air conditioning system

Abstract

An air conditioning system (100) comprising: a heat generating unit (10); a first indoor unit (20a); a first switch (30a); and a control device (15). When the first switch (30a) changes a state of a first contact (36) and a communication state between the control device (15) and the first indoor unit (20a) changes, the control device (15) identifies that the first indoor unit (20a) is connected to the first switch (30a).

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0002] An air conditioning system comprises several devices, including an indoor unit. A conventional approach is to inform the air conditioning system of the interconnectedness of the respective devices. For example, Japanese Patent No. 2713041 (PTL 1) discloses an air conditioning system configured such that an outdoor unit generates addresses for multiple indoor units and transmits these addresses to the indoor units. According to the air conditioning system disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2713041, the outdoor unit can identify the indoor units based on their addresses. CITATION LIST PATENT LITERATURE

[0003] PTL 1: Japanese Patent No. 2713041 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONAL PROBLEM

[0004] In the air conditioning system, there is a requirement to identify the connection relationships between the devices in a simpler way. Such an approach is particularly effective when the device configuration of the entire system is complex.

[0005] The present disclosure was made to describe embodiments which solve the above problem, and one objective of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioning system which can identify the connection relationship between devices in a simpler way. SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

[0006] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system. The air conditioning system comprises: a heat generating unit; a first indoor unit connected to the heat generating unit via pipes; a control device; a first communication path for communication between the control device and the first indoor unit; and a first switch arranged on the first communication path, wherein the pipes include a first pipe arranged between the first switch and the first indoor unit, and the first communication path comprises: a first path connecting the control device and the first switch;and a second path connecting the first switch and the first indoor unit, the first switch being configured to toggle a first contact connecting the first path and the second path between an open state and a closed state, and when the first switch toggles the first contact between the open state and the closed state and a communication state between the control unit and the first indoor unit changes, the control unit is configured to identify that the first indoor unit is connected to the first switch. ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0007] According to the air conditioning system of the present disclosure, an air conditioning system can be provided which identifies the connection relationship between devices in a simpler way. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of an air conditioning system. Fig. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating basic patterns that form the air conditioning system. Fig. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of an indoor unit, a shut-off unit, an alarm unit, and a remote control. Fig. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an overview of a shut-off unit configuration. Fig. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, a shut-off unit, and an alarm unit. Fig. Figure 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process flow when a refrigerant leak is detected by a refrigerant sensor located in the indoor unit. Fig. Figure 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process that occurs when a refrigerant leak is detected by a refrigerant sensor contained in the alarm unit. Fig. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the shut-off unit closes the shut-off valve in the event of a power failure. Fig. Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the indoor unit disables or enables a function of the refrigerant sensor in response to the actuation of a sensor setting switch. Fig. Figure 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the air conditioning system configuration. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the communication paths of the air conditioning system according to Fig. 10 shows. Fig. Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the procedural steps for identifying an indoor unit connected to a shut-off unit. Fig. Figure 13 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the configuration of an air conditioning system to illustrate modification 1. Fig. Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of an ID table used in Modification 1. Fig. Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a counting table used in modification 1. Fig. Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relay control table used in modification 1. Fig. Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of an arithmetic table used in modification 1. Fig. Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example where an indoor unit (IC) connected to a shut-off unit (SV) is identified based on the arithmetic table. Fig. Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating the process steps for identifying an indoor unit connected to the shut-off unit according to modification 1. Fig. Figure 20 is a flowchart illustrating the process steps for identifying the indoor unit associated with the shut-off unit according to modification 1. Fig. Figure 21 is a flowchart illustrating the process steps for identifying the indoor unit associated with the shut-off unit according to modification 1. Fig. Figure 22 is a diagram showing a different pattern of a series connection of shut-off units. Fig. Figure 23 is a diagram showing a different pattern of a parallel connection of shut-off units. Fig. Figure 24 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the configuration of an air conditioning system to illustrate modification 2. Fig. Figure 25 is a diagram showing a concrete example of a first communication path, a second communication path, a third communication path, and a fourth communication path. DESCRIPTION OF EXECUTION FORMS

[0008] The present embodiment is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used to denote identical or similar parts, and their descriptions are not repeated.

[0009] Fig. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of an air conditioning system 100 according to one embodiment. The diagram in Fig. The depicted air conditioning system 100 comprises an outdoor unit 10, an indoor unit 20, a shut-off unit 30, an alarm unit 40, and remote controls 50 and 60. An example is described in which the air conditioning system 100 is applied to rooms A and B, as well as an administrator's room, which represent an example of an area to be air-conditioned.

[0010] The in Fig. The air conditioning system 100 shown in Figure 1 comprises several indoor units 20, several shut-off units 30, several alarm units 40, and several remote controls 50. In the following description, indoor units 20, shut-off units 30, alarm units 40, and remote controls 50 can be referred to, for example, as indoor units 20a and 20b, shut-off units 30a and 30b, alarm units 40a and 40b, and remote controls 50a and 50b, to distinguish these components from one another.

[0011] The indoor unit 20, the alarm unit 40, and the remote control 50 are located in rooms A and B, respectively. The indoor unit 20 has a refrigerant sensor 23 for detecting refrigerant leaks. The alarm unit 40 has a function for detecting a refrigerant leak and a function for triggering an alarm for the refrigerant leak. The alarm unit 40 is located in a position that facilitates the detection of refrigerant escaping from the indoor unit 20. For example, the alarm unit 40 can be located on a floor, a wall, a ceiling, etc. Several alarm units 40 can be located in one room. The detection of refrigerant escaping from the indoor unit 20 can be ensured by the alarm unit 40 in addition to the refrigerant sensor 23 contained in the indoor unit 20.

[0012] The remote control 50, for example, is mounted on a wall in the room. In addition to a function for transmitting setting information such as the air conditioning temperature to the indoor unit 20, the remote control 50 has a function for triggering an alarm for a refrigerant leak. The remote control 50 is an example of an alarm device.

[0013] Remote control 60 is located in the administrator's room. For example, an administrator who manages an area requiring air conditioning is located in the administrator's room. The administrator's room could be, for example, a night watchman's room. Remote control 60 is an example of an administrative alarm device. In the event of a refrigerant leak in room A or B, remote control 60 triggers an alarm for the refrigerant leak. The administrator takes appropriate action in response to the alarm triggered by remote control 50.

[0014] The outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, and the shut-off unit 30 are connected to each other via pipes 120 through which the refrigerant flows. The pipes 120 comprise a pair of pipes 121 that connects the indoor unit 20a to the shut-off unit 30a, and a pair of pipes 122 that connects the indoor unit 20b to the shut-off unit 30b.

[0015] The refrigerant circulates between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20a via the pipes 120 leading through the shut-off unit 30a. The refrigerant also circulates between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20b via the pipes 120 leading through the shut-off unit 30b. The outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20a, the shut-off unit 30a, and the pipes 120 form a refrigerant circuit through which the refrigerant circulates. Similarly, the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20b, the shut-off unit 30b, and the pipes 120 form a refrigerant circuit through which the refrigerant circulates. The outdoor unit 10 is an example of a heat generation unit.

[0016] Indoor units 20a and 20b exchange heat with outdoor unit 10 via the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuits, thus air-conditioning rooms A and B, respectively. In the event of a refrigerant leak in room A, shut-off unit 30a shuts off the flow of refrigerant to indoor unit 20a by closing pipes 121. Similarly, in the event of a refrigerant leak in room B, shut-off unit 30b shuts off the flow of refrigerant to indoor unit 20b by closing pipes 122.

[0017] In the following, the indoor unit connected to shut-off unit 30a via pipes 121 is referred to as the "indoor unit below shut-off unit 30a", and the indoor unit connected to shut-off unit 30b via pipes 122 is referred to as the "indoor unit below shut-off unit 30b". In this case, indoor unit 20a is the indoor unit below shut-off unit 30a, and indoor unit 20b is the indoor unit below shut-off unit 30b.

[0018] The outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20a, the indoor unit 20b, the shut-off unit 30a and the shut-off unit 30b communicate with each other via a communication path L1. The communication path L1 is an example of a communication path for establishing communication between the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20a, the indoor unit 20b, the shut-off unit 30a and the shut-off unit 30b.

[0019] Shutdown unit 30a and alarm unit 40a communicate with each other via communication path L2. Similarly, shutdown unit 30b and alarm unit 40b communicate with each other via communication path L2. Communication path L2 is an example of a communication path for establishing communication between shutdown unit 30 and alarm unit 40.

[0020] The indoor unit 20a and the remote control 50a communicate with each other via a communication path L3. Likewise, the indoor unit 20b and the remote control 50b communicate with each other via a communication path L3. The communication path L3 is an example of a communication path for establishing communication between the indoor unit 20 and the remote control 50. In particular, in embodiment 1, the indoor unit 20b and the remote control 60 located in the administrator room communicate with each other via the communication path L3.

[0021] Indoor unit 20a and alarm unit 40a notify shut-off unit 30a of a refrigerant leak. Shut-off unit 30a closes pipes 121 based on the refrigerant leak notification. Similarly, indoor unit 20b and alarm unit 40b notify shut-off unit 30b of a refrigerant leak. Shut-off unit 30b closes pipes 122 based on the refrigerant leak notification.

[0022] If indoor unit 20a or alarm unit 40a detects a refrigerant leak, alarm unit 40a and remote control 50a will trigger alarms. Similarly, alarm unit 40b and remote control 50b will trigger alarms if indoor unit 20b or alarm unit 40b detects a refrigerant leak. If indoor unit 20a or alarm unit 40a detects a refrigerant leak, and if indoor unit 20b or alarm unit 40b detects a refrigerant leak, remote control 60, located in the administrator room, will trigger an alarm.

[0023] As described above, in the Fig. In the air conditioning system 100 shown in Figure 1, both the refrigerant leak detection configuration and the refrigerant leak alarm configuration are redundantly arranged in each of rooms A and B. Consequently, according to air conditioning system 100, a safety measure against refrigerant leaks can be improved compared to a system without such a redundant configuration.

[0024] Furthermore, in the air conditioning system 100, the indoor unit 20 and the alarm unit 40 use different communication paths (communication paths L1 and L2) to notify the shut-off unit 30 of refrigerant leaks. This ensures that even in the event of a communication failure in one of the two communication paths (L1 and L2), the other communication path can be used to ensure that the refrigerant leak is reported to the shut-off unit 30.

[0025] Furthermore, in air conditioning system 100, the communication path L2 for the refrigerant leak alarm via alarm unit 40 and the communication path L3 for the refrigerant leak alarm via remote controls 50 and 60 are different. This ensures that even in the event of a communication error in one of the two communication paths (L2 and L3), the other communication path can be used to guarantee that a refrigerant leak alarm is triggered.

[0026] Furthermore, in the air conditioning system 100, shut-off units 30a and 30b block the refrigerant flow in separate areas. This allows, for example, indoor unit 20b in room B to continue operating even if the operation of indoor unit 20a in room A is stopped due to a detected refrigerant leak there.

[0027] An example configuration of the air conditioning system 100 has been described here. The configuration in Fig. 1 comprises a device configuration prepared for refrigerant leaks. Hereinafter, the device configuration prepared for refrigerant leaks may also be referred to as the "safety device".

[0028] The Air Conditioning System 100 can be configured in various ways, as described below. The Air Conditioning System 100 can be built from one of the basic patterns or from a combination of two or more basic patterns. The basic patterns include a pattern with the safety device and a pattern without the safety device. An example of the basic patterns is described below.

[0029] Fig. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the basic patterns from which the air conditioning system 100 is formed. Fig. Figure 2 shows the basic patterns 1, 2 and 3.

[0030] Basic pattern 1 includes the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, the shut-off unit 30, and the remote control 50. Basic pattern 1 does not include an alarm unit 40. In basic pattern 1, the shut-off unit 30, the refrigerant sensor 23, and the remote control 50 function as a safety device.

[0031] In addition to the device configuration of Basic Pattern 1, Basic Pattern 2 includes Alarm Unit 40. In Basic Pattern 2, the shut-off unit 30, the refrigerant sensor 23, the remote control 50, and Alarm Unit 40 function as a safety device. In Basic Pattern 2, the refrigerant sensor 23 may be configured to be non-functional. This is because Alarm Unit 40 detects refrigerant leaks. In this case, the sensor function of the refrigerant sensor 23 can be set to "off," or the refrigerant sensor 23 can be removed from the indoor unit 20.

[0032] Basic pattern 3 includes the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, and the remote control 50. Basic pattern 3 does not include a shut-off unit 30 or an alarm unit 40. In basic pattern 3, no refrigerant sensor 23 is connected to the indoor unit 20. Accordingly, basic pattern 3 does not include a safety device. Basic pattern 3 can be used in a room with a large interior. In a room with a large interior, any refrigerant that escapes from the indoor unit 20 due to a refrigerant leak will expand within the large volume of the room, making it unlikely that the refrigerant leak will immediately affect the air-conditioned environment.

[0033] A designer combines basic patterns 1 to 3 in different ways to design the air conditioning system 100. An installer builds the system based on the design and verifies, before the system is tested, that the built system is configured according to the design.

[0034] Fig. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the indoor unit 20, the shut-off unit 30, the alarm unit 40, and the remote control 50. The arrangement of the indoor unit 20 (20a), etc., is shown with reference to room A in Fig. 1 is described as a representative example.

[0035] The indoor unit 20a is installed in the ceiling of room A, which is an area to be air-conditioned. The shut-off unit 30a is located within the ceiling of room A. The alarm unit 40a is located, for example, on the floor of room A. The alarm unit 40a has a light-emitting diode (LED) 45 for indicating alarms. The alarm unit 40a is connected to the shut-off unit 30a via the communication path L2. The alarm unit 40a is powered via the shut-off unit 30a. It should be noted that the alarm unit 40 and the shut-off unit 30 can also be wirelessly connected. The shut-off unit 30 is an example of a shut-off device. The alarm unit 40 is an example of an alarm sensor device. The remote controls 50 and 60 are examples of an alarm device.

[0036] For ease of use, remote control 50a is mounted on a wall in room A. Remote control 50a is connected to the shut-off unit 30a via communication path L3. Remote control 50a has a display 51 and an operating unit 52. A user operates the operating unit 52 to enter setting information, including the room temperature, into remote control 50a. The room temperature and other information are then displayed on the display 51.

[0037] The shut-off unit 30a and the indoor unit 20a are connected via the pipe pair 121 through which the refrigerant flows. The refrigerant sensor 23 is located near the pipe 121, which runs through the indoor unit 20a. If the refrigerant sensor 23 detects a refrigerant leak, the leak is reported to the remote control 50a via communication path L3. Based on the refrigerant leak notification, the remote control 50a emits an alarm tone and displays alarm information on the display 51. The remote control 50a may have an LED to indicate the alarm. When the remote control 50a displays the alarm information on the display 51, the backlight of the display 51 may be turned on.

[0038] Here, the arrangement of the indoor unit 20 (20a), etc., was described with reference to room A as a representative example. The indoor unit 20b, the shut-off unit 30b, the alarm unit 40b, and the remote control 50b are arranged in room B in a similar manner to room A.

[0039] Fig. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an overview of a configuration of the shut-off unit 30. Here, an overview of the configuration of the shut-off unit 30 (30a) is described with reference to room A as a representative example. The shut-off unit 30a has shut-off valves 34 for shutting off and the pipe pair 121 as well as a substrate 300 for opening or closing the shut-off valves 34.

[0040] The pipe pair 121 comprises a pipe 121a, through which the refrigerant flows from the outdoor unit 10 to the indoor unit 20a, and a pipe 121b, through which the refrigerant flows from the indoor unit 20a to the outdoor unit 10. Liquid refrigerant flows through one of the pipes 121a and 121b, and gaseous refrigerant flows through the other. When the outdoor unit 10 acts as the condenser and the indoor unit 20a as the evaporator, room A is cooled. When the outdoor unit 10 acts as the evaporator and the indoor unit 20a as the condenser, room A is heated.

[0041] The shut-off valves 34 comprise a shut-off valve 34a attached to the pipe 121a and a shut-off valve 34b attached to the pipe 121b. The shut-off valves 34 are, for example, linear expansion valves.

[0042] The substrate 300 communicates with the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20a via communication path L1, and with the alarm unit 40a via communication path L2. The substrate 300 has multiple connections 307 for connecting to several alarm units 40. The substrate 300 closes the shut-off valves 34a and 34b when a refrigerant leak is reported by the indoor unit 20a and when a refrigerant leak is reported by the alarm unit 40a. This closes the pipes 121a and 121b. Several indoor units 20 can be connected in parallel via pipe 121, as indicated by the dashed lines.

[0043] Fig. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, the shut-off unit 30 and the alarm unit 40. Fig. Figure 5 shows the outdoor unit 10, the indoor units 20a and 20b, the shut-off units 30a and 30b, and the alarm units 40a and 40b. The indoor units 20a and 20b have a common configuration, the shut-off units 30a and 30b have a common configuration, and the alarm units 40a and 40b have a common configuration. Fig. Figure 5 shows the details of the configuration of the indoor unit 20a, the shut-off unit 30a and the alarm unit 40a, while the details of the configuration of the indoor unit 20b, the shut-off unit 30b and the alarm unit 40b are omitted.

[0044] The outdoor unit 10 has an air conditioning mechanism 14. The air conditioning mechanism 14 comprises a compressor 141, a heat exchanger 142, a fan 144, and a four-way valve 145. The control unit 15 is located in the outdoor unit 10. The control unit 15 controls the air conditioning mechanism 14 and communicates with devices within the air conditioning system 100, including the indoor unit 20 and the shut-off unit 30. The control unit 15 has a processor 11, a memory 12, and a communication circuit 13.

[0045] The processor 11 is typically configured, for example, as a central processing unit (CPU) or a multiprocessor unit (MPU). The control unit 15 is an example of a processing circuit. The processor 11 is an example of a computing unit. The processor 11 controls various devices according to programs. The control does not have to be software-based, but can also be implemented by dedicated hardware (an electronic circuit).

[0046] Memory 12 comprises an area for storing programs executed by processor 11, an area in which processor 11 temporarily stores program code and working memory, and even an area for storing an ID to identify the outdoor unit 10 by other devices such as the barrier unit 30. Memory 12 includes volatile memory such as dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and static random-access memory (SRAM), as well as non-volatile memory such as read-only memory (ROM) and flash memory. Memory 12 can be, for example, a solid-state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD). Memory 12 stores an ID (address) for identifying the outdoor unit 10 by a device communicating with the outdoor unit 10.

[0047] Processor 11 has a communication function. Processor 11 transmits data containing the ID to a communication target so that the communication target can identify the communication source. Processor 11 communicates with the shut-off unit 30 (30a and 30b) via communication circuit 13. Furthermore, Processor 11 communicates with the indoor unit 20 (20a, 20b) via communication circuit 13 and shut-off unit 30. Processor 11 also communicates with the remote control 60 located in the administrator room via communication circuit 13, shut-off unit 30a, shut-off unit 30b, and indoor unit 20b.

[0048] The indoor unit 20 (20a, 20b) comprises a processor 21, a memory 22, a refrigerant sensor 23, a sensor port 23a, an air conditioning mechanism 24, a sensor adjustment switch 25, a communication circuit 26, and a communication interface (I / F) 27. The air conditioning mechanism 24 includes a heat exchanger 242, an expansion valve 243, and a fan 244. The heat exchanger 242 is an example of a heat exchanger that exchanges heat with a heat generation unit. The refrigerant circuits and a refrigerant loop through which the refrigerant circulates are connected by the air conditioning mechanism 14 of the outdoor unit 10, the air conditioning mechanism 24 of the indoor unit 20, and the pipes 120 (see Fig. 1) formed.

[0049] Memory 22 includes an area for storing the ID (address) for identifying the indoor unit 20 by the outdoor unit 10 and the shut-off unit 30. The detailed configuration of processor 21 and memory 22 corresponds to the configuration of processor 11 and memory 12 already described, so its description is not repeated here.

[0050] The refrigerant sensor 23 is connected to sensor terminal 23a. The refrigerant sensor 23 detects refrigerant leaks at the indoor unit 20. The sensor setting switch 25 is a switch for toggling the sensor function of the refrigerant sensor 23 between "on" and "off". The sensor setting switch 25 is operated, for example, by a maintenance person servicing the indoor unit 20. It should be noted that an operator can disable the refrigerant sensor 23 by disconnecting it from sensor terminal 23a.

[0051] When the sensor function of the refrigerant sensor 23 is set to "on" by the sensor setting switch 25, the processor 21 acquires sensor information from the refrigerant sensor 23.

[0052] Processor 21 has a communication function. Processor 21 transmits data containing the ID stored in memory 22 to a communication target so that the target can identify the communication source. Processor 21 communicates with the shut-off unit 30 via communication circuit 26. Processor 21 communicates with the remote control 50 via communication interface 27.

[0053] The shut-off unit 30 (30a and 30b) comprises a processor 31, a memory 32, shut-off valves 34 (34a, 34b), an emergency power source 35, a communication circuit 33, a b-contact relay 36, and a communication interface (I / F) 37. The communication interface 37 includes several terminals 370, which are connected in Fig. 3 are shown.

[0054] The b-contact relay 36 is arranged on the communication path L1, which connects the communication circuit 13 of the outdoor unit 10 with the communication circuit 26 of the indoor unit 20. The b-contact relay 36 is, for example, composed of a drive coil and a contact.

[0055] The communication circuit 33 of the shut-off unit 30 controls the state of the b-contact relay 36 between the open and closed states based on a command from the outdoor unit 10. The b-contact relay 36 acts as a switch that, when current flows through the drive coil, disconnects (opens) the communication path L1 and, when current does not flow, makes the communication path L1 conductive (closes). Accordingly, the communication path L1 remains in the conductive state when the power supply to the shut-off unit 30 is interrupted. This prevents the communication circuit from being switched off during a power failure, compared to a case where an a-contact relay is used as the relay. It should be noted that the state of the communication path L1 can also be switched between the open and closed states by other switching elements, such as a transistor or a filter, instead of the b-contact relay 36.

[0056] Memory 32 includes an area for storing an ID to identify the shut-off unit 30 by other devices such as the outdoor unit 10. The detailed configuration of processor 31 and memory 32 corresponds to the configuration of processor 11 and memory 12 already described, so its description is not repeated here.

[0057] Processor 31 has a communication function. Processor 31 transmits data containing the ID stored in memory 32 to a communication target so that the target can identify the communication source. Processor 31 communicates with outdoor unit 10 via communication circuit 33. Processor 31 communicates with indoor unit 20 via communication circuit 33. Processor 31 communicates with alarm unit 40 via communication interface 37.

[0058] The processor 31 closes the shut-off valves 34a and 34b when it is notified of a refrigerant leak from the indoor unit 20 and of a refrigerant leak from the alarm unit 40. This closes the pipes 121a and 121b. In the event of a power failure, the shut-off unit 30 switches the power supply from the main power source to the emergency power source 35. The emergency power source 35 is, for example, configured as a secondary battery. In the event of a power failure, the processor 31 is powered by the energy supplied by the emergency power source 35 and closes the shut-off valves 34a and 34b. This stops the supply of refrigerant to the indoor unit 20 during the power failure.

[0059] The alarm unit 40 has a processor 41, a memory 42, a refrigerant sensor 43, a loudspeaker 44, an LED 45 and a communication interface (I / F) 47.

[0060] Memory 42 includes an area for storing an ID to identify the alarm unit 40 by other devices such as the shut-off unit 30. The detailed configuration of processor 41 and memory 42 corresponds to the configuration of processor 11 and memory 12 already described, so its description is not repeated here.

[0061] The refrigerant sensor 43 detects refrigerant leaks. The refrigerant sensor 43 is an example of an indoor refrigerant sensor. The processor 41 receives sensor information from the refrigerant sensor 43. When a refrigerant leak is detected, the processor 41 generates an alarm tone via the speaker 44 and illuminates the LED 45.

[0062] Processor 41 has a communication function. Processor 41 transmits data containing the ID stored in memory 42 to a communication target so that the target can identify the communication source. Processor 41 communicates with the shut-off unit 30 via communication interface 47.

[0063] Fig. Figure 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process that occurs when a refrigerant leak is detected by the refrigerant sensor 23 located in the indoor unit 20a. The sequence diagram does not show the alarm unit 40b and remote control 50b located in room B. The process is described below based on... Fig. 6 described.

[0064] The refrigerant sensor 23 detects a refrigerant leak in the indoor unit 20a (step S1). In this case, the indoor unit 20a notifies the remote control 50a of the refrigerant leak (step S2), notifies the shut-off unit 30a of the refrigerant leak (step S4), and notifies the outdoor unit 10 of the refrigerant leak (step S8). Subsequently, the indoor unit 20a stores a history of the refrigerant leak in the memory 22 (see Fig. 5) (Step S13) and stops the air conditioning operation (Step S14). The order of execution of steps S2, S4, S8, S13 and S14 can be changed.

[0065] Based on the notification from the indoor unit 20a, the remote control 50a triggers an alarm (step S3). More precisely, the remote control 50a emits an alarm tone and displays alarm information based on the refrigerant leak notification. This allows a user in room A to detect the refrigerant leak. The remote control 50a then saves a history of the refrigerant leak (step S18).

[0066] Based on the notification from the indoor unit 20a, the shut-off unit 30a closes the shut-off valves 34a and 34b (step S5). By closing the shut-off valves 34a and 34b, the shut-off unit 30a closes the pipes 121a and 121b. This prevents the refrigerant leak from propagating. The shut-off unit 30a also notifies the alarm unit 40a of the refrigerant leak (step S6). Subsequently, the shut-off unit 30a stores a history of the refrigerant leak in the memory 32 (see Fig. 5) (Step S15).

[0067] The order in which steps S5, S6, and S15 are executed can be changed. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the shut-off unit 30a can also notify the outdoor unit 10 about the refrigerant leak (step S8a).

[0068] Alarm unit 40a triggers an alarm based on the notification from the barrier unit 30a (step S7). More precisely, alarm unit 40a emits an alarm tone and illuminates LED 45 (see Fig. 4) One, based on the notification of the refrigerant leak. This allows the user located in room A to detect the refrigerant leak.

[0069] Based on the notification from indoor unit 20a, outdoor unit 10 notifies remote control 60, located in the administrator room, about the refrigerant leak (step S9). Outdoor unit 10 further notifies shut-off unit 30b and indoor unit 20b, located in room B, about the refrigerant leak in room A, based on the notification from indoor unit 20a. More precisely, outdoor unit 10 notifies shut-off unit 30b and indoor unit 20b with a "Maintenance Fault" message (steps S11 and S12). The order in which steps S9, S11, and S12 are executed can be changed. Subsequently, outdoor unit 10 stores the history of the refrigerant leak in memory 12 (see...). Fig. 4) (Step S19).

[0070] Based on the notification from the outdoor unit 10, the remote control 60 triggers an alarm (step S10). More precisely, the remote control 60 emits an alarm tone and displays the alarm information based on the refrigerant leak notification. This allows the administrator to identify the refrigerant leak. The remote control 60 then saves a history of the refrigerant leak (step S20).

[0071] The shut-off unit 30b located in room B stores information on the refrigerant leak in storage 32 based on the notification from the outdoor unit 10 (see Fig. 4) (Step S16). The indoor unit 20b, located in room B, stores information about the refrigerant leak in storage 22 based on the notification from the outdoor unit 10 (see Fig. 4) (Step S17).

[0072] Preferably, in steps S9, S11, and S12, the outdoor unit 10 transmits the ID of the indoor unit 20a where the refrigerant leak was detected. This allows the remote control 60, the shut-off unit 30b, and the indoor unit 20b to each identify the indoor unit 20 where the refrigerant leak is occurring. In this case, the remote control 60 can issue an alarm containing the ID of the indoor unit 20 where the refrigerant leak is occurring. Furthermore, each of the shut-off unit 30b and the indoor unit 20b can store a history containing the ID of the indoor unit 20 where the refrigerant leak is occurring.

[0073] Here, the process for detecting a refrigerant leak by the refrigerant sensor 23 contained in the indoor unit 20a has been described. The process for detecting a refrigerant leak by the refrigerant sensor 23 contained in the indoor unit 20b overlaps with the description above, except for differences in the reference numerals of the respective components. Therefore, a description of this process is omitted.

[0074] Fig. Figure 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process flow when a refrigerant leak is detected by the refrigerant sensor 43 contained in the alarm unit 40a. The sequence diagram does not show the alarm unit 40b and remote control 50b located in room B. The process flow is described below based on... Fig. 7 described.

[0075] The refrigerant sensor 43 detects a refrigerant leak in room A (step S31). In this case, the alarm unit 40a triggers an alarm (step S32). More precisely, the alarm unit 40a emits an alarm tone and illuminates the LED 45 (see Fig. 5) One, based on the refrigerant leak notification. This allows the user in room A to detect the refrigerant leak. The alarm unit 40a also notifies the shut-off unit 30a of the refrigerant leak (step S33). The order of execution of steps S31 and S32 can be changed.

[0076] Based on the notification from the alarm unit 40a, the shut-off unit 30a closes the shut-off valves 34a and 34b (step S34). By closing the shut-off valves 34a and 34b, the shut-off unit 30a closes the pipes 121a and 121b, thus preventing the refrigerant leak from propagating. The shut-off unit 30a also notifies the indoor unit 20a and the outdoor unit 10 of the refrigerant leak (steps S35 and S38). Subsequently, the shut-off unit 30a stores a history of the refrigerant leak in the memory 32 (see Fig. 5) (Step S45). The order in which steps S33, S34, S38 and S45 are executed can be changed.

[0077] Based on the notification from the shut-off unit 30a, the indoor unit 20a notifies the remote control 50a about the refrigerant leak (step S36). The indoor unit 20a then stores a history of the refrigerant leak in memory 22 (see Fig. 5) (Step S43) and stops the air conditioning operation (Step S44). The order in which steps S36, S43 and S44 are executed can be changed.

[0078] Based on the notification from the indoor unit 20a, the remote control 50a triggers an alarm (step S37). More precisely, the remote control 50a emits an alarm tone and displays alarm information based on the refrigerant leak notification. This allows the user in room A to detect the refrigerant leak. The remote control 50a then saves a history of the refrigerant leak (step S48).

[0079] Based on the notification from shut-off unit 30a, outdoor unit 10 notifies remote control 60, located in the administrator room, about the refrigerant leak (step S39). Outdoor unit 10 further notifies shut-off unit 30b and indoor unit 20b, located in room B, about the refrigerant leak in room A, based on the notification from shut-off unit 30a. More precisely, outdoor unit 10 notifies shut-off unit 30b and indoor unit 20b with a "Maintenance Fault" message (steps S41 and S42). The order in which steps S39, S41, and S42 are executed can be changed. Subsequently, outdoor unit 10 stores a history of the refrigerant leak in memory 12 (see Fig. 4) (Step S49).

[0080] Based on the notification from the outdoor unit 10, the remote control 60 triggers an alarm (step S40). More precisely, the remote control 60 emits an alarm tone and displays alarm information based on the refrigerant leak notification. This allows the administrator to identify the refrigerant leak. The remote control 60 then saves a history of the refrigerant leak (step S50).

[0081] The shut-off unit 30b located in room B stores information on the refrigerant leak in storage 32 based on the notification from the outdoor unit 10 (see Fig. 5) (Step S46). The indoor unit 20b, located in room B, stores information about the refrigerant leak in storage 22 based on the notification from the outdoor unit 10 (see Fig. 5) (Step S47).

[0082] Preferably, in steps S39, S41 and S42, the outdoor unit 10 transmits the ID of the indoor unit 20a where the refrigerant leak was detected - for the same reasons as in steps S9, S11 and S12. Fig. Section 6 explains, and we will refrain from repeating it here.

[0083] Here, the process for detecting a refrigerant leak by the refrigerant sensor 43 contained in the alarm unit 40a was described. The process for detecting a refrigerant leak by the refrigerant sensor 43 contained in the alarm unit 40b (see Fig. 1) This description overlaps with the one above, except for differences in the reference symbols of the respective components. Therefore, the description is not repeated here.

[0084] Fig. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the shut-off unit 30 closes the shut-off valves 34 (34a, 34b) in the event of a power failure. The process carried out by the shut-off unit 30 is described below based on the flowchart.

[0085] In the event of a power failure (step S101), the shut-off unit 30 detects the power failure (step S102). The shut-off unit 30 then starts the power supply via the emergency power source 35 before the power supplied by the main power source falls below a threshold (step S103). Afterwards, the shut-off unit 30 closes the shut-off valves 34 using the power supplied by the emergency power source 35 (step S104).

[0086] As described, in the event of a power failure, the shut-off unit 30 starts the power supply via the emergency power source 35 before the power of the main power source falls below the threshold and closes the shut-off valves 34 (step S104). According to the air conditioning system 100, this prevents a refrigerant leak in the event of a power failure.

[0087] Fig. Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the indoor unit 20 deactivates or activates the function of the refrigerant sensor 23 in response to an actuation of the sensor setting switch 25. The process performed by the indoor unit 20 is described below based on the flowchart.

[0088] First, the indoor unit 20 determines whether an action to switch off the sensor function of the refrigerant sensor 23 has been detected (step S201). If the indoor unit 20 detects the action to switch off, it deactivates the sensor function of the refrigerant sensor 23 (step S202).

[0089] If indoor unit 20 does not detect an action to deactivate the sensor function, it determines whether an action to activate the sensor function is detected (step S203). If indoor unit 20 detects an action to activate, it activates the sensor function of the refrigerant sensor 23 (step S204). If no action to activate is detected, indoor unit 20 terminates the process according to the flowchart.

[0090] By carrying out the process described above, the refrigerant sensor 23 of the indoor unit 20 is activated or deactivated. If sufficient safety measures against refrigerant leakage have been implemented, depending on the climate-controlled environment of the room, a designer can disable the function of the refrigerant sensor 23 contained in the indoor unit 20. For example, the designer can disable the function of the refrigerant sensor 23 if a large number of alarm units 40 are installed in a room or if a high-performance ventilation device is installed in the room.

[0091] An example has been described here in which the shut-off unit 30 is arranged as a separate device from the indoor unit 20. However, the shut-off unit 30 can also be integrated into the indoor unit 20. For example, in Fig. 1. The shut-off unit 30a is integrated into the indoor unit 20a, and the shut-off unit 30b is integrated into the indoor unit 20b. This modification discloses a configuration in which the shut-off unit 30 is included in the indoor unit 20 in the air conditioning system 100, which has the indoor unit 20 and the shut-off unit 30.

[0092] Fig. Figure 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the configuration of the air conditioning system 100. Fig. Figure 10 shows an example where several indoor units 20 are connected in parallel below a shut-off unit 30a or 30b, respectively. Indoor units 20a, 20c, and 20d are assigned to shut-off unit 30a. Indoor units 20b and 20e are assigned to shut-off unit 30b.

[0093] The indoor units 20a, 20c and 20d are connected in parallel via the pipes 121 connected to the shut-off unit 30a. As a result, refrigerant flows between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units 20a, 20c and 20d through the pipes 121.

[0094] The indoor units 20b and 20e are connected in parallel via the pipes 122 connected to the shut-off unit 30b. As a result, refrigerant flows between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units 20b and 20e, each through the pipes 122.

[0095] Indoor units 20a and 20c are located in room A. Indoor unit 20b is located in room B. Indoor unit 20d is located in room C. Indoor unit 20e is located in room D. Remote controls 50a and 50c are located in room A, each assigned to indoor units 20a and 20c, respectively. Remote control 50b is assigned to indoor unit 20b in room B. Remote control 50d is assigned to indoor unit 20d in room C. Remote control 50e is assigned to indoor unit 20e in room D.

[0096] For rooms A to C, the configuration of basic pattern 2 is used. Fig. 2 is used. For room D, the configuration of basic pattern 1 is used. Fig. 2. Alarm units 40a and 40c are located in room A. Alarm unit 40b is located in room B. Alarm unit 40d is located in room C.

[0097] Indoor units 20a, 20c, and 20d, as well as alarm units 40a, 40c, and 40d, notify shut-off unit 30a of refrigerant leaks. Indoor units 20b and 20e, as well as alarm unit 40b, notify shut-off unit 30b of refrigerant leaks. When shut-off unit 30a is notified of a refrigerant leak, it closes pipes 121 with shut-off valves 34 to stop the air conditioning functions of indoor units 20a, 20c, and 20d. When shut-off unit 30b is notified of a refrigerant leak, it closes pipes 122 with shut-off valves 34 to stop the air conditioning functions of indoor units 20b and 20e.

[0098] The shut-off unit 30a communicates with the alarm units 40a, 40c and 40d via communication path L2. The shut-off unit 30b communicates with the alarm unit 40b via communication path L2.

[0099] Indoor unit 20a communicates with remote control 50a via communication path L3. Indoor unit 20b communicates with remote control 50b via communication path L3. Indoor unit 20c communicates with remote control 50c via communication path L3. Indoor unit 20d communicates with remote control 50d via communication path L3. Indoor unit 20e communicates with remote control 50e via communication path L3.

[0100] Outdoor unit 10 and shut-off units 30a and 30b communicate with each other via communication path L1. Outdoor unit 10 and indoor units 20a to 20e communicate with each other via communication path L1. Shut-off unit 30a and indoor units 20a, 20c, and 20d communicate with each other via communication path L1. Shut-off unit 30b and indoor units 20b and 20e communicate with each other via communication path L1.

[0101] Fig. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the communication path L1 of the air conditioning system 100. Fig. 10 shows. In Fig. 11 denotes “OC” an outdoor unit, “IC” an indoor unit and “SV” a shut-off unit.

[0102] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 11, communication path L1 connects the communication circuit 13 of the outdoor unit 10, the communication circuits 33 of the shut-off units 30a and 30b, and the communication circuits 26 of the indoor units 20a to 20e. The communication circuit 13 of the outdoor unit 10 and the communication circuit 33 of the shut-off unit 30a are permanently wired together. The communication circuit 13 of the outdoor unit 10 and the communication circuit 33 of the shut-off unit 30b are also permanently wired together.

[0103] The communication circuit 13 of the outdoor unit 10 and the communication circuit 26 of the indoor unit 20a are hardwired via the communication circuit 33 of the shut-off unit 30a and the b-contact relay 36 of the shut-off unit 30a. The communication circuit 13 of the outdoor unit 10 and the communication circuit 26 of the indoor unit 20b are hardwired via the communication circuit 33 of the shut-off unit 30b and the b-contact relay 36 of the shut-off unit 30b.

[0104] The communication circuit 26 of indoor unit 20a, the communication circuit 26 of indoor unit 20c, and the communication circuit 26 of indoor unit 20d are wired together in series. The communication circuit 26 of indoor unit 20b and the communication circuit 26 of indoor unit 20e are wired together.

[0105] The communication circuit 33 of the shut-off unit 30a switches the b-contact relay 36 of the shut-off unit 30a on or off in response to a command from the outdoor unit 10. When the b-contact relay 36 of the shut-off unit 30a is switched from "on" to "off", the communication between the indoor units 20a, 20c and 20d and the outdoor unit 10 is interrupted.

[0106] The communication circuit 33 of the shut-off unit 30b switches the b-contact relay 36 of the shut-off unit 30b on or off in response to a command from the outdoor unit 10. When the b-contact relay 36 of the shut-off unit 30b is switched from "on" to "off", the communication between the indoor units 20b and 20e and the outdoor unit 10 is interrupted.

[0107] The outdoor unit 10, according to the present embodiment, controls the state of the b-contact relay 36 arranged in each shut-off unit 30 in order to identify the indoor unit 20 located below the respective shut-off unit 30. The identification procedure is described in detail below with reference to flowcharts.

[0108] Fig. Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the process steps for identifying the indoor unit 20 associated with a shut-off unit 30. The control unit 15 identifies the relationship between "shut-off unit 30 and its associated indoor units 20," for example, during commissioning of the air conditioning system 100, by performing the following process. In other words, the control unit 15 identifies "the connection relationship between the shut-off unit 30 and the indoor units 20" by executing the process described below. It should be noted that the control unit 15 can also identify the remote control 50 associated with the shut-off unit 30.

[0109] The flowchart is shown below in Fig. 12 described, where applicable Fig. 11. Reference is made to the "outdoor unit", "shut-off unit" and "indoor unit" below, which are also referred to as "OC", "SV" and "IC". Fig. In Figure 12 and the following figures, “OC” denotes an outdoor unit, “SV” a shut-off unit and “IC” an indoor unit.

[0110] First, the control unit 15 starts the air conditioning system 100 (step S301). Then, the control unit 15 scans the SVs and ICs in the air conditioning system 100 and assigns IDs (addresses) to the SVs and ICs in the system (step S302).

[0111] By executing step S302, IDs are assigned to all SVs and ICs contained in the air conditioning system 100. All IDs assigned to these SVs and ICs are stored in memory 12 of the OC. The ID assigned to each SV is stored in memory 32 of the respective SV. The ID assigned to each IC is stored in memory 22 of the respective IC. Note that the installer of the air conditioning system 100 can also preset the IDs in memory 32 of an SV and in memory 22 of an IC.

[0112] The control unit 15 then identifies the number of SVs and the number of ICs based on the number of IDs assigned in step S302 (step S303). Next, the control unit 15 sets an initial value for X (step S304). X is a variable used to change the SV to be processed in the flowchart. Each update of X in step S310 processes a different SV. For example, in the configuration from Fig. 11 the shut-off unit 30a of the SV with X = 1 and the shut-off unit 30b of the SV with X = 2.

[0113] The control unit 15 then commands all SVs to close their relays (step S305). As a result of this command, all SVs close the b-contact relays 36. It should be noted that after the transition from step S304 to step S305, all b-contact relays 36 are in the closed state. At this point, all SVs that received the command keep the b-contact relays 36 closed.

[0114] The control unit 15 then commands the SV with ID = X to open its relay (step S306). Based on this command, the communication circuit 33 opens the shut-off unit 30a. Fig. 11 the b-contact relay 36. This is thus switched from the closed to the open state. As a result, the communication between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units 20a, 20c and 20d is interrupted.

[0115] The control unit 15 then scans the air conditioning system 100 to identify non-responsive ICs (step S307). Since communication between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units 20a, 20c, and 20d is interrupted, the control unit 15 identifies these as non-responsive ICs. In other words, the control unit 15 identifies that the indoor units 20a, 20c, and 20d are connected to the shut-off unit 30a. The control unit 15 then stores the identified non-responsive ICs as ICs connected to the SV with ID = X in memory 12 (step S308).

[0116] In this way, the control unit 15 identifies, when the shut-off unit 30 changes the state of the contact of the b-contact relay 36 and the communication state between the control unit 15 and an indoor unit 20 changes accordingly, that this indoor unit 20 is connected to the shut-off unit 30.

[0117] The control unit 15 then determines whether X has reached its maximum value (step S309). In other words, the control unit 15 checks whether it has issued the command to all SVs to open their relays. If this is not the case, the control unit 15 updates X (step S310). In the configuration of Fig. For example, in step 11 the SV to be processed is switched from the shut-off unit 30a (X = 1) to the shut-off unit 30b (X = 2).

[0118] The control unit 15 then returns to step S305. The execution of step S305 switches the b-contact relay 36, located in the shut-off unit 30a, from the open to the closed state, and the b-contact relay 36 located in the shut-off unit 30b remains in the closed state. The control unit 15 then repeats steps S306 to S309 for the shut-off unit 30b with X = 2. This allows the control unit 15 to identify the configuration of Fig. 11, that the indoor units 20b and 20e are connected to the shut-off unit 30b.

[0119] When the control unit 15 determines in step S309 that X has reached its maximum value, the control unit 15 commands all SVs to open their relays (step S311). This prevents the control unit 15 from receiving feedback from any of the indoor units 20a to 20e in the configuration of Fig. 11 checked.

[0120] However, the situation is different if the air conditioning system 100 uses the basic pattern 3. Fig. 2. In such a case, the control unit 15 checks the feedback from an IC that is not connected to any of the SVs. Accordingly, after the command to all SVs to open their relays, the control unit 15 stores in memory 12 an IC that provides feedback as one that is not connected to any of the SVs (step S312).

[0121] The control unit 15 then commands all SVs to close their relays (step S313). Afterwards, the control unit 15 transmits the information stored in memory 12 to all SVs and all ICs (step S314) and terminates the process according to the flowchart.

[0122] As described above, the control unit 15 detects non-responding ICs when it switches the state of the b-contact relay 36 from the closed state to the open state in order to identify the connection relationship between an SV and ICs. This allows an air conditioning system 100 to be provided that can identify the connection relationship between devices in a simpler way.

[0123] It should be noted that the control unit 15 can also identify the connection between an SV and ICs by recognizing an IC that sends feedback when the control unit 15 switches the state of the b-contact relay 36 from the open to the closed state. Furthermore, a c-contact relay can be used instead of the b-contact relay. In the present embodiment, the control unit 15 is located in the OC. However, the control unit 15 can also be located in an SV or in an IC. Alternatively, the control unit 15 can also be located separately from the OC, SV, and IC in the air conditioning system 100. (Modification 1)

[0124] Modification 1 is described below. Modification 1 concerns a further approach to identifying the indoor unit 20 connected to a shut-off unit 30. The control device 15 can determine the connection relationship between an SV and ICs by executing the process according to the flowchart in Fig. 12. Identify in a simpler way. In the flowchart of Fig. However, as the number of SVs increases, so does the number of commands required to open the relays, which are necessary to identify the connection between the SV and the IC. Furthermore, the control unit 15 must check for feedback from all ICs every time it commands a relay to open. Therefore, the more ICs there are, the longer this feedback check takes. Consequently, an approach is needed that enables the identification of the connection between an SV and ICs in a shorter time, even with complex device configurations.

[0125] To meet these requirements, the control unit 15 according to modification 1 uses the principle of binary representation to open or close the b-contact relay 36 of each SV according to a predefined relay control pattern and thereby identify the connection relationship between an SV and ICs.

[0126] Fig. Figure 13 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the configuration of the air conditioning system 100 to illustrate modification 1. Here, the modification is shown using the example configuration from Fig. 13 described. The example configuration of Fig. 13 comprises one outdoor unit (OC) 10, six shut-off units (SV) 30 and fifteen indoor units (IC) 20. In Fig. 13 stands for “51” for the OC, “151 to 156” for the SVs and “1 to 25” for the ICs, each representing the IDs (addresses) of the associated devices.

[0127] Three ICs (ID = 1 to 3) are connected to the SV (ID = 151), one IC (ID = 4) is connected to the SV (ID = 152), two ICs (ID = 5, 6) are connected to the SV (ID = 153), two ICs (ID = 7, 8) are connected to the SV (ID = 154), two ICs (ID = 9, 10) are connected to the SV (ID = 155), and four ICs (ID = 11 to 14) are connected to the SV (ID = 156). The IC (ID = 15) is not connected to any SV. It should be noted that Fig. 13 no other devices such as the alarm unit 40 shows.

[0128] The communication circuit 26 of the IC (ID = 15) communicates with the control unit 15 contained in the OC via communication paths, the paths running via the communication circuit 13 of the OC and the communication circuits 33 of each SV. Such communication paths form a fourth communication path for communication between the control unit 15 and the IC (ID = 15). The fourth communication path runs to the IC (ID = 15) without passing through the b-contact relay 36 of an SV.

[0129] The following describes various tables used in Modification 1, with reference to the Fig. 14, Fig. 15, Fig. 16, Fig. 17 and Fig. 18. Fig. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of ID table 501 used in modification 1. Fig. Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of a counting table 502. Fig. Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of a relay control table 503. Fig. Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of an arithmetic table 504. Fig. Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example where the indoor unit (IC) 20 connected to the shut-off unit (SV) 30 is identified on the basis of the arithmetic table 504.

[0130] The data corresponding to the tables mentioned above is stored in memory 12 of the control unit 15. The control unit 15 uses the data stored in memory 12 to identify the connection relationship between the SVs and the ICs. However, the data stored in memory 12 does not have to exactly match the table formats in Fig. 14 to 18 correspond. The data, each assigned to a table and stored in memory 12, can be in any format, as long as the control unit 15 can execute the processes described below.

[0131] The following section describes each table and the process based on it for control unit 15 in detail. Control unit 15 enters the ID of each SV into ID table 501 to assign each SV a value "SVNO". "SVNO" is a variable and denotes the "SV number". In ID table 501 in Fig. For example, 14 is assigned “SVNO = 1” to SV (ID = 151) and “SVNO = 2” to SV (ID = 152).

[0132] The control unit 15 refers to the counting table 502 to define a "MAX count" depending on the number of SVs. In modification 1, the control unit 15 switches the states of the b-contact relays 36 in the target air conditioning system 100 according to a predefined control pattern. The "MAX count" determines how often the control patterns are switched. This number is referred to below as the "number of trials". The "number of trials" corresponds to "MAX count + 1". The lower the number of trials, the shorter the time the control unit 15 needs to identify the connection relationship between the SVs and the ICs.

[0133] For the example configuration in Fig. 13 selects the control unit 15 “3” as the “MAX count” because the number of SVs is 6. This results in a “number of attempts” of “4”. According to modification 1, even with a device configuration with, for example, one hundred connected SVs, the number of attempts required for identification can be limited to eight (MAX count + 1).

[0134] The control unit 15 refers to the relay control table 503 to determine the control patterns for changing the states of the multiple b-contact relays 36. In the relay control table 503, control patterns (0 or 1) for multiple "SVNOs" are defined based on the "current count value". A control pattern "0" corresponds to the opening of the b-contact relay 36. A control pattern "1" corresponds to the closing of the b-contact relay 36.

[0135] An "SVNO" is a value assigned to each of the shut-off units 30 contained in the target air conditioning system 100, based on the ID table. (Based on ID table 501 in...) Fig. For example, 14 corresponds to “SVNO = 1” of the SV (ID = 151) in Fig. 13, and “SVNO = 2” of the SV (ID = 152) in Fig. 13.

[0136] The "current count" is a variable that starts with the initial value "0" and increments by one in accordance with the "number of attempts". Accordingly, the current count takes on the values ​​0, 1, 2, 3, etc., for a number of attempts of 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. The maximum value of MAX count in the count table 502 in Fig. 15 equals 7. This corresponds to the maximum value of the "current count value" in the relay control table. Fig. Figure 16 shows only a section of the relay control table 503.

[0137] The air conditioning system 100 in Fig. 13 has six SVs. These six SVs correspond to SVNO = 1 to 6 in relay control table 503 in Fig. 16. The data for SVNO 7 and higher in relay control table 503 are used for air conditioning system 100 in Fig. 13 not used.

[0138] The binary principle is applied to the control patterns shown in relay control table 503. In other words, if the numerical values ​​of the control patterns are sorted sequentially from the highest current count to "current count = 1", the corresponding numerical values ​​for "SVNO = 1", "SVNO = 2", "SVNO = 3", "SVNO = 4", "SVNO = 5", "SVNO = 6", "SVNO = 7", etc., are "...001", "...010", "...011", "...100", "...101", "...110", "...111", etc.

[0139] In this way, the relay control table 503 is designed such that binary numbers represented by control patterns are incremented by 1 with each increase in the SVNO value. In modification 1, the principle of binary representation is thus applied to the control pattern. Based on such a control pattern, the control device 15 identifies the connection relationship between the SV and the IC with fewer attempts.

[0140] The following describes the control pattern using “SVNO = 1 to 6” in relay control table 503 as an example. In this case, “000000” is the control pattern corresponding to “current count = 0 (number of attempts = 1)”. This corresponds to opening the b-contact relays 36 of the SVs with “SVNO = 1 to 6”.

[0141] "101010" is the control pattern that corresponds to "current count = 1 (number of attempts = 2)". This corresponds to closing the b-contact relays 36 of the SVs with "SVNO = 1, 3, 5" and opening the b-contact relays 36 of the SVs with "SVNO = 2, 4, 6".

[0142] "011001" is the control pattern that corresponds to the "current count value = 2 (number of attempts = 3)". This corresponds to opening the b-contact relays 36 of the SVs with "SVNO = 1, 4, 5" and closing the b-contact relays 36 of the SVs with "SVNO = 2, 3, 6".

[0143] "000111" is the control pattern that corresponds to the "current count value = 3 (number of attempts = 4)". This corresponds to opening the b-contact relays 36 of the SVs with "SVNO = 1, 2, 3" and closing the b-contact relays 36 of the SVs with "SVNO = 4, 5, 6".

[0144] According to the counting table in Fig. For control unit 15, with 6 SVs, the "MAX count" is 3. Therefore, when "SVNO = 1 to 6", the control pattern corresponding to "current count = 4 (MAX count = 4, number of attempts = 5)" is not used for the process of identifying the connection relationship between the SVs and the ICs. In other words, when "SVNO = 1 to 6", control unit 15 can use four control patterns corresponding to "current counts = 0 to 3" to identify the connection relationship between the SVs and the ICs.

[0145] To control multiple b-contact relays 36 according to a control pattern based on the relay control table 503, the control device 15 uses the arithmetic table 504 to identify the connection relationship between the SVs and the ICs. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 17, the arithmetic table comprises 504 cells in which the presence or absence of a response from each "IC" is entered, depending on the "current count value". Each "IC" is identified by a The “ID” identifies the “IC”. A “0” is entered into a cell for “no feedback” or a “1” for “feedback received”. The cell can also remain empty if there is “no feedback”. Each time the control unit 15 controls several b-contact relays 36 according to a control pattern from the relay control table, it determines whether or not feedback has been received from each “IC” and enters a “0” or “1” accordingly into the corresponding cell of the “current count value”.

[0146] Arithmetic table 504 also contains a field "SVNO". The number of the SV to which the corresponding IC is linked, i.e., the respective "SVNO", is entered into this field. Control unit 15 calculates the value to be entered into the "SVNO" field based on the value entered in the cells of the respective IC. The calculation method of control unit 15 is described below using the example entry from arithmetic table 504. Fig. 18 described. This example entry of the arithmetic table 504 corresponds to the example configuration in Fig. 13.

[0147] The control unit 15 performs the process of determining whether or not feedback has been received from each IC while varying the control patterns over the number of attempts (MAX count + 1) according to the count table 502. The control unit 15 then transfers the presence or absence of feedback from each IC to the arithmetic table 504. This allows a numerical value of "0" or "1" to be entered into each cell corresponding to the "current count values ​​= 0 to 3", as shown in the table. Fig. 18 will be entered.

[0148] The control unit 15 calculates the "SVNO" based on the value of each cell. In modification 1, the binary principle applied to the relay control table is transferred to the calculation method for the "SVNO". In other words, the control unit 15 considers a row of cell values ​​that correspond to the "current count values" greater than or equal to 1 as a binary number.

[0149] For example, the row of cell values ​​corresponding to IC (ID = 1), omitting the cell with "current count = 0", yields the binary value "100". The row of cell values ​​corresponding to IC (ID = 2), omitting the cell with "current count = 0", also yields "100". Similarly, IC (ID = 3) yields "100", IC (ID = 4) yields "010", and IC (ID = 5) yields "110". A value obtained by converting the row of cell values ​​from a binary value to a decimal value is entered into the respective "SVNO" field in the arithmetic table.

[0150] In other words, control unit 15 converts a row of cell values ​​(except for the value of the cell for "current count = 0") from binary numbers to decimal numbers and thereby identifies the "SV" to which the "IC" corresponding to the cell row in question is connected. Fig. 17 and Fig. Figure 18 shows a mathematical formula for calculating an "SVNO" from a cell value series. This corresponds to a formula for converting a cell value series, with the exception of the cell for "current count = 0" (i.e., current count - 1), from binary numbers to decimal numbers.

[0151] Control unit 15 identifies the connection relationship between the SVs and the ICs using the calculation method described above. In the example configuration of Fig. 13, that the ICs (ID = 1, 2, 3) are connected to SVNO 1, the IC (ID = 4) is connected to SVNO 2, the ICs (ID = 5, 6) are connected to SVNO 3, the ICs (ID = 7, 8) are connected to SVNO 4, the ICs (ID = 9, 10) are connected to SVNO 5, and the ICs (ID = 11 to 14) are connected to SVNO 6. The control unit 15 further identifies that the IC 15 is not connected to any of the SVs.

[0152] The tables in Fig. Tables 14 to 18 have been described. For clarity, each table is described assuming that the control unit 15 enters the data into the cells. However, the control unit 15 does not necessarily have to enter data into the cells of the table, as long as it can execute the process based on the description above and ultimately identify the connection relationship between the SVs and the ICs. For example, when calculating the SVNOs using arithmetic table 504, the control unit 15 can directly enter the result according to the instructions in Fig. Calculate the formula shown in 18 without entering the values ​​into the cells for "current count value".

[0153] The following describes a procedure using flowcharts in which the control unit 15 identifies the connection relationship between SV and IC. Fig. Figures 19 to 21 are flowcharts illustrating the procedural steps for identifying the indoor units 20 connected to a shut-off unit 30 according to modification 1. The procedures shown in the flowcharts are carried out, for example, when the air conditioning system 100 is switched on.

[0154] First, the control unit 15 requests an attribute response from each device in the air conditioning system 100 and identifies the SV ID (step S401). Each device (SV, IC, etc.) that receives an attribute request transmits attribute information to the control unit 15 as an attribute response. This allows the control unit 15 to determine the attribute (such as SV or IC) of the respective device based on its ID (address).

[0155] The control unit 15 then determines, based on the attributes of the devices it knows, whether a safety device (SV) is present in the air conditioning system 100 (step S402). If no SV is present in the air conditioning system 100, the control unit 15 terminates the control process (step S403). If an SV is present, the control unit 15 enters its ID into the ID table 501 (step S404). This updates the ID table 501 as described in Fig. 14 updated.

[0156] The control unit 15 then consults the counting table 502 to determine the MAX count based on the number of SVs (step S405). Determining the MAX count sets the number of attempts (= MAX count + 1) as well as the maximum value (= MAX count) of the current count. The control unit 15 then sets the current count n to 0 and resets the arithmetic table 504 (step S406).

[0157] The control unit 15 then consults the relay control table 503 to determine the open / closed state of the b-contact relays 36 for each SV, depending on the current count value n (step S407). In other words, the control unit 15 consults the arithmetic table 504 to determine the control pattern for the b-contact relays 36 for each SV according to the current count value n. The following applies: In the control pattern for "current count value n = 0", all b-contact relays 36 of the SVs are open (see Fig. 16).

[0158] Subsequently, based on the control pattern determined in step S407, the control unit 15 transmits a relay control request to each SV (step S408). The control unit 15 then checks whether it has received acknowledgment responses from all SVs (step S409). If the control unit 15 does not receive acknowledgment responses from all SVs, it sets an error flag (step S411). More precisely, the control unit 15 sets a flag depending on the state of an SV. For example, it sets an anomaly flag for SVs that do not respond and a power failure flag for SVs that are experiencing a power outage.

[0159] If acknowledgment responses are received from all SVs, the control unit 15 sets the initial IC for requesting an attribute response (step S410). If it is determined that acknowledgment responses have been received from all SVs, the b-contact relay 36 of each SV is in the state according to the control pattern determined in step S407. If no acknowledgment responses have been received from any SVs, the control unit 15 sets a flag for the faulty SV in step S411 and then executes the process of step S410.

[0160] Next, the control unit 15 transmits a request for an attribute response to an IC (target IC) to request an attribute response (step S412). The control unit 15 then determines whether the target IC has responded (step S413). If the target IC has not responded, the control unit 15 continues the process to step S417.

[0161] Once the target IC has responded, the control unit 15 determines whether "current count value n = 0" applies (step S414). If "current count value n = 0" applies, the control unit 15 sets the SVNO of the target IC in the arithmetic table 504 to 0 (step S415). In this case, the target IC is not connected to any SV. This pattern corresponds to basic pattern 3 of the Fig. 2.

[0162] If, however, step S414 determines that "current count value n = 0" is not true, the control unit 15 adds "2^(n-1)" to the "SVNO" field of the target IC in the arithmetic table 504 (step S416). Note that step S416 is executed repeatedly according to the flowchart, and the number of SVs connected to the target IC appears in the "SVNO" field of the arithmetic table. The control unit 15 consults the ID table 501 (see Fig. 14), to determine the social security ID corresponding to the number.

[0163] After step S415 or step S416, the control unit 15 determines whether attribute response requests have been sent to all ICs (step S417). If not, the control unit 15 specifies the next IC (target IC) to request an attribute response from (step S418). The control unit 15 then returns to step S412.

[0164] Once it has been determined that the attribute response requests have been sent to all ICs, control unit 15 determines whether the current count value n equals the MAX count (step S419). In other words, control unit 15 determines whether the number of attempts is "MAX count + 1". If the current count value n does not equal the MAX count, control unit 15 increments the current count value n by 1 (step S420). It then returns to step S407.

[0165] If it is determined that the current count value n corresponds to the MAX count, the control unit 15 performs an anomaly detection process (step S421). In this process, it determines whether an anomaly exists in the connection relationship between the SVs and the ICs. It then performs an anomaly notification process (step S422) and, if an anomaly exists, notifies the SV and the IC where the anomaly occurs.

[0166] An example of anomalous connection relationships between SVs and ICs is given by the Fig. 22 and Fig. 23 explained. Fig. Figure 22 shows an anomalous pattern in which the shut-off units 30 are connected in series. Fig. Figure 23 shows an anomalous pattern in which the shut-off units 30 are connected in parallel. Fig. Figure 22 shows an example where two shut-off units (SV) 30 are connected in series between the outdoor unit (OC) 10 and the indoor unit (IC) 20. Fig. Figure 23 shows an example where two shut-off units (SV) 30 are connected in parallel between the outdoor unit (OC) 10 and the indoor unit (IC) 20. The control unit 15 can, for example, check in step S421 whether one of these anomalous patterns is present.

[0167] Referring to Fig. The description of the flowchart continues in section 21. After the process of step S422, the control unit 15 closes the b-contact relays 36 of all SVs (step S423). Subsequently, if no problems exist, the control unit 15 identifies ICs among the SVs based on the SVNOs in the arithmetic table 504 (step S424). In other words, the control unit 15 uses the SVNOs in the arithmetic table 504 to identify which SV is assigned to an IC.

[0168] The control unit 15 then stores the identification result in memory 12 (step S425). It then transfers the information stored in memory 12 to all SVs and ICs (step S426) and completes the process based on the flowchart.

[0169] As described above, the control unit 15 uses the tables stored in memory 12 to identify the connection relationship between the SVs and the ICs. The tables stored in memory 12 include a counting table (count data) 502, which defines the relationship between the number of SVs in the air conditioning system 100 and the number of trials (= MAX count + 1), and a relay control table (control pattern data) 503, which defines for each trial whether the contact of the b-contact relay 36 should be open or closed. Furthermore, memory 12 includes an arithmetic table (arithmetic data) 504, which the control unit 15 uses to perform and sum an arithmetic result for each IC during the execution of the trial processes, taking into account whether or not the respective IC has responded.

[0170] After the control unit 15 has repeatedly transmitted the command to each SV to set the state of an associated contact to "open" or "closed", it identifies the connection relationship between the SVs and the ICs based on the data obtained by summing the arithmetic operation results for each IC. (Modification 2)

[0171] Fig. Figure 24 shows another example configuration of the air conditioning system 100 to illustrate modification 2. In general, the shut-off valves 34 of the shut-off unit 30 are affected by a flow coefficient known as the "CV value". Therefore, the capacity and the number of indoor units 20 that can be arranged downstream of a shut-off unit 30 with shut-off valves 34 may be limited. Taking into account the effects of the CV value, shut-off units 30, as shown in Fig. Figure 24 shows that the units are arranged in parallel via pipeline 120. In this case, numerous indoor units 20 are connected to a pipeline 120 that merges downstream of the two shut-off units 30.

[0172] The two shut-off units 30 each have shut-off valves 34. In modification 2, the two shut-off valves 34 are thus essentially connected in parallel via the pipeline 120. If a refrigerant leak is detected in one of the indoor units 20 arranged below the parallel shut-off units 30, both shut-off units 30 close the pipeline 120 through their respective shut-off valves 34.

[0173] In such a configuration, it is desirable that the communication circuits 33 of the two shut-off units 30, as in Fig. Figure 24 shows that the communication circuit 13 of the outdoor unit 10 is connected in series. When the control unit 15 of the outdoor unit 10 sends a command to open the b-contact relay 36 to each shut-off unit 30, the control unit 15 checks whether a shut-off unit 30 sends a response. If no response is received, the control unit 15 determines that this shut-off unit 30 is connected in parallel to another shut-off unit 30.

[0174] Fig. Figure 25 shows a concrete example of a first communication path L11, a second communication path L12, a third communication path L13, and a fourth communication path L14. Communication paths L11 to L13 are based on the configuration of Fig. 11. The fourth communication path L14 shows a connection between OC 10 (ID = 51) and IC 20 (ID = 15) according to Fig. 13.

[0175] The first communication path L11 is between OC 10 and IC 20a. Fig. 11 arranged. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 25, this path connects OC 10 to SV 30a. The SV 30a is configured to switch the state of the b-contact relay 36 between the first path L11a and the second path L11b between open and closed states.

[0176] The second communication path L12 is between OC 10 and IC 20b. Fig. 11 arranged. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 25, the second communication path L12 connects OC 10 to SV 30b. The SV 30b is configured to switch the state of the b-contact relay 36 between the third path L11c and the fourth path L11d between open and closed states.

[0177] The third communication path L13 is between OC 10 and IC 20c. Fig. 11 arranged. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 11, ICs 20a and 20c are connected in parallel via conduit 121. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 25, the third communication path L13 includes the “first path L11a” as well as a “fifth path L11e” which connects the b-contact relay 36 of the SV 30a to the IC 20c.

[0178] The fourth communication path L14 is a path to an IC 20 that does not pass through a b-contact relay 36 of one of the SVs 30, as shown in Fig. 25 shown. The IC 20 connected to the fourth communication path L14 corresponds to the IC 20 (ID = 15) from Fig. 13. The IC 20 (ID = 15) is connected to the OC 10 via pipeline 120, without being connected to any of the pipelines located downstream of the SVs 30, as shown in Fig. 13 shown. (Further modifications)

[0179] In the present embodiment, the shut-off unit 30 with shut-off valves 34 has been described as an example of the switch. However, within the scope of this disclosure, the switch is not limited to the shut-off unit 30. For example, the switch can also be used for a device with the configuration of the shut-off unit 30 according to Fig. 5, in which the shut-off valves 34 are removed. Such a device can be used in the air conditioning system 100 instead of the shut-off unit 30.

[0180] In the present embodiment, a system has been described which exchanges heat between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 by means of a refrigerant flowing through the pipes 120. However, a heat transfer medium such as water or the like can also flow through the pipes 120.

[0181] The respective embodiments describe examples in which the indoor unit 20 and the remote control 50 communicate with each other via communication path L3. However, the indoor unit 20 and the remote control 50 can also be configured to communicate with each other via communication path L1 instead of communication path L3. Likewise, the remote control 60 located in the administrator room can also be configured to communicate via communication path L1 instead of communication path L3.

[0182] The refrigerant sensor 23 connected to the indoor unit 20 can be located inside or outside the indoor unit 20.

[0183] The embodiment described examples in which the remote control 60 installed in the administrator room is notified of various pieces of information. However, instead of the remote control 60, a control unit of the air conditioning system can also be notified of comparable information.

[0184] The embodiments described above are now summarized.

[0185] (Clause 1) The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system (100) comprising: a heat generating device (10); a first indoor unit (20a) connected to the heat generating device via piping (120); a control device (15); a first communication path (L11) for communication between the control device and the first indoor unit; and a first switch (30a) arranged on the first communication path, wherein the piping includes a first pipe (121) arranged between the first switch and the first indoor unit, wherein the first communication path includes: a first path (L11a) connecting the control device and the first switch;and a second path (L11b) connecting the first switch and the first indoor unit, wherein the first switch is configured to toggle a first contact (36) connecting the first path and the second path between an open state and a closed state, and wherein, when the first switch toggles the first contact between the open state and the closed state and a state of communication between the control device and the first indoor unit changes, the control device is configured to identify that the first indoor unit is connected to the first switch (step S307).

[0186] (Clause 2) In the air conditioning system according to Clause 1, when the first switch changes the first contact from the closed state to the open state and communication between the control device and the first indoor unit is no longer possible, the control device is designed to identify that the first indoor unit is connected to the first switch (step S307).

[0187] (Clause 3) The air conditioning system according to Clause 1 or 2 further comprises: a second indoor unit (20b); a second switch (30b); and a second communication path (L12) for communication between the control device and the second indoor unit, wherein the piping includes a second pipe (122) arranged between the second switch and the second indoor unit, the second communication path comprising: a third path (L11c) connecting the control device and the second switch;and a fourth path (L11d) connecting the second switch and the second indoor unit, wherein the second switch is configured to toggle a second contact connecting the third path and the fourth path between an open state and a closed state, and wherein, when the second switch toggles the second contact from the open state to the open state and communication between the control device and the second indoor unit is no longer possible, the control device is configured to identify that the second indoor unit is connected to the second switch.

[0188] (Clause 4) The air conditioning system according to Clause 3 further comprises: a third indoor unit (20c); and a third communication path (L13) for communication between the control device and the third indoor unit, wherein the third indoor unit is connected via the first pipe in parallel to the first indoor unit, wherein the third communication path comprises the first path (L11a) and a fifth path (L11e) connecting the first contact and the third indoor unit, wherein, when the first switch changes the first contact from the closed state to the open state and communication between the control device and the third indoor unit is no longer possible, the control device is configured to identify that the third indoor unit is connected to the first switch.

[0189] (Clause 5) The air conditioning system according to Clause 4 further comprises: a fourth indoor unit (20 (ID = 15)); and a fourth communication path (L14) for communication between the control device and the fourth indoor unit, wherein the fourth indoor unit is connected to the heat generating device via the piping (120) without being connected to the first pipe and the second pipe ( Fig. 13), wherein the fourth communication path is a path to the fourth indoor unit that does not pass through the first contact and the second contact, and wherein, when the first contact is in the open state, the second contact is in the open state and communication between the control device and the fourth indoor unit is possible, the control device is configured to identify that the fourth indoor unit is not connected to either of the first switch and the second switch (step S312, step S415).

[0190] (Clause 6) In the air conditioning system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 5, the control device is configured to transmit a command to the first switch to change the first contact between the open state and the closed state (Step S305, Step S306, Step S311, Step S313, Step S408), and the first switch is configured to change the first contact between the open state and the closed state in response to the command.

[0191] (Clause 7) In the air conditioning system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 6, the first switch shall have a b-contact relay (36) to switch the first contact between the closed state and the open state.

[0192] (Clause 8) In the air conditioning system according to one of Clauses 1 to 7, the control device is arranged in the heat generating device.

[0193] (Clause 9) In the air conditioning system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 8, when the air conditioning system is started, the control device is configured to scan each of a plurality of indoor units and each of a plurality of switches and to place identification information on each of the plurality of indoor units and each of the plurality of switches, wherein the plurality of indoor units includes the first indoor unit and the plurality of switches includes the first switch (step S302).

[0194] (Clause 10) In the air conditioning system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, the first switch shall have a first shut-off valve (34) and if a refrigerant leak is detected at the first indoor unit, the first switch shall be configured to shut off the first pipe with the first shut-off valve (Step S5, Step S34).

[0195] (Clause 11) The air conditioning system according to Clause 1 further comprises: m switches, including the first switch; n indoor units, including the first indoor unit; and a memory for storing control data, wherein m and n are integers greater than or equal to 2, each of the m switches having a contact corresponding to the first contact, the control device being configured to execute a process in which a command to set the contact to an open state or a closed state is sent to each of the m switches (step S407 to step S420), the control data comprising: count data (502) defining a relationship between a total number m of switches and a total number of process executions;and control pattern data (503) which define, by the total number of process executions, whether the contact of each of the m switches in the process is set to the open state or the closed state, wherein the control device is configured to repeatedly execute the process based on the count data and the control pattern data (step S407 to step S420), wherein during the repeated execution of the process the control device is configured to accumulate and add an arithmetic operation result depending on the presence or absence of a response from each of the n indoor devices, device-wise (step S416);and wherein the control device is configured to identify, after repeated execution of the process, a connection relationship between each of the m switches and each of the n indoor devices based on the data obtained by accumulating and adding the arithmetic operation result for each indoor device (step S424).

[0196] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered exemplary in every respect and not limiting. The scope of protection of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and not by the above description of the embodiments. All modifications that fall within the meaning and scope of equivalence of the appended claims are to be included within their scope of protection. REFERENCE MARK LIST

[0197] 10 Outdoor unit (heat generation unit); 11, 21, 31, 41 Processor; 12, 22, 32, 42 Memory; 13, 26, 33 Communication circuit; 14, 24 Air conditioning mechanism; 15 Control unit; 20, 20a to 20e Indoor unit; 23, 43 Refrigerant sensor; 23a Sensor connection; 25 Sensor adjustment switch; 27, 37, 47 Communication interface; 30, 30a, 30b Shut-off unit; 34, 34a, 34b Shut-off valve; 35 Emergency power source; 36b Contact relay; 40, 40a to 40d Alarm unit; 44 Speaker; 45 LED; 50, 50a to 50e, 60 Remote control; 51 Display; 52 Operating unit; 90 Distribution control; 91 Distribution mechanism; 100 Air conditioning system; 120 to 126, 121a, 121b Piping; L1 to L3 Communication path; L11 First communication path; L12 Second communication path; L13 Third communication path; L14 Fourth communication path; L11a to L11e First path to Fifth path; 141 Compressor; 142, 242 Heat exchanger; 243 Expansion valve; 144, 244 Fan; 145 Four-way valve; 300 Substrate; 370 Connection;501 ID table; 502 Counting table; 503 Relay control table; 504 Arithmetic table; A to D Room.; QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2713041 [0002, 0003]

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