JP6480191B2 - Rotating brush, filter cleaning device and air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rotary brush that removes dust from a filter attached to a suction port of an air conditioner or the like, a filter cleaning device including the rotary brush, and an air conditioner.

  A filter is attached to the suction port of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and dust is removed from the air sucked by the filter. Recently, there is an air conditioner equipped with a filter cleaning device that cleans the filter while moving the filter. The filter cleaning device performs cleaning while rotating the rotary brush and moving the filter. The filter cleaning device has a dust box for storing dust, and the dust removed from the filter by the rotating brush is stored in the dust box.

  The rotating brush has brush bristles. As the rotating brush rotates, the brush hair comes into contact with the filter, and dust attached to the filter is removed. At this time, dust may be entangled with the brush hair. When the rotating brush rotates while dust is entangled with the brush hair and the brush hair comes into contact with the filter, there is a risk that the dust will reattach to the filter.

  In order to prevent such reattachment of dust, the filter cleaning device described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a dust removing body for separating dust from the rotating brush. When the rotating brush rotates, the brush bristles sequentially come into contact with the tip of the dust removing body from the root side to the end side of the bristles. When the brush hair is removed by the dust removing body and the end of the brush hair is separated from the dust removing body, the dust is peeled off from the brush hair.

JP 2008-128532 A

  By the way, a filter is made into a net shape and prevents dust from entering the interior of the indoor unit. The mesh is not limited to a square, but is formed in a circle, a hexagon, or the like. A fine filter is used to reduce dust entering the inside. If the mesh of the filter becomes finer, the hair material constituting the brush hair that enters the mesh of the mesh decreases, and the dust removing performance of the rotating brush decreases. Therefore, if the bristle material of the brush hair is made thin, a large number of bristle materials enter the mesh, and the dust on the filter can be surely scraped off. However, even if the brush hair comes into contact with the dust remover, the elasticity of the brush hair is low, so the ability to knock off the dust entangled with the brush hair is reduced, and the dust remains entangled with the brush hair.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a filter cleaning device and an air conditioner including a rotating brush that can reliably remove dust even from a fine mesh filter and can be accommodated in a dust box.

  The rotating brush of the present invention is a rotating brush having brush hairs that removes dust from a filter and stores the dust in a dust box, and the brush hairs are configured by combining hair materials having different elasticity.

  The bristle of the rotary brush is configured by combining the bristle material with high elasticity and the bristle material with low elasticity. The highly elastic hair material has a stronger repulsive force when returning after being bent than the low elasticity hair material. The low elastic hair material is easily deformed and easily enters the mesh of the filter. The rotating brush rotates, and the low-elasticity hair material enters the eyes of the net-like filter and scrapes off dust. Thereafter, the high-elasticity bristle material hits the low-elasticity bristle material, so that the dust entangled with the bristles is blown off and the dust is stored in the dust box.

  The brush bristles are provided along the axial direction of the rotating brush, and the highly elastic bristle material is arranged on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the rotating brush than the low elastic bristle material. The low elastic hair material contacts the filter first and scrapes off dust. When the bristles are bent, the strong resilience of the highly elastic hair material causes the highly elastic hair material to hit the low elasticity hair material from behind, and the dust entangled with the low elasticity hair material is knocked off. .

  Brush hair is a combination of a thin hair material and a thick hair material. A thick hair material is a highly elastic hair material, and a thin hair material is a low elasticity hair material. Further, the thin bristle material tends to enter the mesh of the filter and easily reach the corner of the mesh. Therefore, a large number of thin hair materials enter the mesh and scrape all the dust.

  The filter cleaning device of the present invention includes a rotating brush having brush bristles for removing dust from the filter and accommodated in the dust box, and a dust box for accommodating the dust removed from the filter. Composed of different bristle materials, and with the rotation of the rotating brush, the brush bristle scraped from the filter bends in contact with the dust box and bends. A highly elastic hair material and a low elasticity hair material are arranged so that the hair material hits a low elasticity hair material having a weak repulsive force.

  The rotating brush rotates and the bristles scrape dust from the filter. When the rotating brush is further rotated, the brush hair comes into contact with the dust box and bends. When the bristle contacts the dust box, a repulsive force of the bristle is generated. The highly elastic bristle material obtains a repulsive force, thereby effectively exerting the function of dusting off the brush hair. In order for this function to be effective, the highly elastic hair material is disposed at a position where the low elasticity hair material can be hit.

  According to the present invention, the function of scraping dust from the filter in the rotary brush and the function of scraping dust entangled with the brush hair can be fully exhibited by utilizing the characteristics of the hair material having different elasticity. Thereby, the filter cleaning apparatus which improved the cleaning performance of the rotating brush is realizable.

The perspective view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of this invention Cross section of indoor unit Perspective view of unit frame of filter cleaning device Shows the filter, (a) front perspective view, (b) back perspective view The unit frame at the time of cleaning the filter is shown, (a) a sectional view when the filter before cleaning is in the mounting position, (b) a sectional view when the filter is moving, (c) a section when the filter reaches the end point Figure The figure which shows the dust box when attaching and detaching the rotating brush Cross section of the dust box showing how the rotating brush is cleaned The figure which shows the brush hair which combined the hair material from which thickness differs of 1st Embodiment The figure which shows the brush hair which combined the hair material from which thickness differs of 2nd Embodiment The figure which shows the brush hair which combined the hair material from which thickness differs of 3rd Embodiment The figure which shows the brush hair which combined the hair material from which the thickness of another form differs The figure which shows the brush hair which combined the hair material from which thickness differs of 4th Embodiment Top view of brush hair combining hair materials of different thicknesses according to the fifth embodiment

(First embodiment)
The indoor unit of the air conditioner of this embodiment is shown in FIGS. The indoor unit includes a heat exchanger 1 and an indoor fan 2, which are housed in a cabinet 3. A curved surface is formed from the front surface to the bottom surface of the cabinet 3. A suction port 4 is formed on the upper surface of the cabinet 3, and an outlet 5 is formed on the curved surface.

  An air passage 6 extending from the suction port 4 to the blowout port 5 is formed inside the cabinet 3, and the heat exchanger 1 and the indoor fan 2 are disposed in the air passage 6. A filter 7 is detachably disposed between the suction port 4 and the heat exchanger 1, and dust is removed from indoor air sucked from the suction port 4. The net-like filter 7 is two on the left and right. The indoor unit is provided with a filter cleaning device that cleans the filter 7 while moving the filter 7.

  A panel 10 that opens and closes the air outlet 5 is provided on the curved surface of the cabinet 3. The panel 10 is supported by the cabinet 3 so as to be openable and closable, and an opening and closing part for opening and closing the panel 10 is provided.

  The panel 10 opens when the air conditioner is in operation. During the cooling operation, the panel 10 guides the cool air obliquely upward, and the cool air blows out along the ceiling. At the time of heating operation, the panel 10 presses the warm air blown forward and guides the warm air toward the floor surface. Even in the initial stage of the cooling operation, the cool air is blown out toward the floor surface, and rapid cooling is performed. The panel 10 is in a closed posture when the operation is stopped, covers the air outlet 5, and is integrated with the cabinet 3.

  In the cabinet 3, a drain pan 11 is provided below the heat exchanger 1 and receives dew flowing down through the heat exchanger 1. The drain pan 11 is integrally formed with the drain pan unit 12 that forms the air outlet 5. An ion generating unit 13 that generates ions is attached to the drain pan unit 12.

  In the air conditioner, an outdoor unit (not shown) is installed outside the indoor unit. The outdoor unit includes a compressor, a heat exchanger, a four-way valve, an outdoor fan, and the like, and these and the indoor heat exchanger 1 form a refrigeration cycle. And the control apparatus which controls a refrigerating cycle is provided in an indoor unit. A control device including a microcomputer controls the refrigeration cycle based on a user instruction and detection signals of various sensors such as a temperature sensor that detects a room temperature and an outside temperature, and performs an air conditioning operation. At this time, the control device controls the opening / closing unit according to the cooling / heating operation to open / close the panel 10. Further, the control device controls the filter cleaning device periodically or in accordance with an instruction from the user to clean the filter 7 while moving it.

  The filter cleaning apparatus includes a moving unit 15 that moves the filter 7, a cleaning unit 16 that cleans the filter 7, and a dust box 17 that accommodates dust removed from the filter 7, as shown in FIG. The unit frame 18 is integrally provided. The filter 7 is held by the unit frame 18, and the filter 7 is guided by the unit frame 18 when the filter 7 moves.

  The unit frame 18 is attached to the cabinet 3 so as to cover from the front surface to the upper surface of the heat exchanger 1, and is detachable from the cabinet 3. A front panel 19 that can be opened and closed is provided in front of the unit frame 18. The front panel 19 is detachably attached to the cabinet 3. The front panel 19 opens and closes around the upper axis of the cabinet 3, and when the front panel 19 is opened, the dust box 17 appears. The dust box 17 is detachably attached to the unit frame 18. When the dust box 17 is removed, the filter 7 can be attached and detached.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the filter 7 includes a fine mesh portion 20 and a frame body 21 surrounding the mesh portion 20. And the net | network part 20 and the frame 21 are integrally shape | molded by synthetic resins, such as PET, and the frame 21 is made into the back-and-front symmetrical and left-right symmetric shape. Moreover, the shape of the net | network part 20 is also made symmetrical back and forth and left-right symmetric. Therefore, the front-rear and left-right symmetric filter 7 can be mounted on the cabinet 3 from either front or rear direction.

  The frame body 21 is formed in a rectangular frame shape from a vertical frame 21a positioned on the left and right and a horizontal frame 21b positioned on the front and rear. On the back surface of the net part 20, vertical ribs 22a and horizontal ribs 22b are formed at equal intervals for reinforcement. The surface of the net part 20 is flush.

  A rack 24 that meshes with a pinion that is rotationally driven by the moving unit 15 is formed in the vertical frame 21a. The rack 24 is formed to be convex on the back side of the filter 7 and concave on the front side. The rack 24 is formed from the front end to the rear end of the vertical frame 21a, and engages with the pinion regardless of whether the rack 24 is attached to the unit frame 18 from the front or rear direction. The height of the convex portion of the rack 24 is higher than that of the vertical rib 22a and is equal to or higher than the height of the horizontal rib 22b. The vertical frame 21a and the vertical rib 22a are thinner than the horizontal frame 21b and the horizontal rib 22b. Thereby, the filter 7 has flexibility in the vertical direction while maintaining the rigidity in the horizontal direction, and the filter 7 can be bent in the vertical direction.

  The four corners of the square filter 7 are cut obliquely to form an inclined surface 25. The inclined surface 25 is formed by being cut long in the vertical direction and short in the horizontal direction. The inclined surface 25 at each corner has the same shape.

  The filter 7 is mounted from either the front side or the rear side with the surface facing up. Therefore, the horizontal frame 21b is provided with a mark 26 indicating the front and back and the insertion direction. Marks 26 such as “front” and “insertion direction” are formed on the surface of the front and rear horizontal frames 21b by molding or stamping. A mark 27 such as “back” is formed on the back surface of the horizontal frame 21b by molding or stamping. Thus, the user can easily insert and attach the filter 7 to the cabinet 3 without making a mistake in the front and back of the filter 7. Note that the mark is not limited to the above words and phrases, and a symbol or a picture may be used.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the unit frame 18 is formed of a base plate 30 that holds the filter 7 and left and right side frames 31. The base plate 30 is curved from the upper surface to the front surface and has a flat lower surface. Side frames 31 are erected integrally at both left and right ends of the base plate 30. The curved portion of the base plate 30 is open, and a center frame 32 is provided in the center of the base plate 30 in the left-right direction, and the opening is divided into two. A lattice portion 34 is formed by vertical and horizontal bars 33 in the opening. The lattice part 34 is in a position facing the heat exchanger 1, and the air that has passed through the filter 7 passes through the lattice part 34 toward the heat exchanger 1.

  A guide path 35 for guiding the moving filter 7 is formed in the unit frame 18. As shown in FIG. 5, at the time of cleaning, the filter 7 moves downward from the mounting position mounted between the suction port 4 and the heat exchanger 1, makes a U-turn, and moves along the lattice portion 34. It moves and reaches between the inlet 4 and the heat exchanger 1. Σ-shaped guide grooves 36 are formed in the left and right side frames 31 and the center frame 32 of the unit frame 18 when viewed from the side, and the vertical frame 21a of the filter 7 is slidably fitted into the guide grooves 36. A guide path 35 for moving the filter 7 to make a U-turn is formed in a space from the front surface to the upper surface of the unit frame 18 by the guide groove 36 and the lattice portion 34 of the base plate 30.

  The moving unit 15 includes a pinion 40 that meshes with the rack 24 of the filter 7, a stepping motor 41 that rotationally drives the pinion 40, and a guide roller 42 that assists the movement of the filter 7.

  A stepping motor 41 is attached to the outer surface side of the side frame 31 of the unit frame 18, and the pinion 40 is rotatably supported on the inner surface side of the side frame 31. A pinion 40 is also rotatably supported by the center frame 32. A rotational driving force is transmitted to the pinion 40 via a gear attached to the motor shaft of the stepping motor 41. The left and right pinions 40 are connected by a rotation shaft 43. A guide roller 42 is attached to the rotation shaft 43. In conjunction with the rotation of the pinion 40, the guide roller 42 also rotates. The moving unit 15 is provided in a pair of left and right corresponding to the left and right filters 7. The two stepping motors 41 are driven in synchronization.

  The dust box 17 is attached to the lower surface of the base plate 30. The dust box 17 is provided for each of the left and right filters 7. As shown in FIG. 6, the dust box 17 includes a dust collection box 45 that collects dust removed from the filter 7, a filter guide 46 that presses the filter 7 that moves while bending, and a guide rib 47 that guides the movement of the filter 7. Yes.

  The cleaning unit 16 includes a rotating brush 50 that contacts the filter 7 and scrapes off dust, and a cleaning motor 51 that rotationally drives the rotating brush 50. The rotating brush 50 is detachably provided on the dust box 17, and the rotating brush 50 is integrated with the dust box 17.

  The dust collection box 45 is disposed below the guide roller 42. The dust collection box 45 is formed in a box shape having an open upper surface, and an opening through which dust enters and exits is formed on the upper surface. This opening faces the filter 7 through which it passes.

  A filter guide 46 is provided in the upper part of the front side of the dust collection box 45. The filter guide 46 is fixed to the dust collection box 45 by inserting the lower part of the filter guide 46 into the upper part of the dust collection box 45. The filter guide 46 can be removed from the dust collection box 45. The filter guide 46 is positioned in front of the guide roller 42 and covers the front surface of the filter 7 that moves along the front surface of the unit frame 18. When the front panel 19 is opened, the filter 7 is hidden by the filter guide 46. Therefore, even if the front panel 19 is opened, the filter 7 is not exposed, so that dust adhering to the filter 7 can be prevented from scattering.

  An auxiliary guide rib 48 is formed on the rear surface of the filter guide 46 facing the filter 7. The auxiliary guide rib 48 is located at the front side portion of the U-turn portion of the guide path 35 and is formed to be curved along the outer peripheral surface of the guide roller 42 in the vertical direction. A plurality of auxiliary guide ribs 48 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction.

  The guide rib 47 is provided in the dust collection box 45 so that opening and closing is possible. The guide rib 47 is located in the lower part of the U-turn portion of the guide path 35 and is formed in the front-rear direction. A plurality of guide ribs 47 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. The guide ribs 47 on both sides in the left-right direction are opposed to the pinion 40, and a plurality of, in this case, three guide ribs 47 are opposed to the guide roller 42, and each guide rib 47 is closed with respect to the dust collection box 45. At this time, the upper surface of the guide rib 47 is formed to be concavely curved.

  A rear frame 55 is formed in the left-right direction at the rear end of the guide rib 47, a front frame 56 is formed in the left-right direction at the front end of the guide rib 47, and each guide rib 47 is integrally connected by the front and rear frames 55, 56. The Thereby, the guide ribs 47 are integrated. A shaft 57 projects from the rear frame 55, and the shaft 57 is fitted into a shaft hole formed in the upper part on the rear side of the dust collection box 45. The guide rib 47 is rotatably supported by the dust collection box 45.

  When the guide rib 47 is in a closed state, the central guide rib 47 is positioned so as to straddle the opening, the left and right guide ribs 47 are opposed to the left and right side walls 45a of the dust collection box 45, and each guide rib 47 is moved. The filter 7 to be guided is guided. When the guide rib 47 is open, the opening is opened.

  When the guide rib 47 is closed, the front frame 56 comes into close contact with the inclined rear surface of the filter guide 46. A plurality of slits 59 extending in the front-rear direction are formed in the front frame 56, and each slit 59 is disposed for each guide rib 47. When the guide rib 47 is closed, the auxiliary guide rib 48 enters the slit 59 so that the guide rib 47 can be opened and closed smoothly. In addition, since the front frame 56 is in close contact with the filter guide 46, there is no gap between the filter guide 46 and the gap between the members can be prevented from being clogged with dust. Therefore, when the dust box 17 is removed and the guide rib 47 is opened, dust is not scattered.

  Further, locking claws 60 are formed on the left and right sides of the front frame 56, and insertion holes 61 are formed on the left and right sides of the filter guide 46. When the locking claw 60 is inserted into the insertion hole 61, the locking claw 60 is caught on the lower edge of the insertion hole 61, and the guide rib 47 is fixed to the dust collection box 45. When the locking claw 60 is pulled out from the insertion hole 61, the guide rib 47 is opened. Therefore, the guide rib 47 does not move in the left-right direction by sandwiching the auxiliary guide rib 48 with the front frame 56. As described above, the guide rib 47 can be fixed by the front frame 56 and the locking claw 60 so that the guide rib 47 does not move in the left-right direction and the up-down direction during the cleaning of the filter 7.

  The central guide rib 47 and the auxiliary guide rib 48 are connected so that there is no step. By arranging the rear end portion of the auxiliary guide rib 48 and the front end portion of the guide rib 47 in the left-right direction, the ribs 47 and 48 are overlapped in the front-rear direction. The ends of both sides of the guide rib 47 in the front-rear direction are Y-shaped or U-shaped bifurcated portions 65a and 65b, and the rear end portions of the auxiliary guide rib 48 enter the front bifurcated portions 65a. 48 overlap. The auxiliary guide rib 48 gradually decreases in height toward the rear side, and the height of the rear end portion of the auxiliary guide rib 48 is lower than the height of the front end portion of the guide rib 47. Note that the guide ribs 47 on both the left and right sides are located inside the auxiliary guide ribs 48. Since both guide ribs 47 and 48 are arranged in the left-right direction, both guide ribs 47 and 48 overlap in the front-rear direction. As a result, the auxiliary guide ribs 48 to the guide ribs 47 are smoothly connected so that no step in the vertical direction is generated.

  Further, the unit frame 18 is also provided with auxiliary guide ribs. An auxiliary guide rib is formed on the lower surface of the base plate 30 in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of auxiliary guide ribs are arranged in the left-right direction. The auxiliary guide rib is located at the rear portion of the U-turn portion of the guide path 35 and faces the guide roller 42. The auxiliary guide rib overlaps the guide rib 47. The guide rib 47 and the auxiliary guide rib are smoothly connected, and there is no step in the vertical direction.

  As described above, the front auxiliary guide rib 48, the guide rib 47, and the rear auxiliary guide rib are combined to form a series of guide ribs surrounding at least a half circumference of the guide roller 42. These guide ribs form a part of the guide path 35, and guide the filter 7 that moves while being curved in the U-turn portion of the guide path 35 so as not to come off the guide path 35. In the U-turn portion of the guide path 35, the filter 7 passes while smoothly contacting the rotating brush 50.

  Here, each guide rib is provided so as to correspond to the position of the vertical frame 21 a or the vertical rib 22 a of the filter 7 moving along the guide path 35. Each guide rib contacts the vertical frame 21 a or the vertical rib 22 a of the filter 7 and does not contact the net portion 20. Each guide rib does not interfere with the cleaning of the filter 7 by the rotating brush 50.

  The rotating brush 50 is disposed in the opening of the dust collection box 45 and faces the lower side of the guide roller 42. The rotating brush 50 has a plurality of rows of brush bristles 71 mounted on the outer periphery of the support shaft 70. Each row of the brush bristles 71 is linear, and is arranged in parallel in the axial direction (left-right direction). In addition, the row | line | column of the bristle 71 may be made into a spiral along the left-right direction, and each row | line | column of the bristle 71 is made parallel.

  Hubs 72 are attached to both sides of the support shaft 70 of the rotating brush 50, and the hub 72 supports the support shaft 70. A U-shaped bearing 73 is formed on the left and right side walls 45 a of the dust collection box 45, and the hub 72 is placed on the bearing 73. Abutting portions 74 that are recessed in an arc shape are formed on the lower surfaces of the left and right guide ribs 47. When the guide ribs 47 are in a closed state, the abutting portions 74 press the hub 72 from above. Therefore, the rotating brush 50 is rotatably supported by the dust box 17 when the support shaft 70 of the rotating brush 50 is sandwiched between the dust collection box 45 and the guide rib 47. Thus, the support structure of the rotating brush 50 becomes a simple structure, and the rotating brush 50 can be easily attached and detached. When the guide rib 47 is opened, the rotating brush 50 can be taken out from the dust collection box 45. Since the rotating brush 50 can be easily removed, the rotating brush 50 can be cleaned immediately and a clean rotating brush 50 can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 6, support ribs 75 for supporting the rotating brush 50 are provided in the opening of the dust collection box 45. The support rib 75 is formed so as to straddle the opening in the front-rear direction, and is curved downward. A plurality of support ribs 75 are arranged in the left-right direction. When the guide ribs 47 are closed, the support ribs 75 are located below the central guide rib 47 and face the guide ribs 47. The support rib 75 and the guide rib 47 are in contact with the brush bristles 71 of the rotating brush 50. The rotating brush 50 is rotatably sandwiched between the support rib 75 and the guide rib 47. The tip of the bristle 71 protrudes above the guide rib 47. Therefore, the rotating brush 50 is in contact with the filter 7 without being obstructed by the guide rib 47 and can always remove dust from the filter 7.

  Even if a load is applied to the rotating brush 50 from the filter 7 by the support rib 75, the rotating brush 50 can be supported from the lower side, the bending of the rotating brush 50 is prevented, and the rotating brush 50 is separated from the filter 7. Can be prevented. The rotating brush 50 reliably contacts the filter 7 and can clean the filter 7 satisfactorily. The support rib 75 has a function of reinforcing the dust collection box 45. Even when the dust box 17 is attached and detached, even if a load is applied to the dust box 45 from the front and rear, the support rib 75 prevents the dust box 45 from being deformed in the front and rear direction, and the dust box 17 can be used repeatedly.

  The support shaft 70 of the rotating brush 50 protrudes outward from the left and right sides of the dust collection box 45, and gears 80 are integrally formed with hubs 72 at both ends of the support shaft 70. The cleaning motor 51 is attached to the outside of the side frame 31 of the unit frame 18, and the gear attached to the motor shaft of the cleaning motor 51 meshes with the gear 80 of the support shaft 70. Further, an intermediate gear is provided in the center frame 32, and the gear 80 on the center frame side of the left and right dust boxes 17 meshes with the intermediate gear. The cleaning motor 51 is installed on one side where the electrical box in the left-right direction is disposed. When the cleaning motor 51 is driven, the rotary brush 50 on one side rotates, and this rotational driving force is transmitted to the other support shaft 70 via the intermediate gear, and the rotary brushes 50 on both sides rotate in conjunction with each other. .

  The dust box 17 can be attached to and detached from the unit frame 18. As shown in FIG. 3, a lock portion 83 is provided on the front surface of the filter guide 46. The lock part 83 is provided in a pair of left and right. The lock portion 83 is usually fixed so that the dust box 17 does not come off the unit frame 18. When the user operates the lock portion 83, the dust box 17 can be detached from the unit frame 18.

  In addition, pins 84 project from the left and right side surfaces of the dust collection box 45, and a positioning portion 85 that is recessed in a U shape is formed on the side frame 31. When the pin 84 is fitted into the positioning portion 85, the dust box 17 is positioned with respect to the unit frame 18. In this way, the dust box 17 is mounted at a fixed position of the unit frame 18.

  When the dust box 17 is removed from the cabinet 3, a part of the guide path 35 is opened, and the filter 7 can be taken in and out of the cabinet 3. Here, in order to facilitate removal of the filter 7, a lift-up member 86 that separates the filter 7 from the pinion 40 is provided.

  The lift-up member 96 is provided on the unit frame 18 so as to be movable up and down. The lift-up member 86 is biased so as to rise by a spring. The lift-up member 86 is in contact with the left and right vertical frames 21 a of the filter 7 and lifts the front side of the filter 7.

  When the dust box 17 is removed, the lift-up member 86 is automatically raised upward and obliquely upward by the elastic force of the spring. The user can grip the filter 7 and pull it out smoothly. When the filter 7 is pulled out, the filter 7 is not caught on the pinion 40.

  When mounting the filter 7, the user inserts the vertical frame 21 a of the filter 7 into the guide groove 36 of the side frame 31. When the filter 7 is inserted to the rear side of the guide path 35, the filter 7 is mounted at the mounting position.

  Here, a limit switch 87 is provided on the unit frame 18 in order to detect the attachment of the filter 7. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the limit switch 87 is disposed in the vicinity of the rear end of the guide path 35 and is provided for each of the left and right filters 7.

  When the filter 7 is mounted on the cabinet 3, the filter 7 moves along the guide path 35 toward the rear side. When the filter 7 reaches the mounting position, the limit switch 87 detects the filter 7. The control device detects that the filter 7 is attached by an ON signal from the limit switch 87.

  When the filter cleaning device cleans the filter 7, the control device operates the moving unit 15 and the cleaning unit 16. The stepping motor 41 is driven, the pinion 40 and the guide roller 42 are rotated, the cleaning motor 51 is driven, and the rotating brush 50 is rotated. As shown in FIG. 5A, the filter 7 in the mounting position starts to move downward along the guide path 35. The filter 7 is curved while being pressed by the filter guide 46 and the plurality of guide ribs, and moves while being guided so as not to be detached from the guide path 35. Since the filter 7 is guided by the plurality of guide ribs, the moving filter 7 does not undulate in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction, and the rotating brush 50 reliably contacts the filter 7 reliably.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (b), when the filter 7 makes a U-turn, the rotary brush 50 hits the filter 7, dust is scraped off, and dust is collected in the dust collection box 45. When dust is removed, the dust is scattered, but the filter guide 46 is present on the front side of the rotating brush 50, so the scattered dust is blocked by the filter guide 46, so that the dust does not leak out of the dust box 17.

  As shown in FIG. 5C, when the filter 7 reaches the end point, the rear end of the filter 7 reaches the rotating brush 50. The front end of the filter 7 does not reach the limit switch 87. At this time, the rotation of the stepping motor 41 is stopped.

  Here, when the filter 7 moves from the mounting position, the limit switch 87 is turned off. The control device counts the number of pulses of the stepping motor 41 based on the off signal of the limit switch 87. When the preset count number is reached, the control device stops the stepping motor 41. This count number is set corresponding to the distance from the mounting position until the rear end of the filter 7 reaches the rotating brush 50 that is the end point.

  Thereafter, the stepping motor 41 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the filter 7 returns through the guide path 35. Even during the return of the filter 7, the rotary brush 50 is driven and the filter 7 is cleaned. When the front end of the filter 7 passes through the rotating brush 50 and the filter 7 reaches the mounting position, the limit switch 87 detects the filter 7, and the control device detects the stepping motor 41 and the cleaning motor based on the ON signal of the limit switch 87. 51 is stopped.

  The rotating brush 50 rotates to remove dust from the filter 7 and drop the dust into the dust collection box 45. However, dust may get entangled with the bristles 71 of the rotating brush 50. Therefore, in order to remove dust entangled with the brush bristles 71, a dust remover 88 is provided in the dust box 17. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the dust remover 88 is provided at the lower part of the rear surface of the filter guide 46. On the rear surface of the filter guide 46, a lower plane than the front frame 56 of the guide rib 47 is in contact with the dust guide 88. As described above, the dust removing body 88 is formed by utilizing a wall surface of the duct box 17, that is, a part of the rear surface of the filter guide 46.

  The dust remover 88 is located on the front side of the rotating brush 50 and is inclined obliquely downward. That is, the dust remover 88 is an inclined surface that is inclined so as to approach the rotary brush 50 along the rotation direction of the rotary brush 50. The tip of the dust remover 88 enters the opening of the dust collection box 45. The tip of the dust remover 88 is located above the center of the support shaft 70 of the rotating brush 50.

  The dust removing body 88 is in contact with the rotating brush 50 that rotates in the left-right direction. The tip side of the bristle 71 of the rotating rotary brush 50 contacts the dust removing body 88. The distance between the dust removing body 88 and the rotating brush 50 so that the brush bristles 71 having a length in the range of about 2/3 from the tip, for example, in the range of 1/3 to 2/3, are in contact with the dust removing body 88. Is set.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the brush bristles 71 of the rotary brush 50 are formed by implanting a large number of nylon bristle material into a long base cloth 90. The brush bristles 71 are configured by combining hair materials having different elasticity. A plurality of holes are formed in the base cloth 90 at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction (axial direction), and a bundle of bristle material is implanted in the holes. The base fabric 90 is fitted into a groove 91 formed in the support shaft 70 of the rotary brush 50.

  The brush hair 71 is a combination of a thick bristle material 92 and a thin bristle material 93. The thick bristle material 92 is a highly elastic bristle material, and the thin bristle material 93 is a low elastic hair material. The length of each bristle material 92 and 93 is the same. The diameter of the thin bristle material 93 is not more than ½ of the diameter of the thick bristle material 92. For example, the diameter of the thin bristle material 93 is 38 μm, and the diameter of the thick bristle material 92 is 80 μm. In one bundle planted in one hole, the ratio of the number of thick bristle materials 92 to the number of thin bristle materials 93 is 1: 2 to 1: 6. For example, 18 thick hair materials 92 and 96 thin hair materials 93 are provided. In the relationship between the mesh size of the filter 7 and the diameter and number of the bristle materials 92 and 93, each bristle so that the total cross-sectional area of the bristle materials 92 and 93 in one bundle is larger than the area of one eye. The diameter and number of the materials 92 and 93 are set. For example, 18 thin bristle materials 93 enter one eye of the net. In addition, the number of the thick bristle materials 92 entering one eye is two or less.

  Further, the thick bristle material 92 is arranged on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the rotary brush 50 with respect to the thin bristle material 93. That is, the thick bristle material 92 always exists on the upstream side of the thin bristle material 93 in the rotation direction. The position of the thick bristle material 92 in the rotation direction is random. In the axial direction, the arrangement of the thick bristle material 92 and the thin bristle material 93 is not limited, and the bristle materials 92 and 93 may be arranged in a line. The bristle materials 92 and 93 may be arranged in a random line. .

  Further, the color of the thick hair material 92 and the color of the thin hair material 93 are different. Thereby, presence of the thick bristle material 92 in the bristle 71 can be understood at a glance. Thereby, the bundle | flux which does not contain the thick bristle material 92 can be identified easily, and the inferior goods of the bristle 71 can be excluded.

  When the filter cleaning device is operated and the filter 7 is cleaned, the rotating brush 50 rotates in the opposite direction to the moving direction of the filter 7 when moving from the mounting position. That is, with respect to the moving direction from the front side to the rear side, the rotation direction of the rotary brush 50 is the reverse direction from the rear side to the front side. By setting the rotation direction in this way, the bristle 71 becomes a resistance against the moving filter 7, and the brush bristle 71 comes into strong contact with the filter 7, so that the dust adhering to the filter 7 is entangled. It becomes easy to take. When the filter 7 that has passed once returns to the mounting position, the rotation direction of the rotary brush 50 is the forward direction with respect to the movement direction of the filter 7. The rotating brush 50 does not act as a resistance to the movement of the filter 7 and can smoothly move the filter 7 to the mounting position.

  When the bristles 71 of the rotating rotary brush 50 come into contact with the moving filter 7, the bristles 71 bend. As the rotary brush 50 moves, a large number of thin bristle materials 93 enter the respective meshes of the filter 7 mesh and immediately leave the filter 7. The thin bristle material 93 comes into contact with the wire forming the mesh, and removes small dust adhering to the wire. As a result, the dust on the filter 7 is entangled with the brush bristles 71. In this way, the brush bristles 71 scrape off dust adhering to the filter 7.

  The bristles 71 that have scraped off the dust by the rotation of the rotating brush 50 come into contact with the dust removing body 88 from the upper side to the lower side. Here, the dust removing body 88 is inclined so as to be directed to the rear side in the rotation direction of the rotary brush 50. Therefore, the upper part of the dust remover 88 is farther from the rotary brush 50 than the lower part of the dust remover 88. When the rotating brush 50 that has rotated approaches the dust remover 88, the tip of the brush bristle 71 first contacts the dust remover 88, and the brush bristle 71 is gradually pushed down against the dust remover 88 as it rotates. The upright brush bristles 71 bend in the direction opposite to the rotational direction. The dust entangled with the brush bristles 71 is rubbed by the dust removing body 88 and moves toward the tip of the brush bristles 71.

  When the brush bristles 71 pass through the dust removing body 88, a repulsive force that causes the bent bristles 71 to return to the original state is generated. That is, the base side of the bristle 71 is first separated from the dust removing body 88. At this time, dust adhering to the brush bristles 71 is scraped off. On the other hand, the front end side of the bristle 71 is still in contact with the dust removing body 88. Further, when the rotary brush 50 rotates and the distance from the root of the brush bristle 71 to the tip of the dust remover 88 becomes equal to or longer than the length of the brush bristle 71, the tip of the brush bristle 71 leaves the dust remover 88. At this time, the bristle 71 is in a substantially lying state. Due to the repulsive force of the bristle 71 trying to stand up, the tip of the bristle 71 moves downward in an arc. The brush bristles 71 move at a higher speed than the rotation speed of the rotary brush 50, and dust entangled near the tips of the bristles 71 is blown downward. Further, with the movement of the brush bristles 71 due to the repulsive force, dust adhering to the entire brush bristles 71 is shaken off, and the dust is blown off from the brush bristles 71 into the dust collection box 45.

  In this way, the brush bristles 71 are brought into contact with the dust removing body 88 and forcedly deformed, and by utilizing the reaction, the dust entangled with the bristles 71 can be screened out and efficiently removed. Since the dust removed from the filter 7 does not remain on the rotary brush 50, it is possible to prevent the dust from reattaching to the filter 7 even if the rotary brush 50 contacts the filter 7 again.

  Here, the thick bristle material 92 and the thin bristle material 93 constituting the brush bristle 71 have different elasticity. That is, the repulsive force of the thick bristle material 92 is stronger than that of the thin bristle material 93. Therefore, the moving speed of the thick bristle material 92 is faster than that of the thin bristle material 93, and the thick bristle material 92 strikes the thin bristle material 93 from the rear side. Dust entangled with the thin bristle material 93 is blown off by this impact. In this way, the dust removed from the rotating brush 50 falls into the dust collection box 45.

  By using such a rotating brush 50, even if the filter 7 has a fine mesh, the brush bristles 71 can enter the mesh and remove even small dust. The dust attached to the rotating brush 50 can be completely removed from the dust box 17. Not only is the filter 7 clean, but the rotating brush 50 is also clean, and the cleaning performance of the filter cleaning device can always be maintained.

  When the tip of the dust remover 88 is at a position lower than the axial center of the rotary brush 50, the tip of the brush bristle 71 moves in the horizontal direction when the tip of the brush bristle 71 is separated from the dust remover 88. become. Therefore, the dust blown off hits the rear wall of the dust collection box 45. Part of the dust rises and jumps out of the dust collection box 45 from the opening. Therefore, the dust can be blown off toward the bottom of the dust collection box 45 by setting the tip of the dust remover 88 to a position higher than the axial center of the rotary brush 50. Therefore, the dust removed from the rotary brush 50 by the dust remover 88 can be prevented from leaking outside the dust collection box 45.

  The range of the length of the brush bristle 71 in contact with the dust remover 88 is that the brush bristle 71 passes through the dust remover 88 and a repulsive force is generated to cause the bent brush bristle 71 to return to the original position. It is sufficient if the length is long enough to flip dust adhering to the vicinity downward. For example, the length may be 1/3 from the tip of the brush bristles 71. Accordingly, the distance between the dust remover 88 and the rotating brush 50 is set.

  The bristle 71 moves while rubbing toward the tip of the dust removing body 88. The tip of the dust remover 88 is always cleaned by the bristles 71, and no dust accumulates on the tip of the dust remover 88. Therefore, it is not necessary to process the tip of the dust remover 88 like a comb tooth. Thus, the dust removing body 88 can be realized with a simple structure.

(Second Embodiment)
In the rotating brush 50 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the thick bristle material 92 is arranged from the upstream side in the rotation direction, and the thin bristle material 93 is arranged downstream of the thick bristle material 92. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  By arranging the brush bristles 71 in this way, the function of scraping dust from the filter 7 and the function of scraping off dust from the brush bristles 71 are clearly separated. Therefore, the functions of the respective bristle materials 92 and 93 can be maximized.

(Third embodiment)
In the rotating brush 50 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the thick bristle material 92 is arranged on the most upstream side and the most downstream side in the rotation direction, and the thin bristle material 93 is arranged in the middle. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, the thin bristle material 93 is disposed on the most upstream side and the most downstream side in the rotation direction, and the thick bristle material 92 is disposed in the middle. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  The rotating brush 50 can be attached to and detached from the dust box 17. After the rotary brush 50 is removed, it is mounted on the dust box 17 again. At this time, there is a possibility that the rotating brush 50 is mounted in the opposite direction. Therefore, by arranging the bristle 71 as described above, the thick bristle material 92 is always located upstream of the thin bristle material 93 in the rotation direction. Therefore, the rotating brush 50 can be attached without worrying about the left and right sides, and the effect of the rotating brush 50 can always be obtained.

(Fourth embodiment)
In the rotating brush 50 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the thin bristle material 93 is longer than the thick bristle material 92, and the thick bristle material 92 is arranged upstream of the thin bristle material 93 in the rotation direction. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  When the rotating brush 50 comes into contact with the filter 7, the thin bristle material 93 enters the mesh of the filter 7 and scrapes off dust adhering to the opposite surface of the filter 7. The thick bristle material 92 rubs the surface of the filter 7 and scrapes off large dust. Then, after the bristles 71 of the rotating brush 50 come into contact with the dust removing body 88 and bend, the dust entangled with the bristles 71 is removed by the repulsive force of the thick bristle material 92. Such brush bristles 71 can remove all the dust adhering to the filter 7.

(Fifth embodiment)
In the rotating brush 50 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, a thin bristle material 93 is arranged around a thick bristle material 92 as a center. The thick bristle materials 92 are arranged along the rotation direction. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  With such arrangement of the brush bristles 71, the thin bristle material 93 can be densely packed, and more bristle material 93 enters the mesh of the filter 7. Therefore, the filter 7 can be cleaned all over. Further, the repulsive force of the bent thick bristle material 92 acts on the thin bristle material 93 disposed around the thick bristle material 92, and dust entangled with the thin bristle material 93 can be knocked off.

  As described above, the rotating brush of the present invention has the brush bristles 71 that remove dust from the mesh-like filter 7 and scrape dust off the dust box 17. The brush bristles 71 are configured by combining hair materials having different elasticity.

  Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently remove dust from the filter 7 and remove dust entangled with the brush bristles 71 by making use of the characteristics of the hair materials having different elasticity.

  The brush bristles 71 are provided along the axial direction of the rotary brush 50, and the high elastic bristle material is arranged on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the rotary brush 50 with respect to the low elastic bristle material. Thereby, the low elastic hair material can scrape dust from the filter 7 first. Then, the highly elastic hair material can hit the low elasticity hair material entangled with dust from the rear side.

  The brush bristle 71 is configured by combining a thin bristle material 93 and a thick bristle material 92. Thereby, the thin bristle material 93 can exhibit the function which scrapes off dust also with respect to the filter 7 with a fine mesh.

  The filter cleaning device of the present invention includes a rotating brush 50 having brush bristles 71 for removing dust from the mesh filter 7 and scraping the dust box 17, and a dust box 17 for storing the dust removed from the filter 7. The brush bristles 71 of the rotary brush 50 are configured by combining bristle materials having different elasticity. As the rotary brush 50 rotates, the bristles 71 scraped off dust from the filter 7 come into contact with the dust box 17 and bend and bend. The highly elastic hair material and the low elasticity hair material are arranged so that the highly elastic hair material having a strong repulsive force when the hair material returns to the low material hits the low elastic hair material having a weak repulsive force.

  That is, the highly elastic bristle material is arranged on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the low elastic bristle material. Alternatively, the low elastic hair material is arranged around the high elastic hair material.

  When the rotating brush 50 rotates and the bristles 71 come into contact with the dust box 17 and bend, the highly elastic bristle material can obtain a repulsive force, and effectively functions to blow off dust from the bristles 71. Can demonstrate.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, many corrections and changes can be added to the said embodiment within the scope of the present invention. You may use said filter 7 and filter cleaning apparatus for air cleaners, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers other than an air conditioner.

Depending on the material of the bristle material used for the brush bristles 71, the elasticity may be varied. For example, the low elastic hair material is made of nylon, and the high elastic hair material is made of PET or polypropylene. In this case, the diameter of each bristle material is the same. In addition, the diameter of the hair material may be changed while changing the material of the hair material. Thereby, hair materials having different elasticity such as high elasticity, medium elasticity, and low elasticity can be combined.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Cabinet 4 Suction port 7 Filter 15 Moving part 16 Cleaning part 17 Dust box 18 Unit frame 20 Net part 45 Dust collection box 50 Rotating brush 71 Brush hair 88 Dust removal body 92 Thick hair material 93 Thin hair material

Claims (5)

A rotating brush having brush bristles that removes dust from the filter and accommodates the dust in a dust box, wherein the bristles are high-elastic bristles that scrape the low-elastic bristle material and the low-elastic bristle material. A rotating brush characterized in that it is constructed by planting a material in a bundle . A rotating brush having brush bristles that removes dust from the filter and accommodates the dust in the dust box, wherein the bristles are configured by combining bristle materials having different elasticity, and the brush bristles are along the axial direction of the rotating brush. provided Te, rotating brush characterized in that the bristles of high elasticity is arranged in the upstream side in the rotational direction of the rotary brush than hairs low elasticity. 3. The rotating brush according to claim 1, wherein the number of thin bristle materials having low elasticity is larger than the number of thick bristle materials having high elasticity . A rotary brush having brush bristles that removes dust from the filter and accommodates in the dust box, and a dust box that accommodates dust removed from the filter, and the brush bristles of the rotary brush are configured by combining hair materials having different elasticity. By rotating the rotating brush, the brush bristles scraped off from the filter are deflected in contact with the dust box, and the highly elastic bristle with strong repulsive force when the bent bristle returns to its original position is low. A filter cleaning device, wherein a high-elasticity hair material and a low-elasticity hair material are arranged so as to strike an elastic hair material. An air conditioner equipped with the filter cleaning device according to claim 4.

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