Control system of air conditioner

Abstract

To allow a user to easily determine which of a safety device or a conduction member is connected to a connection port in a control system including a control circuit which allows operation of an air conditioner.SOLUTION: A control system 40 of an air conditioner 10 including a safety device 50 includes a safety device control unit 43 comprising: a connection port 49 which has a first pole T1 and a second pole T2 and in which electrical continuity is created between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 when the safety device 50 or a conduction member 80 is connected between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2; an interlock circuit 90 which allows operation of the air conditioner 10 when electric continuity occurs between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2; and an acquisition part 47 which acquires a first value V related to a voltage between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 or a second value P related to a pulse signal PS output from the safety device 50. The safety device control unit 43 outputs the first value V, the second value P, or first information J1 based on the first value V or the second value P.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system for an air conditioner. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a control system for an air conditioner including a safety device is known (see Patent Document 1). The control system includes a control unit that activates a safety device if refrigerant leaks while the air conditioner is in operation. The control unit includes a connection port to which the safety device is connected, and a control circuit for reliably activating the safety device. This control circuit is also called an interlock circuit. Note that "interlock" here refers to a mechanism that prevents an apparatus from operating if certain conditions for a certain apparatus are not met. The control circuit is a circuit that controls the air conditioner so that it does not operate if a safety device is not connected to the connection port of the control unit, and allows the air conditioner to operate if a safety device is connected to the connection port of the control unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-076264 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the air conditioner, the control circuit permits operation of the air conditioner not only when a safety device is connected to the connection port, but also when a conductive member (e.g., a conductor) without a safety device is connected. For this reason, in the conventional air conditioner, it was not possible to determine whether operation was permitted because a safety device was connected to the connection port or because a conductive member was connected to the connection port without checking the connection port on-site.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to make it possible to easily determine whether a safety device or a conductive member is connected to a connection port in a control system that includes a control circuit that permits operation of an air conditioning apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The air conditioning device control system of the present disclosure is an air conditioning device control system including a safety device, and includes a connection port having a first pole and a second pole, whereby electrical continuity is established between the first pole and the second pole when the safety device or a conductive member not having the safety device is connected between the first pole and the second pole, a control circuit that allows operation of the air conditioning device when electrical continuity is established between the first pole and the second pole, and a control unit that includes an acquisition unit that acquires a first value related to the voltage between the first pole and the second pole, or a second value related to the signal output from the safety device, and the control unit outputs the first value or the second value, or first information based on the first value or the second value.

[0007] The control system for an air conditioner having the above configuration can determine whether a safety device or a conductive member is connected to a connection port based on a first value related to a voltage or a second value related to a signal output from the safety device. Therefore, it is possible to easily determine whether a safety device or a conductive member is connected to a connection port without having to check the connection port on-site. This makes it possible to easily determine the connection status of the safety device and the conductive member to the connection port in a control system including a control circuit that permits the operation of an air conditioner.

[0008] (2) In the air conditioning device control system of the (1) aspect, it is preferable that the control unit has a first connection port and a second connection port, and the control circuit allows operation of the air conditioning device when the safety device or the conductive member is connected to the first connection port and the safety device or the conductive member is connected to the second connection port.

[0009] When the air-conditioning device control system configured as described above has first and second connection ports, the acquisition unit acquires a first value or a second value for the first and second connection ports. The control unit can determine which of the safety device and the conductive member is connected to each connection port based on the first value or the second value. This makes it possible to easily determine the connection status of the safety device and the conductive member to the connection ports in the air-conditioning device control system including a control circuit that permits the operation of the air-conditioning device.

[0010] (3) It is preferable that the air-conditioning apparatus control system according to aspect (1) or (2) above further comprises a display unit that displays the first value or the second value, or the first information.

[0011] The air-conditioning apparatus control system configured as described above makes it possible to easily confirm whether the safety device or the conductive member is connected to the connection port by checking the display on the display unit.

[0012] (4) In the air conditioning device control system of any one of the aspects (1) to (3), it is preferable that the first information includes a determination result as to whether the safety device or the conductive member is connected to the connection port.

[0013] The air-conditioning device control system having the above configuration can determine whether a safety device or a conductive member is connected to a connection port based on the first information. Therefore, the air-conditioning device control system of the present disclosure can easily confirm whether a safety device or a conductive member is connected to a specific connection port.

[0014] (5) In the air-conditioning apparatus control system according to any one of aspects (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that the first information includes information relating to a type of the safety device.

[0015] The air conditioning device control system configured as described above can determine what type of safety device is connected to a connection port based on the first information. Therefore, the air conditioning device control system disclosed herein can easily check whether or not a specific safety device is connected to a specific connection port. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioning apparatus equipped with a control system of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the air conditioning apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a control system of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a safety device control unit in the control system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 11 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of a safety device control unit in the control system. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a control system of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a pulse signal.

[0017] The air-conditioning apparatus control system of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] [Overall configuration of air conditioning equipment] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioner equipped with a control system of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a control block diagram of the air conditioner. Fig. 1 shows an air conditioner 10, which is one embodiment of an air conditioner equipped with a control system of the present disclosure. The air conditioner 10 shown in this embodiment is a device that adjusts the indoor temperature by a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, and includes a user unit (indoor unit) 11, a heat source unit (outdoor unit) 12, and a refrigerant circuit 13 provided between them.

[0019] The refrigerant circuit 13 includes a compressor 14 that compresses a refrigerant to generate a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant, a user-side heat exchanger 15, an expansion valve 16 that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant to generate a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant, a heat-source-side heat exchanger 17, and refrigerant piping 19 that sequentially connects these. The user-side unit 11 includes a user-side fan 21 that sends air to the user-side heat exchanger 15. The heat-source-side unit 12 includes a heat-source-side fan 22 that sends air to the heat-source-side heat exchanger 17.

[0020] The refrigerant circuit 13 includes a four-way switching valve 18. The refrigerant circuit 13 reverses the flow of the refrigerant by switching the four-way switching valve 18, and switches between supplying the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 14 to the heat source side heat exchanger 17 and the user side heat exchanger 15, making it possible to switch between cooling operation and heating operation. Specifically, during cooling operation, the refrigerant circuit 13 switches the four-way switching valve 18 as shown by the solid line to supply the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 14 to the heat source side heat exchanger 17 and supply the refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve 16 to the user side heat exchanger 15. At this time, the heat source side heat exchanger 17 functions as a condenser and condenses and liquefies the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The user side heat exchanger 15 functions as an evaporator and evaporates and vaporizes the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant.

[0021] During heating operation, the refrigerant circuit 13 switches the four-way switching valve 18 as shown by the dotted lines to supply the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 14 to the utilization side heat exchanger 15 and supply the refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve 16 to the heat source side heat exchanger 17. At this time, the utilization side heat exchanger 15 functions as a condenser and condenses and liquefies the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. Also, the heat source side heat exchanger 17 functions as an evaporator and evaporates and vaporizes the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant.

[0022] The air conditioning apparatus 10 further includes a remote control 30. The air conditioning apparatus 10 is operated and stopped by a user operating the remote control 30 that is placed in the target space for air conditioning. Note that in this embodiment, the air conditioning apparatus 10 is operated and stopped by the remote control 30, but the air conditioning apparatus 10 may also be configured to be connected to a central monitoring device and to be operated and stopped by the central monitoring device.

[0023] The operation of the expansion valve 16, four-way switching valve 18, compressor 14, and fans 21 and 22 is controlled by a control device (the user side unit control unit 41 and the heat source side unit control unit 42, which will be described later) in response to the on / off operation of an operating switch on the remote control 30 and the output of sensors such as a temperature sensor.

[0024] The air conditioning device 10 further includes a control system 40 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The control system 40 is one embodiment of the control system of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the control system 40 includes a usage side unit control unit 41 that controls the operation of the usage side unit 11, a heat source side unit control unit 42 that controls the operation of the heat source side unit 12, and a safety device control unit (control unit) 43 that controls the operation of a safety device that will be described later.

[0025] The air conditioning apparatus 10 of this embodiment uses a refrigerant (e.g., R32 refrigerant) that is slightly flammable (slightly flammable) as the refrigerant. The air conditioning apparatus 10 that uses a flammable refrigerant further includes a safety device 50. The safety device 50 of this embodiment includes a refrigerant sensor 51, an alarm device 52, a shutoff valve unit 53, and a ventilation fan 54. The safety device 50 is connected to the safety device control unit 43. The safety device control unit 43 controls the operation of the alarm device 52, the shutoff valve unit 53, and the ventilation fan 54 based on the detection result of the refrigerant sensor 51. Note that the air conditioning apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes the refrigerant sensor 51, the alarm device 52, the shutoff valve unit 53, and the ventilation fan 54 as the safety device 50, but the control system of the present disclosure may be configured to include some of these safety devices, or may further include other safety devices.

[0026] The refrigerant sensor 51 is a sensor capable of detecting the refrigerant present in the space, and is disposed in the user-side unit 11. When the refrigerant leaks in the user-side unit 11, the refrigerant sensor 51 can detect the leaked refrigerant. The refrigerant sensor 51 may be disposed in a location other than inside the user-side unit 11. The alarm device 52 issues an alarm when the refrigerant sensor 51 detects the refrigerant in the user-side unit 11. The alarm device 52 preferably includes a lamp that emits light and a buzzer that emits sound. The alarm device 52 of this embodiment notifies the user of the refrigerant leakage by activating the lamp and the buzzer. When the refrigerant sensor 51 detects the refrigerant, the shutoff valve unit 53 shuts off the refrigerant supplied from the heat source unit 12 (compressor 14) to the user-side unit 11. When the refrigerant sensor 51 detects the refrigerant, the ventilation fan 54 is activated to ventilate the space that is the target of air conditioning in the user-side unit 11. The air conditioning device 10 may be configured to use the remote control 30 as an alarm device 52, and may, for example, display a message on the display unit of the remote control 30 indicating that refrigerant is leaking, cause the operation lamp to flash, or sound an alarm.

[0027] [About the control system] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of a control system of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 shows a first embodiment of a safety device control unit 43 constituting a control system 40 of the present disclosure. In the following description, the safety device control unit 43 according to the first embodiment is also referred to as a first safety device control unit 43X. Note that in the following description, when simply referring to the safety device control unit 43, a configuration common to the first safety device control unit 43X and a safety device control unit according to another embodiment described later (a second safety device control unit 43Y described later) will be described.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, the safety device control unit 43 includes a control board 44 and a connection unit 48. The control board 44 is a board on which a power source 45, a controller 46, and an acquisition unit 47 are mounted. The power source 45 is connected to an external power source (not shown) and supplies power to the controller 46 and the acquisition unit 47. The acquisition unit 47 is a part that acquires values ​​for determining the connection status of the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 to the safety device control unit 43 from the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 connected to the connection unit 48. The controller 46 determines the connection status of the safety device 50 to the safety device control unit 43 based on the values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 47. In the following description, the acquisition unit 47 provided in the first safety device control unit 43X is also referred to as a first acquisition unit 47X. In the following description, when simply referring to the acquisition unit 47, a configuration common to the first acquisition unit 47X and an acquisition unit according to another embodiment described later (a second acquisition unit 47Y described later) will be described.

[0029] The connection portion 48 is a portion for connecting the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 to the safety device control unit 43. The connection portion 48 includes a connection port 49. The connection port 49 includes a first pole T1 and a second pole T2, and wiring is connected to each of the first pole T1 and the second pole T2. One end side of the wiring is connected to the first pole T1 or the second pole T2, and the other end side of the wiring is connected to the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80. In the safety device control unit 43 of this embodiment, the connection portion 48 includes a plurality of (two) connection ports 49. The first connection port 49 is referred to as a first port 49a, and the second connection port 49 is referred to as a second port 49b. Note that, in this embodiment, a configuration in which the connection portion 48 constituting the safety device control unit 43 includes a plurality of connection ports 49 is exemplified, but the number of connection ports that the safety device control unit has in the control system of the present disclosure may be one.

[0030] The controller 46 includes a determination unit 46a, a storage unit 46b, and an output unit 46c. The determination unit 46a receives the value acquired by the acquisition unit 47 and, based on the value, determines 1) whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49, or whether neither the safety device 50 nor the conductive member 80 is connected, and 2) if either the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49, the type of the connected safety device 50 and conductive member 80.

[0031] The memory unit 46b stores information regarding signals (electrical signals and pulse signals) sent from the shutoff valve unit 53, the ventilation fan 54, and the conductive member 80 when they are connected to the connection port 49. The judgment unit 46a performs the above judgments 1) and 2) based on this information stored in the memory unit 46b. The output unit 46c outputs a signal S that permits the operation of the air conditioner 10. The air conditioner 10 becomes operable, for example, when the signal S is input to the user-side unit control unit 41 (see FIG. 2).

[0032] The controller 46 generates first information J1 based on the determination results of 1) and 2). The first information J1 includes information on the determination result as to whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49, or whether neither the safety device 50 nor the conductive member 80 is connected. Based on the first information J1, the user can determine whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49. Therefore, according to the control system 40 configured as described above, it is possible to easily confirm whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to a specific connection port 49.

[0033] [Conductive materials] 3, in the control system 40 of the present disclosure, when the connection section 48 has a connection port 49 to which the safety device 50 is not connected, a conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49. The conductive member 80 is a conductor that does not have a safety device 50.

[0034] [Interlock circuit] As shown in FIG. 4, the controller 46 further includes an interlock circuit (control circuit) 90. The interlock circuit 90 is a control circuit that prevents the air conditioner 10 from operating when the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is not connected to the connection portion 48. The interlock circuit 90 permits the output of a signal S from the output portion 46c when the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to a predetermined connection port 49 to which it should be connected. In other words, the air conditioner 10 is operable when the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection portion 48. The air conditioner 10 including the interlock circuit 90 can reliably operate the safety device 50 connected to the connection portion 48 when a refrigerant leak occurs during operation.

[0035] [About the display] 3 and 4, the safety device control section 43 further includes a display section 60. The display section 60 is connected to a determination section 46a of the controller 46. The determination section 46a outputs a value acquired from the acquisition section 47 (value V or value P described later) or information generated based on the value (first information J1 described later) to the display section 60. In other words, according to the control system 40 configured as described above, it is possible to easily confirm whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49 by checking the display on the display section 60.

[0036] In this embodiment, the display unit 60 is preferably configured by a seven-segment display mounted on the control board 44. The form of the display unit 60 is not limited to this, and the display unit of the remote control 30 (see FIG. 1) may be used as the display unit 60. If the air conditioning apparatus 10 is configured to be managed by a central monitoring device (not shown), a display device provided in the central monitoring device may be used as the display unit 60. Furthermore, the display unit 60 may be separated from the safety device control unit 43, and may be configured to acquire and display the value or information via wireless communication with the controller 46.

[0037] [Safety device control unit according to the first embodiment] 3 and 4 show a control system 40 including a first safety device control unit 43X which is the safety device control unit 43 according to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, a case is illustrated in which a refrigerant sensor 51, an alarm device 52, and a shutoff valve unit 53 are connected to the first safety device control unit 43X. Note that the first safety device control unit 43X shown in FIG. 3 may be configured such that a safety device 50 other than the shutoff valve unit 53 is connected thereto instead of the shutoff valve unit 53.

[0038] 1, the shutoff valve unit 53 includes a pair of shutoff valves 53a, 53b provided respectively on the gas side refrigerant piping 19 and the liquid side refrigerant piping 19 connected to the user side heat exchanger 15. The shutoff valve unit 53 shuts off the supply of refrigerant from the heat source side unit 12 to the user side unit 11 by closing the shutoff valves 53a, 53b.

[0039] 3, the shutoff valve unit 53 includes a connection port 55 and a signal output unit 56. The connection port 55 includes a first pole 55a and a second pole 55b. The first pole 55a is connected to the first pole T1 of the connection port 49 via a conductor 70. The second pole 55b is connected to the second pole T2 of the connection port 49 via the conductor 70.

[0040] 3 and 4, in the first safety device control section 43X of the present embodiment, a first port 49a is connected to a shutoff valve unit 53. Specifically, in the shutoff valve unit 53, a first pole 55a is connected to a first pole T1 of the first port 49a via a conductor 70, and a second pole 55b is connected to a second pole T2 of the first port 49a via the conductor 70.

[0041] The safety device control section 43 includes a signal output section 56. The signal output section 56 is a section that outputs signals (electrical signals and pulse signals) for determining the connection status of the safety device 50. The first safety device control section 43X of this embodiment includes a first signal output section 56 (hereinafter also referred to as a first signal output section 56X). In the following description, when simply referring to the signal output section 56, a configuration common to the first signal output section 56X and a signal output section according to another embodiment described later (a second signal output section 56Y described later) will be described.

[0042] The first signal output section 56X is a section having a predetermined resistance value. When a current of a predetermined value flows through the first signal output section 56X, the first signal output section 56X generates an electric signal having a predetermined voltage value. In other words, the first signal output section 56X is a section that outputs a "voltage-related value V" specific to each safety device 50. The first signal output section 56X is provided between the first pole 55a and the second pole 55b via a conductor 57.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first signal output section 56X provided in the shutoff valve unit 53 is a resistor having a predetermined resistance value A, and outputs an electrical signal having a voltage value V1 specific to the shutoff valve unit 53. The resistance value A is adjusted to a resistance value at which the voltage value across both ends of the resistor becomes V1 when a current of a predetermined value is passed through. The first signal output section 56X in this embodiment outputs a "voltage-related value V1" specific to the shutoff valve unit 53. The first acquisition section 47X acquires the "voltage-related value V1" at the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 of the first port 49a.

[0044] It is more preferable that the signal output unit 56 is configured to output different signals (electrical signals and pulse signals) for each individual safety device 50 even if they are the same type, so that each safety device 50 can be identified. In this case, for example, when there are multiple shutoff valve units 53 with different specifications, installation locations, etc., it becomes possible to determine whether each shutoff valve unit 53 is correctly connected to the connection port 49 where it should be based on the signal. For example, the first signal output unit 56X sets a unique resistance value for each safety device 50, thereby making it possible to identify each individual safety device 50. It is also possible that the unique resistance value in the safety device 50 is changeable.

[0045] Note that, in the present embodiment, a configuration is exemplified in which the shutoff valve unit 53 of the safety device 50 is connected to the connection unit 48, and the other safety devices 50 (refrigerant sensor 51 and alarm device 52) are directly connected to the controller 46, but the refrigerant sensor 51 and the alarm device 52 may be connected to the connection unit 48. In this case, the connection status of the refrigerant sensor 51 and the alarm device 52 may be determined by the controller 46 based on values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 47. Note that the air conditioning apparatus 10 of the present disclosure may be configured in such a way that the safety devices 50 other than the refrigerant sensor 51 and the alarm device 52 are directly connected to the controller 46.

[0046] The controller 46 constituting the first safety device control unit 43X determines, based on the “voltage-related value V1” acquired by the first acquisition unit 47X, that 1) a safety device 50 is connected to the first port 49a, and 2) the safety device 50 connected to the first port 49a is a shut-off valve unit 53.

[0047] In the first safety device control section 43X of this embodiment, the safety device 50 is not connected to the second port 49b of the connection section 48. Therefore, the conductive member 80 is connected to the second port 49b. In this embodiment, a case where the first conductive member 80 (hereinafter also referred to as the first conductive member 81) is connected to the second port 49b is illustrated. The first conductive member 81 is simply an electric wire and is also referred to as a jumper wire. The first conductive member 81 has a unique resistance value. The first conductive member 81 of this embodiment outputs a unique "value V2 related to voltage". The first acquisition section 47X acquires the "value V2 related to voltage" at the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 of the second port 49b. Note that in the air conditioning device 10 of the present disclosure, the conductive member 80 may be configured so that the unique resistance value is changeable, and for example, a jumper wire with a variable resistor may be adopted.

[0048] The controller 46 determines, based on the “value V2 related to voltage” acquired by the first acquisition unit 47X, 1) that the conductive member 80 is connected to the second port 49b, and 2) that the conductive member 80 connected to the second port 49b is the first conductive member 81. Note that, when the controller 46 determines in the determination of 1) that the device connected to the connection port 49 is the conductive member 80, the controller 46 may omit the determination of 2).

[0049] As described above, in the first safety device control section 43X, the first acquisition section 47X acquires the "voltage-related value (first value) V". Specifically, the first safety device control section 43X has a first port 49a and a second port 49b in the connection section 48. The first acquisition section 47X acquires the "voltage-related value V1" from the first port 49a and acquires the "voltage-related value V2" from the second port 49b. The "voltage-related value V" acquired by the first acquisition section 47X is a voltage value. Note that the "voltage-related value" here may be any value determined according to the voltage, and may be the value of the current flowing between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2, or the value of the resistance between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2. In other words, the "voltage-related value V" acquired by the first acquisition section 47X includes the values ​​of the voltage, the current, and the resistance. It is preferable to set the resistance value A of the first signal output portion 56X so that the difference with the resistance value of the first conductive member 81 is large, thereby making it easier for the controller 46 to distinguish between the shutoff valve unit 53 and the first conductive member 81.

[0050] When neither the safety device 50 nor the conductive member 80 is connected between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 of the connection port 49, the first acquisition unit 47X acquires a preset voltage value (5V in this embodiment) as the "voltage-related value V". When the "voltage-related value V" is the "preset voltage value (5V)", the controller 46 determines that 1) neither the safety device 50 nor the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49.

[0051] The interlock circuit 90 includes a plurality of switches 91 and 92. The first switch 91 is turned on (conduction occurs) when the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the first port 49a. The second switch 92 is turned on when the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the second port 49b. When the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to both the first port 49a and the second port 49b, the interlock circuit 90 outputs a signal S emitted from the output section 46c to the outside. In other words, when the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is not connected to either the first port 49a or the second port 49b, the interlock circuit 90 restricts the operation of the air conditioner 10 (does not permit operation).

[0052] 4, the shutoff valve unit 53 is connected to the first port 49a, and the first conductive member 81 is connected to the second port 49b. Therefore, the interlock circuit 90 in this case outputs the signal S generated by the output section 46c to the outside, and permits the operation of the air conditioner 10.

[0053] The controller 46 outputs the voltage-related values ​​V1, V2 or the first information J1. The controller 46 causes the display unit 60 to display the voltage-related values ​​V1, V2 or the first information J1.

[0054] When the voltage-related values ​​V1 and V2 are displayed on the display unit 60, a user (construction contractor) of the air conditioning apparatus 10 can determine from the display on the display unit 60 whether or not the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 are correctly connected to the connection unit 48. When the first information J1 is displayed on the display unit 60, a user (construction contractor) of the air conditioning apparatus 10 can easily determine from the first information J1 displayed on the display unit 60 whether or not the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 are correctly connected to the connection unit 48.

[0055] The first information J1 may further include information on the determination result of the type of the safety device 50. For example, the shutoff valve unit 53 and the ventilation fan 54 are different types of the safety device 50. When the first information J1 includes information on the determination result of the type of the safety device 50, the user can confirm the type of the safety device 50 connected to the connection port 49 (for example, whether it is the shutoff valve unit 53 or the ventilation fan 54) based on the first information J1. In other words, the control system 40 having the above configuration can determine what type of safety device the safety device 50 connected to the connection port 49 is based on the first information J1. Therefore, according to the control system 40 having the above configuration, it can be easily confirmed whether or not a predetermined safety device 50 is connected to a predetermined connection port 49.

[0056] The first information J1 may further include information for identifying each individual safety device 50. In this case, when there are two safety devices 50 of the same type (e.g., two shutoff valve units 53), the resistance values ​​of the two shutoff valve units 53 are adjusted in advance to be different from each other, so that it becomes possible to identify the first shutoff valve unit 53 and the second shutoff valve unit 53. When the first information J1 includes information for identifying each individual safety device 50 (e.g., each resistance value of the two shutoff valve units 53), the user can check whether or not a specific safety device 50 is correctly connected to a specific connection port 49 based on the first information J1. Note that the function of generating the first information J1 may be omitted from the controller 46.

[0057] [Modification of the safety device control unit according to the first embodiment] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of the safety device control unit in the control system. FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified example of the first safety device control unit 43X. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first safety device control unit 43X according to the modified example further includes a third port 49c, a fourth port 49d, and a fifth port 49e in addition to the first port 49a and the second port 49b. The first acquisition unit 47X acquires a "value V3 related to voltage" from the third port 49c, acquires a "value V4 related to voltage" from the fourth port 49d, and acquires a "value V5 related to voltage" from the fifth port 49e.

[0058] In the first safety device control section 43X shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first port 49a is connected to the shut-off valve unit 53, the second port 49b is connected to the ventilation fan 54, the third port 49c and the fourth port 49d are connected to the second conductive member 80 (referred to as the second conductive member 82), and the fifth port 49e is connected to the first conductive member 81.

[0059] The first signal output unit 56X in the ventilation fan 54 is a resistor having a predetermined resistance value B, and outputs a voltage value V2 specific to the ventilation fan 54. The resistance value B is adjusted to a resistance value at which the voltage value across both ends of the resistor becomes V2 when a predetermined current flows. The first acquisition unit 47X acquires the "voltage-related value V2" from the second port 49b.

[0060] The first conductive member 81 described above is simply composed of an electric wire. On the other hand, the second conductive member 82 is configured such that a resistor is provided in the middle of the conductor and the resistance value of the resistor is different from the resistance value of the signal output unit 56 and the resistance value of the first conductive member 81. It is more preferable that the conductive member 80 used in the control system 40 is the second conductive member 82 whose resistance value is adjusted by a resistor. In this embodiment, the "voltage-related values ​​V3, V4" generated by the second conductive member 82 are different from the "voltage-related value V5" generated by the first conductive member 81. Therefore, when the second conductive member 82 is used, the type of the conductive member 80 can be determined based on the "voltage-related values ​​V3, V4". In this case, the user can confirm that the third port 49c and the fourth port 49d have been intentionally short-circuited based on the "voltage-related values ​​V3, V4".

[0061] The controller 46 performs the above determinations 1) and 2) regarding the connection status of the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 to each of the ports 49a to 49e based on the values ​​V1 to V5 acquired by the first acquisition unit 47X.

[0062] As explained above, when the control system 40 in the air conditioner 10 of this embodiment has the first port 49a to the fifth port 49e, the first acquisition unit 47X acquires the values ​​V1 to V5 for the first port 49a to the fifth port 49e. The safety device control unit 43 can determine which of the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 is connected to each connection port 49 based on the values ​​V1 to V5. This makes it possible to easily determine the connection status of the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 to the connection port 49 in the control system 40 including the interlock circuit 90 that permits the operation of the air conditioner 10.

[0063] 6, an interlock circuit 90 according to a modified example includes a third switch 93, a fourth switch 94, and a fifth switch 95 in addition to a first switch 91 and a second switch 92. The third switch 93 is turned ON (continuity occurs) when the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the third port 49c. The fourth switch 94 is turned ON when the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the fourth port 49d. The fifth switch 95 is turned ON when the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the fifth port 49e.

[0064] In this embodiment, the controller 46 determines that the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 are correctly connected in the air conditioning apparatus 10 when the shutoff valve unit 53 is connected to the first port 49a, the ventilation fan 54 is connected to the second port 49b, the second conductive member 82 is connected to the third port 49c and the fourth port 49d, and the first conductive member 81 is connected to the fifth port 49e. In this case, the controller 46 outputs a signal S generated by the output section 46c to the outside, thereby permitting the operation of the air conditioning apparatus 10.

[0065] The controller 46 outputs the voltage-related values ​​V1 to V5 or the first information J1. The controller 46 causes the display unit 60 to display the voltage-related values ​​V1 to V5 or the first information J1. It is more preferable that the display unit 60 in this embodiment displays all of the voltage-related values ​​V1 to V5 or the first information J1 in one place using a seven-segment display provided on the control board 44. In this case, the judgment results for all connection ports 49 can be checked at once, eliminating the need to check the judgment result for each connection port 49.

[0066] [Regarding the safety device control unit according to the second embodiment] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of the control system of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a pulse signal. Fig. 7 shows a second embodiment of the safety device control unit 43 constituting the control system 40 of the present disclosure. In the following description, the safety device control unit 43 according to the second embodiment is also referred to as a second safety device control unit 43Y.

[0067] The second safety device control section 43Y differs from the first safety device control section 43X in that it includes a second acquisition section 47 (hereinafter also referred to as a second acquisition section 47Y). The safety device 50 connected to the second safety device control section 43Y has a different configuration from the above-mentioned safety device 50. In the following explanation, differences in configuration from the acquisition section 47 and the safety device 50 described above will be explained, and explanations of common parts of the configuration will be omitted.

[0068] [Safety devices connected to the second safety device control section] 7, the second safety device control section 43Y is connected to a refrigerant sensor 51, an alarm device 52, a shutoff valve unit 53, and a ventilation fan 54 as a safety device 50. The shutoff valve unit 53 and the ventilation fan 54 connected to the second safety device control section 43Y include a connection port 55 and a second signal output section 56 (hereinafter also referred to as a second signal output section 56Y).

[0069] The second signal output unit 56Y is a part that outputs a unique "pulse signal PS" for each safety device 50. In other words, the second signal output unit 56Y is a device that generates a predetermined pulse signal PS according to the type of the safety device 50. The second signal output unit 56Y is provided between the first pole 55a and the second pole 55b via a conductor 57. FIG. 7 illustrates a first shutoff valve unit 53 having a second signal output unit 56Y that generates a first pulse signal PS1, a second shutoff valve unit 53 having a second signal output unit 56Y that generates a second pulse signal PS2, and a ventilation fan 54 having a second signal output unit 56Y that generates a third pulse signal PS3.

[0070] The second acquisition unit 47Y acquires a "value (second value) P related to the signal output from the safety device 50" between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2. In this embodiment, the signal is a pulse signal PS output from each safety device 50 (see FIG. 8). The second acquisition unit 47Y acquires a pulse width value P of the pulse signal PS based on the pulse signal PS output from the safety device 50. Note that the "value P related to the signal" is not limited to the pulse width value, and may be, for example, the pulse height (amplitude) or frequency of the pulse signal PS. Note that the conductive member 80 in this embodiment does not have a function of outputting the pulse signal PS, but the conductive member 80 may be configured to be able to output the pulse signal PS. In this case, the second acquisition unit 47Y acquires the value P based on the pulse signal PS output from the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80.

[0071] Based on the "value P related to the pulse signal PS" acquired by the second acquisition unit 47Y, the controller 46 judges 1) whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49, or whether neither the safety device 50 nor the conductive member 80 is connected, and 2) if either the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49, the type of the connected safety device 50 and the conductive member 80. The second safety device control unit 43Y using the value P related to the pulse signal PS can obtain a higher resolution than the first safety device control unit 43X using the value V related to the voltage, and therefore can further increase the accuracy of judging whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected. The "resolution" here means the ability to detect the degree to which the signal (electrical signal and pulse signal) to be acquired can be finely detected.

[0072] In this embodiment, the second acquisition unit 47Y acquires a "value P1 related to the pulse signal PS1" between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 of the first port 49a. The controller 46 determines, based on the "value P1 related to the pulse signal PS1" acquired by the second acquisition unit 47Y, 1) that the safety device 50 is connected to the first port 49a, and 2) that the safety device 50 connected to the first port 49a is the shutoff valve unit 53.

[0073] The second acquisition unit 47Y further acquires a "value P2 related to the pulse signal PS2" between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 of the second port 49b. The controller 46 determines, based on the "value P2 related to the pulse signal PS2" acquired by the second acquisition unit 47Y, 1) that the safety device 50 is connected to the second port 49b, and 2) that the safety device 50 connected to the second port 49b is the shutoff valve unit 53.

[0074] The second acquisition unit 47Y further acquires a "value P3 related to the pulse signal PS3" between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 of the third port 49c. The controller 46 determines, based on the "value P3 related to the pulse signal PS3" acquired by the second acquisition unit 47Y, 1) that a safety device 50 is connected to the third port 49c, and 2) that the safety device 50 connected to the third port 49c is the ventilation fan 54.

[0075] The second acquisition unit 47Y further acquires a "value P4 related to the pulse signal PS" between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 of the fourth port 49d. As shown in Fig. 7, neither the safety device 50 nor the conductive member 80 is connected between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 of the fourth port 49d. In this case, the second acquisition unit 47Y acquires a value "0" as the "value P4 related to the pulse signal PS".

[0076] The second acquisition unit 47Y further acquires a "value P5 related to the pulse signal PS" between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 of the fifth port 49e. The first conductive member 81 does not have a function of outputting the pulse signal PS. In this case, the controller 46 acquires a value "0" as the "value P5 related to the pulse signal PS" acquired by the second acquisition unit 47Y.

[0077] The second acquisition unit 47Y is configured to acquire both the "value V related to voltage" and the "value P related to pulse signal PS." When the second acquisition unit 47Y acquires the value "0" as the "value P related to pulse signal PS," it further acquires the "value V related to voltage" for the connection port 49 from which the value "0" was acquired. In this case, the controller 46 performs the above determinations 1) and 2) based on the value V.

[0078] As shown in Fig. 8, the pulse height (amplitude) of the pulse signal PS corresponds to the "value V related to voltage." For this reason, the safety device control section 43 of the present disclosure may be configured to include a first acquisition section 47X (see Fig. 3), which acquires the "value V related to voltage" from the pulse signal PS output from the second signal output section 56Y (see Fig. 7), and the controller 46 performs the above determinations 1) and 2) based on the value V.

[0079] 7, the interlock circuit 90 does not permit operation of the air conditioning apparatus 10. In this case, the user can easily understand the reason why the air conditioning apparatus 10 does not operate (i.e., neither the safety device 50 nor the conductive member 80 is connected to the fourth port 49d) based on the display on the display unit 60. In this case, the user can quickly connect the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 to the fourth port 49d, thereby quickly putting the air conditioning apparatus 10 into an operable state.

[0080] [Effects of the embodiment] (1) The control system of the above embodiment is a control system 40 of an air conditioner 10 including a safety device 50. The control system 40 includes a safety device control unit 43 including a connection port 49 having a first pole T1 and a second pole T2, where conduction occurs between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2 when a safety device 50 or a conductive member 80 not having a safety device 50 is connected between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2, an interlock circuit 90 that permits operation of the air conditioner 10 when conduction occurs between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2, and an acquisition unit 47 that acquires a first value V related to the voltage between the first pole T1 and the second pole T2, or a second value P related to a pulse signal PS output from the safety device 50. The safety device control unit 43 outputs the first value V, or the second value P, or first information J1 based on the first value V or the second value P.

[0081] The control system 40 of the air conditioning apparatus 10 in the above embodiment can determine whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49, based on the first value V related to the voltage or the second value P related to the pulse signal PS. Therefore, it can be easily determined whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49, without having to check the connection port 49 on-site. As a result, in the control system 40 including the interlock circuit 90 that permits the operation of the air conditioning apparatus 10, it can easily determine the connection status of the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 to the connection port 49.

[0082] (2) In the control system 40 of the air conditioning apparatus 10 of the above embodiment, the safety device control section 43 has a first port 49a and a second port 49b. When the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the first port 49a and the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the second port 49b, the interlock circuit 90 permits operation of the air conditioning apparatus 10 and outputs a signal S.

[0083] In the control system 40 of the air conditioner 10 of the above embodiment, when the control system 40 has a first port 49a and a second port 49b, the acquisition unit 47 acquires the voltage-related values ​​V1, V2 or the pulse signal PS-related values ​​P1, P2 for each of the ports 49a, 49b. The safety device control unit 43 can determine which of the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 is connected to each of the ports 49a, 49b, based on the voltage-related values ​​V1, V2 or the pulse signal PS-related values ​​P1, P2. This makes it possible to easily determine the connection status of the safety device 50 and the conductive member 80 to the connection port 49 in the control system 40 of the air conditioner 10, which includes the interlock circuit 90 that permits the operation of the air conditioner 10.

[0084] (3) The control system 40 of the air conditioner 10 in the above embodiment further includes a display unit 60 that displays the voltage-related values ​​V1, V2 or the values ​​P1, P2 related to the pulse signal PS, or the first information J1.

[0085] The control system 40 of the air conditioning apparatus 10 in the above embodiment makes it possible to easily confirm whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49 by checking the display on the display unit 60.

[0086] (4) In the control system 40 of the air conditioning apparatus 10 of the above embodiment, the first information J1 includes the determination result of whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49.

[0087] The control system 40 of the air conditioning apparatus 10 in the above embodiment can determine, based on the first information J1, whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to the connection port 49. Therefore, the control system 40 of the air conditioning apparatus 10 in the above embodiment can easily confirm whether the safety device 50 or the conductive member 80 is connected to a specific connection port 49.

[0088] (5) In the control system 40 of the air conditioning apparatus 10 in the above embodiment, the first information J1 includes information about the type of safety device 50.

[0089] The control system 40 of the air conditioning apparatus 10 in the above embodiment can determine, based on the first information J1, what type of safety device 50 the safety device 50 connected to the connection port 49 is, in other words, whether it is a shutoff valve unit 53 or a ventilation fan 54. For this reason, the control system 40 of the air conditioning apparatus 10 of the present disclosure can easily check whether a specific safety device 50 is connected to a specific connection port 49.

[0090] Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be understood that various changes in form and details are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10: Air conditioning equipment 40: Control system 43: Safety device control section (control section) 47: Acquisition section 49: Connection port 49a: First port 49b: 2nd port 50:Safety device 80: Electrically conductive material 90: Interlock circuit (control circuit) V: Voltage-related value (first value) P: Signal related value (second value) T1: First pole T2: 2nd pole J1: First information

Claims

1. A control system (40) for an air conditioning device (10) including a safety device (50), a connection port (49) having a first pole (T1) and a second pole (T2), and when the safety device (50) or a conductive member (80) not having the safety device (50) is connected between the first pole (T1) and the second pole (T2), electrical continuity is generated between the first pole (T1) and the second pole (T2); a control circuit (90) that permits operation of the air conditioning device (10) when conduction occurs between the first pole (T1) and the second pole (T2); An acquisition unit (47) that acquires a first value (V) related to a voltage between the first pole (T1) and the second pole (T2) or a second value (P) related to a signal (PS) output from the safety device (50); A control unit (43) including: The control unit (43) outputs the first value (V), or the second value (P), or first information (J1) based on the first value (V) or the second value (P).

2. The control unit (43) includes a first connection port (49a) and a second connection port (49b), The control circuit (90) allows operation of the air conditioning unit (10) when the safety device (50) or the conductive member (80) is connected to the first connection port (49a) and the safety device (50) or the conductive member (80) is connected to the second connection port (49b).

3. A control system (40) for an air conditioning device (10) as described in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a display unit (60) that displays the first value (V) or the second value (P), or the first information (J1).

4. The first information (J1) is A control system (40) for an air conditioning device (10) as described in claim 1 or claim 2, including a determination result as to whether the safety device (50) or the conductive member (80) is connected to the connection port (49).

5. 3. The control system (40) for an air conditioner (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first information (J1) includes information relating to a type of the safety device (50).

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