Air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner capable of inhibiting generation of uncomfortable noise during execution of a cleaning operation.SOLUTION: During execution of a cleaning operation in which a brush 76 is brought into contact with a cross flow fan 21, if a control amount of feedback control of an inner fan motor 25 that rotates the cross flow fan 21 is the same as that during execution of a normal operation, a fluctuation range in which the inner fan motor 25 fluctuates at around target rotational frequency is large and the situation where the fluctuation of the rotation of the cross flow fan 21 prevents uniform contact with the brush 76 causes uncomfortable noise. To solve this problem, during execution of the cleaning operation, the control amount of the feedback control of the inner fan motor 25 is set finer compared to during the execution of the normal operation, so as to enable suppression of the fluctuation range of the rotational frequency of the inner fan motor 25. Since the fluctuation of the rotation of the cross flow fan 21 can be suppressed, generation of uncomfortable noise caused by contact of the brush 76 with the rotating cross flow fan 21 can be suppressed, so as to improve product performance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner for adjusting a room temperature. [Background technology]

[0002] Air conditioners are widely used to adjust the temperature inside a house, etc. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to air conditioners.

[0003] An air conditioner as shown in Patent Document 1 has a case fixed to a wall, a fan housed in the case and rotating to blow air into a room, and a brush unit arranged to be able to come into contact with the fan and to clean the fan.

[0004] According to the air conditioner, dust adhering to the fan can be removed by performing a cleaning operation in which the fan is rotated with the brushes attached to the brush unit in contact with the fan. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-143961 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in this conventional device, when the feedback control of the internal fan motor that drives the fan during cleaning operation is performed with the same control amount as during normal operation when air is blown from the air outlet, the rotation speed of the internal fan motor fluctuates widely around the target rotation speed. If the rotation speed of the internal fan motor fluctuates widely during cleaning operation, the brush does not come into uniform contact with the fan, and unpleasant noise continues to be generated, reducing product quality, so there was room for improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, in claim 1 of the present invention, a case is provided with an air intake port capable of taking in air from the outside and an air outlet port capable of blowing the taken-in air out to the outside, a fan that is installed within the case and rotates to blow air; an internal fan motor that drives the fan to rotate; a cleaning mechanism disposed within the case and having a brush capable of cleaning the fan; a control unit that controls a feedback control of a rotation speed of the internal fan motor during a normal operation in which the fan is rotated to blow air from the air outlet and during a cleaning operation in which the brush is brought into contact with the rotating fan to clean the fan, The control unit is characterized in that the control amount by feedback control of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor when the cleaning operation is performed is finer than the control amount by feedback control of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor when the normal operation is performed.

[0008] In addition, claim 2 is characterized in that the cleaning mechanism is installed on a specified surface near the fan, the cleaning mechanism has a moving body that can move along the specified surface and a drive unit for driving the moving body, and the drive unit includes a cleaning motor and a drive force transmission unit connected to the cleaning motor and transmitting the drive force of the cleaning motor to the moving body.

[0009] In addition, claim 3 is characterized in that the fan is a cross-flow fan, and the case has a guide surface formed along the axis of the cross-flow fan for guiding the air blown by the cross-flow fan toward the air outlet, the specified surface is the guide surface, and the driving force transmission part extends approximately parallel to the axis of the cross-flow fan.

[0010] In addition, in claim 4, the control unit drives the cleaning motor when it determines that an instruction to start the cleaning operation has been issued, stops the cleaning motor and drives the internal fan motor when the moving body reaches a predetermined position on the guide surface corresponding to the side end of the cross-flow fan, and re-drives the cleaning motor when it is confirmed that the internal fan motor is being driven.

[0011] In addition, in claim 5, the cleaning mechanism further includes a sheet that is detachably provided on the moving body and is capable of wiping off dust adhering to the guide surface. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to this invention, the control amount by feedback control of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor when cleaning operation is performed is made finer than the control amount by feedback control of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor when normal operation is performed. Therefore, the fluctuation range of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor when cleaning operation is performed is reduced. As a result, the brush comes into uniform contact with the fan when cleaning operation is performed, which prevents the continuous generation of unpleasant noise and improves product quality. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of the air conditioner shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the case of the indoor unit shown in FIG. 2 and a fan housed in the case. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a drive mechanism of the wiping mechanism. [Diagram 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wiping mechanism as viewed in a direction along the axial direction of the fan. FIG. [Figure 6] Fig. 6A is a perspective view of a movable body to which a brush and a sheet are attached, and Fig. 6B is a diagram for explaining attachment and detachment of the brush and the sheet to the movable body. [Figure 7]11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the wiping mechanism. [Figure 8] Fig. 8A is a diagram illustrating the moving body in the storage position, and Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the moving body in the storage position. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the cross-flow fan and the moving body at the start of cleaning. [Figure 11] 5 is a flowchart illustrating the contents of inner fan motor control for each operation mode. [Figure 12] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating changes in the rotation speed of the internal fan motor over time from the start of cleaning in a comparative example. [Figure 13] 6 is a diagram illustrating a change in the rotation speed of the internal fan motor over time from the start of cleaning in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] Fig. 14A is a diagram for explaining a driving force transmission unit (worm) of an air conditioner according to Example 2. Fig. 14B is a perspective view of the driving force transmission unit (worm). [Figure 15] Fig. 15A is a perspective view of the movable body in a storage position with the motor case and the motor removed, and Fig. 15B is a diagram illustrating attachment and detachment of the movable body to and from the driving force transmission unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fr indicates front, Rr indicates rear, Le indicates left, Ri indicates right, Up indicates top, and Dn indicates bottom.

[0015] <Example 1> 1 shows an air conditioner 10 according to embodiment 1. The air conditioner 10 has a cooling function for cooling the indoor space In and a heating function for heating the indoor space In.

[0016] The air conditioner 10 includes an outdoor unit 11 provided outdoors Ou and an indoor unit 20 provided indoors In. The outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 20 are connected to each other so that a refrigerant can circulate. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the direction in which the refrigerant circulates is based on the cooling operation.

[0017] The outdoor unit 11 is equipped with a four-way switching valve 12 that switches the direction in which the refrigerant circulates during cooling operation and heating operation, a compressor 13 through which the refrigerant that has passed through the four-way switching valve 12 flows and compresses the refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger 14 through which the refrigerant that has been compressed in the compressor 13 and has a high temperature and pressure flows, an outdoor fan 15 that blows air towards the outdoor heat exchanger 14, an outdoor fan motor 17 that is journalled to the outdoor fan 15 and drives the outdoor fan 15 at a predetermined rotational speed, and an expansion valve 16 that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 14.

[0018] The indoor unit 20 is used by hanging it on a wall Wa inside the room In. A case 30 of the indoor unit 20 is fixed to the wall Wa via a support plate. The case 30 extending in the left-right direction houses a cross-flow fan 21 that takes in air from the room In into the case 30 and blows it out to the room In, an inner fan motor 25 that is a DC motor supported by the cross-flow fan 21 and capable of feedback control for driving the cross-flow fan 21 at a predetermined rotation speed, and an indoor heat exchanger 27 that exchanges heat with the air taken in by the cross-flow fan 21.

[0019] During cooling operation, which is a type of normal operation, the refrigerant that has been made high temperature and high pressure by the compressor 13 exchanges heat with outside air in the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and releases heat. At this time, the outdoor fan 15 operates to forcibly flow outside air around the outdoor heat exchanger 14, promoting heat exchange. The refrigerant that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and released heat is reduced in pressure by the expansion valve 16, and its temperature drops. The cooled refrigerant is sent to the indoor unit 20.

[0020] Air is introduced into the case 30 of the indoor unit 20 by operating the cross-flow fan 21. The introduced air passes around the periphery of the indoor heat exchanger 27 and is sent to the indoor space In. The indoor heat exchanger 27 is supplied with refrigerant that has been cooled in the outdoor unit 11. The air that passes around the periphery of the indoor heat exchanger 27 exchanges heat with the refrigerant and is cooled. The cooled air is sent to the indoor space In.

[0021] During heating operation, which is a type of normal operation, the four-way valve 12 switches the flow path of the refrigerant to circulate in the opposite direction to that during cooling operation. This sends high-temperature refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger 27, and the cross-flow fan 21 is driven to blow high-temperature air indoors In.

[0022] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. An air intake port 31 capable of taking in air from the outside (indoors In) is opened on the top surface of the case 30. An air outlet 32 ​​capable of blowing air out to the outside (indoors In) is opened on the front lower part of the case 30. The air outlet 32 ​​is provided with up and down louvers 28 that can open and close the air outlet 32 ​​and adjust the direction in which the air is blown out vertically.

[0023] Please refer to Fig. 3. Behind the up-down louvers 28 (see Fig. 2), left-right louvers 29 are provided which are capable of adjusting the direction in which air is blown out to the left and right.

[0024] [Case storage area, guide surface, side] Case 30 has a fan storage section 33 that stores cross-flow fan 21. Fan storage section 33 surrounds part of the outer periphery of cross-flow fan 21 and has guide surface 40 as a predetermined surface that guides air blown by cross-flow fan 21 toward air outlet 32, and two side surfaces 34, 35 located adjacent to end surfaces 22, 23 on either side of cross-flow fan 21.

[0025] Guide surface 40 is formed along the longitudinal direction of case 30, parallel to the extension of axis C of cross-flow fan 21. A space defined by guide surface 40, two side surfaces 34, 35, and cross-flow fan 21 of case 30 and through which the blown air can flow is defined as air passage 36 (see FIG. 5).

[0026] [Cleaning mechanism] Please refer to Figures 4 and 5. Case 30 is equipped with a cleaning mechanism 50 capable of wiping off dust adhering to the inside of case 30 (cross-flow fan 21 and guide surface 40).

[0027] [Drive unit] The drive section 51 of the cleaning mechanism 50 has a cleaning motor 52 which is the drive source for the moving body 60 described later and is composed of a stepping motor which operates when electricity is applied, a gear section 53 which is composed of a plurality of gears and is capable of transmitting the drive force of the cleaning motor 52, and a drive force transmission section 54 which is connected to the cleaning motor 52 and transmits the drive force of the cleaning motor 52 to the moving body 60.

[0028] [Drive force transmission section] The driving force transmission section 54 includes a driving pulley 55 having a spur gear formed on part thereof and driven to rotate by a gear section 53, a driven pulley (not shown) provided on the opposite side of the driving pulley 55 (based on the axial direction of the cross-flow fan 21), and a toothed rope 56 (synchro mesh rope) looped around the driving pulley 55 and the driven pulley.

[0029] [Transmission unit storage section] 4 and 5. Guide surface 40 is formed with a transmission unit housing section 41 that is recessed so as to open towards cross-flow fan 21 and houses drive force transmission unit 54. Transmission unit housing section 41 is provided along the direction of axis C of cross-flow fan 21 from the right end (the storage side described below) to the left end (the opposite side to the storage side) of guide surface 40. With the air flow direction of air passage 36 as the reference, the surface of guide surface 40 upstream of transmission unit housing section 41 is referred to as upstream guide surface 43, and the surface downstream of transmission unit housing section 41 is referred to as downstream guide surface 44.

[0030] The transmission unit storage section 41 is covered by a cover 42. A surface 42a of the cover 42 smoothly connects the upstream guide surface 43 and the downstream guide surface 44 (they are continuous without protruding or recessing from the guide surface 40). In other words, the surface 42a of the cover 42, together with the upstream guide surface 43 and the downstream guide surface 44, constitutes a part of the guide surface 40. A back surface 42b of the cover 42 has a rib 42c that protrudes toward the transmission unit storage section 41 and reinforces the cover 42.

[0031] A gap G is defined between the upstream guide surface 43 and the surface 42a of the cover 42. Gap G is formed along the direction of the axis C of the cross-flow fan 21, with a substantially uniform width.

[0032] [Mobile object] Please refer to Figures 5, 6A and 6B. Cleaning mechanism 50 is equipped with a movable body 60 that is movable along axis C of cross-flow fan 21 in air passage 36 (between cross-flow fan 21 and guide surface 40). Movement body 60 is integrally constructed of a driven part 61 that is connected to toothed rope 56 and moves in the direction of axis C of cross-flow fan 21 when drive part 51 is operated, a pair of arms 62, 62 that extend from driven part 61 through gap G to air passage 36, and a support part 70 that is supported by the pair of arms 62, 62 and formed along guide surface 40.

[0033] In other words, in the movable body 60, the driven part 61 is a part stored in the transmission part storage part 41, the support part 70 is a part located in the air passage 36, and the pair of arms 62, 62 are parts that connect the driven part 61 and the support part 70. Note that the pair of arms 62, 62 may be eliminated, and the support part 70 and the driven part 61 may be connected by a magnet with the guide surface 40 sandwiched therebetween.

[0034] When the rib 42c is formed at a position where it can come into contact with the second guide roller 63, the second guide roller 63 can be guided by the rib 42c for reinforcing the cover 42.

[0035] [Driver part] The driven portion 61 includes a first guide roller 64 capable of rolling on the upper or lower surface of the transmission portion accommodating portion 41 , and a second guide roller 63 capable of rolling on the rib 42 c or the transmission portion accommodating portion 41 .

[0036] [Support part] 6B, the support portion 70 has a rectangular frame shape with the longitudinal direction being the air flow direction of the air passage 36. The support portion 70 is integrally formed with a pair of vertical frame portions 71, 71 supported by a pair of arms 62, 62, an upper frame portion 73 connecting the upper ends of the pair of vertical frame portions 71, 71, and a lower frame portion 74 connecting the lower ends of the pair of vertical frame portions 71, 71.

[0037] [Wiping section] The wiping part 80 is attached to the support part 70. The wiping part 80 has a rectangular plate-like main body part 81 that can cover the frame of the support part 70. The main body part 81 has an insertion part 82 that can be inserted into the upper frame part 73, and a locking part 83 that can be locked to the lower frame part 74. The pair of vertical frame parts 71, 71 have support edges 72, 72 that can support the main body part 81.

[0038] Sheet The main body 81 includes a sheet 84 that can come into contact with the guide surface 40 and wipe away dust adhering to the guide surface 40. The sheet 84 can be made of nonwoven fabric, sponge, or the like.

[0039] [Brush] Main body 81 is provided with brush 76 that is capable of contacting outer circumferential edge 24 (see FIG. 5) of cross-flow fan 21 and wiping off dust adhering to outer circumferential edge 24. Brush 76 is provided so as to be able to swing relative to main body 81. The center line of the swing is a direction along axis C of cross-flow fan 21. Brush 76 is provided with base 78 on which resin bristles 77 are attached for wiping off dust from cross-flow fan 21.

[0040] [Spring] The brush 76 is equipped with a tension spring 79 (spring). One end of the tension spring 79 is fixed to the base 78 of the brush 76, and the other end of the tension spring 79 is fixed to the main body 81. The tension spring 79 applies force to the brush 76 so that the brush 76 swings in a direction approaching the cross-flow fan 21.

[0041] [Wiping mechanism operation] Please refer to Figures 4 and 7. After receiving an operation stop signal from the remote control 110, or upon receiving a cleaning operation instruction signal by operating a switch on the remote control 110, the air conditioner 10 starts the cleaning operation by the cleaning mechanism 50.

[0042] When the cleaning motor 52 is operated, the gear portion 53 and the drive pulley 55 rotate. When the drive pulley 55 rotates, the moving body 60 connected to the toothed rope 56 moves in the left-right direction.

[0043] Sheet 84 is in contact with guide surface 40, and brush 76 is in contact with cross-flow fan 21. When movable body 60 moves along gap G in this state, dust adhering to guide surface 40 is wiped away by sheet 84, and dust adhering to cross-flow fan 21 is also wiped away by brush 76. By rotating cross-flow fan 21 at this time (counterclockwise in FIG. 5), it is possible to clean the entire outer periphery 24 of cross-flow fan 21. Note that the bottom surface (not shown) of base 78 of brush 76 is in contact with main body 81 during cleaning.

[0044] The movable body 60 has both the sheet 84 and the brush 76. Therefore, dust can be dropped from the cross-flow fan 21 onto the guide surface 40 by the brush 76, and then wiped away by the sheet 84.

[0045] Since the left and right louvers 29 (see Figure 3) are installed on the downstream side of the air flow of the cleaning mechanism 50, it is difficult to insert one's hand into the air passage 36 between the cross-flow fan 21 and the guide surface 40 to clean it. Therefore, by providing a cleaning mechanism 50 that can move along the guide surface 40, dust adhering to the guide surface 40 can be easily removed.

[0046] [Storage position of the moving object] Please refer to Fig. 3 and Fig. 8A. When cleaning by the cleaning mechanism 50 is completed, the moving body 60 is stored. The position where the moving body 60 is stored while the cleaning mechanism 50 is stopped is defined as the storage position. The storage position of the moving body 60 is set at the end 36a of the air passage 36 with reference to the direction of the axis C of the cross-flow fan 21. A microswitch 38 is provided at the end 36a, and when the moving body 60 is stored in the storage position, the microswitch 38 is pressed, and when the moving body 60 leaves the storage position, the microswitch 38 is opened. By outputting a signal indicating the open / closed state of the microswitch 38 and transmitting it to the indoor side control unit 100a, the indoor side control unit 100a can determine whether the moving body 60 is stored in the storage position.

[0047] Hereinafter, the side where movable body 60 is stored is referred to as the storage side (right side) with reference to the direction of axis C of cross-flow fan 21. Note that the storage position may be end 36b (see FIG. 3) on the opposite side (left side) of the storage side.

[0048] [Motor position] The cleaning motor 52 (see FIG. 4) is located at the end 36a on the storage side of the air passage 36, but may be located at the end 36b on the opposite side of the air passage 36. In other words, the storage position of the movable body 60 and the position of the cleaning motor 52 may be opposite each other.

[0049] [Location of circuit board storage compartment] The case 30 has a board storage section 37 that stores an indoor side control section 100a that is composed of a control board capable of controlling the cleaning motor 52. The board storage section 37 is formed on the storage side (right side) of the fan storage section 33.

[0050] [Motor case] Refer to Fig. 8A. The cleaning motor 52 (see Fig. 4), the gear section 53, and the drive pulley 55 are covered by a motor case 57. The motor case 57 is formed to fit along the guide surface 40, and is integrally formed with an upper wall section 57a ​​covering the upper side of the cleaning motor 52, and a side wall section 57b extending from the left edge of the upper wall section 57a ​​toward the guide surface 40 and covering the left side of the cleaning motor 52. The right edge of the upper wall section 57a ​​is in contact with the side surface 34 on the storage side of the fan storage section 33. It can also be said that the side surface 34 covers the right side of the cleaning motor 52.

[0051] [How to store a moving object] A sliding portion 58 is formed on the edge of upper wall portion 57a ​​of motor case 57, along which base portion 78 of brush 76 slides when movable body 60 moves toward the storage position (right side). Sliding portion 58 can guide brush 76, which is in contact with cross-flow fan 21, so as to swing until brush 76 is separated from cross-flow fan 21. In other words, cleaning motor 52 and sliding portion 58 function as a switching means that can switch between a state in which brush 76 is in contact with cross-flow fan 21 and a state in which brush 76 is separated from cross-flow fan 21.

[0052] Sliding portion 58 extends, for example, in a straight line obliquely relative to the direction of axis C of cross-flow fan 21, but may also extend in a curved line. Note that sliding portion 58 may be supported by fan housing portion 33, for example, and may be a part of a member separate from motor case 57.

[0053] [Brush position in stowed position] 8B, when the movable body 60 is in the storage position, the side surface 78a of the base portion 78 of the brush 76 is in contact with the movable body 60 (the vertical frame portions 71, 71 of the support portion 70). That is, the brush 76 is completely laid down.

[0054] [Control Unit] Please refer to Fig. 9. Reference numeral 100 denotes a control unit that controls the driving of each actuator installed in the air conditioner 10. The control unit 100 is composed of an indoor side control unit 100a installed in the indoor unit 20 and an outdoor side control unit 100b installed in the outdoor unit 11. When the indoor side control unit 100a receives various operation instructions from the remote control 110, it operates each actuator installed in the indoor unit 20 in accordance with the contents of the operation instructions, and transmits information on the operation instructions of the remote control 110 to the outdoor side control unit 100b. When the outdoor side control unit 100b receives the information sent from the indoor side control unit 100a, it operates each actuator installed in the outdoor unit 11 in accordance with the operation instructions of the remote control 110.

[0055] [Cleaning operation] Next, the operation of movable body 60 and cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0056] When the indoor side control unit 100a determines that it has received a signal to stop normal operation from the remote control 110 with the execution of cleaning operation set in advance after the end of normal operation, or that it has received a command signal to start cleaning operation by operating a switch on the remote control 110, it stops normal operation and then drives the cleaning motor 52 to move the moving body 60 from the end 36a, which is the storage position (step S101).

[0057] When the process of step S101 is completed, the indoor side control unit 100a determines whether the moving body 60 has reached a predetermined position where it contacts the right end side of the cross-flow fan 21 based on the pulse number count of the cleaning motor 52 (step S102). When the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S102 that the moving body 60 has reached a predetermined position, it stops driving the cleaning motor 52 and starts driving the inner fan motor 25 to rotate the cross-flow fan 21 (step S103). The details of the feedback control in driving the inner fan motor 25 will be described later. If the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S102 that the moving object 60 has not reached the predetermined position, it repeats the determination in step S102.

[0058] When the process of step S103 is completed, the indoor side control section 100a judges whether or not the start of driving of the indoor fan motor 25 has been confirmed based on a change in the rotation speed of the indoor fan motor 25 (step S104). When the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S104 that it has confirmed that the internal fan motor 25 has started to drive, it resumes driving the cleaning motor 52 and cleans the cross-flow fan 21 with the brush 76 and the guide surface 40 with the sheet 84 (step S105). If the indoor side control section 100a determines in step S104 that the start of driving of the indoor fan motor 25 cannot be confirmed, it repeats the determination in step S104.

[0059] When the process of step S105 is completed, the indoor side control section 100a judges whether the moving body 60 has reached the left end side of the movable guide surface 40 based on the pulse number count of the cleaning motor 52 (step S106). When the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S106 that the moving body 60 has reached the left end side of the guide surface 40, it stops driving the internal fan motor 25 and reverses the rotation of the cleaning motor 52 to move the moving body 60 toward the right side of the guide surface 40 (step S107). If the indoor side control section 100a determines in step S106 that the moving body 60 has not reached the left end side of the guide surface 40, it repeats the determination in step S106.

[0060] When the process of step S107 is completed, the indoor side control section 100a judges whether the moving body 60 has reached the end portion 36a, which is the storage position, based on the output signal of the microswitch 38 (step S108). If the indoor side control section 100a determines in step S108 that the microswitch 38 is in the closed state and the moving body 60 has reached the storage position, it stops driving the cleaning motor 52 and ends the cleaning operation. If the indoor side control section 100a determines in step S108 that the microswitch 38 is in the open state and the moving body 60 has not reached the storage position, it repeats the determination in step S108.

[0061] In this way, during cleaning operation, the moving body 60 is stopped at a position where the brush 76 contacts the right end side of the cross-flow fan 21, and then movement of the moving body 60 resumes once the rotational drive of the cross-flow fan 21 is confirmed. Since the brush 76 contacts the entire cross-flow fan 21 from the left end to the right end, the cleaning ability of the cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation can be improved.

[0062] [Inner fan motor control by operation mode] Next, the control of the internal fan motor 25 in each operation mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0063] When the indoor side control unit 100a determines that it has received a start instruction signal for a predetermined operation mode for driving the indoor fan motor 25 based on a switch operation of the remote control 110 or a pre-setting on the remote control 110, it starts driving the indoor fan motor 25 (step S201).

[0064] When the process of step S201 is completed, the indoor side control unit 100a judges whether the operation mode to be performed is cleaning operation (step S202). When the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S202 that cleaning operation is to be performed, it operates the indoor fan motor 25 with feedback control for cleaning operation in which the resolution and frequency in the PWM control of the indoor fan motor 25 are made larger than those during normal operation, and the integral coefficient in the feedback control of the rotation speed of the indoor fan motor 25 is made smaller than those during normal operation (step S203). When the indoor side control section 100a determines in step S202 that an operation other than the cleaning operation is to be performed, it operates the inner fan motor 25 with feedback control for normal operation similar to that during normal operation (step S204).

[0065] As a result, the control amount of the feedback control of the internal fan motor 25 during cleaning operation is finer than during normal operation, so that the fluctuation range of the internal fan motor 25 around the target rotation speed during cleaning operation can be reduced.

[0066] Next, the relationship between the drive control of the internal fan motor 25 during cleaning operation and the generation of unpleasant noise will be described in detail.

[0067] When a command to start cleaning operation is given, if internal fan motor 25 and cleaning motor 52 are driven simultaneously, brush 76 comes into contact with rotating cross-flow fan 21. As a result, brush 76 collides with the right end of cross-flow fan 21 while rotating, causing the rotation of cross-flow fan 21 to fluctuate, and brush 76 does not come into uniform contact with cross-flow fan 21, generating unpleasant noise.

[0068] Refer to Figure 12. At the start of cleaning operation, internal fan motor 25 reaches the target rotation speed for cleaning operation in a time equivalent to time T1 it takes to reach the target rotation speed during normal operation, and when brush 76 comes into contact with cross-flow fan 21, a load is suddenly applied to the rotating cross-flow fan 21 due to the contact of brush 76, causing the rotation of cross-flow fan 21 to wobble, and the contact with brush 76 generates an unpleasant noise.

[0069] Furthermore, if the resolution and frequency in the PWM control of the internal fan motor 25 during cleaning operation and the integral coefficient in the feedback control of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 are the same as those during normal operation, the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 fluctuates greatly around the target rotation speed. Although there is no particular problem if the fluctuation in the rotation of the cross-flow fan 21 is large during normal operation, if the fluctuation in the rotation of the cross-flow fan 21 is large with the brush 76 in contact during cleaning operation, the brush 76 will not come into uniform contact with the cross-flow fan 21, causing unpleasant noise to continue to be generated, reducing user comfort.

[0070] Therefore, in the first embodiment, after the brush 76 comes into contact during the cleaning operation, the inner fan motor 25 is driven. As a result, since the brush 76 does not come into contact with the rotating cross-flow fan 21, the brush 76 does not come into contact with the right end side of the rotating cross-flow fan 21 and the rotation of the cross-flow fan 21 does not wobble, so that the generation of unpleasant noise can be prevented.

[0071] Refer to FIG. 13. In the first embodiment, during the cleaning operation, the resolution and frequency in the PWM control of the inner fan motor 25 are made larger than those during the normal operation, and the integral coefficient in the feedback control of the rotational speed of the inner fan motor 25 is made smaller than that during the normal operation. As a result, the control amount of the feedback control of the inner fan motor 25 during the cleaning operation becomes finer than that during the normal operation, and the time T2 for the inner fan motor 25 to reach the target rotational speed during the cleaning operation becomes longer than the time T1 for the inner fan motor 25 to reach the target rotational speed during the normal operation (T1 < T2). By making the control amount of the feedback control of the inner fan motor 25 during the cleaning operation finer than that during the normal operation and making T2 longer than T1, the inner fan motor 25 does not reach the target rotational speed in a short time at the start of the fan cleaning and does not greatly exceed the target rotational speed, so that the generation of unpleasant noise when the brush 76 comes into contact with the cross-flow fan 21 can be suppressed.

[0072] Also, since the control amount of the feedback control of the inner fan motor 25 during the cleaning operation is made finer than that during the normal operation, the fluctuation range of the rotational speed of the inner fan motor 25 can be suppressed after the time T2 for the inner fan motor 25 to reach the target rotational speed, as compared with the case of performing the normal operation. As a result, while the moving body 60 moves leftward and the brush 76 continues to contact the cross-flow fan 21 during the cleaning operation, the brush 76 uniformly contacts the cross-flow fan 21, so that the continuous generation of unpleasant noise can be prevented and the comfort of the user is not impaired.

[0073] [Effects of the First Embodiment] Next, the effects of the first embodiment will be described. Note that the effects of the first embodiment described below are also exhibited in the second embodiment described below.

[0074] The indoor control unit 100a sets the control amount of the feedback control of the rotation speed of the inner fan motor 25 during cleaning operation to be finer than the control amount of the feedback control of the rotation speed of the inner fan motor 25 during normal operation. During cleaning operation in which the brush 76 comes into contact with the cross-flow fan 21, if the control amount of the feedback control of the inner fan motor 25 that rotates the cross-flow fan 21 is the same as during normal operation, the inner fan motor 25 will fluctuate greatly above and below the target rotation speed, and the rotation of the cross-flow fan 21 will fluctuate and not come into uniform contact with the brush 76, generating unpleasant noise. By setting the control amount of the feedback control of the inner fan motor 25 during cleaning operation to be finer than during normal operation, the fluctuation range of the rotation speed of the inner fan motor 25 is suppressed, thereby suppressing the fluctuation of the rotation of the cross-flow fan 21, thereby suppressing the generation of unpleasant noise caused by the brush 76 coming into contact with the rotating cross-flow fan 21, improving product quality.

[0075] Further, a cleaning mechanism 50 is installed on a predetermined surface near the fan, and the cleaning mechanism 50 has a moving body 60 movable along the predetermined surface and a drive unit 51 for driving the moving body 60, and the drive unit 51 includes a cleaning motor 52 and a drive force transmission unit 54 connected to the cleaning motor 52 and transmitting the drive force of the cleaning motor 52 to the moving body 60. In a configuration in which the contact surface of the brush 76 with the fan changes during cleaning operation, fluctuations in the rotation of the fan are suppressed, and therefore unpleasant noise caused by the brush 76 coming into contact with the rotating fan can be particularly suppressed, improving product quality.

[0076] The fan is cross-flow fan 21, and case 30 has guide surface 40 formed along axis C of cross-flow fan 21 for guiding the air blown by cross-flow fan 21 toward air outlet 32, the predetermined surface is guide surface 40, and drive force transmission section 54 extends approximately parallel to axis C of cross-flow fan 21. In a device in which moving body 60 is mounted on guide surface 40 and moves in a direction along axis C of cross-flow fan 21 (left-right direction), wobbling of the rotation of cross-flow fan 21 is suppressed during cleaning operation, which particularly suppresses unpleasant noise caused by brush 76 coming into contact with the rotating cross-flow fan 21, improving product quality.

[0077] Furthermore, the indoor side control unit 100a drives the cleaning motor 52 when it determines that a command to start a cleaning operation has been issued, stops the cleaning motor 52 and drives the internal fan motor 25 when the moving body 60 reaches a predetermined position on the guide surface 40 that corresponds to the side end of the cross-flow fan 21, and restarts the cleaning motor 52 when it is confirmed that the internal fan motor 25 is being driven. During the cleaning operation, the moving body 60 operates from the side end of the cross-flow fan 21 after the cross-flow fan 21 has rotated, so that the brush 76 comes into contact with the entire cross-flow fan 21 in the left-right direction as it rotates, improving the cleaning ability of the cross-flow fan 21 during the cleaning operation.

[0078] Moreover, cleaning mechanism 50 further has sheet 84 that is detachably provided on main body 81 and capable of wiping off dust adhering to guide surface 40. During cleaning operation, dust removed from cross-flow fan 21 by brush 76 can be wiped off with sheet 84, thereby improving the cleanliness of guide surface 40.

[0079] <Example 2> 14A and 14B show an air conditioner 10A according to Example 2. Configurations common to the air conditioner 10 of Example 1 are given the same reference numerals as in Example 1, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0080] In the second embodiment, a worm 59 that is housed in the transmission unit housing 41A and can be driven by a gear unit 53 (see FIG. 4) is used instead of the driving force transmission unit 54 (toothed rope 56, driving pulley 55) (see FIG. 4) of the first embodiment. The driven unit 61A of the moving body 60A includes a rack gear 65 that meshes with the worm 59.

[0081] When the cleaning motor 52 (see FIG. 6) is operated, it rotates a worm 59 (driving force transmission part) that is provided across the width direction of the case 30. Since the driven part 61A has a rack gear 65 that meshes with the worm 59, the rotation of the worm 59 moves the moving body 60A in the left-right direction.

[0082] 14A, the rack gear 65 of the moving body 60 is positioned above the worm 59 and engages with the worm 59.

[0083] 15A and 15B, the transmission unit storage section 41 is covered by a cover 42 except for the end on the storage side. That is, an opening 45 is formed at the end on the storage side of the transmission unit storage section 41. The width of this opening 45 is set to be wider than the width of the driven section 61 of the moving body 60.

[0084] With the above configuration, when the moving body 60 in the storage position is slid forward, the worm 59 and the rack gear 65 are disengaged, and the moving body 60 in the storage position can be removed from the worm 59 with the transmission unit storage section 41 covered with the cover 42. In a similar manner, the moving body 60 can be attached to the worm 59. Therefore, with the transmission unit storage section 41 covered with the cover 42, the moving body 60 in the storage position can be attached to and detached from the worm 59 (driving force transmission section 54).

[0085] Return to FIG. 6B. In the air conditioner 10 of the first embodiment, the moving body 60 in the storage position relative to the toothed rope 56 (driving force transmission part) can also be attached and detached. When the wiping part 80 is removed from the support part 70, the head of the screw 91 is exposed from within the frame of the support part 70. The head of the screw 91 faces forward. That is, the shaft part (not shown) of the screw 91 extends in the front-rear direction (depth direction of the case 30). The driven part 61 and both ends 56a, 56a of the toothed rope 56 are overlapped with each other in the front-rear direction and fixed by the screw 91. When the screw 91 is removed, the fixation between the both ends 56a, 56a of the toothed rope 56 and the moving body 60 is released. After that, the moving body 60 can be removed from the toothed rope 56 by moving the moving body 60 forward.

[0086] Referring to Fig. 5, downstream end 84a of sheet 84 is located vertically below the point at which bristles 77 of brush 76 contact outer periphery 24 of cross-flow fan 21. Therefore, downstream end 84a of sheet 84 can reliably wipe away dust adhering to cross-flow fan 21.

[0087] As long as the functions and effects of the present invention are achieved, the present invention is not limited to the examples. For example, in each of the embodiments described above, the cleaning mechanism 50 is configured to include the brush 76 and the sheet 84 on the moving body 60, but the moving body 60 may be configured to include only the brush 76.

[0088] In addition, in each of the embodiments described above, the cross-flow fan 21 is installed inside the case 30 as a fan that rotates to blow air, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a sirocco fan may be installed inside the case 30. In other words, as long as the brush 76 can come into contact with the area to be cleaned by the rotating fan during cleaning operation and the brush 76 can remove dust adhering to the fan, this falls within the scope of the present invention.

[0089] In addition, in each of the described embodiments, the cleaning mechanism 50 is installed on the guide surface 40, which is a predetermined surface, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the predetermined surface may be a portion that is located below the indoor heat exchanger 27 located at the front side in the case 30 and corresponds to a stabilizer portion, or a heat exchanger fixing plate that connects the front indoor heat exchanger 27 and the rear indoor heat exchanger 27 to each other. In other words, any surface located near the cross-flow fan 21 in the case 30 corresponds to the predetermined surface specified in the present invention, so the location where the cleaning mechanism 50 is installed is not limited to the guide surface 40.

[0090] In addition, in each of the embodiments described above, the feedback control of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 during cleaning operation is described as being smaller than the integral coefficient of the feedback control during normal operation, but this is not limited to this. For example, the differential coefficient in the feedback control of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 may be changed between during cleaning operation and during normal operation. In other words, as long as it is possible to set the control amount of the feedback control of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 finer during cleaning operation than during normal operation, it falls within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10...Air conditioner 21...cross-flow fan 25…Inner fan motor 30…Case 31...Air intake 32…Air outlet 40...Guide surface 50...Cleaning mechanism 51...Drive unit 52...Cleaning motor 60...Mobile 76…Brush 84…Sheet 100...Control unit

Claims

1. A case having an air intake port capable of taking in air from the outside and an air outlet port capable of blowing the taken-in air to the outside; a fan that is installed within the case and rotates to blow air; an internal fan motor that drives the fan to rotate; a cleaning mechanism disposed within the case and having a brush capable of cleaning the fan; a control unit that controls a feedback control of a rotation speed of the internal fan motor during a normal operation in which the fan is rotated to blow air from the air outlet and during a cleaning operation in which the brush is brought into contact with the rotating fan to clean the fan, the control unit sets a control amount by feedback control of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor during the cleaning operation to be finer than a control amount by feedback control of the rotation speed of the internal fan motor during the normal operation.

2. the cleaning mechanism is disposed on a predetermined surface in the vicinity of the fan; The cleaning mechanism includes a moving body that is movable along the predetermined surface and a driving unit that drives the moving body, 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the drive section includes a cleaning motor, and a drive force transmission section connected to the cleaning motor and transmitting a drive force of the cleaning motor to the moving body.

3. The fan is a cross-flow fan, a guide surface that guides the air blown by the cross-flow fan toward the air outlet is formed on the case along an axis of the cross-flow fan, the predetermined surface is the guide surface, 3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the drive force transmission portion extends substantially parallel to an axis of the cross-flow fan.

4. 4. The air conditioning apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit drives the cleaning motor when it determines that an instruction to start the cleaning operation has been issued, stops the cleaning motor and drives the internal fan motor when the moving body reaches a predetermined position on the guide surface corresponding to the side end of the cross-flow fan, and restarts the cleaning motor when it is confirmed that the internal fan motor is being driven.

5. 5. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning mechanism further comprises a sheet that is detachably attached to the movable body and that is capable of wiping off dust adhering to the guide surface.

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