JP2002349891A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] An air conditioner that can dry the inside of an indoor unit without releasing moisture in the indoor unit into an air-conditioned room and reduce the propagation of germs and fungi in the indoor unit. Offer machine. SOLUTION: An air outlet 26 for blowing air into a room, an upper air inlet 25 for sucking room air, a front opening 24, an indoor fan 10, and an indoor unit 3 containing an indoor heat exchanger 8 are provided to enable a cooling and heating operation. The indoor unit 3
An exhaust device 35 for exhausting the air inside the room to the outside is provided, the indoor fan 10 is stopped while the air conditioning operation is stopped, the air outlet 26, the upper intake port and the front opening 24 are closed, and the exhaust device 35 is operated to perform a drying operation. Drying operation control means for performing the following.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for preventing the growth of various bacteria and fungi inside an indoor unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, an air conditioner including an outdoor unit and an indoor unit exchanges heat between an indoor heat exchanger provided inside the indoor unit and indoor air. An indoor fan is provided to promote the air, the indoor air is sucked into the indoor unit by the indoor fan, the sucked indoor air is sent to the indoor heat exchanger to exchange heat, and the air after the heat exchange is blown back into the room. I have.

For this reason, dust and dirt sucked into the indoor unit together with the indoor air easily adhere to an indoor fan, an indoor heat exchanger, and the like provided on the inner wall surface and inside of the indoor unit. There is a problem that germs and mold contained in garbage and dust grow. In particular, after the cooling operation is stopped, the condensed water condensed in the indoor heat exchanger evaporates in the indoor unit, and the humidity inside the indoor unit increases, so that there is a problem that germs and fungi increase more. When these germs and fungi propagate, there is a possibility of generating an offensive odor during operation of the air conditioner, and spores of these germs and fungi may be blown out into the room, which is not preferable for sanitation.

There is an air conditioner that performs a drying operation for drying the inside of an indoor unit after the cooling operation is completed in order to prevent the propagation of various bacteria and fungi that cause such an odor. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-146259 discloses an air conditioner in which an indoor unit and a ventilation unit are arranged for the same room. In this air conditioner, after the cooling operation is completed, the refrigeration cycle is stopped or the heating operation is performed. At the same time, the indoor fan is operated at a low speed to dry the inside of the indoor unit, and the high humidity air blown into the room by the ventilation is exhausted to the outside by the ventilation unit to prevent the indoor humidity from rising.

However, in such an air conditioner,
Moisture in the indoor unit after the cooling operation ends is evaporated by the blowing of the indoor fan and is once released into the air-conditioned room, so even if the indoor air is exhausted by the ventilation unit, The indoor humidity increases. That is, in order to prevent unpleasant blowing into the room as much as possible, the number of rotations of the indoor fan is set to be equal to or less than the minimum air volume that can be set in the air conditioning operation,
In such a configuration, in order to dry the interior of the indoor unit, there is a problem that the moisture in the indoor unit must be once released to the room and the humidity in the room is increased.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to release moisture in an indoor unit into an air-conditioned room. An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of drying the inside of an indoor unit and reducing the growth of various bacteria and fungi in the indoor unit without increasing the humidity of the room in which the air is conditioned.

[0007]

An air conditioner according to the present invention comprises:
An air conditioner including an air outlet that blows air into a room, an air inlet that sucks indoor air, an indoor fan, and an indoor unit that houses an indoor heat exchanger, is provided with an exhaust device that discharges air in the indoor unit to the outside. Stopping the indoor fan while the air conditioning operation is stopped, characterized by comprising a drying operation control means for performing a drying operation by operating the exhaust device, and an outlet for blowing air into the room, An air conditioner that includes an indoor unit that houses an indoor air suction port, an indoor fan, and an indoor heat exchanger, and that is capable of performing a cooling and heating operation, is provided with an exhaust device that discharges air in the indoor unit to the outside of the room. While the operation is stopped, at least a part of the indoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser, the indoor fan is stopped, and the exhaust device is operated to perform a drying operation. The indoor unit further includes an outlet opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes an outlet, and the drying operation controller includes the outlet during the drying operation. The air conditioner is characterized in that the opening / closing mechanism is closed, and an air outlet that blows air into a room, a suction port that sucks indoor air, an indoor fan, and an indoor unit that houses an indoor heat exchanger. An exhaust device for exhausting the air in the indoor unit to the outside of the room, a drying operation control means for stopping the indoor fan for a predetermined time from the start of the air conditioning operation, and operating the exhaust device to perform a drying operation. It is a feature.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an indoor unit, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioner.
FIG. 3 is a control circuit diagram, FIG. 4 is a flowchart of basic control, FIG. 5 is a flowchart at the time of a drying operation process, and FIG. 6 is a view showing a list of operation states of each part in each operation mode. .

In FIGS. 2 and 3, the air conditioner 1 comprises:
An outdoor unit 2 installed in the outdoor O and an indoor unit 3 installed in the room R performing air conditioning,
The compressor 4 and the four-way valve 5 provided in the outdoor unit 2, the outdoor heat exchanger 6, the outdoor expansion valve 7 which is an electric expansion valve whose opening degree can be controlled finely, and the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit 3 8 are connected so as to form a refrigeration cycle, and by switching the flow direction of the refrigerant by the four-way valve 5, cooling and heating of the room R in which the indoor unit 3 is installed can be performed. The outdoor unit 2 has a variable speed outdoor fan 9 for promoting heat exchange of the outdoor heat exchanger 6.
However, the indoor unit 3 is provided with an indoor fan 10 that is a variable-speed cross flow fan that promotes heat exchange of the indoor heat exchanger 8.

An inverter 11 is connected to the compressor 4 so as to make the operating frequency variable, and is connected to an AC power supply 12 via a main switch 13. And
During cooling and heating operations, the inverter 1
1 is controlled according to the indoor temperature load (the difference between the room temperature of the room R and the set temperature), and the opening degree of the outdoor expansion valve 7 which is an electric expansion valve is controlled according to the refrigeration cycle state. I have. Although not shown, necessary power supply from the AC power supply 12 can be performed to each unit of the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the indoor heat exchanger 8 is divided into a rear heat exchange section 8a and a front heat exchange section 8b, and the rear heat exchange section 8a and the front heat exchange section 8b are connected to each other. It is connected via an indoor throttle valve 14, which is a throttled two-way valve, so that the flow of refrigerant between the two parts can be controlled.
The throttled two-way valve of the indoor throttle valve 14 used here is a valve whose opening degree can be operated by electric control, and is fully opened in an open state (when OFF: no throttle). In a heating operation or a heating operation, it can be controlled to the fully opened state, and in a closed state (ON: with a throttle), for example, in a drying operation or a dehumidifying operation described later, it can be controlled to a state having an appropriate throttle area. It has become.

The rear heat exchange section 8a and the front heat exchange section 8
b is a so-called fin-tube heat exchanger composed of a plurality of aluminum fins and a copper pipe penetrating the fins in a meandering manner. The area of the rear heat exchange section 8a (the area on the air suction side) is smaller than the area of the front heat exchange section 8b (the area on the air suction side).

For this reason, during the drying operation and the dehumidifying operation,
The indoor expansion valve 14 is closed with a throttle, and the outdoor expansion valve 7 between the outdoor heat exchanger 6 and the front heat exchange section 8b is fully opened, so that the front heat exchange section 8b is a condenser (reheater). And none
The rear heat exchanger 8a can function as an evaporator, and the air sucked into the indoor unit 3 is warmed by the front heat exchanger 8b and cooled by the rear heat exchanger 8a. On the other hand, the rear heat exchanger at low temperature can be dehumidified at 8a. It should be noted that the opening degree (throttle amount) of the indoor throttle valve 14 during the dehumidifying operation and the amount of air blown by the outdoor fan 9 and the number of revolutions of the compressor 4 are appropriately controlled, so that the air blown out from the indoor unit 3 is controlled. The temperature can be adjusted finely.

The units 2 and 3 are provided with an outdoor control unit 15 and an indoor control unit 16, respectively, for operating the refrigeration cycle in accordance with the basic control flowchart shown in FIG. The two control units 15 and 16 are connected by a connection line 17. The required control signals and data are exchanged via the connection line 17 in both control units 1.
The operation is performed between the control units 15 and 16, and the operation of each unit in the units 2 and 3 connected to the control units 15 and 16 is performed.

The indoor control unit 16 includes the indoor unit 3.
An operation start or operation end command by an infrared signal transmitted from a wireless remote controller (hereinafter, referred to as a remote control) 18 provided outside, a room temperature, an air volume, a wind direction, and other settings related to operation set by a user. A transmitting / receiving unit 19 for receiving contents and the like, and a temperature sensor 20 including a thermistor for detecting the room temperature and humidity of the room R to be air-conditioned,
A humidity sensor 21 made of ceramic is connected. It should be noted that the remote controller 18 is transmitted with the room temperature, the driving status, and the like from the transmission / reception unit 18 and displays the contents.

On the other hand, the indoor unit 3 is installed on a wall Q near the ceiling of a room R for performing air conditioning as shown in FIG. 1, and is connected to the outdoor unit 2 via a wall opening P formed in the wall Q. The lines 17 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 22 provided side by side. The indoor unit 3 has a front opening 24 that can be opened and closed by a front panel 23, and also has a main body of a horizontally long housing in which an upper intake port 25 that opens upward at an upper part and an outlet 26 that opens downward at a lower part are formed. Inside the case 27, an indoor fan 10 for driving a horizontally long transverse flow blade 28 whose longitudinal direction is the axial direction by an indoor motor 29 is provided. As the indoor motor 29, a DC motor that can switch the speed in a plurality of stages, has high efficiency, and has high stability even at a low speed is used, but an AC motor may be used.

Further, inside the main body case 27 of the indoor unit 3, a front opening 24 and an upper
Toward the main flow path 30 of the air by the indoor fan 10.
Are formed. In the main passage 30, an indoor heat exchanger 8 is provided upstream of the indoor fan 10, and a front heat exchange section 8 is provided.
b is opposed to the front opening 24, and the rear heat exchange part 8 a is arranged so as to be connected to the upper part of the front heat exchange part 8 b so as to oppose the upper rear part of the main body case 27. At this time, the front heat exchange section 8 formed in an arc shape
b is such that the lower edge is located in the front drain pan 32 provided in the partition member 31 constituting the lower front wall portion of the main flow path 30 with the convex side facing forward, and the rear heat exchange Part 8a
Is provided such that the lower edge is located in a rear drain pan 34 provided on a back plate 33 constituting a rear wall portion of the main flow path 30. In addition, a temperature sensor 20 is provided in a main passage 30 between the front opening 24 serving as a suction port of the air in the room R of the indoor unit 3 and the upper suction port 25 and the front heat exchanger 8b.
And a humidity sensor 21 are provided.

The lower part of the main body case 27 is provided with a back plate 33.
An exhaust device 35 is attached to the outer surface of the main body so as to open the intake port 35 a to the main flow path 30. Further, an exhaust duct 36 is connected to the exhaust port 35b of the exhaust device 35 so as to pass through the wall opening P together with the connection line 17 and the refrigerant pipe 22 and open toward the outside O. Then, the exhaust device 35 drives the multi-blade fan 38 to rotate by the exhaust motor 37, and exhausts the air in the indoor unit 3 sucked from the intake port 35a to the outside O through the exhaust duct 36.

The front panel 23 which opens and closes the front opening 24 is moved forward and backward by a panel motor 39, for example, by a panel driving mechanism 41 having a gear member 40 of a rack and a pinion, to perform opening and closing operations. ing. During the cooling, heating operation or dehumidifying operation, the front panel 23 is advanced, and in this advanced state, the front opening 24 is opened to form a suction port, and the indoor air is sucked into the indoor unit 3. In addition, the front panel 23 is retracted during the drying operation or stop described later, and in this retracted state, the front opening 24 is closed to prevent dirt and dust from entering the indoor unit 3.

The upper suction port 25 has an upper suction louver 42.
The upper suction port 25 is rotatable by an upper louver motor 43. By rotating the upper suction louver 42, the upper suction port 25 can be opened and closed. Then, the upper suction louver 42 opens and rotates at the time of cooling, heating operation or dehumidifying operation,
Room air is sucked into the indoor unit 3 from the upper suction port 25, and when the drying operation or stop is performed, the indoor air is closed to rotate and the upper air suction port 2 is closed.
5 is closed to prevent dust and dirt from entering the indoor unit 3.

On the other hand, the rear outlet louver 44a and the front outlet louver 44b, which are also elongated in the left and right direction and are supported at the left and right ends, are also formed at the outlet 26 by a rear louver motor 45a and a front louver motor 45b. The air outlet 26 can be opened and closed by rotating the rear blowout louver 44a and the front blowout louver 44b, respectively. Each of the motors 45a and 45b can be operated individually, and each of the blowout louvers 4
By independently rotating and opening and closing the air conditioners 4a and 44b in accordance with the operation mode of the air conditioner 1, the blowing direction of the conditioned air into the room R can be changed in the vertical direction. The outlet 26 is closed by closing and rotating both of the outlet louvers 44a and 44b.

The closing position X at which the outlet 26 is closed.
The two outlet louvers 44a and 44b, which have been in the positions a and Xb, are adjusted to the operation mode of the air conditioner 1, and for example, the rear outlet louvers 4
4a, the opening angle can be changed to the horizontal position Ya, the obliquely downward position Wa, and the directly downward position Za, and the front blowout louver 44b can be changed to the horizontal position Yb, the obliquely downward position Zb, and the intermediate position between them. ing.
By changing the opening angle of both blowout louvers 44a and 44b depending on the operation mode, the blowout direction of the conditioned air from the indoor unit 3 into the room R can be set to a desired direction.

Further, both outlet louvers 4 are provided at the outlet 26.
In the vicinity of the upstream side of 4a, 44b, a left and right louver 46 is provided so that the upper edge thereof is pivotally supported by the support member 47, and is rotated by a left and right louver motor 48 in the left and right direction. Thus, the blowing direction of the conditioned air into the room R can be changed.

The indoor unit 3 has a front opening 24.
An electric precipitator 49 having a width approximately half the width of the front heat exchange unit 8b is attached to the front heat exchange unit 8b of the indoor heat exchanger 8 at a position on the upper right side of the front surface when viewed from the side. The electric precipitator 49 has a discharge electrode 50a inside.
And a relatively high positive first high voltage V _H1 and a lower positive second high voltage V _H1 .
High voltage V _H2 from the first high voltage power supply 51 that occurs between the discharge electrode 50a and the dust collecting electrode 50b, made of two positive high voltage V _H1, V _H2 to allow application by switching each I have.

The electric precipitator 49 can be operated as an ozone generator 52. Ozone generator 5
When operating as 2, the first high voltage _VH1 is applied to the discharge electrode 50a to cause discharge, thereby generating ozone. When the dust collecting operation is performed, the second high voltage _VH2 is applied between the discharge electrode 50a and the dust collecting electrode 50b. That is, the potential difference between the discharge electrode 50a and the dust collection electrode 50b is larger when ozone is generated than when it is collected.

Further, the indoor unit 3 includes a main passage 3
Front opening 2 of partition member 31 constituting lower front wall portion 0
A negative ion generator 53 is attached to a wall surface facing the main flow path 30 on the right side as viewed from the fourth side.
The negative ion generator 53 includes a metal needle 54 having both ends sharp, and a second high-voltage power supply 55 for applying a predetermined negative high voltage _VH to the needle 54.
Is installed such that one needle point is directed from the air outlet 26 into the room R, and the other needle point is directed toward the indoor fan 10 inside the indoor unit 3.

When a predetermined negative high voltage _VH is applied to the needle 54 from the second high voltage power supply 55, the tip of the needle 54 emits negative ions in the direction of directing negative ions. . For this reason, during normal cooling and heating operations,
During the dehumidifying operation, negative ions are emitted toward the room R from the tip of the needle 54 on the outlet 26 side together with the conditioned air sent out by the indoor fan 10. During the drying operation, negative ions are emitted from the tip of the needle 54 on the indoor fan 10 side toward the interior of the indoor unit 3 to sterilize and sterilize molds and various bacteria inside the indoor unit 3.

On the other hand, the outdoor control unit 15 and the indoor control unit 16 provided in the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 include:
Microcomputers (CP.
U) are provided, and C.I. P. The operation control described below is executed based on the contents preprogrammed in U or the contents set prior to the operation.

[0029] That is, the basic control operation performed by the outdoor control unit 15 and the indoor control unit 16, along a diagram illustrating an operation state of each part of the flow chart and FIG. 6 in FIG. 4, first, in a first step S _1, Although not shown, for example, by operating the operation switching button for selecting one of the cooling, heating, and dehumidifying operation of the remote controller 18 and operating the temperature button for setting the room temperature while viewing the contents displayed on the display unit such as a liquid crystal, the known air A desired operation mode is selected in the same manner as in the harmony machine. Then, an operation button (not shown) of the remote controller 18 for starting and stopping the operation of the air conditioner 1 is operated, the main switch 13 is closed, the power is turned on, and the operation is started. When the electric precipitator 49 and the negative ion generator 53 are operated during normal cooling, heating or dehumidifying operation, the air cleaner button (not shown) is operated at any time.

[0030] Subsequently, in the second step S _2, the operation mode is set to determine what the third cooling operation control in step S _3, if the cooling mode, and the fourth step S if the heating mode ₄ of the heating operation control, a dehumidifying operation control of the fifth step S ₅ if dehumidification mode, similarly to each omitted known air conditioner, as the operating state showing the respective portions in FIG. 6 deeds, in the sixth step S whether the operation has been completed in ₆ judgment is performed until done confirmation of the operation end. Then, the process proceeds to a seventh step S ₇ When the operation end is confirmed in the sixth step S _6.

[0031] Then at the seventh step S _7, immediately before the operation mode of whether the determination is made was a mode cooling or dehumidifying operation, if it is determined that a cooling or dehumidifying operation, the eighth step proceed to S _8. Then, in the eighth step S _8, executes the drying operation processing described later, the process proceeds to a ninth step S ₉ after completion performs operation end process is controlled in the stopped state shown each part in FIG. 6. Also in the seventh step S _7, if it is judged that not the cooling and dehumidifying operation, the process proceeds to a ninth step S _9, performs the operation end process.

Since the above-described basic control is performed, the air conditioner 1 can perform normal cooling operation, heating operation,
In addition to performing the dehumidifying operation, the drying operation process can be performed after the cooling operation or the dehumidifying operation. It should be noted that, in response to anxiety that the drying operation process will be continuously performed even after the normal cooling operation, heating operation, and dehumidifying operation are stopped, a selection is made so that the drying operation process is not performed. You may be able to.

Further, advanced is determined to have been cooling or dehumidifying operation in the seventh step S ₇ controls the drying operation process in the eighth step S _8, the flowchart of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6
Are performed according to the drawings showing the operation states of the respective parts. First, in the first step T _1, set to an operating state in the first drying operation showing the various parts in Fig. That is, the compressor 4 is stopped, the outdoor fan 9 is set to the low speed fixed operation or the switching operation between the low speed and the stop, the indoor fan 10 is stopped, the indoor throttle valve 14 is opened without the throttle, and the outdoor expansion valve 7 is also opened. The four-way valve 5 is set to a position where cooling is performed in an open state without a throttle.

Further, the upper suction louver 42 of the indoor unit 3 is closed and rotated to close, and the front panel 23 is also closed. Further, the front blowout louver 44b is also at the closed position Xb, and the rear blowout louver 44a is also at the closed position Xa. The exhaust device 35 is turned on, and the multi-blade fan 38 is rotationally driven by the exhaust motor 37 to suck the air in the indoor unit 3 from the main passage 30 and exhaust it to the outside O through the exhaust duct 36. . The electric precipitator 49 is turned on, and the first high voltage V is applied to the discharge electrode 50a.
_H1 may be applied to operate as the ozone generator 52 or may be in the OFF state. Further, the negative ion generator 53 may be in an ON state or an OFF state.

[0035] Next, in the second step _{T 2,} sets a timer (not shown) for 30 minutes. Then, in the subsequent third step T _3, to start the drying operation with the timer is started, the set 30 minutes, to continue the drying operation. And in the fourth step T ₄ is performed for a predetermined time elapsed is determined whether to end the drying operation proceeds to a fifth step T ₅ when a predetermined time has elapsed.

In the first drying operation, a large amount of drain water generated inside the indoor unit 3 by the cooling or dehumidifying operation is mostly discharged outside the room via a drain hose (not shown). Even after the cooling or dehumidifying operation is completed, a part remains in the front drain pan 32 or the rear drain pan 34 or remains attached to the indoor heat exchanger 8 or the like. The temperature rises with air, and the drain water starts to evaporate at once, and the humidity inside the indoor unit 3 will reach nearly 100% if it is left as it is.
It is intended to prevent a breeding environment of high temperature and humidity which is excellent for molds and various germs.

The first drying operation described above is executed so that the high-temperature and high-humidity state inside the indoor unit 3 is immediately eliminated and the high-temperature and high-humidity air does not reach the user. That is, when the drying operation is started, the front panel 23 and the upper suction louver 42 of the indoor unit 3 are closed, the rear blowout louvers 44a and the front blowout louvers 44b are also at the closed positions Xa and Xb, and the inside of the indoor unit 3 in the humid state. The air is substantially blocked so that the air does not flow into the room R. further,
The exhaust device 35 is activated and the exhaust of the indoor unit 3 is started, and at the same time, the indoor air leaks into the indoor unit 3 from the closed front panel 23 and the gaps between the louvers 42, 44a, and 44b.

At the same time, the indoor air leaks,
When the compressor 4 stops, the indoor heat exchanger 8
Temperature rises to room temperature, and the attached drain water starts to evaporate. Then, the humid air in the indoor unit 3 is sucked into the intake port 35a from the main passage 30 by the exhaust operation of the exhaust device 35, and the exhaust port 35b
Is discharged to the outside O for a predetermined time of 30 minutes through the exhaust duct 36 connected to the outside. This allows
The humid state in the indoor unit 3 is eliminated without causing the humid air to flow out into the room R and giving the user discomfort.

In this drying operation, the electric precipitator 49 and the negative ion generator 53 may be turned on or off from the viewpoint of drying the interior of the indoor unit 3, but it is desirable to turn them on if possible. If it is turned ON in this state, ozone generated from the electrostatic precipitator 49 and negative ions from the negative ion generator 53 will flow through the exhausted air and pass through the various parts in the indoor unit 3 to cause mold and germs. Can be sterilized and sterilized to a small extent.

In the above-described first drying operation, the operation of the compressor 4 is stopped, and the interior of the indoor unit 3 is dried by the exhaust operation by the exhaust device 35. It may be performed like a driving process.

[0041] That is, in the first step T ₁ in the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, is set to an operating state of the second drying operation showing the various parts in Fig. Compressor 4
Is fixed to a low speed to reduce the refrigerating capacity, the outdoor fan 9 is set to a low speed fixed operation or a switching operation between a low speed and a stop, the indoor fan 10 is stopped, the indoor throttle valve 14 is closed to a restricted state, and the outdoor expansion is performed. The valve 7 is in the open state without restriction, and the four-way valve 5
Is in a position where cooling is performed.

Others are the same as in the first drying operation process.
The upper suction louver 42 of the indoor unit 3 is closed and rotated to close, and the front panel 23 is also closed. Further, the front blowout louver 44b is also at the closed position Xb, and the rear blowout louver 44a is also at the closed position Xa. Then, the exhaust device 35 is turned on, and the multi-blade fan 38 is rotationally driven by the exhaust motor 37 to suck air in the indoor unit 3 from the main passage 30 and discharge it to the outside O through the exhaust duct 36. . The electric precipitator 49 may be turned on to apply the first high voltage V _H1 to the discharge electrode 50a and operate as the ozone generator 52, or may be turned off. Further, the negative ion generator 53 may be in an ON state or an OFF state.

[0043] After performing the operation setting in these first steps T _1, for the second step T ₂ later, to execute the steps similar to the first drying operation processing ends second drying operation processing I do. The second drying operation process is a kind of dehumidification operation, which is different from the normal dehumidification operation, in which the rotation speed of the compressor 4 is fixed at a low speed to reduce the refrigerating capacity, the indoor fan 10 is stopped, and Suction louver 42
And the front panel 23 is also closed.
4b, the rear blowout louver 44a is also closed.

The front heat exchange section 8 of the indoor heat exchanger 8
The temperature of b (condenser) is increased, and the water retained in the front heat exchange section 8b is evaporated. Further, the temperature of the air flowing through the indoor unit 3 is increased, the evaporation of the drain water inside the indoor unit 3 is accelerated, and the indoor fan 10, the outlet 26, and various louvers 44a, 44b, 4 near the outlet 26 are further increased.
The temperature is raised to prevent condensation. As a result,
The water in the indoor unit 3 evaporates rapidly. Then, the evaporated water in the indoor unit 3 is condensed in the rear heat exchange unit 8a (evaporator) and collected as drain water,
At the same time, the humid air is exhausted outdoors by the exhaust device 35.
To be discharged.

That is, in the cooling operation, since the indoor throttle valve 14 is in the open state, the rear heat exchanger 8a and the front heat exchanger 8b both function as evaporators, and both heat exchangers are operated. The moisture in the room air condenses on the fin surfaces 8a and 8b. When the amount of condensed water increases, the condensed water flows down the fin surface, falls into the drain pans 32 and 34 below the heat exchange sections 8a and 8b, and is discharged outside the room. However, at the end of the cooling operation, a certain amount of condensed water remains in both heat exchange units 8a and 8b. Here, when the second drying operation is started and the indoor throttle valve 14 is closed, only the rear heat exchange unit 8a functions as an evaporator, and the front heat exchange unit 8b functions as a condenser, and water is retained in the front heat exchange unit 8b. The condensed water starts to evaporate. Then, the evaporated water condenses again in the rear heat exchange section 8a. Since the area of the rear heat exchange section 8a is small, the density of the condensed water increases, and the rear heat exchange section 8a smoothly falls to the rear drain pan 34 and is discharged outside the room. As a result, at the end of the second drying operation process, at least only the condensed water retained in the front heat exchange unit 8b can reduce the amount of water in the indoor unit 3.

As described above, in the second drying operation, the indoor heat exchanger 8 is divided into two, and one rear heat exchange section 8a is used as an evaporator and the other front heat exchange section 8b is used as a condenser. The indoor fan 10 is stopped, the air inside the indoor unit 3 is circulated only by natural convection, the front panel 23, the louvers 42, 44a, 44b, etc. are closed, and new indoor air is sucked into the indoor unit 3. By evaporating the moisture inside the indoor unit 3, removing the moisture by the evaporator, discharging the moisture to the outside O, and discharging the humid air by the exhaust device 35, the humidity inside the indoor unit 3 is efficiently reduced. It is good and can be reduced in a short time. Further, in this operation, since the operation is performed with the indoor unit 3 closed and sealed as much as possible, there is no air blowout in the room R, and there is no possibility of increasing the humidity in the room R.

In the second drying operation,
From the viewpoint of drying in the indoor unit 3, the electric precipitator 49 and the negative ion generator 53 may be ON or OFF, but it is desirable to keep them ON if possible. If it is turned on in this state, the ozone generated from the electrostatic precipitator 49 and the negative ions from the negative ion generator 53 effectively sterilize and sterilize molds and various germs attached to each part in the indoor unit 3. . Then, by allowing ozone and negative ions to be present at the same time, it is possible to reduce these more effectively than in the case where they are present alone. Also in this case, since the outlet 26, the front opening 24 of the suction port, and the upper suction port 25 are closed, ozone does not leak into the room R, and an ozone odor may be generated in the room R. Absent. At the same time, since ozone leakage into the room R can be prevented, the ozone concentration in the indoor unit 3 can be increased.

In the second drying operation, the indoor heat exchanger 8 is divided into two parts, one rear heat exchange part 8a is used as an evaporator, and the other front heat exchange part 8b is condensed. The indoor throttle valve 14 is opened without restriction so that the heating operation is performed on the refrigerating cycle, the four-way valve 5 is set to the position where heating is performed, and the other is substantially the second. In the drying operation processing state, the compressor 4 is operated for several minutes, for example, 5 minutes, and the rear heat exchange section 8 of the indoor heat exchanger 8 is operated.
a, the front heat exchange section 8b is used as a condenser to raise the temperature,
The attached drain water may be evaporated, and the air in the indoor unit 3 in the humid state may be discharged to the outside O by the exhaust device 35.

Further, in the above embodiment,
The outdoor control unit 15 and the indoor control unit 16 control the first drying operation process and the second drying operation process after the cooling operation and the dehumidification operation, but the operation of the air conditioner 1 is started. At this time, prior to the air conditioning operation, each unit is set to the operation state in the first drying operation or the second drying operation shown in FIG. The internal air discharging operation may be performed for a predetermined time set in advance. Also, by performing such a preliminary exhaust operation, although the effect is slightly reduced, the inside of the indoor unit 3 can be dried as in the above embodiment, and the germs and fungi in the indoor unit 3 can be propagated. Can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the electric precipitator 49 functions as the ozone generator 52 by changing the voltage applied to the discharge electrode 50a. However, the ozone generator 52 is provided independently. Is also good.

[0051]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to dry the inside of the indoor unit without releasing the moisture in the indoor unit to the room being air-conditioned. There is an effect that propagation of various bacteria and fungi in the indoor unit can be reduced without increasing the indoor humidity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a control circuit diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of basic control according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart at the time of a drying operation process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a list of operation states of respective units in respective operation modes according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 indoor unit 6 outdoor heat exchanger 7 outdoor expansion valve 8 indoor heat exchanger 8a rear heat exchange unit 8b front heat exchange unit 19 outdoor fan 10 indoor fan 14 indoor throttle valve 15 outdoor Control device 16 ... Indoor control device 18 ... Remote controller 23 ... Front panel 24 ... Front opening 25 ... Top suction inlet 26 ... Outlet 35 ... Exhaust device 36 ... Exhaust duct 37 ... Exhaust motor 38 ... Multi-blade fan 39 ... Panel motor 41 Panel drive mechanism 42 Upper suction louver 44a Rear blowing louver 44b Front blowing louver 45a Rear louver motor 45b Front louver motor 49 Electric dust collector 50a Discharge electrode 52 Ozone generator 53 Negative ion generator vessel

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioner having an indoor unit that houses an air outlet that blows air into a room, an air inlet that sucks indoor air, an indoor fan, and an indoor heat exchanger, discharges air in the indoor unit to the outside of the room. An air conditioner comprising: a drying operation control means for providing an exhaust device to perform the drying operation by stopping the indoor fan while the air conditioning operation is stopped and operating the exhaust device. 2. An air conditioner having an air outlet for blowing air into a room, an air inlet for sucking indoor air, an indoor fan, and an indoor unit containing an indoor heat exchanger, and capable of performing a cooling and heating operation. An exhaust device for discharging air outside the room is provided, and at least a part of the indoor heat exchanger acts as a condenser while the air conditioning operation is stopped, the indoor fan is stopped, and the exhaust device is operated to perform a drying operation. An air conditioner comprising drying operation control means for performing the drying operation. 3. An air conditioner comprising an indoor unit containing an air outlet for blowing air into a room, an air inlet for sucking indoor air, an indoor fan, and an indoor heat exchanger, and capable of performing a cooling and heating operation. An exhaust device for discharging the air outside the room, a part of the indoor heat exchanger acting as a condenser and the other part acting as an evaporator while the air-conditioning operation is stopped, and stopping the indoor fan. An air conditioner comprising drying operation control means for performing a drying operation by operating the air conditioner. 4. The indoor unit further comprises an outlet opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing an outlet, and the drying operation control means closes the outlet opening / closing mechanism during the drying operation. 4. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. An air conditioner having an air outlet that blows air into a room, a suction port that sucks indoor air, an indoor fan, and an indoor unit containing an indoor heat exchanger, discharges air in the indoor unit to the outside. An air conditioner comprising: a drying operation control means for providing an exhaust device to perform the drying operation by stopping the indoor fan for a predetermined time from the start of the air conditioning operation and operating the exhaust device.