JP3124385B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of performing a dehumidifying operation by operating an operation device (remote control).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a home air conditioner, as shown in FIG. 6, a receiving unit 4 of an indoor unit 3 receives an optical signal such as an infrared beam emitted from a transmitting unit 2 of a remote controller 1. Thus, the operation of the air conditioner is performed in a designated mode.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of various operation buttons and a display unit of the remote controller 1. Run / Stop button 5
Below, a temperature setting button, a humidity setting button 7, and an operation mode setting button 5, which are composed of an up button 6a and a down button 6b, are provided. Further, the display unit 9 displays a room temperature (detection temperature), a set temperature, a set humidity, and “cooling”, “dry”, “heating”,
An operation mode name such as "blast" is displayed.

The operation and stop of the air conditioner are alternately performed each time the run / stop button 5 is pressed once, and the set temperature is displayed by 1 each time the up button 6a or the down button 6b is pressed.
It rises or falls by ° C. As for the humidity setting button 7, each time the button is pressed once, the display becomes “low”,
It switches cyclically in the order of "standard" and "high". Similarly, each time the operation mode setting button 8 is pressed once, the display indicates “cooling”, “dry”,
It switches cyclically in the order of "heating" and "blowing".

The humidity control is performed only when the operation mode is "dry" (dehumidification), and specific values of the humidity when "low", "standard" and "high" are set. Are 50%, 60%, and 70%, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8, for example.

In this case, since the set humidity range is 10% each, the control humidity range of the humidity control performed on the indoor unit 1 side is also divided into three stages by 10%.
Then, control of operating conditions such as the frequency of the compressor control inverter, the number of revolutions of the indoor fan, and the energization of the auxiliary heater are performed so that the actual humidity in the room matches the set humidity.

[0007]

However, if the set humidity range of the remote controller 1 and the control humidity range of the indoor unit 3 are the same as described above, when the set humidity is switched, Depending on the actual value of the indoor humidity at that time, there is a case where the switching of the operating conditions on the indoor unit 3 side is not performed.

This is because hysteresis is provided at the upper and lower limits, albeit slightly, with respect to changes in humidity. For example, when the hysteresis component is 2.5%, the set humidity is changed from “standard” (60%) to “lower” (50%).
%), The room humidity at that time is 60 to 6%.
If the value is between 2.5%, the humidity control is still performed on the indoor unit 3 side under the same operating conditions as the “standard” time, and the operation control is performed despite the setting change. No changes were made and no quick response was made.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is intended to ensure that the switching of humidity control is performed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner capable of quickly performing dehumidification up to a set value.

[0010]

According to the present invention, as a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, when a dehumidification operation command is sent from an operation unit to an indoor unit, a dehumidification operation control unit in the indoor unit is controlled by a fixed amount. Based on the dehumidification operation control table in which the dehumidification operation conditions are defined for each control zone divided by the control humidity range, the frequency control of the compressor control inverter, the rotation speed control of the indoor fan, and the energization control of the auxiliary heater The control humidity range of the dehumidification operation control table is smaller than the set humidity range of the operation device.

[0011]

In the above configuration, the dehumidification operation control unit in the indoor unit controls the inverter indoor fan and the auxiliary heater based on the dehumidification operation control table. It is divided more finely than the set humidity range.

Therefore, when the user in the room switches the set humidity by operating the operation device, the dehumidifying operation condition is always changed regardless of the value of the room humidity at that time. Therefore, the room humidity quickly reaches the set humidity.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of this embodiment.

In FIG. 1, a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 11 in an outdoor unit 10 is sent to an indoor heat exchanger 13 through a four-way valve 12, where heat is exchanged. The heat-exchanged refrigerant is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 through the expansion valve 14, where it is further heat-exchanged, and then circulated again through the four-way valve 12 to the suction side of the compressor 11. I have.

The compressor 11 is driven by a compressor motor 17 controlled by an inverter 16 at a variable speed. An outdoor fan 18 is provided near the outdoor heat exchanger 15. Outdoor unit control unit 19
Is the frequency control of the inverter 16 and the outdoor fan 1
8 is performed.

On the other hand, The indoor heat exchanger 13 is provided on the indoor unit 3 side.
, An indoor fan 20 is provided, and an auxiliary heater 21 to which a triac 22 is connected is provided.
Further, a temperature sensor 23 and a humidity sensor 24 are provided near the air outlet of the indoor unit 3.

The dehumidifying operation control unit 26 in the indoor unit control unit 25
Inputs the signal from the remote controller 1 via the receiving unit 4, and also inputs the detection signals of the room temperature Ta and the room humidity Ha from the temperature sensor 23 and the humidity sensor 24, and sets the operating conditions determined by the dehumidification operation control table 27. According to
The inverter 16, the indoor fan 20, and the auxiliary heater 21 are controlled. The dehumidification operation control table 27 is formed of a memory, and stores the contents of FIG. 4 described later.

Next, the operation of the embodiment constructed as described above will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

FIG. 2 shows a control flow of the remote controller 1. First, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is currently operating (step 1). If the operation is in progress, it is next determined whether or not the operation / stop button 5 has been pressed (step 2). If the operation / stop button 5 has been pressed, a stop command is transmitted to the indoor control unit 25 (step 3). Return to 1. Run / stop button 5 in step 2
If is not pressed, it is determined whether or not the temperature setting buttons 6a and 6b, the humidity setting button 7, the operation mode setting button 8 and the like are pressed (step 4). Return. That is, the operation is continued as it is.

If the vehicle is not operating in step 1,
It is determined whether or not the run / stop button 5 has been pressed (step 5). If it has not been pressed, the process returns to step 1, and if it has been pressed, it has been determined whether or not the operation mode has been set to "dry". (Step 6). If it is an operation mode other than "dry", an operation command is transmitted to the indoor unit controller 5 so that the set temperature Ts is reached under the operation mode (step 7).

If the operation mode is "dry", it is determined whether the humidity setting at that time is "high", "standard", or "low" (step 8). The set temperature Ts and the set humidity H are sent to the indoor unit controller 25 so that the set temperature Ts and the set humidity Hs are obtained.
An operation command such as s is transmitted (step 9).

FIG. 3 shows a control flow of the indoor unit controller 25. First, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is currently operating (step 51). If the vehicle is in operation, it is next determined whether or not a stop command has been input from the remote controller 1 (step 52).
1. The operation of the outdoor fan 18, the indoor fan 20, and the like is stopped (step 53).

If the vehicle is not operating in step 51,
It is determined whether or not an operation command has been input from the remote controller 1 (step 54). If not, the process returns to step 51. If input, the operation mode and the set temperature T have been input.
Command data such as s and the set humidity Hs are stored (step 55), and the routine goes to step 58.

If there is no stop command from the remote controller 1 in step 52, it is further determined whether or not an operation command has been input from the remote controller 1 (step 56). If an operation command has been input, the operation mode and the set temperature T
In addition to storing command data such as s and the set humidity Hs (step 57), the room temperature Ta and the room humidity Ha detected by the temperature sensor 23 and the humidity sensor 24 are read (step 58). dry"
Is determined (step 59).

If the operation mode is not "dry" but another mode, the operation mode is controlled (step 60). However, when the operation mode is “dry”, the dehumidification operation control unit 26
The operating conditions are determined based on the conditions (step 61), and dehumidification control is performed under the determined conditions (step 62). That is, while controlling the frequency of the inverter 16 through the outdoor unit control unit 19, controlling the rotation speed of the indoor fan 20, performing the air volume control, and controlling the triac 22 on and off, the energization control of the auxiliary heater 21 is performed. I do.

Next, the dehumidifying operation control table 27 will be described. The dehumidification operation control table 27 of the present embodiment stores the dehumidification operation conditions as shown in FIG.

That is, the horizontal axis shows the deviation from the set humidity Hs, and the vertical axis shows the deviation from the set temperature Ts. The operating conditions are switched so that the operating condition is switched every time the deviation value changes by 5% with respect to the set humidity Hs.
It is divided into five zones from a zone to an E zone. Further, even in the same zone, the operating condition is switched every time the deviation value from the set temperature Ts changes by 0.5 ° C.

In each zone in the figure, [P. The zone where [P] is entered indicates the zone where the auxiliary heater 21 is energized, and [P. Zones in which [P] is not entered indicate zones in which the auxiliary heater 21 is not energized.
[L] and [UL] indicate the air volume from the indoor fan 20, [L] is 200 [m ³ / h], and [UL]
Is 150 [m ³ / h]. [0], [1]
Numerical values [0], [13], [16], and [28] indicate the value [Hz] of the output frequency of the inverter 16.

Therefore, for example, when the operation mode is set to “dry”, the set humidity is set to “standard” (60%), and the set temperature is set to 20 ° C., if the indoor detected humidity is 61%, First, it is determined that the control is performed under the operating condition of the zone B, and the detected indoor temperature is 20.8 ° C.
Then, [P. P], [16], and [UL] are determined to be controlled. That is, power is supplied to the auxiliary heater 21 and the output frequency of the inverter 16 becomes 16 Hz.
, The compressor 11 is operated, and the dehumidification control is performed so that the air volume by the indoor fan 20 becomes 150 [m ³ / h].

At this time, after the user in the room sets the humidity setting of the remote controller 1 to "standard" as described above,
If it is immediately switched to "lower" (50%), the deviation from the set humidity Hs changes from 1% to 11%, so that the control zone is switched from the B zone to the D zone. Then, since the set temperature Ts does not change, it is controlled under the conditions of [28] and [L].

As described above, the set humidity range of the remote controller 1 is 10%, whereas the control humidity range of the dehumidification operation control table 27 is set to 5%. Thus, the operating conditions can be reliably switched.

Incidentally, in FIG. 4, in order to prevent the so-called chattering phenomenon, when the humidity Ha and the temperature Ta rise and fall, the differential of 2.5% and 0.5 to 1.0 ° C. respectively. Minutes. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the changing direction of the operating condition when such a differential is provided.

That is, FIG. 5A focuses only on the change in the humidity Ha without considering the change in the temperature Ta.
As shown in this figure, when the humidity Ha rises, it switches from the left side to the right side zone as indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow, passing above the portion where the differential is provided. As the humidity Ha decreases, the humidity changes from the right side to the left side zone as indicated by the dotted arrow through the portion provided with the differential.

On the other hand, FIG. 5B focuses on the change in the temperature Ta without considering the change in the humidity Ha. As shown in this figure, when the temperature Ta decreases, the operating conditions are switched through the left side of each zone, as indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow, and the temperature Ta rises. When going, the operating conditions are switched along the right side of each zone, as indicated by the dotted arrows.

Here, in the case of the conventional device, the control humidity range of the dehumidification operation control table 27 is also 10% corresponding to the set humidity range of the remote controller 1 being 10%. Since 2.5% is provided, even if the set humidity of the remote controller 1 is changed, the operating condition may not be changed.

That is, in the above example, in the dehumidification operation control table of the conventional apparatus, the combination of the B zone and the C zone is set as one zone, so that the deviation value with respect to the set humidity Hs is 1 Even if the percentage changes from 11% to 11%, the dehumidifying operation may be performed in the same zone without changing the conditions because the 2.5% differential is provided. According to the present invention, such a disadvantage is solved.

In the above embodiment, the case where the operating device is a remote controller that emits an infrared beam has been described. However, the operating device may be of a type that is connected to an indoor unit via a control cable. It may be of a type integrally attached to the indoor unit.

Further, the numerical values shown in FIG. 4 and the numerical values of the set humidity range of the remote controller are merely examples, and it goes without saying that these numerical values can be set arbitrarily.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention, the control humidity range of the dehumidification operation control table is set to be smaller than the set humidity range of the operating device, so that the humidity control can be switched reliably. And quick dehumidification can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the remote controller in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the indoor unit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of a dehumidification operation control table in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a change direction of an operating condition in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a remote controller and an indoor unit.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement state of operation buttons and the like of a remote controller.

FIG. 8 is a table showing specific numerical values corresponding to names of set humidity of the remote controller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operating device (remote control) 3 Indoor unit 16 Inverter 20 Indoor fan 21 Auxiliary heater 26 Dehumidification operation control unit 27 Dehumidification operation control table Hs Set humidity Ha Indoor detected humidity

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] When a dehumidification operation command is sent from an operation device to an indoor unit, a dehumidification operation control unit in the indoor unit determines a dehumidification operation condition for each control zone divided by a fixed control humidity width. Based on a predetermined dehumidification operation control table, in an air conditioner that performs frequency control of a compressor control inverter, rotation speed control of an indoor fan, and energization control of an auxiliary heater, the control humidity width of the dehumidification operation control table is An air conditioner characterized by being smaller than a set humidity range of the operating device.