WO2004081461A1 - Air conditioner having indoor unit with automatic air filter-cleaning function - Google Patents

Abstract

Inside an indoor body of an air conditioner are received a heat exchanger and a fan for blowing air that has been subjected to heat exchange in the heat exchanger. An air filter is installed in the body on the upstream side of the heat exchanger. A suction nozzle having a suction opening opposite the air filter and sucking dust adhered to the air filter is slidably installed in the body, a suction/discharge device communicating with the suction nozzle and sucking/discharging the dust with air is provided in the body, and the suction/discharge device and the suction nozzle are connected by a telescopable or bendable suction hose.

Description

 Air conditioner with indoor unit with automatic cleaning function

 The present invention relates to an air conditioner having a function of automatically cleaning an air filter provided at an air inlet of a room unit.

 Light

Background art

 The conventional air conditioner is provided with an air filter 5 at the front of the heat exchanger 10 to prevent dust from entering the inside of the main body 11 as shown in Figs. Book

In addition, the air filter 5 is detachably configured so that the attached dust can be cleaned by hand.

 As an air conditioner that facilitates cleaning of the air filter, a rotating brush, a brush cover that rotatably supports and covers the rotating brush, and a filter brush composed of a pinion provided coaxially with the rotating brush are provided. In some cases, the suction nozzle of the vacuum cleaner is connected to the suction port provided in the brush cover, and is moved over the air filter to suck the dust accumulated on the air filter while scraping it off with a rotating brush. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

 Also, a collecting device, a cleaning device, a suction mechanism, a support beam connected to the suction mechanism, a hose connected to the support beam, a vacuum generator, and a separator disposed on a suction side of the vacuum generator. There has also been proposed a device configured to automatically suck dust attached to an air filter and collect the dust by a separator (for example, see Patent Document 2).

 Furthermore, the drive shaft and the driven shaft having a belt-shaped air filter stretched thereon, a servo motor for driving the drive shaft, a brush, a dust sensor and a fan disposed in the exhaust pipe, and the continuous use time of the air filter are reduced. There is also a configuration in which a calculation processing unit for calculating and a control unit are provided, and dust is removed with a brush while rotating a tilted air filter (for example, see Patent Document 3).

• Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-2226303 (Page 2, Figs. 1-4) ■ Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 1-175020 (Pages 1 to 9, Fig. 4)

 'Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-74521 (Page 2, Figure 1)

 However, with conventional air purifiers equipped with a removable air filter, the air filter is removed from the air conditioner in accordance with the frequency of use of the air conditioner, and the attached dust is cleaned with water or a vacuum cleaner. It was troublesome because regular maintenance was required. If periodic maintenance is not performed, dust accumulates on the air filter and increases the airflow resistance of the intake air, causing a problem that the performance of the air conditioner decreases and power consumption increases.

 Further, in the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, every time the air filter is cleaned, an electric sweeper must be taken out, the suction nozzle connected to the suction port of the brush cover, and moved over the air filter. Had to be troublesome and time-consuming

 In the case of the filter device described in Patent Document 2, dust attached to the air filter is automatically sucked, but the sucked dust is collected in a separator, so that the dust is periodically separated. It is necessary to remove and accumulate dust accumulated in the air conditioner, and if it is troublesome, if it is not done, the dust attached to the air filter will not be removed, and the ventilation resistance of the intake air will increase and the air conditioner There were issues such as reduced performance and increased power consumption.

 Furthermore, in the case of the air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 3, a long brush that is approximately the same length as the entire width of the air filter is required, and the thickness is increased because the air filter is in a belt shape. There was a problem that the depth size of the main body became large. This effort was made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology.It is very easy to clean and maintain the air filter, to maintain sufficient performance and to prevent an increase in power consumption. It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner equipped with an indoor unit having an automatic cleaning function of an air filter that can perform air conditioning.

Disclosure of the invention

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to an air conditioner having an indoor unit in which a heat exchange unit and a fan that blows out the air exchanged by the heat exchange unit into a room are housed in a main body. And an air filter attached to the main body on the upstream side of the heat exchanger. A slidable suction nozzle having a suction port opposed to the filter for sucking dust attached to the air filter, a suction device communicating with the suction nozzle to suck and discharge dust with air; It is characterized in that it comprises a telescopic or bendable suction hose for communicating the device with the suction nozzle.

 With this configuration, the air filter can be automatically cleaned, so that the predetermined performance of the air conditioner can be maintained and an increase in power consumption can be prevented.

 In addition, one end of the flexible suction hose is connected to the suction and exhaust device, and the other end is connected to the side of the suction nozzle opposite to the suction nozzle when viewed from the suction and exhaust device. It is bent in a substantially u-shape.

 Furthermore, it is also possible to provide a lead wire for supplying electric power to the electrical components along the longitudinal direction of the surface of the suction hose. In this case, a plurality of wires constituting the lead wire are formed in a flat shape, If it is located at the outer periphery of the U-shaped bent part of the suction hose, the lead wire will also bend in accordance with the bending operation of the suction hose, and the lead wire can be easily pulled without applying excessive stress to the lead wire. Can be turned.

 Further, if a gap is provided between the U-shaped bent portion of the suction hose and the lead wire, the U-shaped bent portion of the suction hose does not come into frictional contact with the suction hose, so that it is difficult to break the wire. In addition, if a guide groove for guiding the lead wire is provided below the suction hose, the lead wire does not shift with respect to the suction hose, and stable bending operation and storage can be ensured.

 Alternatively, a plurality of wires constituting the lead wire may be bound in a substantially circular shape so that the center line of the lead wire and the center line of the suction hose are aligned with each other. Since the lead wire is also bent in the same way, it can be safely routed without applying excessive force to both sides.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

 FIG. 1 is a front view of an indoor unit of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Π—Π in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a filter device provided in the indoor unit of FIG.

 FIG. 5A is a longitudinal sectional view of a suction nozzle provided in the filter device of FIG. FIG. 5B is a partial cross-sectional front view of the suction nozzle of FIG. 5A.

 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a filter device provided in an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

 FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a modification of the filter device.

 FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a suction hose provided in the filter device of FIG.

 FIG. 9 is a front view of a bent portion of the suction hose of FIG.

 FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a modification of the suction hose.

 FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another modification of the suction hose.

 FIG. 12 is a front view of a room unit of a conventional air conditioner.

 FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along a line III-m in FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1

 1 to 3 show an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of an indoor unit, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are lines in FIG. 1, respectively. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I and line Π-Π.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the main body 11 of the indoor unit includes a heat exchanger 10 and a fan 14 for taking in indoor air through the heat exchanger 10 and blowing out the heat-exchanged air. It incorporates a filter device 1 arranged upstream of heat exchange ^^ 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the filter device 1 includes a filter frame 2 provided between the main body 11 and the heat exchanger 10 and an air removably attached to the filter frame 2 and flowing into the main body. An air filter 5 that removes dust contained therein; a suction nozzle 4 that is provided between the air filter 5 and the main body 11 and is slidable left and right (in the direction of arrow A) facing the air filter 5; A suction hose 3 having an elastic bellows structure connected to the lower end of the suction nozzle 4, a suction device 6 connected to the other end of the suction hose 3, and one end connected to the suction side of the bow I exhaust device 6. An exhaust duct 7 is connected and the other end is open to the outside of the room. The lower end of the suction nozzle 4 is connected to a drive motor 9 via a drive wire 8. The upper end and lower end of the suction nozzle 4 are in sliding contact with the upper rail 12 and the lower rail 13 formed integrally with the filter frame 2.

 In addition, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the suction nozzle 4 has an intermediate portion bent so as to match the shape of the air filter 5, and the suction nozzle 4 has a slit facing the air filter 5. A suction port 4a that opens in a shape is formed.

 The operation of the filter device 1 having the above configuration will be described below.

 After the operation of the air conditioner is stopped, when the suction / exhaust device 6 starts operating, the air starts to be sucked in from the suction port 4 a of the suction nozzle 4 communicating with the suction hose 3. Then, the suction nozzle 4 located at one end of the air filter 5 slides in the direction of arrow A toward the other end of the air filter 5 by the driving wire 8 connected to the drive motor 9. Dust adhering to the surface of the air filter 5 is absorbed and discharged from the exhaust duct 7 to the outside of the room. When the suction nozzle 4 cleans the entire surface of the air filter 5 and reverses the drive motor 9 when it reaches the other end of the air filter 5, the suction nozzle 4 moves in the direction to return to the initial position, It is possible to clean the surface of the air filter 5 again.

 Since the suction hose 3 connecting the suction nozzle 4 and the suction / exhaust device 6 is configured to be extendable and contractible, the suction hose 3 expands and contracts as the suction nozzle 4 slides. Irrespective of the position, it is always in communication with the suction and exhaust device 6. Embodiment 2

 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a filter device 1 provided in an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This filter device 1 connects a suction nozzle 4 and a suction / exhaust device 6. A flexible suction hose 3 is provided. One end of the suction hose 3 is connected to the suction / exhaust device 6, and the other end is connected to the opposite side surface at the lower end of the suction nozzle 4 as viewed from the suction / exhaust device 6. The part is bent in a substantially U-shape.

In the filter device 1 having the above configuration, when the suction and exhaust device 6 starts operating, the suction nozzle 4 located at one end of the air filter 5 is moved in the direction of arrow A by the driving wire 8 connected to the driving motor 9. However, since the suction hose 3 connecting the suction nozzle 4 and the suction and exhaust device 6 is configured to bend freely, the suction nozzle Since the suction hose 3 is bent with the sliding of the nozzle 4, the suction nozzle 4 is always in communication with the suction and exhaust device 6 regardless of its position.

 The length of the suction hose 3 is set such that when the suction nozzle 4 is positioned at the other end of the air filter 5, the suction hose 3 can be bent with some room. FIG. 7 shows a modification of the filter device 1, and FIG. 8 shows the suction hose 3 provided in the filter device 1 of FIG. .

 As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the suction hose 3 is provided with a lead wire 15 for supplying electric power to an electric component (not shown) provided in the suction nozzle 4. . The plurality of wires 15 a constituting the lead wire 15 are integrally formed in a flat shape, and are located along the longitudinal direction of the suction hose 3 and at the outer periphery of the U-shaped bent portion 3 a of the suction hose 3. are doing.

 Although the electrical components are not shown in the figures, the motor that drives the opening / closing adjustment means provided to change the size of the suction port 4a so that dust can be sucked in efficiently, and the dust adhering to the air filter 5 are removed. It is a motor for rotating the rotating brush provided to take it.

 In the filter device 1 having the above configuration, when the suction / exhaust device 6 starts operating, the suction nozzle 4 located at one end of the air filter 5 is moved in the direction of arrow A by the driving wire 8 connected to the driving motor 9. Slide. At this time, since the lead wire 15 for the electrical component is provided so as to be in contact with the suction hose 3, the lead wire 15 also bends in accordance with the bending operation of the suction hose 3.

 Also, since the plurality of wires 15a constituting the lead wire 15 are integrally formed in a flat shape, the lead wire 15 can be made thinner and can be routed in a small space.

 Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, if a gap B is provided between the lead Kaizumi 15 and the U-shaped bent portion 3 a of the suction hose 3, the U-shaped bent portion 3 a of the suction hose 3 is formed. Rubbing due to expansion and contraction of the outer periphery can be prevented, and early deterioration of the lead wire 15 can be prevented.

FIG. 10 shows another modified example of the suction hose 3, in which a guide groove 16 for a lead wire 15 is provided below the suction hose 3. In this example, the suction hose 3 On the other hand, the lead wire 15 does not shift in the horizontal direction (the front-rear direction of the indoor unit), ensuring stable bending operation and storage, and the lead wire 15 comes off and is caught by other mechanical parts. There is no disconnection.

 Fig. 11 shows yet another modified example of the suction hose 3, in which a plurality of wires 15a constituting the lead wire 15 are formed in a plurality of places with a retaining ring 17 so as to be as circular as possible. It is a unity. In this example, the reed spring 15 is set on the side · (front side) of the suction hose 3 so that the center line of the suction hose 3 and the center line of the lead wire 15 coincide when viewed from the front. The lead wire 15 also bends in the same way in response to the bending operation of the suction hose 3, so that it can be safely routed without applying excessive force between the multiple wires 15a. is there.

 In the above embodiment, the air filter 5 is detachably attached to the filter frame 2, but the filter frame 2 may be a part of the main body 11, and the air filter 5 is fixed to the main body 11. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration that cannot be removed. However, if the air filter 6 is detachably attached to the main body 11, dust, oil, and the like that cannot be removed by the suction cleaning operation of the suction nozzle 4 can be easily cleaned. Further, in the above embodiment, the suction / exhaust device 6 is started to operate after the operation of the air conditioner is stopped, but the suction / exhaust device 6 is operated before or during the operation of the air conditioner. Is also good.

 Further, in the above embodiment, the exhaust duct 7 is connected to the suction / exhaust device 6, and the dust sucked by the suction / exhaust device 6 is exhausted to the outside of the room together with the air.However, the exhaust duct 7 is not necessarily provided. . In this case, a removable dust collecting case having a dust collecting net is provided in the suction and exhaust device 6, and the dust sucked by the suction and exhaust device 6 is collected by the dust collecting net, while the air sucked together with the dust is sucked. The dust collected by the dust collecting net can be removed by removing the dust collecting case from the bow I exhaust device 6.

Claims

The scope of the claims 1. An air conditioner having an indoor unit in which a heat exchanger and a fan for blowing air exchanged by the heat exchange into a room are housed in a main body,  An air filter attached to the main body on the upstream side of the heat exchange, a slidable suction nozzle having a suction port facing the air filter, and slidably sucking dust attached to the air filter; An air conditioner, comprising: a suction / exhaust device that sucks and discharges dust together with air, and a telescopic suction hose that communicates the bow suction device with the suction nozzle. .  2. An air conditioner having an indoor unit in which a heat exchanger and a fan that blows out the air exchanged by the heat exchange into a room are housed in a main body,  An air filter attached to the main body on the upstream side of the heat exchange, a slidable suction nozzle having a suction port facing the air filter, and slidably sucking dust attached to the air filter; An air conditioner comprising: a suction / exhaust device that sucks and exhausts dust together with communication air; and a bendable suction hose that communicates the suction / exhaust device with the suction nozzle.  3. The suction hose has one end connected to the suction / exhaust device, the other end connected to the side surface on the opposite side of the suction nozzle as viewed from the suction / exhaust device, and an intermediate portion substantially connected to the suction nozzle. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the air conditioner is bent in a U-shape.  4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein a lead wire for supplying electric power to electrical components is provided along a longitudinal direction of a surface of the suction hose.  5. The air according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of wires constituting the lead wire are formed in a flat shape, and are located at an outer peripheral portion of a U-shaped bent portion of the suction hose. Harmony machine.  6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein a gap is provided between a U-shaped bent portion of the suction hose and the lead wire. 7. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein a guide groove for guiding the lead wire is provided below the suction hose. 8. A plurality of wires constituting the lead wire are bound in a substantially circular shape, and a center line of the lead wire and a center line of the suction hose are made to coincide with each other. 4. The air conditioner according to 4.