HK1130881B

HK1130881B - Ventilating and air conditioning apparatus

Info

Publication number: HK1130881B
Application number: HK09108737.2A
Authority: HK
Inventors: 胜见佳正; 近藤広幸; 松原充则; 坪内雅史
Original assignee: 松下电器产业株式会社
Priority date: 2006-07-12
Filing date: 2007-07-10
Publication date: 2011-04-01

Description

Air-exchanging air conditioner

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a ventilation air conditioner for performing ventilation air conditioning of a bathroom or the like using a heat pump.

Background

As a ventilation air conditioner such as a bathroom using a conventional heat pump, a heat exchanger in the heat pump radiates or absorbs heat from air taken in from outside the bathroom, and blows out the air into the room. Then, the other heat exchanger in the heat pump absorbs or dissipates heat from the air discharged from the bathroom to the outside, thereby air-conditioning the bathroom. (see, for example, patent document 1).

In addition, there is an air conditioner for air conditioning a bathroom by separating a heat pump into an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, and a heat exchanger provided in the outdoor unit absorbs or dissipates heat from outside air, and a heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit dissipates or absorbs heat from air in the bathroom (for example, patent document 2).

As described above, various types of ventilation air conditioners such as bathrooms using heat pumps have been proposed. The bathroom air conditioner of patent document 1 recovers heat from air discharged to the outside of a bathroom to air-condition the bathroom. However, the heat exchanger of patent document 1 has a problem that it is impossible to recover all the heat of the exhaust air, and a part of the heat (cold heat) for air conditioning the bathroom leaks to the outside, thereby generating heat loss and deteriorating heat efficiency.

In the bathroom air conditioner of patent document 2, although the leakage of heat for air conditioning the bathroom is small, since the heat pump is installed separately between the bathroom and the outdoor, a process for connecting refrigerant pipes between the indoor and the outdoor is required, and the workability is deteriorated. The bathroom air conditioner of patent document 2 also has a problem that an installation space for the outdoor unit is required.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2005-180712

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2002-349930

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a ventilation air conditioner, which comprises: a circulation fan that sucks in air from an intake port provided in a first indoor space and blows out the air from an outlet port provided in the first indoor space; a ventilation fan for ventilating by sucking air from an exhaust port provided in the second indoor space and discharging the air to the outside; and a refrigerant circuit that circulates a refrigerant and connects pipes in the order of a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air in the first indoor space blown by the circulation fan, an expansion mechanism that expands the refrigerant, and a second heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air in the second indoor space blown by the ventilation fan.

In the case of such a ventilation air conditioner, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air discharged to the outdoor second indoor space by the ventilation fan in the second heat exchanger, and the refrigerant radiates heat from the air circulated to the first indoor space by the circulation fan in the first heat exchanger. By operating the heat pump and air-conditioning the first indoor space in this manner, the air heat-exchanged by the first heat exchanger can be efficiently air-conditioned without leaking to the outside of the first indoor space, thereby improving the thermal efficiency. Further, the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the expansion mechanism, and the second heat exchanger, which constitute the refrigerant circuit, can all be housed in the interior of the ventilation air conditioning apparatus installed in the patio or the like of the first indoor space, and space saving and improvement in workability can be achieved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a living space in which a ventilation and air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention is installed;

fig. 2 is a view showing an air path structure and a refrigerant circuit of the same ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus;

fig. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerant heater of a refrigerant heating device of the same ventilation air conditioner;

fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a refrigerant/water heat exchanger of a refrigerant heating device of the same ventilation air conditioner;

fig. 5 is a diagram showing an operation state in each operation mode of the same ventilation air conditioner;

fig. 6 is a diagram showing an air path structure and a refrigerant circuit of the ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a diagram showing an operation state in each operation mode of the same ventilation air conditioner;

fig. 8 is a time chart showing a relationship between a detection value of a temperature sensor and an air volume of a ventilation fan during a cooling operation of the same ventilation air conditioner;

fig. 9 is a time chart showing a relationship between a detection value of a temperature sensor and an air volume of a ventilation fan during a heating operation of the same ventilation air conditioner.

Description of the reference numerals

3 bathroom (first indoor space)

4 changing room (second indoor space)

5 toilet (second indoor space)

8. 10 exhaust port

12 air exchange fan

14 air conditioner

17 suction inlet

18 blow-out port

21 circulation fan

22 auxiliary heater

23 Ventilation pathway

24 opening and closing device

25 refrigerant circuit

26 compressor

27 first heat exchanger

28 expansion mechanism

29 second heat exchanger

30 flow path switching valve

31. 32 bypass circuit

33 first opening/closing valve

34 second opening/closing valve

35 refrigerant heating device

38 pressure reducing device

39 preheat heater

40 refrigerant heater

47 refrigerant/water heat exchanger

59 control device

100. 100 ventilating air conditioner

Detailed Description

(embodiment mode 1)

Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 5.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a living space in which a ventilation and air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention is installed. In fig. 1, a living space 1 is divided into a living room 2, a bathroom 3 as a first indoor space, a dressing room 4 as a second indoor space, a toilet 5, and the like, and a main body 6 of a ventilation and air-conditioning apparatus is installed in a patio of the bathroom 3.

The main body 6 is connected with: an exhaust passage 7 for communicating the main body 6 with the outside of the room, an exhaust passage 9 for communicating an exhaust port 8 provided in the patio of the dressing room 4 with the main body 6, and an exhaust passage 11 for communicating an exhaust port 10 provided in the patio of the toilet 5 with the main body 6. A ventilation fan 12 is disposed inside the main body 6. The exhaust passage 7 is connected to the outlet side of the ventilation fan 12, and the exhaust passage 9 and the exhaust passage 11 are connected to the inlet side of the ventilation fan 12.

Therefore, when the ventilating fan 12 is operated, air in the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5 is sucked into the ventilating fan 12 through the exhaust passages 9 and 11 from the exhaust port 8 and the exhaust port 10, respectively, and is discharged to the outside through the exhaust passage 7. When the ventilation fan 12 is continuously operated, the living space 1 is kept at a negative pressure, and therefore fresh outside air is supplied from the air supply port 13 provided in the wall facing the outside of the living room 2, and the living space 1 is ventilated.

Since this ventilation operation needs to be performed continuously (24-hour ventilation) when the building has high sealing performance, the ventilation fan 12 is continuously operated so as to ensure a predetermined ventilation amount, for example, a ventilation amount corresponding to about half the volume of the living space 1 in 1 hour. In the living room 2, an air conditioner 14 for controlling the temperature of the room is disposed, and the room temperature is appropriately maintained by performing a cooling operation in summer and a heating operation in winter.

Therefore, when the ventilation operation is continuously performed over one year, low-temperature air cooled by the air conditioner 14 in the living room 2 in summer and high-temperature air heated in winter are sucked into the exhaust port 8 and the exhaust port 10 through the louvers (ガラリ) and the undercut portions (アンダ - カツト) of the door 15 of the locker room 4 and the door 16 of the toilet 5, and are discharged to the outside through the main body 6 of the ventilation air conditioner.

Fig. 2 is a view showing an air passage structure and a refrigerant circuit of the ventilating air conditioner. As shown in fig. 2, a main body 6 of the ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus 100 is provided in the patio of the bathroom 3. A suction port 17 and a blow-out port 18 are opened in the bottom of the body 6 with respect to the ceiling surface of the bathroom 3, and a filter 19 for capturing dust is detachably disposed in the suction port 17.

Further, a circulation passage 20 communicating the suction port 17 and the discharge port 18 is formed inside the main body 6, and a circulation fan 21 that sucks air in from the bathroom 3 through the suction port 17 and discharges the air from the discharge port 18 is disposed inside the circulation passage 20.

Further, a radiant auxiliary heater 22 that heats at least a part of the air blown by the circulation fan 21 is provided near the blow-out port 18 of the circulation passage 20. The auxiliary heater 22 is disposed to diffuse the discharged radiant heat into the bathroom 3.

Further, a ventilation passage 23 communicating the suction port 17 and the suction side of the ventilation fan 12 is formed in the main body 6. The ventilation passage 23 is connected to an exhaust duct 9 communicating with the dressing room 4 and an exhaust duct 11 communicating with the toilet 5.

An opening/closing device 24 having a shutter mechanism and opening/closing the ventilation passage 23 is disposed in a path that connects the suction port 17 in the ventilation passage 23 and the suction side of the ventilation fan 12. Therefore, if the opening/closing device 24 is set to the open state during operation of the ventilation fan 12, air is sucked into the main body 6 from the suction port 17, the exhaust duct 6, and the exhaust duct 11. When the opening/closing device 24 is set to the closed state, air is sucked from the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11. The air sucked into the ventilation fan 12 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust passage 7 connected to the blowing side of the ventilation fan 12.

Further, inside the main body 6, a refrigerant circuit 25 is formed, which is filled with any one of, for example, HCFC-based refrigerants (containing atoms of chlorine, hydrogen, fluorine, and carbon in the molecule), HCF-based refrigerants (containing atoms of hydrogen, carbon, and fluorine in the molecule), hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide which is a natural refrigerant, and the like as a refrigerant. In the refrigerant circuit 25, a compressor 26 that compresses a refrigerant, a first heat exchanger 27 that exchanges heat between the supply air and the refrigerant, an expansion mechanism 28 that is an electronic expansion valve that expands the refrigerant, and a second heat exchanger 29 that exchanges heat between the supply air and the refrigerant are disposed.

Further, a flow path switching valve 30 is disposed in the refrigerant circuit 25, and the flow path switching valve 30 is configured to switch between a path (hereinafter, referred to as a heating cycle) in which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 flows in the order of the first heat exchanger 27, the expansion mechanism 28, and the second heat exchanger 29 and returns to the compressor 26 again, and a path (hereinafter, referred to as a cooling cycle) in which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 flows in the order of the second heat exchanger 29, the expansion mechanism 28, and the first heat exchanger 27 and returns to the compressor 26 again.

Further, a bypass circuit 31 is formed in the refrigerant circuit 25, and branches from a pipe connecting the flow switching valve 30 and the first heat exchanger 27, and merges into a pipe connecting the expansion mechanism 28 and the second heat exchanger 29. The refrigerant circuit 25 is also provided with a bypass circuit 32 that branches from a pipe connecting the first heat exchanger 27 and the expansion mechanism 28 and merges into a pipe connecting the second heat exchanger 29 and the flow path switching valve 30. The bypass circuit 31 is provided with a first on-off valve 33 as an on-off valve, and the bypass circuit 32 is provided with a second on-off valve 34 as an on-off valve and a refrigerant heating device 35. As the refrigerant heating device 35, a refrigerant heater, a refrigerant/water heat exchanger, which will be described later, can be used.

The first heat exchanger 27 is disposed in the circulation passage 20. The second heat exchanger 29 is disposed on the suction side of the ventilation fan 12 in the ventilation passage 23. Therefore, the first heat exchanger 27 allows the refrigerant to radiate or absorb heat to/from the air in the bathroom 3 circulated by the circulation fan 21, and the second heat exchanger 29 allows the refrigerant to radiate or absorb heat to/from the air discharged to the outside by the ventilation fan 12.

Further, a decompression device 38 including a third on/off valve 36 and a capillary tube 37 is disposed in a pipe through which the refrigerant flows in the first heat exchanger 27. Here, the first heat exchanger 27 is disposed such that, when the flow direction of the refrigerant is switched to the solid line direction of the flow path switching valve 30, that is, to the heating cycle, the air in the bathroom 3 circulated by the circulation fan 21 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing on the downstream side of the pressure reducing device 38 of the first heat exchanger 27, and thereafter exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing on the upstream side of the pressure reducing device 38.

Further, a preheating heater 39 having a self-temperature control property is disposed on the upstream side of the second heat exchanger 29 in the ventilation passage 23. When the preheating heater 39 is operated, the air sucked into the changing room 4, the air in the toilet 5, or the air in the bathroom 3 in the ventilation passage 23 can be preheated and supplied to the second heat exchanger 29.

Fig. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerant heater that can be used in the refrigerant heating device 35. As shown in fig. 3, the refrigerant heater 40 includes a refrigerant pipe 41, an electric heating tube 42, and a heat transfer tube 46. Here, the refrigerant pipe 41 is formed by winding a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant passes into a spiral shape, and the electric heating tube 42 is formed in a U shape on the inner peripheral side of the spiral refrigerant pipe 41. The heat transfer cylinder 46 is formed in a solid cylindrical shape by casting a metal material such as aluminum so as to cover all the surfaces except the inlet 43 and the outlet 44 of the refrigerant passage 41 and the terminal 45 of the electric heating tube 42.

When a predetermined voltage is applied to the terminal portion 45 of the electric heating tube 42, the electric heating tube 42 generates heat, and the heat is conducted in the heat transfer tube 46 to heat the refrigerant tube 41 disposed on the outer periphery of the electric heating tube 42. In the refrigerant pipe 41, the refrigerant is introduced from the inlet portion 43, and when the refrigerant flows in a spiral portion where the outer periphery of the refrigerant pipe 41 is covered with the heat transfer cylinder 46, the refrigerant is heated via the heat transfer cylinder 46 and guided to the outlet portion 44. In this way, the refrigerant heater 40 heats the refrigerant, and the electric heating tube 42 disposed in the center core of the heat transfer cylinder 46 generates heat in the refrigerant pipe 41 disposed in the outer peripheral direction thereof, so that heat leakage to the outside is reduced. Also, heat from the electric heating tube 42 is conducted through the heat transfer cylinder 46. As a result, the refrigerant pipe line 41 is uniformly heated by the heat generated by the electric heating tube 42, and therefore, the heating efficiency is improved, and the refrigerant heating device 35 can be downsized.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a refrigerant/water heat exchanger that can be used in the refrigerant heating device 35. As shown in fig. 4, the refrigerant/water heat exchanger 47 is a heat exchanger having a double-pipe structure in which a refrigerant pipe 50 through which a refrigerant flows is disposed inside a hot water pipe 49 through which hot water from a heat pump water heater 48 flows.

The refrigerant pipe 50 is branched into two paths inside the hot water pipe 49, and each of the branched pipes is formed in a spiral shape twisted into a spiral shape, and this shape increases a heat transfer area to improve heat exchange efficiency. Then, the hot water flowing into the refrigerant and the water heat exchanger 47 from the hot water inflow portion 51 of the hot water pipe 49 flows around the refrigerant pipe 50, flows out of the refrigerant and water heat exchanger 47 from the hot water outflow portion 52, and drips onto the drain pan 53 located below the hot water outflow portion 52.

The drain pan 53 also serves as a condensate tank for condensate condensed on the first heat exchanger 27 and the second heat exchanger 29. Then, the hot water dropped into the condensate water container is discharged from the drain pipe 54 to the outside of the main body 6 together with the condensate water condensed in the first heat exchanger 27 and the second heat exchanger 29.

On the other hand, the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant tube 50 from the refrigerant inflow portion 55 and the refrigerant in the water heat exchanger 47 flow while being branched in the direction opposite to the flow of the hot water in the twisted coil 56, and then heat-exchanged and heated with the hot water and flows out from the refrigerant outflow portion 57. Since the hot water used for heating the refrigerant is heated by the heat pump water heater 48 using the heat of the atmosphere, the heating efficiency of the refrigerant heating device 35 can be improved, and the operating cost can be reduced.

In addition, the hot water heated by the hot water machine may not be supplied to the hot water pipe 49, but the normal temperature water may be directly supplied. In this case, by switching the flow path switching valve 30 to the refrigeration cycle side and setting the second opening/closing valve 34 to the open state, it is possible to supply the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 to the refrigerant pipe line 50, and to cool the refrigerant at the time of heat exchange with the normal-temperature water.

Next, an operation of the ventilation air-conditioning apparatus 100 will be described. Fig. 5 is a list showing operation states in the respective operation modes. In the list shown in fig. 5, the respective operation modes of the ventilation and air-conditioning apparatus 100 are described in the vertical direction in order, and the operation states of the main components in the respective operation modes are described in the horizontal direction.

As shown in the table of fig. 5, the ventilation and air-conditioning apparatus 100 can execute 6 operation modes, i.e., a "normal ventilation operation", a "drying operation", a "dehumidifying operation", a "cooling operation", a "preheating operation", and a "bathing and heating operation".

The "ordinary ventilation operation" is an operation mode in which ventilation operation is continuously performed for 24 hours to ensure a necessary ventilation amount of the living space 1. In this operation, the ventilation fan 12 is set to a "weak range" in which a necessary ventilation amount can be secured, the opening/closing device 24 disposed in the ventilation passage 23 is set to an "opening device", and all of the other main components, i.e., the circulation fan 21, the compressor 26, the auxiliary heater 22, the preheating heater 39, and the refrigerant heating device 35 are set to a "stopped" state. Therefore, a fixed amount of air corresponding to the necessary ventilation amount is sucked into the ventilation fan through the ventilation passage 23 from the suction port 17 provided in the bathroom 3, the exhaust port 8 provided in the dressing room 4, and the exhaust port 10 provided in the bathroom 5, and is discharged to the outside. Fresh outside air corresponding to the discharge amount is taken in from the air supply port 13 provided in the living room 2, and the living space 1 is ventilated by exchanging with the discharged air.

Next, the operation in the "drying operation" will be described. The "drying operation" is an operation mode selected when clothes drying is performed in which laundry is dried in the bath 3. When the "dry mode" is executed, the ventilation fan 12 is set to a "strong range" in which the air volume is larger than that in the "normal ventilation operation", the opening/closing device 24 is set to the "open position", the circulation fan 21 is set to a "predetermined range" in which the air volume set by the user is operated, and the compressor 26 is operated.

The flow path switching valve 30 is set to the "heating cycle side", the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve of the expansion mechanism 28 is set to a predetermined opening degree, the first opening/closing valve 33 disposed in the bypass circuit 31 is set to the "closed state", the second opening/closing valve 34 disposed in the bypass circuit 32 is set to the "closed state", the third opening/closing valve 36 disposed in the refrigerant pipe of the first heat exchanger 27 is set to the "open state", and the other auxiliary heater 22, the preheat heater 39, and the refrigerant heating device 35 are set to the "stopped" state. By setting as described above, since the first opening/closing valve 33 is closed, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 is entirely introduced into the first heat exchanger 27 through the flow path switching valve 30 set on the heating cycle side. Since the circulation fan 21 is operated at a predetermined speed, the air of the bathroom 3 sucked into the main body 6 through the suction port 17 is supplied to the first heat exchanger 27.

Further, since the third opening/closing valve 36 is set to the open state, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing into the first heat exchanger 27 passes through the first heat exchanger 27 without being subjected to an extreme pressure reduction action. At this time, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the air of the bathroom 3 supplied to the first heat exchanger 27, radiates heat to heat the air, and blows out the air from the blow-out port 18 to the bathroom 3. Since the second opening/closing valve 34 is set to the open state, all of the refrigerant that has radiated heat in the first heat exchanger 27 is introduced into the expansion mechanism 28, is decompressed and expanded when passing through the electronic expansion valve set to a predetermined opening degree, and is introduced into the second heat exchanger 29.

Since the ventilation fan 12 is operated at a high speed, air in the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5 is supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 through the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11. Since the opening/closing device 24 is set to the open position, the air in the bathroom 3 is supplied from the air inlet 17 to the second heat exchanger 29 through the ventilation passage 23. Thus, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the supplied air in the bathroom 3, the air in the changing room 4, and the air in the toilet 5 in the second heat exchanger 29.

The refrigerant having absorbed heat in the second heat exchanger 29 passes through the flow switching valve 30, returns to the compressor 26, and circulates through the refrigerant circuit 25. On the other hand, the air supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 absorbs heat from the refrigerant to lower the enthalpy, and is discharged to the outside from the exhaust passage 7.

When the above-described drying operation is performed and the laundry is dried in the bathroom 3, the high-temperature air heated by the first heat exchanger 27 is circulated in the bathroom 3 to promote evaporation of moisture from the laundry. The water evaporated from the laundry is contained in the air in the bathroom 3, sucked into the main body 6 by the ventilation fan 12, recovered in the second heat exchanger 29, and then discharged to the outside. Since a larger amount of air than that in the normal ventilation operation is supplied to the second heat exchanger 29, the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant increases, the amount of heat released into the bathroom 3 also increases, and the laundry is dried quickly.

Next, the operation in the "dehumidification operation" will be described. The "dehumidification operation" is an operation mode selected when dehumidifying the bathroom 3 in order to suppress mold formation after bathing or the like. When the "dehumidification operation" is performed, the ventilation fan 12 is set to a "weak range" in which a necessary ventilation amount can be secured, the opening/closing device 24 is set to a "closed position", the circulation fan 21 is set to a "predetermined range" in which the circulation fan is operated at an air volume set by a user, and the compressor 26 is operated. The flow path switching valve 30 is set to the "heating cycle side", the first opening/closing valve 33 is set to the "closed state", the second opening/closing valve 34 is set to the "open state", the third opening/closing valve 36 is set to the "closed state", and the other auxiliary heater 22, the preheat heater 39, and the cooling/heating device 35 are set to the "stopped" state.

By performing such setting, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 passes through the flow path switching valve 30 set on the heating cycle side, and since the first opening/closing valve 33 is closed, the entire refrigerant is introduced into the first heat exchanger 27. Since the circulation fan 21 is operated at a predetermined speed, the air sucked into the bathroom 3 in the main body 6 through the suction port 17 is supplied to the first heat exchanger 27.

Further, since the third opening/closing valve 36 is set to the closed state, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing into the first heat exchanger 27 is decompressed and expanded by the capillary tube 37 to become low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, and passes through the remaining refrigerant pipe of the first heat exchanger 27. Then, the air of the bath 3 flowing into the circulation passage 20 is first supplied to the lower side of the capillary tube 37 of the first heat exchanger 27. On the downstream side of the capillary tube 37 of the first heat exchanger 27, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the supply air, and the supply air is cooled and dehumidified.

Then, the air of the cooled and dehumidified bathroom 3 is supplied to the upstream side of the capillary tube 37 of the first heat exchanger 27. Since the refrigerant radiates heat from the supply air on the upstream side of the capillary tube 37 of the first heat exchanger 27, the supplied low-temperature and low-humidity air rises only in temperature to become high-temperature and low-humidity dry air, and returns from the outlet port 18 to the bathroom 3. By repeating such air circulation, the inside of the bathroom 3 becomes a high-temperature and low-humidity environment and is dehumidified.

Further, since the first opening/closing valve 33 is set to the closed state and the second opening/closing valve 34 is set to the open state, all of the refrigerant that radiates and absorbs heat from the supply air in the first heat exchanger 27 flows into the bypass circuit 32 side, returns to the compressor 26 via the flow path switching valve 30, and circulates in the refrigerant circuit 25. On the other hand, the ventilation fan 12 is operated at a weak gear in balance with the necessary ventilation amount of the living space 1. Since the opening/closing device 24 is a lock device, only the air in the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5 is sucked into the ventilating fan 12 through the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11 and discharged to the outside.

Accordingly, fresh outside air corresponding to the necessary amount of air is taken in from the air supply port 13 and ventilated in the living space 1, and the high-temperature and low-humidity dry air dehumidified in the circulation passage 20 in the bathroom 3 is not discharged to the outside of the bathroom 3, so that a decrease in dehumidification efficiency can be suppressed.

Next, an operation in the "cooling operation" will be described. The "cooling operation" is an operation mode selected when the inside of the bathroom 3 is cooled so that the person in the room can comfortably perform the bathing and cleaning work by lowering the temperature inside the bathroom 3 at a high temperature such as summer.

When the "cooling operation" is executed, the ventilation fan 12 is set to a "strong range" in which the air volume is larger than that in the "normal ventilation operation", the opening/closing device 24 is set to the "closed position", the circulation fan 21 is set to a "predetermined range" in which the circulation fan is operated at the air volume set by the user, and the compressor 26 is operated. The flow path switching valve 30 is set to the "refrigeration cycle side", the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve of the expansion mechanism 28 is set to a predetermined opening degree, the first opening/closing valve 33 is set to the "closed state", the second opening/closing valve 34 is set to the "closed state", the third opening/closing valve 36 is set to the "open state", and the other auxiliary heater 22, the preheat heater 39, and the refrigerant heating device 35 are set to the "stopped" state.

By setting as described above, since the second opening/closing valve 34 is closed, the entire high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 is introduced into the second heat exchanger 29 through the flow path switching valve 30 set on the refrigeration cycle side. Since the circulation fan 21 is operated at a strong speed, air in the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5 is supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 through the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11, and the refrigerant radiates heat from the supplied air. In the second heat exchanger 29, the air in the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5, which have been heated by the heat radiation of the refrigerant, is discharged to the outside through the exhaust passage 7. On the other hand, since the first opening/closing valve 33 is set to the closed state, all of the refrigerant that has radiated heat in the second heat exchanger 29 is introduced into the expansion mechanism 28, is decompressed and expanded when passing through the electronic expansion valve set to a predetermined opening degree, and is introduced into the first heat exchanger 27.

Since the circulation fan 21 is operated at a predetermined speed, the air sucked into the bathroom 3 in the main body 6 from the suction port 17 is supplied to the first heat exchanger 27, and the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air in the bathroom 3. The refrigerant that has absorbed heat in the first heat exchanger 27 is returned to the compressor 26 by the flow path switching valve 30, and circulates through the refrigerant circuit 25. On the other hand, the air supplied to first heat exchanger 27 is changed to a low temperature by heat absorption of the refrigerant, and is returned from outlet port 18 to bathroom 3. By repeating such air circulation, the temperature in the bathroom 3 is lowered to be cooled.

Further, since the opening/closing device 24 is set to the closed position and the low-temperature air cooled in the circulation passage 20 is not discharged to the outside of the bathroom 3, a decrease in air conditioning efficiency can be suppressed.

In addition, under conditions where the temperature in summer is very high, the temperature of the air supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 also increases, and the heat radiation of the refrigerant may become insufficient, thereby reducing the cooling capacity. In such a case, as described above, the normal-temperature water is supplied to the hot water pipe 49 of the refrigerant/water heat exchanger 47, the second opening/closing valve 34 is set to the open state, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 is circulated through the refrigerant/water heat exchanger 47, whereby the refrigerant is radiated to the normal-temperature water, whereby the reduction in the cooling capacity can be suppressed.

The operation in the "preliminary heating operation" will be described below. The "preliminary heating operation" is an operation mode selected when the bathroom 3 is heated to reduce thermal shock before bathing in a season with low temperature such as winter. When the "preliminary heating operation" is executed, the ventilation fan 12 is set to a "strong range" in which the air volume is larger than that in the "normal ventilation operation", the opening/closing device 24 is set to the "closed position", the circulation fan 21 is set to a "predetermined range" in which the circulation fan is operated at the air volume set by the user, and the compressor 26 is operated. The flow path switching valve 30 is set to the "heating cycle side", the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve of the expansion mechanism 28 is set to a predetermined opening degree, the first opening/closing valve 33 is set to the "closed state", the second opening/closing valve 34 is set to the "closed state", the third opening/closing valve 36 is set to the "open state", and the other auxiliary heaters 22, the preheat heater 39, and the refrigerant heating device 35 are set to the "stopped" state.

By setting as described above, since the first opening/closing valve 33 is closed, the entire high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 is introduced into the first heat exchanger 27 through the flow path switching valve 30 set on the heating cycle side. Since the circulation fan 21 is operated at a predetermined level, the air sucked into the bathroom 3 in the queen cell 6 from the suction port 17 is supplied to the first heat exchanger 27.

Further, since the third opening/closing valve 36 is set to the open state, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing into the first heat exchanger 27 passes through the first heat exchanger 27 without being affected by the pressure reduction action. At this time, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the air in the bathroom 3 supplied to the first heat exchanger 27 to dissipate heat, and the air is heated by the heat dissipation and blown out from the blow-out port 18 to the bathroom 3.

On the other hand, since the second opening/closing valve 34 is set to the closed state, all of the refrigerant that has radiated heat in the first heat exchanger 27 is introduced into the expansion mechanism 28, is decompressed and expanded when passing through the electronic expansion valve set to a predetermined opening degree, and is introduced into the second heat exchanger 29. Since the ventilation fan 12 is operated at a high speed, air in the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5 is supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 through the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11, and the refrigerant absorbs heat from the supplied air.

The refrigerant that has absorbed heat in the second heat exchanger 29 is returned to the compressor 26 by the flow path switching valve 30, and circulates through the refrigerant circuit 25. On the other hand, the air supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 absorbs heat from the refrigerant and has a reduced enthalpy, and is then discharged to the outside from the exhaust passage 7. By performing such an operation, the temperature in the bathroom 3 rises, and preliminary heating is performed.

Further, since the opening/closing device 24 is set to the closed position, the high-temperature air heated in the circulation passage 20 is not discharged to the outside of the bathroom 3, and therefore, a decrease in air conditioning efficiency can be suppressed.

In addition, since the temperatures of the air supplied to the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5 of the second heat exchanger 29 by the ventilation fan 12 are also lowered under the condition that the outside air temperature is very low in winter, a frost deposition phenomenon in which frost adheres to the second heat exchanger 29 occurs during the execution of the above-described preliminary heating operation. If the frosted state is not treated (left alone), the heat absorption capacity of the second heat exchanger 29 is reduced, and the heat radiation amount of the first heat exchanger 27 is reduced, thereby causing a problem that the bathroom 3 cannot be sufficiently heated.

In order to suppress such a problem, the "preliminary heating operation" is performed by monitoring the temperature of the refrigerant pipe of the second heat exchanger 29, and when the temperature drops to a predetermined value or less, the "defrosting operation" for removing frost adhering to the second heat exchanger 29 needs to be performed.

Next, an operation in the "defrosting operation" will be described. When the defrosting operation in the preliminary heating operation is performed, the ventilation fan 12 operated in the "strong range" and the circulation fan 21 operated in the "predetermined range" are stopped, respectively. Then, the flow path switching valve 30 set at the "heating cycle side" is switched to the "cooling cycle side".

By setting as described above, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 is introduced into the second heat exchanger 29 by the flow path switching valve 30 switched to the refrigeration cycle side. The high-temperature refrigerant flows through the refrigerant pipe of the second heat exchanger 29, and the pipe temperature rises, thereby dissolving frost adhering to the pipe surface. The dissolved frost is condensed into water and drips down to the drain pan 53, and is drained to the outside of the bathroom 3 through the water distribution pipe 54.

On the other hand, the refrigerant that dissipates heat in the second heat exchanger 29 and melts the frost flows through the expansion mechanism 28, the first heat exchanger 27, and the flow path switching valve 30 in this order, returns to the compressor 26, and circulates through the refrigerant circuit 25. When the "defrosting operation" is continued, frost adhering to the second heat exchanger 29 is completely melted, and the pipe temperature rises. The pipe temperature is continuously monitored, and the operation is switched from the "defrosting operation" to the "preliminary heating operation" again at a stage when the pipe temperature rises to a predetermined value or more. This can suppress an extreme decrease in heating capacity at low temperatures, and can perform sufficient preliminary heating.

Next, the operation in the "bath heating operation" will be described. The "bathing-in heating operation" is an operation mode selected when the bather can heat the inside of the bathroom 3 so as to comfortably take a bath without feeling cold in the bathroom 3 in a low-temperature season such as winter.

The basic setting and operation of the "bath heating operation" are the same as those of the "preliminary heating operation". The operation/stop of the auxiliary heater 22 can be switched according to the request of the bather. For example, when the bather feels a sense of ventilation and sets the flow rate of the circulation fan 21 to be low, the sense of ventilation is low, but as the flow rate of air supplied to the first heat exchanger 27 is low, the amount of heat radiation of the refrigerant is also low, and the temperature of the bathroom 3 is lowered, which deteriorates the comfort. In this case, when the sub-heater 22 is operated, the air passing through the first heat exchanger 27 is further heated by the sub-heater 22 to become high in temperature, and therefore, a drop in temperature of the bathroom 3 can be suppressed.

Further, when the radiation type heater is used as the auxiliary heater 22, the radiant heat from the auxiliary heater 22 is directly applied to the human body, and the feeling of warmth can be further obtained. By performing such an operation, the bather can comfortably take a bath without feeling cold.

Also in the above-described "bath heating operation", similarly to the "preliminary heating operation", it is necessary to perform a "defrosting operation" for removing frost when the frost adheres to the second heat exchanger 29. However, in the "bathing heating operation", since the bather is indoors, an operation mode in which the heating operation is continued and frost adhering to the second heat exchanger 29 is removed is required, instead of the switching operation in which the heating operation is temporarily stopped and frost is removed by the defrosting operation as in the "preliminary heating operation".

Next, the defrosting operation in the bath heating operation will be described. During the defrosting operation in the bath heating operation, the ventilation fan 12, the opening/closing device 24, the circulation fan 21, the compressor 26, and the flow path switching valve 30 all continue the operation during the bath heating operation, and the first opening/closing valve 33 and the second opening/closing valve 34 are switched from the "closed state" to the "open state". Then, the electronic expansion valve of the expansion mechanism 28 is set to the fully closed state, and the preheat heater 39 and the refrigerant heating device 35 are operated.

By switching to such a setting, the first on-off valve 33 is switched to the open state, and therefore the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 is split between the first heat exchanger 27 side and the bypass circuit 31 side by the flow path switching valve 30 set on the heating cycle side. The refrigerant diverted to the first heat exchanger 27 radiates heat from the air in the bathroom 3 supplied by the circulation fan 21, and the air heated by the radiation of the refrigerant circulates through the bathroom 3 to continue the heating operation.

On the other hand, since the electronic expansion valve, which is the expansion mechanism 28, is fully closed and the second opening/closing valve 34 is opened, all of the refrigerant that has dissipated heat to the supply air in the first exchanger 27 flows through the bypass circuit 32 and flows into the refrigerant heating device 35. As described above, the refrigerant heating device 35 is provided with the refrigerant heater 40 or the refrigerant/water heat exchanger 47, and the refrigerant is heated in the refrigerant heating device 35 to perform a heat absorbing operation.

On the other hand, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 26 and branched to the bypass circuit 31 side flows into the second heat exchanger 29. Since the ventilation fan 12 is operated at a strong speed, air in the changing room 4 and the toilet 5 is supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 through the exhaust passage 9 and the exhaust passage 11. The supply air is heated by the preheating heater 39 located on the upstream side of the second heat exchanger 29, and is supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 as a high temperature.

Therefore, in the second heat exchanger 29, the high-temperature refrigerant flows through the refrigerant pipe, and the high-temperature air heated by the preheat heater 39 is supplied to the surface of the refrigerant pipe where the frost adheres, and therefore, the frost adhering to the second heat exchanger 29 is quickly removed. The refrigerant melted by the frost and the refrigerant heated by the refrigerant heating device 35 are merged in the second heat exchanger 29, and returned to the compressor 26 from the flow path switching valve 30. The air supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 supplies heat to the adhering frost, and is then discharged to the outside through the exhaust passage 7.

In this way, while the bath heating operation of the bathroom 3 is continued, the defrosting of the second heat exchanger 29 can be performed. Further, when the temperature of the pipes of the second heat exchanger 29 is increased to a predetermined temperature or higher, that is, when frost removal is completed, the system returns to the normal bathing heating operation again, and thus a continuous heating operation can be performed without impairing the comfort of the bather.

As described above, the bathroom air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention achieves the following effects by the configuration and operation described above.

In the second heat exchanger 29, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air discharged to the outside of the room for changing clothes 4, the toilet 5, and the like by the ventilation fan 12. In the first heat exchanger 27, the refrigerant radiates heat to the air circulated in the bathroom 3 by the circulation fan 21. Further, by operating the heat pump using the air discharged to the outside of the room such as the dressing room 4 and the toilet room 5 as a heat source to heat the bathroom 3, the air heated by the first heat exchanger 27 can be efficiently heated without leaking to the outside of the bathroom 3, and the heat efficiency can be improved.

Further, the compressor 26, the first heat exchanger 27, the expansion mechanism 28, and the second heat exchanger 29, which are configured as the refrigerant circuit 25, can all be housed in the ventilation and air-conditioning apparatus 100 installed in a patio or the like of the bathroom 3, and space saving and improvement in workability can be achieved.

In the second heat exchanger 29, the refrigerant radiates heat to the air discharged to the outside of the room such as the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5 by the ventilation fan 12. In the first heat exchanger 27, the refrigerant absorbs heat from air circulated in the bathroom 3 by the circulation fan 21. By operating the heat pump using the air circulating in the bathroom 3 as a heat source to cool the bathroom 3, the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 27 can be efficiently cooled without leaking to the outside of the bathroom 3, and the thermal efficiency can be improved.

The air in the bathroom 3 circulated by the circulation fan 21 absorbs heat on the downstream side of the decompressor 38 of the first heat exchanger 27, and then releases heat on the upstream side of the decompressor 38 of the first heat exchanger 27, thereby dehumidifying the interior of the bathroom 3. As a result, the air dehumidified by the first heat exchanger 27 can be efficiently dehumidified in the bathroom 3 without leaking to the outside of the bathroom 3.

In addition, when the air conditioning is performed on the bathroom 3, the amount of air flow of the ventilation fan 12 is increased relative to when the dressing room 4 and the bathroom 5 are ventilated, whereby the amount of heat absorption or the amount of heat radiation in the second heat exchanger 29 can be increased to obtain sufficient air conditioning capability.

Further, by sucking the air-conditioned air conditioned by the air conditioner 14 installed outside the bathroom 3 from the exhaust port 8 and the exhaust port 10 and supplying the air-conditioned air to the second heat exchanger 29, the heat of the air conditioner 14 generated outside the bathroom 3 can be recovered, and the heat efficiency can be further improved.

Further, since the ventilation passage 23 for communicating the inside of the bathroom 3 and the suction side of the ventilation fan 12 and the opening/closing device 24 for opening/closing the ventilation passage 23 are provided, the opening/closing device 24 can be set to the closed state when the bathroom 3 is air-conditioned, so that the conditioned air is not discharged, and the bathroom 3 can be air-conditioned efficiently. Further, when the bathroom 3 is ventilated and dried, the opening/closing device 24 can be set to the open state to quickly discharge the air in the bathroom 3.

In addition, when the bathroom 3 is dried, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air of the bathroom 3 discharged to the outside through the ventilation passage 23 in the second heat exchanger 29, and thus the heat radiated to the air of the bathroom 3 can be recovered in the first heat exchanger 27, and the drying efficiency can be improved.

Further, by communicating the ventilation passage 23 with the inside of the bathroom 3 through the suction port 17, the suction portion of the ventilation passage 23 and the suction port 17 can be shared, and the number of dust removing filters can be reduced.

In addition, at least a part of the air blown by the circulation fan 21 is heated by the auxiliary heater 22, and the lack of heating capability in a low-temperature environment can be compensated.

Further, by diffusing the radiant heat of the auxiliary heater 22 into the bathroom 3, the feeling of ventilation during bathing can be reduced and the comfort can be improved.

Further, by preheating the air before being supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 by the preheating heater 39, it is possible to suppress a decrease in heating capacity in a low-temperature environment and frost deposition on the second heat exchanger, and to remove the adhering frost.

When frost adheres to the first heat exchanger 27 or the second heat exchanger 29 at low temperature, the flow path switching valve 30 is switched according to the refrigerant temperature, and the adhered frost can be removed.

When frost adheres to the second heat exchanger 29 at low temperature, the high-pressure side and the low-pressure side of the refrigerant circuit 25 are opened by the bypass circuit 31 or the bypass circuit 32, and the high-temperature refrigerant is allowed to flow into the second heat exchanger 29, or the refrigerant pressure in the second heat exchanger 29 is increased to remove the adhered frost.

Further, when the refrigerant heating device 35 is disposed in the refrigerant circuit 25 in series or in parallel with the second heat exchanger 29 and frost adheres to the second heat exchanger 29 or the like and the heat absorption capacity is reduced, the refrigerant heating device 35 can be operated to maintain the heating capacity while ensuring the heat absorption capacity.

Further, by using the refrigerant heater 40 for heating the refrigerant by electric heating in the refrigerant heating device 35, the refrigerant heating device 35 can be downsized.

Further, by using the refrigerant for heating the refrigerant by heat exchange with the hot water in the refrigerant heating device 35, the water heat exchanger 47 can reduce the amount of electric power used in the refrigerant heating device 35.

In addition, since the hot water supplied to the refrigerant/water heat exchanger 47 is water heated by the heat pump water heater, the amount of electric power used by the refrigerant heating device 35 can be further reduced.

In addition, when the hot water having exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant and the water heat exchanger 47 is discharged, the use of the drainage path for discharging the condensed water generated in the first heat exchanger 27 or the second heat exchanger 29 can simplify the construction without increasing the number of drainage paths.

Further, when the heat dissipation capacity is insufficient at a high temperature such as summer, the refrigerant is configured to dissipate the normal-temperature water supplied to the refrigerant and the water heat exchanger 47, so that the insufficient heat dissipation can be eliminated and the cooling capacity can be maintained.

(embodiment mode 2)

Next, a ventilation air conditioner according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. The same components as those in embodiment 1 of the present invention are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The living space in which the ventilation and air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention is installed is the same living space as that according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an air passage structure and a refrigerant circuit of the ventilating air conditioner 110. As shown in fig. 6, a main body 6 of the ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus is provided in a patio of the bathroom 3, which is the first indoor space. Here, differences between the ventilation air conditioner 110 and the ventilation air conditioner 100 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention will be mainly described.

The ventilation and air-conditioning apparatus 110 is provided with a temperature sensor 58 for detecting the temperature of the bathroom 3 in the vicinity of the air inlet 17. A control device 59 for controlling the operations of the circulation fan 21, the ventilation fan 12, the compressor 26, and the flow path switching valve 30 is provided inside the main body 6. The control device 59 executes the rotation speed of the circulation fan 21 and the ventilation fan 12, the stop of the operation of the compressor 26, and the switching operation of the flow path switching valve 30, based on an operation instruction from a remote controller not shown and the detection value of the temperature sensor 58. The control device 59 is constituted by a control board or the like connected to each of the temperature sensor 58, the circulation fan 21, the ventilation fan 12, the compressor 26, and the flow path switching valve 30.

Next, an operation of the ventilation air conditioner 110 will be described. Fig. 7 is a list showing operation states in the respective operation modes. In the list shown in fig. 7, the respective operation modes of the ventilation and air-conditioning apparatus 110 are sequentially described in the vertical direction, and the operation states of the main components in the respective operation modes are described in the horizontal direction. As shown in the table, the ventilation and air-conditioning apparatus 110 can execute 4 operation modes, i.e., a "normal ventilation operation", a "drying operation", a "cooling operation", and a "heating operation".

The "ordinary ventilation operation" is an operation mode in which the ventilation operation is continuously performed for 24 hours to ensure a necessary ventilation amount of the living space 1, as in embodiment 1 of the present invention. In this operation, the ventilation fan 12 is set to a "weak gear" in which a necessary ventilation amount can be secured, the opening/closing device 24 disposed in the ventilation passage 23 is set to an "open position", and all of the other main components, i.e., the circulation fan 21 and the compressor 26, are set to a "stopped" state.

Therefore, a predetermined amount of air corresponding to the necessary ventilation amount is sucked into the ventilation fan 12 through the ventilation passage 23 from the suction port 17 provided in the bathroom 3, the exhaust port 8 provided in the dressing room 4, and the exhaust port 10 provided in the bathroom 5, and is discharged to the outside. Fresh outside air corresponding to the discharge amount is introduced from an air supply port 13 provided in the living room 2, and is exchanged with the discharged air to ventilate the living space 1.

Next, the operation in the "drying operation" will be described. The "drying operation" is an operation mode selected when clothes drying is performed in which laundry is dried in the bath 3. When the "dry mode" is executed, the ventilation fan 12 is set to a "strong position" in which the air volume is larger than that in the "normal ventilation operation", the opening/closing device 24 is set to the "open position", the circulation fan 21 is set to a "predetermined position" in which the circulation fan is operated at the air volume set by the user, the compressor 26 is set to be operated, and the flow path switching valve 30 is set to the "heating cycle side".

By performing such setting, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 is introduced into the first heat exchanger 27 through the flow path switching valve 30 set on the heating cycle side. Since the circulation fan 21 is operated at a predetermined speed, the air sucked into the bathroom 3 in the main body 6 through the suction port 17 is supplied to the first heat exchanger 27. In the first heat exchanger 27, the supplied air in the bath 3 and the refrigerant exchange heat, and the refrigerant radiates heat to the air in the bath 3. By this heat radiation, the air is heated and blown out from the air outlet 18 toward the bathroom 3.

The refrigerant having radiated heat in the first heat exchanger 27 is decompressed and expanded while passing through the expansion mechanism 28, i.e., the capillary tube, and is introduced into the second heat exchanger 29. Since the ventilation fan 12 is operated at a high speed, air in the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5 is supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 through the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11. Further, since the opening/closing device 24 is set to the open position, the air in the bathroom 3 is supplied from the air inlet 17 to the second heat exchanger 29 through the ventilation passage 23.

Thus, the refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 29 absorbs heat from the supplied air in the bathroom 3, the air in the changing room 4, and the air in the toilet 5. The refrigerant having absorbed heat in the second heat exchanger 29 passes through the flow switching valve 30, returns to the compressor 26, and circulates through the refrigerant circuit 25. On the other hand, the air supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 is discharged to the outside from the exhaust passage 7 after the enthalpy is reduced by the heat absorption of the refrigerant.

When the above-described drying operation is performed and the laundry is dried in the bathroom 3, the high-temperature air heated by the first heat exchanger 27 circulates in the bathroom 3 to promote evaporation of moisture from the laundry. Moisture evaporated from the laundry is contained in the air in the bathroom 3, is sucked into the main body 6 by the ventilation fan 12, recovers heat in the second heat exchanger 29, and is discharged to the outside. Since a larger amount of air than that in the normal ventilation operation is supplied to the second heat exchanger 29, the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant increases, the amount of heat released into the bathroom 3 also increases, and the laundry is dried quickly.

Next, an operation in the "cooling operation" will be described. The "cooling operation" is an operation mode selected when the inside of the bathroom 3 is cooled so that the indoor person can perform comfortable bathing and cleaning operations by lowering the temperature inside the bathroom 3 at a high temperature such as summer. When the "cooling operation" is performed, the circulation fan 21 is set to the "predetermined range" in which the circulation fan is operated at the air volume set by the user, the opening/closing device 24 is set to the "closed position", and the compressor 26 is operated. The flow path switching valve 30 is set to the "refrigeration cycle side", and the air volume of the ventilation fan 12 is set based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 58. The control operation of the ventilation fan 12 will be described later.

By performing such setting, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 is introduced into the second heat exchanger 29 through the flow path switching valve 30 set on the refrigeration cycle side. Since the ventilation fan 12 is operated at a level set based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 58 described later, air in the changing room 4 and the toilet 5 is supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 through the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11, and the refrigerant radiates heat from the supplied air. In the second heat exchanger 29, the air in the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5, which have been heated by the heat radiation of the refrigerant, is discharged to the outside through the exhaust passage 7.

On the one hand, the refrigerant, which has dissipated heat in the second heat exchanger 29, is then introduced into the expansion mechanism 28, is decompressed and expanded while passing through the capillary tube, and is introduced into the first heat exchanger 27. Since the circulation fan 21 is operated at a predetermined speed, the air of the bathroom 3 sucked into the main body 6 from the suction port 17 is supplied to the first heat exchanger 27, and the refrigerant absorbs heat from the supplied air of the bathroom 3. The refrigerant that has absorbed heat in the first heat exchanger 27 is returned to the compressor 26 by the flow path switching valve 30, and circulates through the refrigerant circuit 25.

On the other hand, the air supplied to the first heat exchanger 27 is changed to a low temperature by heat absorption of the refrigerant, and is returned from the blow-out port 18 to the bathroom 3. By repeating such air circulation, the temperature in the bathroom 3 is lowered and the air is cooled. Further, since the opening/closing device 24 is set to the closed position, the low-temperature air cooled in the circulation passage 20 is not discharged to the outside of the bathroom 3, and a decrease in air conditioning efficiency can be suppressed.

Next, an operation in the "heating operation" will be described. The "heating operation" is an operation mode selected when the inside of the bathroom 3 is heated to reduce thermal shock by heating the inside of the bathroom 3 before bathing in a season with low temperature such as winter, and the inside of the bathroom 3 is heated so that a bather can comfortably take a bath without feeling cold when taking a bath in the bathroom 3.

When the "heating operation" is executed, the circulation fan 21 is set to the "predetermined stage" in which the air volume set by the user is operated, the opening/closing device 24 is set to the "closed position", and the compressor 26 is operated. The flow path switching valve 30 is set to the "heating cycle side", and the air volume of the ventilation fan 12 is set based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 58. The control operation of the ventilation fan 12 will be described later.

By performing such setting, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 26 is introduced into the first heat exchanger 27 through the flow path switching valve 30 set on the heating cycle side. Since the circulation fan 21 is operated at a predetermined shift, the air sucked into the bathroom 3 in the main body 6 from the suction port 17 is supplied to the first heat exchanger 27, and the refrigerant radiates heat from the supplied air. In the first heat exchanger 27, the air that has become high temperature by heat dissipation of the refrigerant is returned from the outlet port 18 to the bathroom 3. By repeating such air circulation, the temperature in the bathroom 3 rises and heating is performed.

On the other hand, the refrigerant having radiated heat in the first exchanger 27 is then introduced into the expansion mechanism 28, decompressed and expanded while passing through the capillary tube, and introduced into the second exchanger 29. Since the ventilation fan 12 is operated at a level set based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 58 described later, air in the changing room 4 and the toilet 5 is supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 through the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11, and the refrigerant radiates heat from the supplied air. The refrigerant having absorbed heat in the second heat exchanger 29 passes through the flow switching valve 30, returns to the compressor 26, and circulates through the refrigerant circuit 25.

On the other hand, the air supplied to the second heat exchanger 29 absorbs heat from the refrigerant, lowers the enthalpy, and is discharged to the outside from the exhaust passage 7. Further, since the opening/closing device 24 is set to the closed position, the high-temperature air heated in the circulation passage 20 is not discharged to the outside of the bathroom 3, and a decrease in air conditioning efficiency can be suppressed.

Fig. 8 is a time chart showing a relationship between the detection value of the temperature sensor 58 and the air volume of the ventilation fan 12 during the cooling operation. The horizontal axis of the time chart shown in fig. 8 represents time, and the vertical axis represents the detection value 60 of the temperature sensor 58 and the set air volume 61 of the ventilation fan 12.

The temperature sensor 58 is attached near the suction port 17 of the main body 6. During the cooling operation, the circulation fan 21 and the ventilation fan 12 are operated to suck air in the bathroom 3 through the air inlet 17, and therefore the temperature sensor 58 is operated to detect the temperature of the air in the bathroom 3 and output the detected value 60.

In the time chart of fig. 8, the cooling operation is started from time X0 on the horizontal axis, and the user sets a desired temperature and presses the operation button to start the cooling operation. By this cooling operation, the detection value 60 indicating the temperature of the bathroom 3 gradually decreases from the initial value T0, for example, 35 ℃, indicated by the scale 62 on the vertical axis. The ventilation fan 12 is in a stopped state before the cooling operation is started. The set air volume 61 of the ventilation fan 12 is set to the stop state indicated by the scale 63. When the cooling operation is started, the control device issues an operation instruction of the ventilation fan 12 from the control unit 59, and the fan is operated at a strong speed indicated by a scale 64 on the vertical axis.

Here, when the target temperature of the cooling operation is set to a set temperature TS indicated by a scale 65 on the vertical axis, for example, 20 ℃, the set temperature TS is a value much lower than the initial temperature T0 of the bathroom at the start of the cooling operation. Further, as the cooling operation is continued, the temperature of the bathroom 3 decreases, and therefore, the difference between the set temperature TS and the temperature of the bathroom 3 gradually decreases. This means that the cooling load of the bathroom 3 is slowly reduced.

Therefore, when the detection value 60 of the temperature sensor 58 reaches the first fixed temperature T1 indicated by the scale 66, for example, 30 ℃, the control device 59 changes the set air volume 61 of the ventilation fan 12 to the middle range indicated by the scale 67 that is lower than the current strong range. This reduces the air volume of the ventilation fan 12, and reduces the amount of air discharged to the outside through the exhaust passage 9 and the exhaust passage 11. Therefore, the amount of outside air introduced from the air supply port 13 is also reduced, and therefore, the air conditioning load in the living room 2 is reduced, the air conditioning energy of the air conditioner 14 is reduced, and the energy consumption of the whole living space 1 is reduced.

When the cooling operation is continuously performed and the detected value 60 of the temperature sensor 58 reaches the second fixed temperature T2 indicated by the scale 68, for example, 25 ℃, the control device 59 changes the set air volume 61 of the ventilation fan 12 to a weak range indicated by the scale 69 which is lower than the current middle range. This weak point is the same set air volume as in the "ordinary ventilation operation" described above, and it is possible to perform a cooling operation with extremely high energy saving performance by taking in the ventilation air necessary for the living space 1 and recovering cold and heat from the conditioned air discharged through the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11 to cool the bathroom 3.

In this way, when the temperature of the bathroom 3 is lower than the second fixed temperature during the cooling operation, the set air volume of the ventilation fan 12 is controlled to be gradually reduced. That is, by controlling the amount of exhaust gas, which is a heat source, in accordance with the cooling load of the bathroom 3, the amount of outside air flowing in from the air supply opening 13 can be reduced while maintaining the cooling environment of the bathroom 3, so that the air conditioning energy loss of the living room 2 can be reduced, and the ventilation air conditioning operation of the whole living space 1 can be efficiently realized.

Fig. 9 is a time chart showing the relationship between the detection value of the temperature sensor 58 and the air volume of the ventilation fan 12 during the heating operation. The horizontal axis of the time chart shown in fig. 9 represents time, and the vertical axis represents the detection value 60 of the temperature sensor 58 and the set air volume 61 of the ventilation fan 12.

The temperature sensor 58 is attached near the suction port 17 of the main body 6. During the heating operation, the circulation fan 21 and the ventilation fan 12 operate to suck air in the bathroom 3 through the air inlet 17, and therefore the temperature sensor 58 operates to detect the temperature of the air in the bathroom 3 and output the detected value as the detected value 60.

In the time chart of fig. 9, the heating operation is started from time X0 on the horizontal axis, and the user sets a desired temperature and presses the operation button to start the heating operation. By this heating operation, the detection value 60 indicating the temperature of the bathroom 3 gradually rises from the initial value T0, for example, 15 ℃, indicated by the scale 70 on the vertical axis. The ventilation fan 12 is in a stopped state before the heating operation is started, and the set air volume 61 of the ventilation fan 12 is set to a stopped state indicated by the scale 72. When the heating operation is started, the control device 59 issues an operation instruction of the ventilation fan 12, and the fan is operated at a strong speed indicated by a scale 72 on the vertical axis.

Here, when the target temperature of the heating operation is set to a set temperature TS indicated by the scale 73 on the vertical axis, for example, 40 ℃, the set temperature TS is a value much higher than the initial temperature T0 of the bathroom at the start of the heating operation. As the heating operation is continued, the temperature of the bathroom 3 rises, and therefore the difference between the set temperature TS and the temperature of the bathroom 3 gradually decreases. This means that the heating load of the bathroom 3 is slowly reduced.

Therefore, when the detection value 60 of the temperature sensor 58 reaches the second predetermined temperature T1 indicated by the scale 74, for example, 25 ℃, the control device 59 changes the set air volume 61 of the ventilation fan 12 to the middle range indicated by the scale 75 lower than the current strong range. This reduces the amount of air in the ventilation fan 12, and reduces the amount of air discharged to the outside through the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11. Therefore, the amount of outside air introduced from the air supply port 13 is also reduced, and therefore, the air conditioning load in the living room 2 is reduced, the air conditioning energy of the air conditioner 14 is reduced, and the energy consumption of the whole living space 1 is reduced.

When the heating operation is continuously performed and the detected value 60 of the temperature sensor 58 reaches the first fixed temperature T2 indicated by the scale 76, for example, 35 ℃, the control device 59 changes the set air volume 61 of the ventilation fan 12 to a weak range indicated by the scale 77 lower than the current middle range. This weak range is the same set air volume as in the "ordinary ventilation operation" described above, and heating operation with extremely high energy saving performance can be performed by continuously taking in the ventilation volume necessary for the living space 1 and recovering heat from the conditioned air discharged through the exhaust duct 9 and the exhaust duct 11 to heat the bathroom 3.

In this way, when the temperature of the bathroom 3 is higher than the first predetermined temperature during the heating operation, the set air volume of the ventilation fan 12 is controlled to be gradually reduced. That is, by controlling the amount of heat source, i.e., the amount of exhaust air, in accordance with the heating load of the bathroom 3, the amount of outside air flowing in from the air supply opening 13 can be reduced while maintaining the heating environment of the bathroom 3, and the energy consumption for air conditioning the living room 2 can be reduced, thereby enabling efficient ventilation air conditioning operation of the whole living space 1.

As described above, the bathroom air conditioner according to embodiment 2 of the present invention achieves the following effects by the configuration and operation described above.

In the second heat exchanger 29, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air discharged to the outside of the room for changing clothes 4, the toilet 5, and the like by the ventilation fan 12. In the first heat exchanger 27, the refrigerant radiates heat to the air circulated in the bathroom 3 by the circulation fan 21. Further, by operating the heat pump using the air discharged to the outside of the room such as the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5 as a heat source to heat the bathroom 3, the air heated by the first heat exchanger 27 can be efficiently heated without leaking to the outside of the bathroom 3, and the heat efficiency can be improved.

In the second heat exchanger 29, the refrigerant radiates heat to the air discharged to the outside of the room such as the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5 by the ventilation fan 12. In the first heat exchanger 27, the refrigerant absorbs heat from air circulated in the bathroom 3 by the circulation fan 21. Further, by operating the heat pump using the air circulating in the bathroom 3 as a heat source to cool the bathroom 3, the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 27 can be efficiently cooled to improve the thermal efficiency without leaking to the outside of the bathroom 3.

When the air conditioning is performed in the bathroom 3, the amount of heat absorbed or dissipated by the second heat exchanger 29 can be increased by increasing the amount of air supplied to the ventilating fan 12 when ventilating the changing room 4 and the toilet 5, thereby obtaining sufficient air conditioning performance.

Further, since the ventilation passage 23 communicating the inside of the bathroom 3 and the suction side of the ventilation fan 12 and the opening/closing device 24 opening and closing the ventilation passage 23 are provided, the opening/closing device 24 can be set to the closed state when the bathroom 3 is air-conditioned, and the bathroom 3 can be air-conditioned efficiently without discharging the conditioned air.

Further, when the bathroom 3 is ventilated and dried, the opening/closing device 24 can be set to the open state to quickly discharge the air in the bathroom 3.

In addition, when the bathroom 3 is dried, the refrigerant also absorbs heat from the air discharged to the outdoor bathroom 3 through the ventilation passage 23 in the second heat exchanger 29, and the heat radiated to the air in the bathroom 3 is also recovered by the first heat exchanger 27, thereby improving the drying efficiency.

In the heating operation of the bathroom 3, when the temperature of the bathroom 3 is higher than the first predetermined temperature, the air blowing amount by the ventilation fan 12 is reduced, whereby the air conditioning energy consumption due to ventilation can be reduced.

In the heating operation of the bathroom 3, the amount of air blown by the ventilation fan 12 is controlled to be reduced in stages, so that the amount of air discharged as a heat source can be controlled in accordance with the heating load of the bathroom 3, and the energy consumption of the air conditioner due to ventilation can be reduced.

In the heating operation of the bathroom 3, when the temperature of the bathroom 3 is higher than the first predetermined temperature, only the ventilation fan 12 is operated, and the amount of air blown by the ventilation fan 12 is reduced to the same amount of air as that in the case of ventilation of the indoor space in which the exhaust port 8 and the exhaust port 10 are open. As a result, a heating operation with extremely high energy saving performance can be performed, in which the ventilation amount necessary for the living space 1 is taken in, and heat is recovered from the air discharged through the exhaust duct 8 and the exhaust duct 10 to heat the bathroom 3.

Further, when the temperature of the bathroom 3 is lower than the second predetermined temperature during the cooling operation of the bathroom 3, the air supply amount of the ventilation fan 12 is reduced, thereby reducing the air conditioning energy consumption due to ventilation.

Further, by controlling the amount of air blown by the ventilation fan 12 to be reduced in stages during the cooling operation of the bathroom 3, the amount of air discharged as a heat source can be controlled in accordance with the cooling load of the bathroom 3, and air conditioning energy consumption due to ventilation can be reduced.

In the cooling operation of the bathroom 3, when the temperature of the bathroom 3 is lower than the second predetermined temperature, only the ventilation fan 12 is operated, and the amount of air blown by the ventilation fan 12 is reduced to the same amount of air as that in the case of ventilation of the indoor spaces in which the exhaust ports 8 and 10 are open. This makes it possible to perform a cooling operation with extremely high energy saving performance, in which the cooling operation is performed by taking in the ventilation amount necessary for the living space 1 and recovering cold and heat from the air discharged through the exhaust duct 8 and the exhaust duct 10 to cool the bathroom 3.

The above description is only an embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, in embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention, the first indoor space to be air-conditioned is the bathroom 3, and the second indoor space with the air outlet opened is the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5, but the air-conditioned space and the air outlet opened space are not limited to the above configuration as long as they are partitioned in the living space. That is, the air-conditioned space may be set as a living room, and the space with the exhaust port may be set as a bathroom.

In embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention, exhaust ports are opened in both the dressing room 4 and the toilet 5, but the opening positions and the number of the exhaust ports are not limited to these. For example, the exhaust port may be opened at only one place in the toilet.

In embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention, a configuration in which a capillary tube is provided as the expansion mechanism 28 is shown, but the expansion mechanism 28 may be configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant, and may be configured to dispose an electronic expansion valve or the like.

In embodiment 1 of the present invention, a configuration in which two bypass circuits, namely the bypass circuit 31 and the bypass circuit 32, are provided in the refrigerant circuit 25 is shown, but the bypass circuit may be provided as a single bypass circuit.

In embodiment 1 of the present invention, the configuration in which the refrigerant heating device 35 and the second heat exchanger 29 are arranged in parallel is shown, but a configuration in which the refrigerant heating device and the second heat exchanger 29 are arranged in series in the refrigeration circuit 25 may be adopted.

In embodiment 1 of the present invention, the first opening/closing valve 33 and the second opening/closing valve 34 are switched between the open position and the closed position, but the opening/closing valves may be configured to open and close the bypass circuit, and an electronic expansion valve or the like may be used.

In embodiment 1 of the present invention, two types of exchangers, i.e., the refrigerant heater 40 and the refrigerant/water heat exchanger 47, are shown as specific configurations of the refrigerant heating device 35, but the cooling/heating device 35 is not limited to the two types as long as it can heat the refrigerant.

In embodiment 1 of the present invention, the configuration in which the hot water from the heat pump water heater 48 is supplied to the refrigerant/water heat exchanger 47 water side pipe is shown, but the present invention is not limited to the heat pump water heater as long as it can supply high temperature hot water (for example, 40 to 90 ℃) or normal temperature water (for example, 1 to 40 ℃) to the refrigerant/water heat exchanger 47 water side pipe. For example, the water supply system may be configured to supply hot water to a gas water heater, an electric water heater, or an oil water heater, supply water, circulating water, or city water, or to circulate hot water in a bath tub.

In embodiment 2 of the present invention, a control method in which the control device 59 changes the set air volume 61 of the ventilation fan 12 to the third gear based on the detection value 60 of the temperature sensor 58 is shown, but the air volume control method of the ventilation fan 12 is not limited to this, and for example, the air volume may be changed to the second gear or may be controlled to the fourth gear or more. Further, the driving source of the ventilation fan 12 may be controlled by a DC motor so that the air volume is linearly changed.

Industrial applicability of the invention

As described above, the ventilation air conditioner of the present invention can achieve space saving and high workability, and can reduce leakage of air-conditioned air to improve thermal efficiency, and is applicable not only to a ventilation air conditioner for a bathroom but also to a ventilation air conditioner for a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, or the like.

Claims

1. A ventilation air conditioner is provided with a ventilation air conditioner,

a circulation fan that sucks in air from an intake port provided in a first indoor space and blows out the air from an outlet port provided in the first indoor space;

a ventilation fan for ventilating by sucking air from an exhaust port provided in the second indoor space and discharging the air to the outside;

a refrigerant circuit that circulates a refrigerant and connects pipes in the order of a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air in the first indoor space blown by the circulation fan, an expansion mechanism that expands the refrigerant, and a second heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air in the second indoor space blown by the ventilation fan,

the air conditioner further includes a ventilation passage that communicates the inside of the first indoor space with a suction side of the ventilation fan, and an opening/closing device that opens/closes the ventilation passage, and the opening/closing device is set to a closed state when the first indoor space is air-conditioned, and is set to an open state when the first indoor space is ventilated and dried.

2. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

in the second heat exchanger, the refrigerant absorbs heat from air discharged to the outside, and in the first heat exchanger, the refrigerant radiates heat to air circulating in the first indoor space, thereby heating the first indoor space.

3. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

the air conditioner further includes a flow path switching valve that switches a direction in which the refrigerant circulates in order of the compressor, the second heat exchanger in which the refrigerant radiates heat to air discharged to the outside by the ventilation fan, the expansion mechanism, and the first heat exchanger in which the refrigerant absorbs heat from air circulating in the first indoor space by the circulation fan, thereby cooling the first indoor space.

4. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

the heat exchanger further includes a decompression device configured to decompress the refrigerant in a pipe through which the refrigerant flows in the first heat exchanger, and the refrigerant on a downstream side of the decompression device absorbs heat from air blown by a circulation fan and then releases heat from the refrigerant on an upstream side of the decompression device, thereby dehumidifying the first indoor space.

5. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

in the case where the first indoor space is air-conditioned by heating, cooling, or dehumidifying, the air volume of the ventilation fan is increased as compared with the case where only the ventilation fan is operated to ventilate the second indoor space.

6. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

the air sucked into the exhaust port is used as air-conditioning air for air conditioning by an air conditioner provided outside the first indoor space.

7. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

in the second heat exchanger, the refrigerant also absorbs heat from air discharged to the outdoor first indoor space through the ventilation passage when the first indoor space is dried.

8. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

the ventilation passage communicates with the first indoor space via the suction port.

9. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

the air conditioner further includes an auxiliary heater for heating at least a part of the air blown by the circulation fan.

10. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 9,

the auxiliary heater is a radiant heater for diffusing radiant heat into the first indoor space.

11. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

the air conditioner further includes a preheating heater for preheating air before being supplied to the second heat exchanger by the ventilation fan.

12. Ventilation air-conditioning unit according to claim 3,

the flow path switching valve is switched according to the refrigerant temperature of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger.

13. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

the refrigerant circuit includes a bypass circuit that branches from the refrigerant circuit from the discharge side of the compressor to the expansion mechanism and merges into the refrigerant circuit from the expansion mechanism to the suction side of the compressor, and an opening/closing valve that opens and closes the bypass circuit.

14. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

a refrigerant heating device for heating the refrigerant is disposed in the refrigerant circuit in series or in parallel with the second heat exchanger.

15. Ventilating air-conditioning unit according to claim 14,

the refrigerant heating device is a refrigerant heater that heats a refrigerant by electric heat.

16. Ventilating air-conditioning unit according to claim 14,

the refrigerant heating device is a refrigerant/water heat exchanger that heats the refrigerant by heat exchange with hot water.

17. Ventilating air-conditioning unit according to claim 16,

the hot water supplied to the refrigerant/water heat exchanger is hot water heated by a heat pump water heater.

18. Ventilating air-conditioning unit according to claim 16,

and discharging the refrigerant, the hot water after heat exchange with the refrigerant in the water heat exchanger, through a drainage path that drains the condensed water generated in the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger.

19. Ventilating air-conditioning unit according to claim 16,

supplying normal-temperature water to the refrigerant/water heat exchanger, and radiating heat from the refrigerant/water heat exchanger.

20. Ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

a control device is provided, which performs the following control: the ventilation fan is configured to reduce an amount of air blown by the ventilation fan when the temperature of the first indoor space is higher than a first predetermined temperature and lower than a second predetermined temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature.

21. Ventilating air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 20,

the control device controls the ventilator to reduce the air supply amount of the ventilator in stages.

22. Ventilating air-conditioning apparatus as claimed in claim 20,

the control device performs control to reduce the air supply amount of the ventilation fan to an air supply amount equal to that in a case where only the ventilation fan is operated to ventilate the second indoor space.