JP2010071523A - Air filter, and air filter cleaning device and air conditioner using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An air filter that can operate smoothly without being caught by the surroundings when the air filter is moving regardless of the movement trajectory of the air filter, an air filter cleaning device using the air filter, and an air conditioner provide.
The thickness of at least one of the crosspieces at the tip portion or the crosspieces at the end portion with respect to the insertion direction is opposite to the thickness at the tip or end portion in the insertion direction. Alternatively, the thickness of the inner part on the opposite end side is made thin, or a slit is provided so that the tip of the air filter can move easily in the front and back direction. Alternatively, at least one of the end portions has a shape protruding in the insertion direction, and a surface that contacts the air filter guide is provided with a plurality of concave and convex grooves continuous in parallel to the insertion direction, and an air filter using the same Cleaning device and air conditioner.
[Selection] Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to the shape of an air filter that suppresses dust from entering the inside of a housing disposed in a suction port of the housing.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are various shapes of air filters provided in a suction port of an indoor unit of an air conditioner. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP2007-147123A (FIG. 12)

However, the air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the following problems.
Since the air filter is moved in a limited space of the air conditioner indoor unit, a portion having a small curvature radius is generated. Like the air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1, the air filter needs to be flexible so that it can be easily bent. However, since it has flexibility, not only the insertion direction but also the lateral rigidity is weakened. In particular, when passing through a portion with a small radius of curvature, a phenomenon occurs in which the force in the insertion direction acts in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, causing the air filter to bend. If the air filter is moved while it is bent, it will be caught on the air conditioner's suction bar, etc. in the air filter's moving path, the insertability will deteriorate, the drive torque will increase, and it will be caught. There was a problem such as an abnormal noise that occurred when it was out of the range.

Also, because it is easy to bend using a flexible material, an uneven part for engaging with the driving means for transferring the air filter is formed in the movable direction of the vertical frame, and the convex part formed by the uneven part Since a groove is formed on the other surface side in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction, even a slight protrusion of the trajectory of the air filter causes a catch, and the air filter insertability deteriorates.
Even when the moving air filter is caught, the air filter operates if the moving force is strong against the catching force, but there is a problem that abnormal noise is generated when the catch is released.

  Further, since the air filter is moved in a limited space of the air conditioner indoor unit, a portion having a small curvature radius is generated. Like the air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1, the air filter needs to be flexible so that it can be easily bent. In order to give flexibility, there is a method of thinning the product, but in that case, there is a problem that if the radius of curvature becomes small, the resin is whitened or the breaking strength is weakened. As a countermeasure, there is a case where a thermoplastic elastomer resin is used as a constituent material in order to give flexibility. However, the inexpensive thermoplastic elastomer resin is mainly used in which a small amount of rubber component is dispersed in order to provide flexibility, so that the surface friction resistance is larger than that of general resins (ABS and PP). Become. For this reason, a large force is required to move the air filter, which causes a problem of deterioration in insertability and an increase in driving torque when the air filter is moved.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an air filter that can operate smoothly without being caught by the surroundings when the air filter is moving regardless of the movement trajectory of the air filter, and the air filter An object of the present invention is to provide an air filter cleaning device and an air conditioner using

In the air filter according to the present invention, with respect to the insertion direction, the thickness of at least one of the crosspieces at the front end portion or the crosspieces at the end portion is larger than the thickness of the front end or end side portion in the insertion direction. The thickness of the inner portion on the opposite end or the opposite end side is made thin, or a slit is provided so that the tip of the air filter can be moved easily in the front and back direction.
In addition, at least one of the front end portion or the end portion of the vertical beam on both the left and right sides with respect to the insertion direction has a shape protruding from the horizontal beam position with respect to the insertion direction.
In addition, the surface which contacts an air filter guide is provided with the some uneven groove | channel which continued in parallel with the insertion direction.
The air filter is composed of a PET fiber air filter vent (net-like body) and a thermoplastic elastomer resin cross section so that it can be easily bent, and when the air filter moves to reciprocate the U-shaped air filter. A driven gear for moving the air filter is provided on the vertical rails on the left and right ends of the air filter, and a plurality of concave and convex grooves are provided on the surface that contacts the air filter guide on the opposite surface of the gear portion.
The thermoplastic elastomer resin cross is formed by sandwiching a PET fiber filter vent (net-like body) between the crosses, and a cross section of a plurality of uneven grooves on the surface side of the vertical cross provided perpendicular to the insertion direction. The shape is a trapezoidal shape or an arc shape.

  Therefore, the air filter according to the present invention has an anti-tip with respect to the thickness of the tip in the insertion direction or the thickness of the end portion of at least one of the crosspieces at the tip portion or the crosspieces at the end portion with respect to the insertion direction. Or, pass through a portion with a small radius of curvature by reducing the thickness of the inner part on the opposite end side or by providing a slit in the inner part so that the tip of the air filter can easily move in the front and back direction of the air filter. Even in this case, the resistance applied to the force in the insertion direction can be suppressed, and when the air filter moves, a force is applied to the inside to prevent the air filter from being bent. As a result, since the air filter does not deviate from the moving trajectory, the air filter does not get caught on the crosspiece of the suction port of the air conditioner or the wall on the back side of the air conditioner.

In addition, by providing a plurality of concave and convex grooves parallel to the insertion direction on the surface of the vertical rail that contacts the air filter guide surface, the contact area between the air filter and the air filter guide surface is reduced to reduce friction. In addition, the air filter can smoothly move along the air filter guide. Moreover, even if the minimum curvature radius of the movement trajectory of the air filter is reduced by configuring the crosspiece with the thermoplastic elastomer resin, the resin does not whiten.
If the air filter is used for an air filter cleaning mechanism that automatically moves the air filter and has an air filter cleaning section, a driven gear for moving the air filter is provided on the back side of the vertical beam at the left and right ends of the air filter. By providing a plurality of concave and convex grooves on the surface in contact with the air filter guide on the side opposite to the back side where the portion is provided, the air filter can be similarly smoothly moved. Furthermore, the concave and convex grooves can be restrained from being caught during movement by forming a continuous shape without interruption in the insertion direction.

  In addition, thermoplastic elastomer resins, especially olefin-based elastomer resins, are inexpensive, but they have poor fusion properties with PET fibers, so an air filter ventilation body (net-like body) of PET fibers is provided on the surface of the frame and bar. In such a case, the air filter vent (mesh) easily peels off from the crosspiece. For this purpose, the PET fiber air filter vent (mesh) is placed between the frame and the cross and is insert-molded. The cross section of the vertical cross in the cross section perpendicular to the insertion direction is trapezoidal or arcuate. As a result, it is possible to improve the peeling of the air filter ventilation body (net-like body) and maintain the dust removal performance at the cleaning portion of the air filter cleaning mechanism.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
1 is a cross-sectional view of a central portion of a side view schematically showing an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 is disposed in a housing 10, a blower fan 20 that is installed in the housing 10 and sucks air and blows out the sucked air, and an air passage formed by the blower fan 20. Cleaning the heat exchanger 30 that harmonizes the sucked air, the air filter 40 for capturing dust contained in the sucked air, the air filter guide 16 that determines the movement path of the air filter 40, and the air filter 40 An air filter cleaning device 50 is provided. Hereinafter, each component will be described individually.

  The casing 10 has a cylindrical shape in which both end surfaces (not shown) are closed, a part of the top surface (upper side in the figure) is opened, and the opening portion forms a suction port 11 for sucking air. A part of the bottom surface (lower side in the figure) is opened to form an air outlet 12 for blowing out air sucked from the air inlet 11. And the front surface (left side in the figure) is opened, and a front panel 13 for opening and closing the opening is provided. The back surface (right side in the figure) is closed.

  The blower fan 20 is disposed at a substantially central portion in a side view of the housing 10 and forms an air path from the suction port 11 to the blower port 12. The blowout air path between the blower fan 20 and the blower outlet 12 is sandwiched between the nozzle 14 and the back guide plate 15.

The heat exchanger 30 includes a heat exchanger at the lower part on the front side, a heat exchanger at the upper part on the front side, and a heat exchanger on the rear side, which are located between the suction port 11 and the blower fan 20. Is arranged so as to surround the air and harmonizes (cooling, heating, dehumidifying, etc.) the sucked air. The lower heat exchanger on the front side is disposed above the nozzle 14.
In addition, in the figure, although the heat exchanger 30 is arrange | positioned so that the top | upper surface side and front surface side of the ventilation fan 20 may be surrounded, this invention is not limited to the said arrangement | positioning form.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the air filter 40 covers the entire surface of the suction port along the air filter guide 16 provided on the suction port side between the suction port 11 of the housing 10 and the heat exchanger 30. The air filter cleaning device 50 is disposed between the heat exchanger 30 at the lower part on the front side and the front panel 13.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing an enlarged installation portion of the air filter 40 and the air filter cleaning device 50 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the air filter 40 and the air filter cleaning device 50 shown in FIG.
2 and 3, one air filter 40 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the rotary output device 60 as viewed from the front panel 13 along the heat exchanger 30 (not shown). The air filter 40 has a substantially square shape with a longer depth than the left and right sides, and forms an outer periphery of an air filter vent (net) 41 and an air filter frame 42 in which the air filter vent 41 is disposed. It comprises a horizontal rail 47 and a vertical rail 49. In addition, the air filter frame body 42, the horizontal beam 47, and the vertical beam 49 are formed of a flexible material, and have an air filter driven gear having a predetermined uneven pattern shape at equal intervals on the back surface side of the vertical beam 49. 43 is formed.

  The air filter 40 is formed in a flat plate shape at the time of molding. However, since the air filter 40 is flexible when mounted on the air conditioner 100, the air filter 40 is inverted U-shaped along the air filter guide 16 as shown in FIG. It is held in a curved shape.

  2 and 3, the air filter cleaning device 50 incorporates a motor (not shown) and is provided so as to be positioned between the two air filters 40 in the lateral direction. The output device 60 includes a dust collecting unit 70 that removes dust from the air filter 40 and collects the dust.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the air filter according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the surface 44 that contacts the air filter guide 16 is provided with a plurality of concave and convex grooves 45 parallel to the insertion direction of the air filter. Further, the concave / convex groove 45 is formed in a continuous shape without being interrupted in the insertion direction and without being reversed.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view in which a surface provided with a plurality of concave and convex grooves 45 is cut by a cross section orthogonal to the insertion direction. The cross-sectional shape of the uneven grooves 45 provided continuously is formed in a trapezoidal shape or an arc shape.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the air filter frame 42. When a PET fiber air filter vent (mesh) 41 is provided on the surface of the frame or crosspiece, the air filter vent (net) 41 easily peels off from the frame or crosspiece. The gas (net-like body) 41 is inserted and molded so as to be sandwiched between a frame body and a crosspiece, and the cross section of the air filter frame body 42 has a trapezoidal shape or an arc shape. Body) 41 can be removed, and the dust removal performance at the cleaning portion of the air filter cleaning mechanism can be maintained better than that of a normal rectangular frame.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the tip of the air filter according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
At least one of the horizontal beam 47 on the distal end side or the lateral beam on the distal end side with respect to the insertion direction of the air filter 40 is orthogonal to the insertion portion on the inner side on the opposite end or the opposite end side in the insertion direction. The slit 48 is provided with an air filter ventilation body (net-like body) 41. By providing the slit 48, the tip of the air filter 40 can easily move in the front and back direction of the air filter 40.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the shape of at least one end of the front end or the end of the vertical beam 46 on the left and right ends with respect to the insertion direction protrudes from the horizontal beam position with respect to the insertion direction. have.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the air filter frame 42 is formed of a flexible material, and has a predetermined unevenness at equal intervals on the back side surface of the vertical beam on the left and right sides of the air filter 40. An air filter driven gear 43 having a pattern shape is provided, and a predetermined uneven pattern shape is formed by an arcuate cycloid tooth profile. This cycloid tooth profile is the same as that of the air filter drive gears 51 and 52 when considering the material and curvature of the air filter at the meshing position with the air filter drive gears 51 and 52 and the specifications of the air filter drive gears 51 and 52. It is desirable to select the meshing rate to be 1.2 or more.

  FIG. 8 is a front perspective view showing the attachment state of the brush mechanism 90 and the air filter drive gears 51 and 52 of the dust collecting portion according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, the air filter drive gear 52 and the brush swing shaft 61 protrude from the left and right side surfaces of the rotation output device 60. The air filter drive gear 52 has a drive shaft 53 extending coaxially ahead of the air filter drive gear 52, and an air filter drive gear 51 coaxially installed at the tip of the drive shaft 53. Further, the air filter drive gear 51 and the air filter drive gear 52 come to mesh with air filter driven teeth 43 formed on the back side surfaces of both ends of the air filter 40.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the dust collection unit 70. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, an air filter drive gear 51 and an air filter drive gear 52 connected to the drive shaft 53 are disposed obliquely above the air filter guide 82, and these air filter guide 82 and air filter drive are arranged. By guiding the air filter 40 between the gears 51 and 52 and pressing the air filter driven teeth 43 formed on the back surface of the left and right ends of the air filter 40 against the air filter driving gears 51 and 52 The air filter 40 is rotated about the rotation shafts of the air filter drive gears 51 and 52.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the brush mechanism 90 has a strip-shaped brush 92 extending in a lateral direction on a rod-shaped aluminum brush locking shaft 91 and is inserted into and fixed to the brush locking shaft 91. Yes. Then, both ends of the brush locking shaft 91 are fixed by sleeves 93 and 94 so that the brush 92 does not come out.

  In FIG. 9, the brush locking shaft 91 has a hollow cylindrical shape and is provided with a convex portion for fixing the brush 92 inside. However, the shape is not limited to this, and the brush 92 is seen from the side in the longitudinal direction. Can be inserted, and any shape can be used as long as the brush 92 can be fixed by a convex portion provided on the inner side (for example, a hollow, square-shaped shaft having a fixing convex portion on the inner side). It may be.

Both ends of the brush locking shaft 91 are inserted into the brush locking holes 85 on the side plate of the main body 80, and the tip of the strip-shaped brush 92 extends upward from the elongated opening hole 83 of the main body 80 as shown in FIG. 9. Arranged to exit.
Further, the left and right end surfaces of the brush locking shaft 91 are coaxially connected to the brush swing shaft 61 of the rotation output device 60.

  Further, inside the rotation output device 60, a mechanism that reciprocates 180 degrees in conjunction with the rotation of the air filter drive gear 52 by a transmission mechanism such as a motor (not shown) and a gear (for example, a forward rotation gear). A mechanism that repeats the forward movement by separating the connecting and reversing gears and the forward movement by separating the forward rotating gear and the reversing gear, or the forward movement by connecting the forward gear and the separation of the gears are provided in advance. A mechanism that repeats backward movement using the reversal force by the flywheel is incorporated, and the brush swing shaft 61 is configured to swing back and forth 180 degrees.

  At this time, the swing speed of the brush swing shaft 61 is set so that the moving speed of the air filter 40 is slower than the moving speed of the brush 92, that is, the moving speed of the air filter 40 <the moving speed of the brush 92. To do.

  The rotation output device 60, the air filter drive gear 51, the air filter drive gear 52, and the drive shaft 53 are fixed to the air conditioner 100. However, the air filter 40 and the dust collecting unit 70 can be freely attached and detached. Fixed to. When the dust collecting unit 70 is fixed, the sleeve 93 and the brush swing shaft 61 shown in FIG. 8 are engaged with each other so that the shaft is fixed.

  As described above, the rotation output device 60 is disposed at the center in the left-right direction of the air conditioner 100, and so far, only the air filter cleaning device 50 disposed on one side (left side in the figure) of the rotation output device 60. However, the other (right side in the figure) has the same configuration, and the left and right air filter cleaning devices 50 are driven by one rotation output device 60.

  The blower fan 20 constitutes a blowing means, and the air filter drive gear 51, the air filter drive gear 52, the rotation output device 60, and the drive shaft 53 constitute an air filter moving means.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.
When the user turns on the power switch of the air conditioner 100, the air conditioning operation is started.
Thereafter, when the user turns off the power switch and issues a stop command, if the preset cumulative air conditioning operation time is exceeded, the air conditioning operation is stopped and the air filter cleaning device 50 is activated. To do.

  In the air filter cleaning device 50 configured as described above, the movement operation of the air filter 40 will be described first. Inside the air conditioner 100, the air filter 40 is sandwiched between an air filter driving gear 51, an air filter driving gear 52, and a front air filter guide 82 connected by a convex driving shaft 53 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9. As a result, the air filter driven teeth 43 are engaged with the air filter drive gear 51 and the air filter drive gear 52.

  The drive shaft 53 has a convex shape, thereby preventing left and right tooth position shifts that occur when the number of teeth of the air filter drive gears 51 and 52 is an odd number of teeth. Although the convex shape is shown in FIG. 9, the right and left gears have the same positional relationship (e.g., when the gear has odd teeth, a triangle or trapezoid, and when the gear has even teeth, an oval or square shape). That's fine.

  When the user turns off the power switch of the air conditioner 100 in this state, the rotation output device 60 is energized, and the air filter driving gear 51 and the air filter driving gear 52 are rotated by a transmission mechanism such as a motor and a gear (not shown). As a result, the air filter 40 starts to move along the front air filter guide 82 and moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 along the air filter guide 16 while rotating about the rotation shafts of the air filter drive gears 51 and 52. Finally, as shown in FIG. 12, the end of the air filter 40 that was in the vicinity of the front air filter guide 82 at the time of starting moves to a position above the rear heat exchanger.

At this time, the front side surface of the air filter 40 moves while being in contact with the air filter guide 16. Since the air filter guide 16 moves the air filter 40 in a limited space of the air conditioner indoor unit, a portion having a small radius of curvature is generated. Therefore, the air filter 40 needs to be flexible so as to be easily bent.
However, since it has flexibility, not only the insertion direction but also the lateral rigidity is weakened. If resistance in the insertion direction occurs when passing through a portion with a small radius of curvature when the rigidity in the lateral direction becomes weak, the force acts in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction (inside the air filter 40), and the air filter The phenomenon that 40 will bend occurs. In this case, the air filter 40 is caught on the crosspiece 17 of the air inlet of the air conditioner or the wall 18 on the back side of the air conditioner in the movement path.

Therefore, a slit 48 is provided in an inner portion of at least one of the horizontal beam 47 at the tip side or the side beam at the end side with respect to the insertion direction of the air filter 40, and the tip of the air filter 40 is the front and back of the air filter 40. By making it easy to move in the direction, the resistance applied to the force in the insertion direction is suppressed even when passing through a portion with a small radius of curvature, and the internal force is prevented from being deflected when the air filter 40 moves. Can do. As a result, since the air filter 40 does not deviate from the moving trajectory, the air filter 40 is prevented from being caught on the crosspiece 17 at the air inlet of the air conditioner or the wall 18 on the back side of the air conditioner.
Also, in the figure, the slit 48 is provided inside the horizontal rail 47, but the thickness of the inner part on the opposite side to the insertion direction of the horizontal rail 47 can also be reduced by making the thickness thinner than the thickness on the front end side. Similar effects can be obtained. The portion where the thickness is reduced is preferably a position corresponding to the position where the slit 48 is provided, and the thin portion is preferably about 10 to 30% of the thickness on the tip side.

  Furthermore, the shape of at least one end of the front end or the end of the vertical beam 46 on the left and right ends with respect to the insertion direction is such that the shape protrudes from the horizontal beam position with respect to the insertion direction. Since the central part is recessed from both ends, the air filter 40 is bent slightly, and even if the central part is deviated from the movement trajectory of the air filter 40, the left and right end parts bend against the air filter guide 16 first. The air conditioner can be inserted without being caught on the back wall 18.

  Moreover, in order to give flexibility, there is a method of reducing the thickness of the air filter 40, but in this case, there is a problem that if the curvature radius is reduced, the resin is whitened or the breaking strength is reduced. The thermoplastic elastomer resin is used. However, inexpensive thermoplastic elastomer resins are mainly used in which the rubber component is finely dispersed in order to give flexibility, and the frictional resistance of the surface becomes larger than that of general ABS. A large force is required to move it. Therefore, the air filter 40 can reduce the contact area by moving the air filter 40 with a small force by providing a plurality of predetermined concave and convex grooves 45 parallel to the insertion direction on the surface 44 that contacts the air filter guide 16. It becomes possible.

  Further, the concave and convex grooves 45 are continuously provided in the middle of the surface 44 in contact with the air filter guide 16 without reversing the concave and convex portions, so that a slight protrusion such as a burr generated at the time of molding the air filter guide 16 can be prevented. However, it can be moved smoothly without being caught.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the cross-sectional shape of the concave and convex groove 45 in the insertion direction is not a groove having an angle of 90 degrees like a square, but a convex portion having an obtuse apex angle. As a result, not only the hook in the insertion direction but also the movement perpendicular to the insertion direction (the movement in the lateral direction) eliminates a hook by a slight protrusion such as a burr generated when the air filter guide 16 is formed, It can be moved smoothly. Moreover, although the uneven groove | channel has described trapezoid shape in the figure, even if it is circular arc shape, the same effect can be acquired.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the air filter vent (net-like body) 41 of PET fiber is held and disposed on the frame and the crosspiece, the air filter vent (net-like body) 41 is easily peeled off from the frame and the crosspiece. For this reason, the air filter vent (net-like body) 41 is arranged so as to be sandwiched between a frame and a crosspiece and is insert-molded. In addition, the cross section of the air filter frame body 42 has a trapezoidal shape or a circular arc shape, thereby improving the peeling of the air filter ventilation body (net-like body) 41 and removing dust at the cleaning portion of the air filter cleaning mechanism. Good performance can be maintained.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the end portion of the air filter 40 has the same tip shape and end shape, thereby eliminating the directionality of the air filter 40 when inserted, and in which direction the air filter 40 is placed. Even if attached, it can be smoothly inserted (moved) without being caught.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the end of the air filter 40 has the same tip shape and end shape, thereby eliminating the direction of the air filter 40 when inserted, and in which direction the air filter 40 is placed. Even if attached, it can be smoothly inserted (moved) without being caught.

  Next, the operation of the dust collection unit 70 will be described. At the same time as the air filter 40 moves, the brush mechanism 90 also operates by the reciprocating swing of the brush swing shaft 61. The brush mechanism 90 swings 90 degrees forward and backward (left and right in the figure) around the state where the tip of the brush 92 in FIG. 9 faces upward. That is, it will rock | fluctuate back and forth between FIG. 10 and FIG. Since the brush 92 is configured such that the tip of the brush 92 protrudes slightly from the opening hole 83, the brush 92 swings back and forth in a state of being wrapped with the air filter vent (net-like body) 41 and scrapes off dust. The dust moved from the air filter vent (net-like body) 41 to the brush 92 comes into contact with the wavy scraping piece 84 installed on at least one side of the brush mechanism 90 and is scraped off by the scraping piece 84 to collect the dust. Collected and stored in the chamber 81.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, by providing scraping pieces 84 on both sides of the reciprocatingly swinging brush 92, the brush 92 comes into contact with the scraping piece 84 for each one-way process of reciprocating swinging, and the air filter vent Since the dust that has moved from 41 is scraped off, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the dust that has moved to the brush 92 in the reciprocating swing forward path returns to the air filter vent 41 again in the return path, and reliable recovery is achieved. .

Since the brush 92 has a strip shape facing upward and reciprocates 180 degrees, the mounting space for the brush mechanism 90 can be reduced. As a result, the brush can be moved downward like a 360-degree rotating brush as in the past. Since the dust collection chamber 81 is shallow, the volume necessary for the dust collection chamber 81, that is, the same volume as the conventional one can be secured.
Therefore, this air filter device 50 can be reduced in size compared with the conventional air filter cleaning device provided with a 360-degree rotating brush as a whole, and the space for mounting the air filter cleaning device 50 in the air conditioner 100 can be reduced. it can. In addition, since the air filter cleaning device 50 can be downsized, the main body of the air conditioner 100 can be downsized.

  Further, since the operation of the brush 92 is only in the range of 180 degrees upward, the dust stored in the dust collecting chamber 81, that is, the dust already collected from the air filter 40 by the brush 92 is swung up by the brush 92. There is nothing. The dust once collected can be reliably stored in the dust collection chamber 81, and the situation where the dust once collected in the dust collection chamber 81 returns to the air filter 40 by the brush 92 can be avoided.

When the air filter 40 moves to the position shown in FIG. 12, it returns to the original position (FIG. 1) again. Since the brush mechanism 90 also reciprocally swings at this time, the air filter 40 is cleaned as described above, and the air filter 40 is always cleaned during movement. If the moving direction of the brush 92 is opposite to the moving direction of the air filter 40, it is natural that dust can be removed without any problem, and the speed of the brush 92 is set high even when the moving directions are the same. Can be removed.
In the above example, the case where the brush 92 is reciprocally swung by 180 degrees (reciprocating by 90 degrees back and forth) has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. .
In this case, the force to fly the dust stored in the dust collection chamber 81 is further weakened, and it is possible to prevent the dust from returning to the air filter 40.

  In consideration of so-called variations such as the shape tolerances of each part and their assembly tolerances, the substantial reciprocating swing range of the brush mechanism 90 is 180 degrees, in other words, surely within the range of 180 degrees. The reciprocating swing range by the rotation output device 60 may be set to be larger than 180 degrees so as to be reciprocated so as to absorb the variation. For example, an allowance for a swing angle by the rotation output device 60 for absorbing variation by 5 degrees in the front and rear is provided, and the rotation output device 60 is swung in a range of 190 degrees.

In the above example, the air filter is cleaned immediately after the power switch is turned off. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a switch dedicated for air filter cleaning may be provided separately, and when this switch is pressed, the air conditioning operation may be temporarily stopped and the air filter cleaning device 50 may perform air filter cleaning.
In the above example, the example in which the suction port 11 is formed on the top surface side has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the suction port may be formed on the front surface side.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the air filter driven gear 43 uses a normal involute shape when the radius of curvature of the movement trajectory of the air filter 40 is small in the vicinity of the air filter drive gears 51 and 52, and When the interval between the uneven pattern shapes is increased (the module is increased), the driven gear 43 is restrained by the air filter drive gears 51 and 52, and the torque transmission efficiency from the air filter drive gears 51 and 52 is deteriorated. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to reduce the interval between the concave and convex pattern shapes (reduce the module) or increase the air filter drive gears 51 and 52. However, if the interval between the concave and convex pattern shapes is reduced, the concave and convex positions on the left and right sides of the air filter are shifted when the air filter is set, and the air filter 40 is moved obliquely, resulting in an increase in torque for driving the air filter 40. To do.

  Further, when the air filter drive gears 51 and 52 are increased, the torque for driving the air filter 40 is increased in order to make the movable speed of the air filter 40 the same when the air filter drive gears 51 and 52 are small. There is a need. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 7, the air filter driven gear 43 is formed with an arc-shaped cycloid tooth shape, so that the interval between the uneven pattern shapes can be widened, and the air filter drive gears 51 and 52 can be made smaller. And the load on the motor (not shown) can be reduced. Thereby, an inexpensive motor (not shown) having a small torque output can be selected, and an effect can be obtained in terms of cost.

As described above, the inner portion of at least one of the cross beam 47 at the front end side or the cross beam at the end side with respect to the insertion direction of the air filter 40 has a smaller size than the end portion, or the inside of the horizontal beam. By providing the slit 48 in the portion, the front end of the air filter 40 can be easily moved in the front and back direction of the air filter 40, and at least one of the front end or the end of the vertical rail 46 at the left and right ends with respect to the insertion direction. By adopting a shape in which the beam protrudes from the horizontal beam position with respect to the insertion direction, the air filter 40 is inserted (movable) along the air filter guide 16 in the limited space of the indoor unit 100 of the air conditioner. ), It is possible to suppress the deflection of the air filter 40 due to the resistance in the insertion direction that occurs when passing through a portion having a small curvature radius. Further, this prevents the air filter 40 from being caught during movement, and allows the air filter to be smoothly inserted (moved).
Further, the end of the air filter 40 has the same tip shape and end shape, so that the direction of the air filter 40 when inserted is lost, and the air filter 40 is caught regardless of which direction it is attached. And can be inserted (moved) smoothly.

It is sectional drawing in the center part of the side view which shows the air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the front view which expands and shows the installation part of the air filter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, and an air filter cleaning apparatus. It is a perspective view of the back view which expands and shows the installation part of the air filter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, and an air filter cleaning apparatus. It is a front view of the air filter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of a perpendicular direction with respect to the insertion direction of the air filter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the air filter frame of the air filter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the front-end | tip part of the air filter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the forward view which shows the attachment state of the brush mechanism of the dust collection part and air filter drive gear which concern on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a cross-sectional view of the dust collection part which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing in the center part of the side view which shows the air air filter cleaning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing in the center part of the side view which shows the air air filter cleaning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing in the center part of the side view which shows the air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Housing | casing, 11 Inlet, 12 Outlet, 13 Front panel, 14 Nozzle, 15 Back guide plate, 16 Air filter guide, 17 Inlet crosspiece, 20 Blower, 30 Heat exchanger, 40 Air filter, 41 Air filter vent (mesh), 42 Air filter frame, 43 Air filter follower, 44 Contact surface with air filter guide, 45 Concave and groove, 46 Convex of vertical beam, 47 Horizontal beam, 48 slit, 49 Vertical Crosspiece, 50 Air filter cleaning device, 51 Air filter drive gear, 52 Air filter drive gear, 53 Drive shaft, 60 Rotation output device, 61 Brush swing shaft, 70 Dust collection part, 80 Main body, 81 Dust collection chamber, 82 Air Filter guide, 83 opening hole, 84 scraping piece, 85 brush locking hole, 86 Dust collection chamber Hole, 87 protrusion, 90 brush mechanism, 91 brush locking shaft, 92 brush, 93 the sleeve 94 the sleeve, 100 the air conditioner.

Claims (10)

  An air filter for capturing dust in the air that can be attached to and removed from the housing, and the air filter is at least one of a horizontal beam on the distal end side or a horizontal beam on the distal end side in the insertion direction. An air filter characterized in that the thickness of the inner portion, which is the opposite end or the opposite end, is thinner than the thickness of the end or the end portion in the insertion direction.   An air filter for capturing dust in the air that can be attached to and detached from the housing, and the air filter is at least one of a horizontal beam on the distal end side and a horizontal beam on the distal side with respect to the insertion direction. An air filter characterized in that a slit perpendicular to the insertion direction is provided in an inner part on the opposite end or opposite end side of the horizontal beam.   In the air filter, the shape of at least one end portion of the front end or the end of the vertical beam on the left and right ends with respect to the insertion direction of the air filter protrudes from the horizontal beam position with respect to the insertion direction. The air filter according to claim 1, wherein the air filter is provided.   In the air filter, the air filter is molded of a flexible elastomer resin, and the air filter is driven by an air filter having a predetermined concavo-convex pattern shape at equal intervals on the back side surface of the vertical beam on the both ends of the air filter. The air filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a gear, wherein the predetermined uneven pattern shape of the driven gear is a cycloid tooth shape.   5. The air filter according to claim 1, wherein, in addition to the shape of the distal end portion in the insertion direction, the end portion is configured to have the same shape as the shape of the distal end portion.   The said air filter is provided with the some uneven groove | channel parallel to the insertion direction in the surface of the surface side which contacts an air filter guide, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. air filter.   The air filter is molded from a flexible elastomer resin, and air filter driven gears having a predetermined concavo-convex pattern shape are provided at equal intervals on the back surface of the vertical beam on both ends of the air filter. The air filter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a plurality of concave and convex grooves parallel to the insertion direction are provided on a surface in contact with the air filter guide on the surface side.   The air filter according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a cross-sectional shape in a cross section orthogonal to the insertion direction of the air filter of the uneven groove has a trapezoidal shape or an arc shape.   9. An air filter cleaning device comprising an air filter moving means for moving an air filter for capturing dust in the air and an air filter cleaning mechanism for removing dust trapped by the air filter. An air filter cleaning device comprising the air filter according to any one of the above.   The air filter cleaning device, a blower means for sucking air from the suction port, and blowing the sucked air to the blowout port, and is provided between the suction port and the blower means. An air conditioner comprising the air filter according to any one of claims 1 to 8 for capturing dust.

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