of the indoor fan 16 becomes small, and it is difficult for dust to adhere to the indoor fan 16. That is, during the driving of the indoor fan 16, static electricity due to friction with the air is unlikely to be generated on the surface of the indoor fan 16, so that the adhesion of dust on the indoor fan 16 can be suppressed. In this way, the aforementioned coating agent can also function as an antistatic agent for the indoor fan 16.

The housing base 19 shown in FIG. 2 is a housing for equipment in which the indoor heat exchanger 15 or the indoor fan 16 is installed. The filter 20a removes dust from the air going to the air suction port h1 to the front side, and is installed on the front side of the indoor heat exchanger 15. The filter 20b removes dust from the air going to the upper air suction port h2, and is installed on the upper side of the indoor heat exchanger 15.

The front panel 21 is a panel provided to cover the filter 20a on the front side, and the lower end is a shaft that can be rotated forward. Furthermore, the front panel 21 may not be rotated.

The left-right wind direction plate 22 is a plate-shaped member that adjusts the flow of the air blown into the room in the left-right direction with the rotation of the indoor fan 16. The left-right wind direction board 22 is arrange|positioned in the blowing air path h3, and is rotated in the left-right direction by the motor 25 for left-right wind direction boards (refer FIG. 8). The vertical wind direction plate 23 is a plate-shaped member that adjusts the vertical flow of air blown into the room in accordance with the rotation of the indoor fan 16. The up-and-down wind direction board 23 is arrange|positioned in the vicinity of the air blowing outlet h4, and it rotates in the up-down direction by the motor 26 for up-and-down wind direction boards (refer FIG. 8).

The air sucked in through the air suction ports h1 and h2 exchanges heat with the refrigerant circulating in the heat transfer tube g of the indoor heat exchanger 15, and the heat-exchanged air is guided to the outlet air path h3. The air circulating in the blowing air path h3 is guided to a specific direction by the left and right wind direction plates 22 and the up and down wind direction plates 23, and further, is blown out into the room through the air blowing port h4.

Many dusts that go to the air suction ports h1 and h2 along with the flow of air are collected by the filters 20a and 20b. However, fine dust may pass through the filters 20a and 20b and adhere to the indoor heat exchanger 15 or the indoor fan 16. Therefore, it is desirable to clean the indoor heat exchanger 15 or the indoor fan 16 regularly. Here, in this embodiment, after the indoor fan 16 is cleaned using the fan cleaning unit 24 described next, the indoor heat exchanger 15 is cleaned with water.

The fan cleaning unit 24 shown in FIG. 2 cleans the indoor fan 16 and is arranged between the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16. In more detail, the fan cleaning part 24 is arrange|positioned in the recessed part r of the indoor heat exchanger 15a of the front side of the front-side indoor heat exchanger 15a which has a vertical cross-sectional view. In the example shown in FIG. 2, below the fan cleaning unit 24, there is an indoor heat exchanger 15 (the lower part of the front indoor heat exchanger 15 a ), and there is a dew-receiving pan 18. The fan cleaning unit 24 is partially made of nylon, for example.

The fan cleaning of the indoor fan 16 of the present embodiment will be described together with conventional problems. The fan cleaning device of the aforementioned Patent Document 1 is equipped with a means for changing the operation mode of the cleaning device from the mode between a constant time period. The operation time accumulation means can accumulate a specific operation time each time, from the constant time. The previous mode is changed without the user's instruction and the cleaning operation is automatically performed. However, if the operation mode before the change is the heating operation mode by the operation mode changing means, the heating operation will be in a state where heat is applied to the brush 24b later. If this continues, the brush 24b will be deformed if the fan cleaning is performed.

In the fan cleaning of the present embodiment, when the indoor fan 16 is cleaned by the fan cleaning unit 24 after the heating operation mode is ended, after the heating operation is completed, the first step is passed from when the heating operation is stopped. 1 After a specific time, the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning unit 24 is performed. With this, the deformation of the brush 24b can be prevented by allowing the heat applied to the brush 24b in the heating operation mode to escape.

In the fan cleaning of the present embodiment, the blower fan is driven at the first rotation speed until the first specific time has elapsed since the stop of the heating operation. Next, when the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning unit 24 is started, the second rotation speed is faster than the first rotation speed. After this, in the case of the end of the heating operation mode, the heat in the indoor unit can be dissipated, and the fan can be cleaned in a short time.

Furthermore, in the fan cleaning of the present embodiment, after the cooling or dehumidification operation mode is completed, when the indoor fan 16 is cleaned by the fan cleaning unit 24, the second specific time (second specific time < 1 specific time), the indoor fan 16 is driven at the first rotation speed, and after the second specific time has elapsed, when the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning unit 24 is started, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 16 Set to a second rotation speed greater than the first rotation speed. After this, in the case of the cooling room or the dehumidification operation mode after the end, the room can be dried and the fan can be cleaned in a short time.

<Light display part> Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a lamp display portion of the indoor unit Ui according to the embodiment. The lighting of the lamp of the lamp display unit 50 indicates the operating state. Regarding the lights, there are: the "operation" light that lights up during operation, the "timer" light that lights up during timer reservations, while cleaning the filter (filter cleaning mode), and cleaning the indoor fan (Fan cleaning mode), the "clean" lamp that lights up during the cleaning of the heat exchanger (cleaning mode), the "eco" lamp that lights up during eco operation, the "in room" lamp that lights up when a person is detected, The "auto-off" lamp that lights up during the auto-off setting or auto-save during eco operation, and the "preheat, defrost" lamp that lights up during the preheating and defrosting operation, is on the alert of mold production Lighted "Warning" lights, etc.

In this embodiment, referring to FIG. 4, the indicator light of the fan cleaning mode is compared with the indicator light of the filter cleaning mode.

Fig. 4A is an explanatory diagram showing the filter cleaning mode when the cleaning lamp is on. Fig. 4B is an explanatory diagram showing the fan cleaning mode (first specific time) when the cleaning lamp is on. FIG. 4C is an explanatory diagram showing the fan cleaning mode (after the first specific time) when the cleaning lamp is on. Furthermore, the left side of FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C shows the display of the lamp display unit 50, and the right side shows the operating state of each mode with the side sectional structure of the indoor unit Ui shown in FIG. 2.

(1) The filter cleaning mode is a mode that automatically cleans the filter when the operation stops meeting the conditions. You can also operate the remote control to clean the filter. (2) The fan cleaning mode is a mode that automatically cleans the indoor fan 16 after the air conditioner is running. You can also operate the remote control to clean the blower fan.

The two modes all use the "cleaning" light for the component parts as the function of "cleaning". However, when only the "clean" light is turned on, it is not clear to the user which mode is activated, so the functions are differentiated in the same way.

In the case of the filter cleaning mode of FIG. 4A, the "clean" lamp of the lamp display section 50 is turned on, and the vertical wind direction plate 23 of the indoor unit Ui is at a position where the operation is stopped. The user knows that the air-conditioning operation is stopped, and cleans the interior of the indoor unit Ui (specifically, filters 20a, 20b).

In the case of the fan cleaning mode of FIGS. 4B and 4C, the "run" lamp of the lamp display unit 50 is turned on, and the "clean" lamp is also turned on. In the pre-processing of fan cleaning, that is, in the first specific period, as shown in FIG. 4B, the direction of the vertical wind direction plate 23 of the indoor unit Ui is set to the horizontal direction or the upward direction of the indoor space. Basically, for the air supply, it is made in a horizontal direction or an upward direction of the indoor space, so that the air supply does not touch people in the room. After this, the user understands that the indoor fan 16 of the indoor unit Ui is cleaned during the air blowing operation. Furthermore, the direction of the up-and-down wind direction board 23 may be about 10 degrees downward from the horizontal. Also in this case, it is possible to prevent the blowing air from hitting people in the room. Here, the direction of about 10 degrees downward from the horizontal also includes the upward direction with respect to the indoor space.

In the case of the fan cleaning mode after the first specific time in FIG. 4C, the “run” lamp of the lamp display unit 50 is turned on, and the “clean” lamp is also turned on. If only the light is on, it will be the same as Figure 4B, so it cannot be recognized. However, in the case of FIG. 4C, the direction of the vertical wind direction plate 23 of the indoor unit Ui is set at a position where the operation is stopped. Moreover, the front face panel 21 is also closed. After this, the user has learned to perform fan cleaning. Furthermore, in FIG. 4C, the upper and lower wind direction plates 23 are closed, but the fan cleaning may be performed at the wind direction position of FIG. 4B. Moreover, in FIG. 4C, the front panel 21 is closed, but it is also possible to perform fan cleaning in an open state as shown in FIG. 4B.

That is, the control unit 30 of the air conditioner 100 (see FIG. 8) is to turn the upper and lower wind direction plates 23 upward or horizontal with respect to the indoor space between the first specific time from when the heating operation is stopped. Direction, drive the indoor fan 16. The control unit 30, after the first specific time has elapsed from the stop of the heating operation, can maintain the up-and-down wind direction plate 23 in the upward or horizontal direction with respect to the indoor space, or it can be closed. Wind direction board 23. With this, it is possible to prevent the deformation of the brush 24b by allowing the heat to escape within the first specific time after the end of the heating operation mode. Moreover, when the fan is cleaning, it is possible to prevent the blowing air from hitting people in the room.

The air conditioner 100 is equipped with one or more indicator lamps indicating the operating state, and the control unit 30 lights up the indoor fan caused by the fan cleaning unit 24 during the period from the time when the heating operation is stopped until the first specific time has elapsed. The same indicator lights are lit during the cleaning of 16. After this, it was learned that cleaning should be done when the air is being supplied.

Describe the relationship between the filter cleaning mode and the fan cleaning mode shown in FIG. 4A.

The indoor unit Ui with a filter cleaning mode has a filter cleaning section (filter cleaning means). The indoor heat exchanger 15 (Fig. 2) shown in the indoor unit Ui (Fig. 2) is equipped with filters 20a, 20b (Fig. 2) above or in front to prevent indoor heat by removing large particles of dust. Dirt on the exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16. If dust accumulates on the filters 20a and 20b, the holes will be blocked, the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 15 will be reduced, and the cooling and heating capacity of the indoor unit Ui will be reduced. In order to prevent such problems, the filter cleaning department is attached to the room After the operation of the indoor unit Ui, such as the heating and cooling room, is completed, the filters 20a and 20b are automatically cleaned using a brush (not shown).

Many dusts to the air suction ports h1 and h2 are collected by the filters 20a and 20b. However, since fine dust passes through the filters 20a and 20b and adheres to the indoor fan 16, it is preferable to clean the indoor fan 16 regularly.

Here, it is preferable to perform the cleaning of the filters 20a and 20b by the filter cleaning part during the first specific time. With this, it is also possible to clean the air conditioner 100 during the pre-processing of fan cleaning, that is, to clean the filter within the first specific time. At this time, the upper and lower wind direction plates 23 do not need to be completely closed, and it is better to face upward.

That is, in the case where the air conditioner 100 includes a filter cleaning section (filter cleaning means) that cleans the filter installed on the air intake side of the indoor heat exchanger, the first pass is passed from when the heating operation is stopped. It is also possible to perform filter cleaning by the filter cleaning section until the specified time.

Alternatively, when the filter cleaning time is longer than the first specific time, during at least a part of the period during which the filter cleaning by the filter cleaning unit is being cleaned, the indoor fan 16 is also driven. It can let the heat of the indoor unit Ui escape. Depending on the model of the air conditioner 100, for example, the filter cleaning time is approximately 20 minutes, and the pre-processing period for fan cleaning, that is, the first specific time approximately 5 minutes.

Hereinafter, the fan cleaning unit 24 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 12.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the refrigerant circuit Q of the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment. The solid arrows in Fig. 5 indicate the flow of refrigerant during heating operation. The dotted arrow in FIG. 5 indicates the flow of refrigerant during cooling operation. As shown in FIG. 5, the air conditioner 100 includes a compressor 11, an outdoor heat exchanger 12, an outdoor fan 13, and an expansion valve 14. In addition to the aforementioned configuration, the air conditioner 100 further includes an indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger) 15, an indoor fan (blowing fan) 16, and a four-way valve 17.

The compressor 11 is a device that is driven by a compressor motor 11a to compress a low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant, and discharge as a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant. The outdoor heat exchanger 12 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tube (not shown) and the outside air sent by the outdoor fan 13.

The outdoor fan 13 is a fan that is driven by an outdoor fan motor 13 a to send outside air to the outdoor heat exchanger 12 and is installed near the outdoor heat exchanger 12. The expansion valve 14 is a valve that decompresses the refrigerant condensed by the "condenser" (outdoor heat exchanger 12 in the case of cooling operation, and indoor heat exchanger 15 in the case of heating operation). Furthermore, the refrigerant decompressed in the expansion valve 14 is led to the "evaporator" (in the case of cooling operation, it is the indoor heat exchanger 15 and in the case of the heating operation, it is the outdoor heat exchanger 12).

The indoor heat exchanger 15 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant circulating through the heat transfer tube g (see FIG. 2) and the indoor air (air in the air-conditioned space) sent by the indoor fan 16. The indoor fan 16 is driven by an indoor fan motor 16m (driving device, refer to FIG. 8) to send indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 15 and is arranged near 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, during cold room operation (see the dotted arrow in FIG. 1), the compressor 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (condenser), the expansion valve 14, and the indoor heat exchange are connected in sequence via a four-way valve 17 In the refrigerant circuit Q formed by the evaporator 15 (evaporator), a refrigeration cycle circulates the refrigerant.

On the other hand, during heating operation (see the solid arrow in FIG. 1), the compressor 11, the indoor heat exchanger 15 (condenser), the expansion valve 14, and the four-way valve 17 are connected in this order in a ring shape. In the refrigerant circuit Q formed by the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (evaporator), the refrigerant is circulated in a refrigeration cycle.

Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the compressor 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 12, the outdoor fan 13, the expansion valve 14, and the four-way valve 17 are provided in the outdoor unit Uo. On the other hand, the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the indoor fan 16 are installed in the indoor unit Ui.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view in which a part of the indoor unit Ui included in the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment is cut away. The fan cleaning part 24 is equipped with the motor 24m for fan cleaning in addition to the shaft part 24a and the brush 24b shown in FIG. 3 (refer FIG. 8). The shaft part 24a is a rod-shaped member parallel to the axial direction of the indoor fan 16, and both ends are pivotally supported.

The brush 24b removes the dust adhering to the fan blade 16a, and is provided in the shaft part 24a. The fan cleaning motor 24m (see FIG. 8) is, for example, a stepping motor, and has a function of rotating (rotating) the shaft portion 24a by a specific angle.

When cleaning the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning part 24, in order to make the brush 24b contact the indoor fan 16 (refer FIG. 10), the motor 24m for fan cleaning (refer FIG. 8) is driven, and the indoor fan 16 is rotated reversely. Next, when the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 by the fan cleaning unit 24 is completed, the fan cleaning motor 24m is driven again to rotate the brush 24b, and the brush 24b is separated from the indoor fan 16 (see FIG. 2).

In this embodiment, except during the cleaning of the indoor fan 16, as shown in FIG. 2, the tip of the brush 24 b faces the indoor heat exchanger 15. Specifically, when the indoor fan 16 is being cleaned (including during normal air-conditioning operation), the brush 24b is oriented in the horizontal direction (slightly horizontal) and is separated from the indoor fan 16. The reason for disposing the fan cleaning unit 24 in this way will be explained using FIG. 7.

Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of air in the vicinity of the fan cleaning unit 24 during air conditioning operation in the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment. The direction of each arrow shown in FIG. 7 indicates the direction of air flow. Moreover, 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 indoor heat exchanger 15a goes to the indoor fan 16. In particular, in the vicinity of the recess r (see FIG. 2) of the front indoor heat exchanger 15a, as shown in FIG. 7, the air flows toward the indoor fan 16 in the horizontal direction (slightly horizontal direction). In addition, the position of the brush 24b of the fan cleaning part 24 is a little horizontal direction, but it is not limited to this. When the brush 24b is long, the direction of the brush is horizontally obliquely downward, that is, it can be stopped at a position where it lightly touches the front indoor heat exchanger 15a.

In this recessed part r, as mentioned above, the fan cleaning part 24 is arrange|positioned in the state which faced the horizontal direction of the brush 24b. In other words, during normal air-conditioning operation, the direction of the brush 24b is parallel to the direction of the air flow. In this way, since the extending direction of the brush 24b and the air flow direction are substantially parallel, the fan cleaning unit 24 hardly hinders the air flow.

In addition, instead of the midstream region and downstream region (near the air outlet h4 shown in FIG. 2) of the air flow when the indoor fan 16 is rotating, the fan cleaning unit 24 is arranged in the upstream region. Next, the air flowing in the horizontal direction along the brush 24b is accelerated by the fan blade 16a, and the accelerated air goes to the air blowing port h4 (see FIG. 2). In this way, since the fan cleaning unit 24 is arranged in the upstream region where air flows at a relatively low speed, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the air volume caused by the fan cleaning unit 24. Furthermore, even when the indoor fan 16 is stopped, the fan cleaning unit 24 may be maintained in the same state as in FIG. 7.

Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the control function of the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment. The indoor unit Ui shown in FIG. 8 is equipped with the remote control transceiver 27 and the indoor control circuit 31 as described above. The remote control transceiver 27 exchanges specific information between the remote controls 40. Although the indoor control circuit 31 is not shown in the figure, it constitutes an electronic circuit including various interfaces such as CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. Next, the program stored in the ROM is read out and developed to the RAM, and the CPU executes various processing.

As shown in Fig. 8, the indoor control circuit 31 includes a storage unit 31a and an indoor control unit 31b. In addition to a specific program, the storage unit 31a also stores data received through the remote control transceiver unit 27, detection values of various sensors (not shown), and the like.

The indoor control unit 31b executes a fan cleaning motor 24m, an indoor fan motor 16m, a left and right wind direction board motor 25, and a vertical wind direction board motor 26 based on the data stored in the memory unit 31a. The indoor control unit 31b has a function of bringing the fan cleaning unit 24 into contact with the indoor fan 16 in addition to the execution function of the aforementioned motor and the like.

The storage unit 31a stores the number of operations of the air conditioner 100 and the cumulative operation time. The indoor control unit 31b executes the fan cleaning mode based on the number of operations or/and the aforementioned cumulative operation time.

The outdoor unit Uo is equipped with an outdoor control circuit 32 in addition to the aforementioned configuration. Although the outdoor control circuit 32 is not shown in the figure, it constitutes an electronic circuit including various interfaces such as CPU, ROM, and RAM, and is connected to the indoor control circuit 31 through a communication line. As shown in FIG. 8, the outdoor control circuit 32 includes a storage unit 32a and an outdoor control unit 32b.

In addition to a specific program, the storage unit 32a also stores data received from the indoor control circuit 31 and the like. 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 memory unit 32a. Hereinafter, the indoor control circuit 31 and the outdoor control circuit 32 are collectively referred to as "control unit 30".

Fig. 9 is a flowchart of control processing executed by the control unit 30 of the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment (see Fig. 2 as appropriate). Here, in step S101, the heating operation is stopped, and the tip of the brush 24b faces the front indoor heat exchanger 15a (the state shown in FIG. 2).

In step S102, the control unit 30 causes the indoor fan 16 to perform the air blowing operation for the first specific time. During the first specific time, the hot air of the indoor unit Ui can be allowed to escape to the outside, and the heated brush 24b can be cooled.

In step S103, after the first specific time has elapsed, the indoor fan 16 is cleaned by the fan cleaning unit 24. The state of the indoor fan 16 during cleaning will be described with reference to FIG. 10.

Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the indoor fan 16 is being cleaned in the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment. In addition, in FIG. 10, the indoor heat exchanger 15, the indoor fan 16, and the dew-receiving pan 18 are shown, and the illustration of other components is abbreviate|omitted.

The control unit 30 rotates the indoor fan 16 (reverse rotation) in the reverse direction of normal air-conditioning operation. Once the indoor fan 16 reaches the set rotation speed Rc, the brush 24b of the fan cleaning unit 24 contacts the indoor fan 16.

That is, the control unit 30 faces the indoor heat exchanger 15 from the end of the brush 24b (see FIG. 2), and rotates the brush 24b about 180° with the shaft 24a as the center, so that the end of the brush 24b faces the indoor fan 16 (See Figure 10). Thereby, the brush 24b contacts the fan blade 16a of the indoor fan 16.

Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 10, as indicated by the single-dot chain line L, there is an indoor heat exchanger 15 (front-side indoor heat exchanger) 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 also a dew water tray 18.

As described above, because the indoor fan 16 is rotating in the reverse direction, the end of the brush 24b is bent as the fan blade 16a moves, and the brush 24b is pressed to comb the back of the fan blade 16a. Next, the dust accumulated in the vicinity of the end (end in the radial direction) of the fan blade 16a is removed by the brush 24b.

In particular, dust tends to accumulate near the end of the fan blade 16a. This is because during air conditioning operation in which the indoor fan 16 is rotating (see FIG. 4), air contacts the vicinity of the end of the belly of the fan blade 16a, and dust adheres to the vicinity of the end. The air in contact with the vicinity of the end of the fan blade 16a follows the curved surface of the belly of the fan blade 16a and passes through the gap between the adjacent fan blades 16a and 16a.

In this embodiment, as described above, the indoor fan 16 is rotated in the reverse direction, and when the indoor fan 16 reaches the set rotation speed Rc, the fan cleaning unit 24 is brought into contact with the fan blade 16a. Thereby, the brush 24b contacts the vicinity of the end of the back surface of the fan blade 16a, and the dust accumulated in the vicinity of the end of the back surface of the fan blade 16a is removed. As a result, most of the dust accumulated on the indoor fan 16 can be removed.

In addition, by rotating the indoor fan 16 in the reverse direction, in the indoor unit Ui (see FIG. 2), a gentle flow of air that is reverse to that of the forward rotation (see FIG. 4) is generated. Therefore, the dust j removed from the indoor fan 16 will not go to the air outlet h4 (refer to FIG. 2), as shown in FIG. 10, it passes through the gap between the front indoor heat exchanger 15a and the indoor fan 16 and is guided to the dew water Disk 18.

In more detail, the dust j removed from the indoor fan 16 by the brush 24b is lightly pressed by the front indoor heat exchanger 15a due to wind pressure. Furthermore, the aforementioned dust j falls along the inclined surface (the edge of the fin f) of the front indoor heat exchanger 15a and falls to the dew water tray 18 (see the arrow in FIG. 10). Therefore, through the minute gap between the indoor fan 16 and the dew-receiving pan 18, dust j hardly adheres to the back surface of the vertical wind direction plate 23 (see FIG. 2). This can prevent the dust j from being blown out into the room during the next air-conditioning operation.

Furthermore, there is a possibility that a part of the dust j removed from the indoor fan 16 does not fall onto the dew-receiving pan 18, but may adhere to the front indoor heat exchanger 15a. The dust j attached to the front indoor heat exchanger 15a in this way is washed away in the process of step S105 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 middle and high speed range, and may also 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 regions is, for example, 300 min ^-1 (300 rpm) or more and less than 1700 min ^-1 (1700 rpm). In this way, by rotating the indoor fan 16 in the middle and high speed range, the dust j is easy to travel to the front indoor heat exchanger 15a. As described above, the dust j is difficult to adhere to the upper and lower wind direction plates 23 (see FIG. 2) The back. 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 of the indoor fan 16 in the low-speed range is, for example, 100 min ^-1 (100 rpm) or more and less than 300 min ^-1 (300 rpm). In this way, by rotating the indoor fan 16 in a low-speed range, the indoor fan 16 can be cleaned with low noise.

After the process of step S103 in FIG. 9 is completed, in step S104, the control unit 30 moves the fan cleaning unit 24. That is, the control unit 30 faces the indoor fan 16 from the end of the brush 24b (see FIG. 10), and rotates the brush 24b about 180° with the shaft 24a as the center, and the end of the brush 24b faces the indoor heat exchanger 15 (See Figure 11). This prevents the fan cleaning unit 24 from obstructing the flow of air during the subsequent air-conditioning operation.

In step S105, the control unit 30 sequentially freezes and defrosts the indoor heat exchanger 15. First, the control unit 30 causes the indoor heat exchanger 15 to function as an evaporator, and frosts the moisture contained in the air taken into the indoor unit Ui and freezes the indoor heat exchanger 15. Furthermore, the freezing process of the indoor heat exchanger 15 is included in the matter of "adhering condensed water" to the indoor heat exchanger 15.

When freezing the indoor heat exchanger 15, 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 makes the indoor heat exchanger 15 function as an evaporator. When the indoor heat exchanger 15 is frozen (condensed water adheres), the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant is lower than that during normal air-conditioning operation. , The temperature 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), and causes a refrigerant with a low evaporation temperature to flow into the indoor heat exchanger 15 at a low pressure. Thereby, since frost or ice (element symbol i shown in FIG. 11) tends to grow in the indoor heat exchanger 15, it is possible to wash the indoor heat exchanger 15 with a large amount of water in subsequent thawing.

In addition, in the indoor heat exchanger 15, the area located below the fan cleaning section 24 is preferably not the downstream area where the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 15 flows (that is, the upstream area or the midstream area) . Thereby, since the low-temperature gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows at least under the fan cleaning section 24 (lower side), the thickness of frost or ice adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be thickened. Therefore, in the subsequent thawing, the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be washed with a large amount of water.

In addition, the area located below the fan cleaning unit 24 in the indoor heat exchanger 15 is likely to adhere to dust scraped off from the indoor fan 16 due to the fan cleaning unit 24. Here, by flowing a low-temperature gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant in the area below the fan cleaning part 24 in the indoor heat exchanger 15, frost or ice becomes easy to grow, and further, to melt the frost or ice. In this way, the dust of the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be appropriately washed off.

Furthermore, the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be made to function as an evaporator, and the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be frozen (condensed water adhered). The angle of the wind direction board 23 is preferably upward than horizontal. This prevents the low-temperature air cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 15 from leaking into the room, and the freezing of the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be performed in a state that is comfortable for the user.

After freezing the indoor heat exchanger 15 in this manner, the control unit 30 defrosts the indoor heat exchanger 15 (step S105 in FIG. 9). For example, the control unit 30 naturally defrosts the indoor heat exchanger 15 at room temperature so as to maintain the stopped state of each device. Furthermore, the frost or ice adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 can be easily melted by the control unit 30 performing the air blowing operation. The state of the indoor heat exchanger 15 during thawing will be described with reference to FIG. 11.

Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the indoor heat exchanger 15 is thawing in the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment. By thawing the indoor heat exchanger 15, the frost or ice adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 15 is melted, and a large amount of water w flows along the fin f to the dew water tray 18. Thereby, it is possible to wash off the dust j attached to the indoor heat exchanger 15 during the air conditioning operation.

Furthermore, with the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 by the brush 24b, the dust j adhering to the front indoor heat exchanger 15a is also washed away, and flows to the dew pan 18 (see the arrow in FIG. 11). The water w that has fallen to the dew-receiving pan 18 in this way is discharged to the dew-receiving pan 18 through the drain hose (not shown) together with the dust j (refer to Figure 10) that fell directly to the dew-receiving pan 18 during the cleaning of the indoor fan external. As described above, there is almost no risk of being clogged with dust j and a drain hose (not shown) in which a large amount of water flows from the indoor heat exchanger 15 during thawing.

Incidentally, although omitted in FIG. 9, after freezing and thawing of the indoor heat exchanger 15 (step S105), the inside of the indoor unit Ui may be dried so that the control unit 30 performs a blowing operation. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the propagation of bacteria in the indoor heat exchanger 15 and the like.

≪Modifications≫ As mentioned above, although the air conditioner 100 which concerns on this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, this invention is not limited to these descriptions, Various changes are possible.

Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing an indoor fan 16 and a fan cleaning unit 24A included in an air conditioner according to another modification. In the modification shown in FIG. 12, the fan cleaning unit 24A includes a rod-shaped shaft portion 24d parallel to the axial direction of the indoor fan 16, a brush 24e provided on the shaft portion 24d, and both ends of the shaft portion 24d. One pair of supporting parts 24f, 24f. In addition, although the fan cleaning unit 24A is not shown in the drawings, it still has a moving mechanism for moving the fan cleaning unit 24A in the axial direction.

As shown in FIG. 12, the length of the fan cleaning part 24A in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the indoor fan 16 is shorter than the length of the axial direction of the indoor fan 16 itself. Next, during the cleaning of the indoor fan 16, the fan cleaning unit 24A moves in the axial direction of the indoor fan 16 (the left and right direction when viewed from the front of the indoor unit Ui). That is, in the axial direction of the indoor fan 16, the indoor fan 16 sequentially cleans each specific area corresponding to the length of the fan cleaning portion 24A. In this way, with the configuration in which the fan cleaning portion 24A having a relatively short length is moved, the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner can be reduced compared with the configuration shown in FIG. 6.

Furthermore, a rod (not shown) extending parallel to the shaft portion 24d may be provided in the vicinity of the fan cleaning portion 24A (for example, the upper side of the shaft portion 24d), and a specific moving mechanism (not shown) may make the fan cleaning portion 24A Move along the rod. Furthermore, after the cleaning by the fan cleaning unit 24A, a moving mechanism (not shown) may appropriately rotate or move the fan cleaning unit 24A in parallel to retract the fan cleaning unit 24A from the indoor fan 16.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, the control unit 30 touches the fan cleaning unit 24 to the indoor fan 16 and rotates the indoor fan 16 (reverse rotation) in the reverse direction of normal air-conditioning operation, but it is not limited to this. That is, the control unit 30 may make the fan cleaning unit 24 contact the indoor fan 16 and rotate the indoor fan 16 (forward rotation) in the same direction as during normal air-conditioning operation.

In this way, the brush 24b is brought into contact with the indoor fan 16 and the indoor fan 16 is rotated forward, thereby effectively removing dust adhering to the vicinity of the end of the belly of the fan blade 16a. Furthermore, since the circuit element for reversely rotating the indoor fan 16 is unnecessary, the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner 100 can be reduced. In addition, the rotation speed when the indoor fan 16 is rotated forward during cleaning is the same as in the embodiment, and may be any one of a low-speed range, a medium-speed range, and a high-speed range.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, the configuration in which the brush 24b is rotated around the shaft portion 24a of the fan cleaning portion 24 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 so that the brush 24 b contacts the indoor fan 16. Next, after the cleaning of the indoor fan 16 is completed, the control unit 30 may retract the shaft portion 24 a and separate the brush 24 b from the indoor fan 16.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, the fan cleaning unit 24 has been described with the brush 24b, but it is not limited to this. That is, as long as it is a member that can clean the indoor fan 16, a sponge or the like may be used.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, in the cleaning of the indoor fan 16, the control unit 30 makes the brush 24 b of the fan cleaning unit 24 contact the indoor fan 16, but it is not limited to this. That is, during cleaning of the indoor fan 16, the control unit 30 may bring the brush 24 b of the fan cleaning unit 24 close to the indoor fan 16. In more detail, the control unit 30 brings the brush 24b close to the indoor fan 16 until the dust accumulated on the end of the fan blade 16a and grows radially outward from the end can be removed. Also with this configuration, it is possible to appropriately remove dust accumulated on the indoor fan 16.

In addition, each embodiment is described in detail in order to make it easy to clearly describe the present invention, but it is not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. In addition, part of the structure of each implementation type can be added, deleted, and replaced with other structures. Furthermore, in consideration of the necessity for the description to show the aforementioned mechanisms or configurations, the product is not necessarily limited to all the mechanisms or configurations shown.

100‧‧‧Air conditioner 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 indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger) 15b‧‧‧Rear indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger) 16‧‧‧Indoor fan (supply fan) 16m‧‧‧Indoor fan motor (drive device) 17‧‧‧Four-way valve 18‧‧‧Dew water tray 22‧‧‧Left and right wind direction board 23‧‧‧Up and down wind direction board 24‧‧‧Fan Cleaning Department 24a‧‧‧Shaft 24b‧‧‧brush 24m‧‧‧Fan cleaning motor 28‧‧‧Camera Department 29‧‧‧Dust Receiving Department 30‧‧‧Control Department 31‧‧‧Indoor control circuit 31a‧‧‧Memory Department 31b‧‧‧Indoor Control Department 32‧‧‧Outdoor control circuit 32a‧‧‧Memory Department 32b‧‧‧Outdoor Control 40‧‧‧Remote control (air conditioning control terminal) 50‧‧‧Display light K‧‧‧Contact position Q‧‧‧Refrigerant circuit r‧‧‧recess Ui‧‧‧Indoor Unit Uo‧‧‧Outdoor Unit

[Fig. 1] is a diagram showing the external configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment. [Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a side sectional structure of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a lamp display part of the indoor unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4A] is an explanatory diagram showing the filter cleaning mode when the cleaning lamp is on. [Fig. 4B] is an explanatory diagram showing the fan cleaning mode (the first specific time) when the cleaning lamp is on. [Fig. 4C] is an explanatory diagram showing the fan cleaning mode (after the first specific time) when the cleaning lamp is on. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. [Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a perspective view with a part of the indoor unit included in the air conditioner according to the embodiment cut away. [Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of air in the vicinity of the fan cleaning unit during air conditioning operation in the air conditioner according to the embodiment. Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the control function of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. [Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by the control unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment. Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the indoor fan is being cleaned in the air conditioner according to the embodiment. [Fig. 11] is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the indoor heat exchanger is thawing in the air conditioner according to the embodiment. Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing an indoor fan and a fan cleaning unit included in an air conditioner according to another modification of the present invention.

15‧‧‧Indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger)

15a‧‧‧Front indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger)

15b‧‧‧Rear indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger)

16‧‧‧Indoor fan (supply fan)

16a‧‧‧Fan Blade

16b‧‧‧Partition plate

18‧‧‧Dew water tray

19‧‧‧Frame base

20a、20b‧‧‧Filter

21‧‧‧Front panel

22‧‧‧Left and right wind direction board

23‧‧‧Up and down wind direction board

24‧‧‧Fan Cleaning Department

24a‧‧‧Shaft

24b‧‧‧brush

f‧‧‧Fin

g‧‧‧Heat transfer tube

h1, h2‧‧‧Air suction port

h3‧‧‧Blow out the wind road

h4‧‧‧Air outlet

r‧‧‧recess

Ui‧‧‧Indoor Unit

Claims (6)

An air conditioner with: Indoor heat exchanger; A blower fan, which sends air into the aforementioned indoor heat exchanger; The fan cleaning part is provided with a brush, and the brush is brought into contact with the blower fan to clean the blower fan; and The control part, which controls the aforementioned fan cleaning part; The control unit is caused by the fan cleaning unit cleaning the blowing fan after the heating operation is completed, and the blowing fan is driven for a first specific time after the heating operation is completed, and then the fan cleaning unit is executed. The cleaning of the aforementioned blower fan. Such as the air conditioner of claim 1, in which, It also has upper and lower wind direction boards for changing the wind direction of the air blown out; The aforementioned control unit drives the aforementioned blower fan by making the aforementioned upper and lower wind direction plates face upward or horizontal relative to the indoor space between the passage of the aforementioned first specific time from when the heating operation is stopped; After the first specific time has elapsed, the up and down wind direction board is maintained in a state of facing upward or horizontal with respect to the indoor space, or the up and down wind direction board is closed. Such as the air conditioner of claim 1, in which, It is also equipped with more than one indicator light indicating the operating status; The control unit illuminates the same indicator light that is lit during the cleaning of the blower fan by the fan cleaning unit during the period between the lapse of the first specific time from when the heating operation is stopped . Such as the air conditioner of claim 1, in which, It also has a filter cleaning section that cleans the filter installed on the air suction side of the indoor heat exchanger; The control unit executes the cleaning of the filter by the filter cleaning unit between the elapse of the first specific time from when the heating operation is stopped. Such as the air conditioner of claim 4, in which, The control unit drives the blower fan during at least a part of the period during which cleaning of the filter by the filter cleaning unit is performed. Such as the air conditioner of claim 1, in which, The aforementioned control unit drives the aforementioned blower fan at a first rotation speed between the passage of the aforementioned first specific time from when the heating operation is stopped; When the cleaning of the blower fan by the fan cleaning unit is started, the second rotation speed is faster than the first rotation speed.

Images