Air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner which prevents a normal operation from being executed in an inappropriate state.SOLUTION: When a cleaning operation is completed, if it is detected by a microswitch 38 serving as detection means that a movable body 60 is in a state of not existing in a motor case 57 which is a storage part, an indoor side control part 100a executes a retry operation for moving the movable body 60 toward the motor case 57 by a cleaning motor 52 which is a drive part 51. By the execution of the retry operation, the possibility of the movable body 60 coming into the state of being stored in the motor case 57 at the completion time of the cleaning operation becomes high, so while executing a normal operation after the completion of the cleaning operation, lowering of a use feeling of a user due to deterioration of an air blowing property and generation of abnormal sound can be prevented. Thus, a product property is enhanced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

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 such as that shown in Patent Document 1 has a case fixed to a wall, a fan housed in the case and rotating to blow air into the room, and a brush unit that is arranged to be able to come into contact with the fan and 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] Patent No. 6847212 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, this conventional technique does not disclose or suggest anything about removing dust that has adhered to the guide surface that guides the air blown by the fan toward the air outlet. Therefore, a cleaning operation may be performed in which the cleaning mechanism includes a movable body that moves on the guide surface, a drive unit that drives the movable body, and a sheet that is attached to the movable body and wipes the guide surface, thereby wiping the guide surface to remove dust. More specifically, during the cleaning operation, the movable body moves on the guide surface and removes dust with the sheet, and when the cleaning operation is completed, the movable body is stored in the storage unit.

[0007] Here, when the cleaning operation is completed, it is possible that an abnormality will cause the movable body to remain on the guide surface instead of being stored in the storage section. If normal operation is performed in a state in which the movable body remains on the guide surface instead of being stored in the storage section, it is expected that the air flow passing through the guide surface will be obstructed, resulting in a decrease in air flow performance and the generation of abnormal noise, and therefore there is room for improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, 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 rotatably supported in the case and rotates to blow air; A fan motor that rotates the fan to enable normal operation of blowing air into a room; a guide surface that guides the air blown by the fan toward the air outlet; a cleaning mechanism including a movable body that moves along the guide surface, a drive unit for driving the movable body, and a sheet that is installed on the movable body and capable of performing a cleaning operation to wipe the guide surface; a storage unit for storing the moving body after the cleaning operation is completed; a detection means for detecting whether the moving body is stored in the storage section; and a control unit that controls the driving unit so that the movable body moves along the guide surface when the cleaning operation is performed, and the movable body is stored in the storage unit when the cleaning operation is completed, The control unit is characterized in that when the cleaning operation is completed, if the detection means detects that the moving body is not present in the storage section, a retry operation is performed to move the moving body toward the storage section using the drive unit.

[0009] In claim 2, the retry operation is performed a plurality of times, The control unit controls the drive unit so that a force for moving the movable body toward the storage unit increases as the number of times the retry operation is performed increases.

[0010] In addition, in claim 3, the control unit is characterized in that when the cleaning operation is completed, if the detection means detects that the moving body is not present in the storage section, the control unit makes the cleaning operation impossible to carry out.

[0011] In claim 4, the fan is a cross-flow fan, The guide surface is formed on the case along an axis of the cross-flow fan, The drive unit includes a cleaning motor and a drive force transmission unit connected to the cleaning motor and configured to transmit a drive force of the cleaning motor to the moving body, The driving force transmission portion extends substantially parallel to an axis of the cross-flow fan.

[0012] In addition, in claim 5, the cleaning mechanism further includes a brush provided on the moving body and capable of removing dust adhering to the cross-flow fan. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to this invention, when the cleaning operation is completed, if the detection means detects that the moving body is not present in the storage section, a retry operation is performed in which the drive unit moves the moving body toward the storage section, thereby increasing the possibility that the moving body will be stored in the storage section when the cleaning operation is completed.After the cleaning operation is completed, normal operation is performed with the moving body present on the guide surface, which prevents a decrease in air blowing performance and abnormal noises that could reduce the user's experience, thereby improving product quality. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [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] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the control content during a cleaning operation in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] Fig. 11A is a diagram for explaining a driving force transmission section (worm) of an air conditioner according to a modified example, and Fig. 11B is a perspective view of the driving force transmission section (worm). [Figure 12] Fig. 12A is a perspective view of the movable body in a storage position with the motor case and the motor removed, and Fig. 12B 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

[0015] 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.

[0016] <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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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 indoor air In into the case 30 and blows it out to the room In, an inner fan motor 25 that is supported by the cross-flow fan 21 and is 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] [Case storage area, guide surface, side] Case 30 has a fan housing section 33 that houses cross-flow fan 21. Fan housing section 33 has guide surface 40 that surrounds part of the outer periphery of cross-flow fan 21 and 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.

[0026] 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).

[0027] [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).

[0028] [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.

[0029] [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.

[0030] [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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] [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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] [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 .

[0037] [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.

[0038] [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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] [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.

[0041] [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.

[0042] [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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] [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 as a detection means. When the moving body 60 is stored at the storage position, the microswitch 38 is pressed and becomes ON, and when the moving body 60 leaves the storage position, the microswitch 38 is opened and becomes OFF. The ON / OFF state of the microswitch 38 is output as a signal and transmitted to the indoor side control unit 100a, so that the indoor side control unit 100a can determine whether the moving body 60 is stored at the storage position.

[0048] Furthermore, when the movable body 60 is stored in the storage position, the microswitch 38 is turned OFF with the brush 76 away from the cross-flow fan 21, and when the movable body 60 leaves the storage position, the microswitch 38 is turned ON with the brush 76 in contact with the cross-flow fan 21. In other words, the microswitch 38 also functions as a detection means for detecting whether the brush 76 is in contact with the cross-flow fan 21, based on the ON / OFF state.

[0049] 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.

[0050] [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.

[0051] [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.

[0052] [Motor case] Refer to Fig. 8A. The cleaning motor 52 (see Fig. 4), the gear unit 53, and the drive pulley 55 are covered by a motor case 57 serving as a storage unit. The motor case 57 is formed to fit along the guide surface 40, and is integrally formed with an upper wall 57a covering the upper side of the cleaning motor 52 and a side wall 57b extending from the left edge of the upper wall 57a toward the guide surface 40 and covering the left side of the cleaning motor 52. The right edge of the upper wall 57a is in contact with the side surface 34 on the storage side of the fan storage unit 33. It can be said that the side surface 34 covers the right side of the cleaning motor 52.

[0053] [How to store a moving object] A sliding portion 58 along which base 78 of brush 76 slides when movable body 60 moves toward the storage position (right side) is formed on the edge of upper wall portion 57a ​​of motor case 57. Slide portion 58 can guide brush 76 to swing until brush 76, which is in contact with cross-flow fan 21, separates from cross-flow fan 21.

[0054] 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.

[0055] [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). In other words, the brush 76 is completely laid down, and the brush 76 is separated from the cross-flow fan 21.

[0056] [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.

[0057] The indoor side control unit 100a is equipped with a speaker 100a1 that issues a predetermined sound. When the indoor side control unit 100a receives an operation instruction from the remote control 110 or when an abnormality occurs, the predetermined sound is issued by the speaker 100a1, thereby notifying the user of the state of the air conditioner 10.

[0058] [Control during cleaning operation in Example 1] Next, the control contents during the cleaning operation in the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. In addition, MS shown in the flowchart is the microswitch 38, and SC indicates the number of steps of the cleaning motor 52 that have been counted up to that point.

[0059] When the indoor side control unit 100a determines that it has received an instruction to stop normal operation from the remote control 110 with the execution of cleaning operation after the end of normal operation preset, or that it has received an instruction to start cleaning operation by operating a switch on the remote control 110, it drives the cleaning motor 52 and starts counting the number of steps of the cleaning motor 52 (step S101).

[0060] The indoor side control section 100a drives the cleaning motor 52 in step S101 and starts counting the number of steps of the cleaning motor 52, and then determines whether the microswitch 38 is in the OFF state (step S102). If the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S102 that the microswitch 38 is in the OFF state, it determines that the moving body 60 has left the motor case 57 and is positioned on the guide surface 40, and drives the internal fan motor 25 at a predetermined rotation speed to clean the cross-flow fan 21 with the brush 76 and clean the guide surface 40 with the sheet 84 (step S103).

[0061] If the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S102 that the microswitch 38 is in the ON state, it checks the count of the number of steps of the cleaning motor 52 and determines whether the count has reached or exceeded a first predetermined value, which is the number of steps required for the moving body 60 to completely come out of the motor case 57 (step S104). If the indoor side control unit 100a determines that the number of steps of the cleaning motor 52 counted in step S104 is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value, it determines that the moving body 60 has not departed from the motor case 57 due to a malfunction of the cleaning motor 52 or the like, and issues a predetermined abnormal sound from the speaker 100a1 to inform the user of the error state, and disables cleaning operation while allowing normal operation to be performed (step S105). If the indoor side control unit 100a determines that the number of steps of the cleaning motor 52 counted in step S104 is less than the first predetermined value, it repeats the judgment in step S102, assuming that the number of steps required for the moving body 60 to completely come out of the motor case 57 has not been reached.

[0062] After driving the internal fan motor 25 at a predetermined rotation speed in step S103, the indoor side control unit 100a judges whether the counted number of steps of the cleaning motor 52 has reached or exceeded a second predetermined value at which the moving body 60 reaches the end 36b (step S106). If it is determined that the counted number of steps of the cleaning motor 52 is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value, it reverses the rotation of the cleaning motor 52 to reverse the movement of the moving body 60 toward the end 36a, and stops driving the internal fan motor 25 and stops the rotation of the cross-flow fan 21 (step S107). If the indoor side control unit 100a determines that the number of steps of the cleaning motor 52 counted in step S106 is not equal to or greater than the second predetermined value, it determines that the moving body 60 has not reached the end 36b, and repeats the determination in step S106.

[0063] After the indoor side control unit 100a has reversed the rotation of the cleaning motor 52 and stopped the rotation of the cross-flow fan 21 in step S107, it determines whether the microswitch 38 is ON (step S108). If the microswitch 38 is ON, it determines that the moving body 60 has been stored in the motor case 57, so that the moving body 60 is not present in the air passage 36 and the brush 76 has been separated from the cross-flow fan 21, and the cleaning operation has been completed normally, so it stops driving the cleaning motor 52 (step S109) and terminates the control.

[0064] If the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S108 that the microswitch 38 is in the OFF state, it determines whether the number of steps counted since rotating the cleaning motor 52 in reverse has reached a third predetermined value or more, at which point the movement of the moving body 60 is completed and the moving body 60 is stored in the motor case 57 (step S110).If it determines that the number of steps counted by the cleaning motor 52 is equal to or more than the third predetermined value, it determines that the moving body 60 has not been properly stored in the motor case 57, and performs a retry operation to drive the cleaning motor 52 an additional predetermined number of steps to store the moving body 60 in the motor case 57 (step S111). If the indoor side control unit 100a determines that the number of steps of the cleaning motor 52 counted in step S110 is not equal to or greater than the third predetermined value, it repeats the judgment in step S108, assuming that the movable body 60 is moving on the guide surface 40 and the cleaning operation is not completed.

[0065] During the retry operation, the cleaning motor 52 is driven at a lower rotation speed than during the cleaning operation. By driving the cleaning motor 52 at a lower speed than during the cleaning operation, the driving torque is increased, and the force of the moving body 60 toward the motor case 57 can be increased.

[0066] When the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S111 that it has performed a retry operation and driven the cleaning motor 52 an additional predetermined number of steps, it determines whether the microswitch 38 is in the ON state (step S112), and if it determines that the microswitch 38 is in the ON state, it transitions to step S109, assuming that the movable body 60 has been stored in the motor case 57, stops the cleaning motor 52, and ends the control. If the indoor side control unit 100a determines in S112 that the microswitch 38 is in the OFF state, it determines whether the number of retry operations has been performed is equal to or greater than the preset N times (step S113). If the number of retry operations is equal to or greater than N, it determines that the moving body 60 is not stored in the motor case 57 because a foreign object has become stuck on the guide surface 40 or the transmission unit storage unit 41 during cleaning operation, hindering the movement of the moving body 60, etc., and issues a predetermined abnormal sound from the speaker 100a1 to notify the user of the error state. It also disables the cleaning operation while allowing normal operation to be performed (step S114).

[0067] If the indoor side control section 100a determines in step S113 that the number of times the retry operation has been performed is less than N, it counts up the number of times the retry operation has been performed and repeats the retry operation in step S111. When the retry operation is repeated, the cleaning motor 52 is driven at a lower speed than that of the previous retry operation, and the driving torque is increased. This increases the force of the moving body 60 toward the motor case 57 as the number of retry operations increases. If foreign matter is clogged on the guide surface 40 or the transmission unit storage section 41 during cleaning operation, hindering the movement of the moving body 60 and preventing the moving body 60 from being stored in the motor case 57, the driving torque of the cleaning motor 52 is increased as the number of retry operations increases, thereby increasing the possibility that the clogging caused by the foreign matter will be cleared. This increases the possibility that the moving body 60 will be stored in the motor case 57.

[0068] As described above, if it is determined that the movable body 60 is not stored in the motor case 57 when the cleaning operation is completed, a retry operation is performed in which the cleaning motor 52 is additionally driven a predetermined number of steps to move the movable body 60 toward the motor case 57, thereby increasing the possibility that the movable body 60 will be stored in the motor case 57 when the cleaning operation is completed. Therefore, since the movable body 60 is not stored in the motor case 57 when the cleaning operation is completed, it is possible to prevent a decrease in air blowing performance and abnormal noise during normal operation, which would deteriorate the user's usability, thereby improving the product quality.

[0069] Furthermore, the speed of the cleaning motor 52 when the retry operation is performed multiple times is set to a lower speed than the speed of the cleaning motor 52 when the immediately preceding retry operation is performed, thereby increasing the driving torque, and thus increasing the force of the moving body 60 toward the motor case 57. This increases the likelihood that the moving body 60 will be stored in the motor case 57 when the cleaning operation is completed. Therefore, since the moving body 60 is not stored in the motor case 57 when the cleaning operation is completed, it is possible to prevent a decrease in air blowing performance and abnormal noise during normal operation, which would deteriorate the user's usability, and thus improve the product quality.

[0070] [Effects of Example 1] Next, a description will be given of the effects of the embodiment 1. Note that the effects of the embodiment 1 described below are also exhibited in the modified examples described below.

[0071] When the cleaning operation is completed, if the microswitch 38, which is the detection means, detects that the moving body 60 is not present in the motor case 57, which is the storage section, the indoor side control section 100a performs a retry operation to move the moving body 60 toward the motor case 57 using the cleaning motor 52, which is the drive section 51. The retry operation increases the possibility that the moving body 60 will be stored in the motor case 57 when the cleaning operation is completed, so that it is possible to prevent a decrease in air blowing performance and abnormal noises that may cause a decrease in the user's usability during normal operation after the cleaning operation is completed, thereby improving product quality.

[0072] The retry operation is performed multiple times, and the indoor side control unit 100a controls the cleaning motor 52 so that the force moving the moving body 60 toward the motor case 57 increases with an increase in the number of retry operations. This increases the likelihood that the moving body 60 will be stored in the motor case 57 when the cleaning operation is completed, and therefore prevents a decrease in air blowing performance and abnormal noise during normal operation after the cleaning operation is completed, thereby improving product quality.

[0073] Furthermore, when the cleaning operation is completed, if the microswitch 38, which is the detection means, detects that the moving body 60 is not present in the motor case 57, which is the storage section, the indoor side control section 100a disables the cleaning operation. If the cleaning operation cannot be completed normally, the indoor side control section 100a disables the execution of subsequent cleaning operations, so that it is possible to prevent a situation in which the moving body 60 is not stored in the motor case 57 and remains positioned on the guide surface 40 while normal operation is being performed, thereby improving product quality.

[0074] Additionally, in case 30, guide surface 40 is formed along the axis of cross-flow fan 21, and drive section 51 includes cleaning motor 52 and drive force transmission section 54 connected to cleaning motor 52 and transmitting the drive force of cleaning motor 52 to moving body 60, with drive force transmission section 54 extending approximately parallel to the axis of cross-flow fan 21. In a system in which moving body 60 moves parallel to the axis to clean guide surface 40 formed along the axis of cross-flow fan 21, it is particularly suitable to apply the present invention in which normal operation is not possible when moving body 60 is not present within motor case 57.

[0075] Cleaning mechanism 50 also has brush 76 that is provided on moving body 60 and is capable of removing dust adhering to cross-flow fan 21. In a configuration in which moving body 60 moves parallel to its axis to come into contact with cross-flow fan 21 and has brush 76 for cleaning cross-flow fan 21, if moving body 60 is not present within motor case 57 upon completion of the cleaning operation, a retry operation is performed in which cleaning motor 52 moves moving body 60 toward motor case 57. By applying the present invention, normal operation is performed with brush 76 in contact with cross-flow fan 21, preventing malfunctions such as abnormal noise and damage to cross-flow fan 21, thereby improving product quality.

[0076] <Modification> 11A and 11B show an air conditioner 10A according to a modified example. The same components as those in the air conditioner 10 of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0077] In the modified example, a worm 59 that is stored in the transmission unit storage section 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 11A, the rack gear 65 of the moving body 60 is positioned above the worm 59 and engages with the worm 59.

[0080] 12A and 12B, 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.

[0081] 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).

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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 the embodiment described above, the movable body 60 is provided with the brush 76 and the sheet 84, but it may be provided with only the sheet 84.

[0085] In the embodiment described above, cross-flow fan 21 is installed within 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 within case 30. In other words, regardless of the type of fan, as long as guide surface 40 can be wiped by sheet 84 during cleaning operation, it falls within the scope of the present invention.

[0086] Also, if the moving object 60 is not present in the motor case 57 when the cleaning operation is completed, the normal operation with restrictions may be performed. That is, when it is determined that the moving object 60 is not present in the motor case 57 when the cleaning operation is completed, the normal operation in which only the driving of the inner fan motor 25 at the minimum airflow level is permitted is performed. After the cleaning operation is completed with the moving object 60 not stored in the motor case 57, if a command to start the normal operation is issued by the user via the remote control 110, the inner fan motor 25 is driven at the rotation speed at the minimum airflow level to blow air from the air outlet 32. Since the normal operation is performed with the amount of airflow suppressed, it is possible to minimize the influence of the moving object 60 being located in the airflow path 36, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in user convenience by enabling the normal operation to be performed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 10...Air conditioner 21...cross-flow fan 25…Inner fan motor 30…Case 31...Air intake 32…Air outlet 38…Microswitch 40...Guide surface 50...Cleaning mechanism 51...Drive unit 52...Cleaning motor 54...Drive force transmission section 57…Motor case 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 rotatably supported in the case and rotates to blow air; A fan motor that rotates the fan to enable normal operation of blowing air into a room; a guide surface that guides the air blown by the fan toward the air outlet; a cleaning mechanism including a movable body that moves along the guide surface, a drive unit for driving the movable body, and a sheet that is installed on the movable body and capable of performing a cleaning operation to wipe the guide surface; a storage unit for storing the moving body after the cleaning operation is completed; a detection means for detecting whether the moving body is stored in the storage section; and a control unit that controls the driving unit so that the movable body moves along the guide surface when the cleaning operation is performed, and the movable body is stored in the storage unit when the cleaning operation is completed, The air conditioning device is characterized in that when the cleaning operation is completed, if the detection means detects that the moving body is not present in the storage section, the control unit performs a retry operation to move the moving body toward the storage section using the drive unit.

2. The retry operation is performed multiple times, 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit so that a force for moving the movable body toward the storage unit increases as the number of times the retry operation is performed increases.

3. 3. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit disables the cleaning operation if the detection means detects that the moving body is not present in the storage section when the cleaning operation is completed.

4. The fan is a cross-flow fan, The guide surface is formed on the case along an axis of the cross-flow fan, The drive unit includes a cleaning motor and a drive force transmission unit connected to the cleaning motor and configured to transmit a drive force of the cleaning motor to the moving body, 4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the drive force transmission portion extends substantially parallel to an axis of the cross-flow fan.

5. 5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning mechanism further comprises a brush provided on the moving body and capable of removing dust adhering to the cross-flow fan.

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