Air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner capable of holding cleanliness of a cross flow fan 21.SOLUTION: A cleaning operation can be set to a standard mode or a thorough mode that has better dust removal capability than the standard mode. When performing cleaning operation, an indoor side control unit 100a sets the thorough mode when cooling operation is performed immediately before, and sets the standard mode when heating operation is performed immediately before. Compared to the heating operation, a larger amount of dust adheres to a cross flow fan 21, and the thorough mode is set when performing the cleaning operation immediately after the cooling operation, which tends to cause dust to stick. Therefore, it is possible to improve the cleaning ability of the cross flow fan 21 when performing the cleaning operation, thereby improving the cleanliness of a product.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, this type of air conditioner has been capable of a cleaning operation in which a brush comes into contact with a rotating fan to clean the fan, and the rotation speed of the fan during the cleaning operation can be changed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6701353 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in this conventional device, there are no particular limitations on the timing at which the fan rotation speed can be changed during cleaning operation. Generally, when air conditioning operation is performed to cool the room, the humidity inside the case increases, making it easier for dust to adhere to the fan than when heating operation is performed to warm the room. Furthermore, since the dust tends to stick to the fan, it becomes difficult to remove. Therefore, if the fan rotation speed is reduced when performing cleaning operation after air conditioning operation, there is a risk that the dust adhering to the fan will not be completely removed, which could reduce the cleanliness of the product, and there is room for improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, in claim 1 of the present invention, there is provided a case having an air intake port that can take in air from the outside and an air outlet port that can blow out the taken-in air to the outside, a fan that is rotatably supported in the case and blows air by rotating; A heating operation that drives the fan to warm the room; a cooling operation in which the fan is driven to cool the room; a brush that is installed in the case and that can clean the fan by contacting the fan; a control unit that controls a cleaning operation for cleaning the fan with the brush, The cleaning operation can be set to a standard mode and a thorough mode that has a stronger dust removal power than the standard mode, When the cleaning operation is performed, the control section sets a previous commemorative mode when the cooling operation has been performed immediately before, and sets the standard mode when the heating operation has been performed immediately before.

[0006] In addition, in claim 2, the previous commemorative mode is characterized in that the rotation speed of the fan during the cleaning operation is higher than that in the standard mode.

[0007] In addition, in claim 3, there is provided a counting means for counting the number of times the cleaning operation is performed, When the cleaning operation is performed, the control unit is characterized in that, if the count value of the counting means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit sets the rotation speed of the fan higher than when the count value is less than the predetermined value.

[0008] In addition, in claim 4, the air conditioner has a dehumidifying operation for driving the fan to dehumidify the room, When the cleaning operation is performed, the control unit sets a previous commemorative mode if the dehumidifying operation has been performed immediately before. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this invention, when a cleaning operation is performed, the control unit sets the thorough mode if the cooling operation was performed immediately before, and sets the standard mode if the heating operation was performed immediately before. Therefore, even when a cleaning operation is performed after a cooling operation, dust adhering to the fan can be reliably removed, thereby improving the cleanliness of the product. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of the air conditioner shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the case of the indoor unit shown in FIG. 2 and the fan housed in the case. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a drive mechanism of the wiping mechanism. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wiping mechanism as seen 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 illustrating attachment and detachment of the brush and the sheet to and from the movable body. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the wiping mechanism. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating the moving body in the storage position and a cross-sectional view of the moving body in the storage position, respectively. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation content during cleaning operation in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 5 is a diagram illustrating the rotation speed of a cross-flow fan in each mode of cleaning operation in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation during cleaning operation in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the number of times the cleaning operation is performed and the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan in each mode in the second embodiment. [Figure 14] Fig. 14A is a diagram illustrating a driving force transmission unit (worm) of an air conditioner according to Example 3. Fig. 14B is a perspective view of the driving force transmission unit (worm). [Figure 15] Fig. 15A is a perspective view of the moving body in a storage position with the motor case and motor removed, and Fig. 15B is a diagram illustrating the attachment and detachment of the moving body to and from the driving force transmission unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] 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.

[0012] Example 1 1 shows an air conditioner 10 according to Example 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.

[0013] 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. Unless otherwise specified below, the direction in which the refrigerant circulates is based on the direction during cooling operation.

[0014] The outdoor unit 11 is equipped with a four-way switching valve 12 that switches the direction of refrigerant circulation during cooling operation, dehumidification operation, and heating operation, a compressor 13 that compresses the refrigerant that has passed through the four-way switching valve 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 14 through which the refrigerant that has been compressed in the compressor 13 and has become high temperature and high pressure flows, an outdoor fan 15 that blows air toward the outdoor heat exchanger 14, an outdoor fan motor 17 that is journaled to the outdoor fan 15 and drives the outdoor fan 15 at a predetermined rotation speed, and an expansion valve 16 that decompresses the refrigerant that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 14.

[0015] 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, which extends in the left-right direction, houses a cross-flow fan 21 that takes in air from the room In into the case 30 and blows it out into the room In, an internal 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.

[0016] During cooling operation, which is a type of normal operation, the refrigerant that has been heated to a high temperature and 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 force the outside air to flow around the periphery of the outdoor heat exchanger 14, promoting heat exchange. After passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and releasing heat, the refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion valve 16 and its temperature drops. The cooled refrigerant is sent to the indoor unit 20.

[0017] 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 room In. The indoor heat exchanger 27 is supplied with refrigerant that has been cooled in the outdoor unit 11. The air passing 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 room In.

[0018] During dehumidifying operation, which is a type of normal operation, the refrigerant flows in the same direction as during cooling operation, and cooled refrigerant is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 27, causing air passing around the periphery of the indoor heat exchanger 27 to exchange heat with the refrigerant and be cooled. During dehumidifying operation, the drive of the compressor 13 and the expansion valve 16 is controlled so that the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 27 is higher than during cooling operation. As a result, the indoor In air is not cooled as much as during cooling operation, and moisture in the air can be condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 27, thereby improving the indoor environment by dehumidifying the indoor In air while preventing an excessive drop in the room temperature.

[0019] During heating operation, which is a type of normal operation, the four-way selector valve 12 switches the refrigerant flow path, circulating the refrigerant 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).

[0020] 1 and 2, an air intake port 31 is opened on the top surface of the case 30, which can take in air from the outside (indoors In). An air outlet 32 ​​is opened in the lower front part of the case 30, which can blow air out to the outside (indoors In). 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 in the vertical direction.

[0021] See Figure 3. Behind the up-down louvers 28 (see Figure 2), left-right louvers 29 are provided that can adjust the direction in which air is blown out in the left-right direction.

[0022] [Case storage area, guide surface, side] Case 30 has 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 the 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.

[0023] Guide surface 40 is formed along the longitudinal direction of case 30, in the direction of axis C of cross-flow fan 21. The space defined by guide surface 40, two side surfaces 34, 35 of case 30, and cross-flow fan 21, and through which the blown air can flow, is referred to as air passage 36 (see FIG. 5).

[0024] [Cleaning mechanism] Please refer to Figures 4 and 5. Case 30 is provided with cleaning mechanism 50 capable of wiping off dust adhering to the inside of case 30 (cross-flow fan 21 and guide surface 40).

[0025] [Drive unit] The drive unit 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 unit 53 which is capable of transmitting the drive force of the cleaning motor 52 and is composed of a plurality of gears, and a drive force transmission unit 54 which is connected to the cleaning motor 52 and transmits the drive force of the cleaning motor 52 to the moving body 60.

[0026] [Driving force transmission section] The driving force transmission section 54 includes a driving pulley 55 having a spur gear formed on a part thereof and driven to rotate by the 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.

[0027] [Transmission unit storage section] 4 and 5 . Guide surface 40 is formed with a transmission unit housing 41 that is recessed so as to open toward cross-flow fan 21 and houses drive force transmission unit 54. Transmission unit housing 41 is provided along axis C of cross-flow fan 21, from the right end (the storage side described below) of guide surface 40 to the left end (the opposite side to the storage side). With the air flow direction in air passage 36 as the reference, the surface of guide surface 40 that is upstream of transmission unit housing 41 is referred to as upstream guide surface 43, and the surface of guide surface 40 that is downstream of transmission unit housing 41 is referred to as downstream guide surface 44.

[0028] 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 part of the guide surface 40. A back surface 42b of the cover 42 has ribs 42c that protrude toward the transmission unit storage section 41 and reinforce the cover 42.

[0029] A gap G is defined between upstream guide surface 43 and surface 42a of cover 42. Gap G has a substantially uniform width and is formed along the direction of axis C of cross-flow fan 21.

[0030] [Moving object] 5, 6A, and 6B. Cleaning mechanism 50 includes 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 from: driven part 61 connected to toothed rope 56 that is driven in the direction of axis C of cross-flow fan 21 when drive part 51 is activated; a pair of arms 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 and is formed along guide surface 40.

[0031] In other words, of the moving 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.

[0032] When the rib 42c is formed at a position where it can come into contact with the second guide roller 63, the rib 42c for reinforcing the cover 42 can guide the second guide roller 63.

[0033] [Driver part] The driven part 61 includes a first guide roller 64 that can roll on the upper or lower surface of the transmission part housing part 41 , and a second guide roller 63 that can roll on the rib 42 c or the transmission part housing part 41 .

[0034] [Support part] 6B, the support portion 70 has a rectangular frame shape with its longitudinal direction coinciding with the air flow direction of the air passage 36. The support portion 70 is integrally formed of 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.

[0035] [Wiping section] The wiping unit 80 is attached to the support unit 70. The wiping unit 80 has a rectangular plate-shaped main body 81 that can close the frame of the support unit 70. The main body 81 has an insertion portion 82 that can be inserted into the upper frame portion 73 and a locking portion 83 that can be locked to the lower frame portion 74. The pair of vertical frame portions 71, 71 have support edges 72, 72 that can support the main body 81.

[0036] Sheet The main body 81 is provided with 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.

[0037] Brush Main body 81 is provided with brush 76 that comes into contact with outer periphery 24 (see FIG. 5) of cross-flow fan 21 to remove dust adhering to outer periphery 24. Brush 76 is provided so as to be able to swing relative to main body 81. The center line of the swing is along axis C of cross-flow fan 21. Brush 76 is provided with base 78 on which resin bristles 77 are attached that remove dust from cross-flow fan 21.

[0038] [Spring] The brush 76 is provided with a tension spring 79. 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.

[0039] [Wiping mechanism operation] 4 and 7, the air conditioner 10 starts the cleaning operation by the cleaning mechanism 50 after receiving an operation stop signal from the remote control 110, or when receiving a cleaning operation instruction signal by operating a switch on the remote control 110.

[0040] 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.

[0041] During cleaning operation, sheet 84 contacts guide surface 40, and brush 76 contacts cross-flow fan 21. As 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 removed by brush 76. By rotating cross-flow fan 21 (counterclockwise in FIG. 5 ) during this operation, the entire outer periphery 24 of cross-flow fan 21 can be cleaned. Note that the bottom surface (not shown) of base 78 of brush 76 contacts main body 81 during cleaning.

[0042] The moving body 60 has both the sheet 84 and the brush 76. Therefore, the brush 76 drops dust from the cross-flow fan 21 onto the guide surface 40, and the sheet 84 can wipe it away.

[0043] Since the left and right louvers 29 (see Figure 3) are installed downstream of the cleaning mechanism 50 in the air flow, it is difficult to reach 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.

[0044] [Storage position of the moving object] 3 and 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 referred to as the storage position. The storage position of the moving body 60 is set at the end 36a of the air flow duct 36 with reference to the direction of the axis C of the cross-flow fan 21. A microswitch 38 is provided at the end 36a, and when the moving body 60 is stored in the storage position, the microswitch 38 is pressed, and when the moving body 60 leaves the storage position, the microswitch 38 is opened. By outputting a signal indicating the open / closed state of the microswitch 38 and sending it to the indoor side control unit 100a, the indoor side control unit 100a can determine whether the moving body 60 is stored in the storage position.

[0045] Hereinafter, the side where movable body 60 is stored will be 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 also be end 36b (see FIG. 3) on the opposite side (left side) of the storage side.

[0046] [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.

[0047] [Platform storage location] The case 30 has a board storage section 37 that stores an indoor control section 100a that is made up of a control board that can control the cleaning motor 52. The board storage section 37 is formed on the storage side (right side) of the fan storage section 33.

[0048] [Motor case] See Figure 8A. The cleaning motor 52 (see Figure 4), gear unit 53, and drive pulley 55 are covered by a motor case 57. The motor case 57 is formed to fit along the guide surface 40 and is integrally formed with an upper wall 57a that covers the top of the cleaning motor 52 and a side wall 57b that extends from the left edge of the upper wall 57a toward the guide surface 40 and covers 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 housing section 33. It can also be said that the side surface 34 covers the right side of the cleaning motor 52.

[0049] [Storage method for moving objects] A slide portion 58 is formed on the edge of upper wall portion 57a ​​of motor case 57, along which base portion 78 of brush 76 slides when movable body 60 moves toward the storage position (right side). Slide portion 58 can guide brush 76 so that brush 76, which is in contact with cross-flow fan 21, swings until it separates from cross-flow fan 21. In other words, cleaning motor 52 and slide portion 58 function as a switching means that can switch between a state in which brush 76 is in contact with cross-flow fan 21 and a state in which brush 76 is separated from cross-flow fan 21.

[0050] For example, sliding portion 58 extends linearly at an angle to the direction of axis C of cross-flow fan 21, but it may also extend in a curved line. Note that sliding portion 58 may be part of a member that is supported by fan housing portion 33 and is separate from motor case 57.

[0051] Brush position in stowed position 8B, when the movable body 60 is in the storage position, the side surface 78a of the base 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 reclined.

[0052] [Control Unit] Please refer to Figure 9. Reference numeral 100 denotes a control unit that controls the drive of each actuator installed in the air conditioner 10. The control unit 100 is made up 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 also 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. The indoor control unit 100a also has a storage unit 100a1 as a counting means for counting and storing the number of times the cleaning operation has been performed.

[0053] [Problems with cleaning operations] Next, problems with the cleaning performance of the cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation will be described.

[0054] The state of dust adhering to cross-flow fan 21 varies depending on the type of normal operation, which affects dust removal from cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation. When cooling or dehumidifying operation is in progress, dust moistened by the cold air adheres to cross-flow fan 21, while when heating operation is in progress, dust dried by the warm air adheres to cross-flow fan 21. In other words, dust is more likely to adhere to cross-flow fan 21 after cooling or dehumidifying operation than after heating operation, and the dust tends to stick to cross-flow fan 21, making it difficult to remove dust from cross-flow fan 21 with brush 76.

[0055] A problem arises if the rotation speed of cross-flow fan 21 is kept constant during cleaning operation, regardless of the type of normal operation that was performed immediately before the cleaning operation. That is, since it is more difficult for brush 76 to remove dust after cooling or dehumidifying operation than after heating operation, if cross-flow fan 21 is driven at the same rotation speed during cleaning operation as after heating operation, it may not be possible to sufficiently remove dust from cross-flow fan 21, which could reduce the cleaning ability of cross-flow fan 21 and reduce the cleanliness of the product.

[0056] In the present invention, regardless of the type of normal operation that was performed immediately before the cleaning operation, the cleaning ability of the cross-flow fan 21 is controlled so as not to be reduced, thereby preventing the cleanliness of the product from being reduced by performing the cleaning operation.

[0057] [Cleaning operation] Next, the operation during cleaning operation in the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0058] When normal operation is stopped, the indoor control unit 100a determines whether a setting has been made to automatically perform cleaning operation after normal operation is stopped, or whether a command to start cleaning operation has been issued by operating a switch on the remote control 110 (step S101).If it determines that a command to start cleaning operation has been issued, it proceeds to the next step; if no command to start cleaning operation has been issued, it repeats the determination in step S101.

[0059] If it is determined in step S101 that a command to start cleaning operation has been issued, the indoor control unit 100a determines whether the type of normal operation performed immediately before the cleaning operation was cooling operation or dehumidification operation (step S102), and if it determines that the operation performed immediately before was cooling operation or dehumidification operation, it sets the cleaning operation to thorough mode and drives the internal fan motor 25 and the cleaning motor 52 to start the cleaning operation (step S103). The thorough mode will be described in detail later. Furthermore, if the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S102 that the heating operation was the operation that was being performed immediately before, it sets the cleaning operation to the standard mode and then drives the internal fan motor 25 and the cleaning motor 52 to start the cleaning operation (step S104). The standard mode will be described in detail later.

[0060] When the thorough mode is set in step S103 or the standard mode is set in step S104, the indoor control unit 100a determines whether the cleaning operation has ended by confirming that the microswitch 38 is turned ON and that the moving body 60 is stored in the motor case 57 (step S105).If it determines that the cleaning operation has ended, it stops each drive unit and ends the control, and if it determines that the cleaning operation has not ended, it repeats the determination in step S105.

[0061] Next, each mode of the cleaning operation will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0062] In the standard mode of cleaning operation, the rotation speed of cross-flow fan 21 is set to a predetermined value x, and indoor side control section 100a controls cross-flow fan 21 to rotate at x. In the thorough cleaning mode, the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 is set to x+n, which is a predetermined value x plus n, and the indoor control unit 100a controls the cross-flow fan 21 to rotate at x+n, where n is a positive number.

[0063] That is, the rotation speed of cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation is higher when thorough mode is set than when standard mode is set. When cross-flow fan 21 is driven to rotate during cleaning operation, the higher the rotation speed, the more effective the dust removal by brush 76. Therefore, when thorough mode is set, the dust removal effect of cross-flow fan 21 is higher than when standard mode is set.

[0064] As described above, when a cleaning operation is performed, if an air conditioning operation or a dehumidification operation has been performed immediately before the cleaning operation, the thorough mode is set, which increases the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 compared to the standard mode. This allows the brush 76 to effectively remove the large amount of dust that has adhered to the cross-flow fan 21 due to the air conditioning operation or dehumidification operation, thereby improving the cleanliness of the product by performing the cleaning operation and enhancing the cleanliness of the product.

[0065] [Effects of Example 1] Next, a description will be given of the effects of Example 1. The effects of Example 1 described below are also exhibited in Examples 2 and 3 described below.

[0066] The cleaning operation can be set to a standard mode or a thorough mode, which has a stronger dust removal power than the standard mode. When performing cleaning operation, the indoor control unit 100a sets the thorough mode if cooling operation was performed immediately before, and sets the standard mode if heating operation was performed immediately before. Compared to heating operation, a large amount of dust adheres to the cross-flow fan 21, and when cleaning operation is performed immediately after cooling operation, which is prone to dust adhesion, the thorough mode is set, which improves the cleanliness of the product by performing cleaning operation.

[0067] In the thorough mode, the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation is higher than in the standard mode. During cleaning operation, the increased rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 increases the dust removal power, so when the thorough mode is set, the cleaning ability of the cross-flow fan 21 can be improved compared to the standard mode, thereby improving the cleanliness of the product.

[0068] When performing cleaning operation, the indoor control unit 100a sets the mode to thorough mode if a dehumidification operation was performed immediately before. Similar to cooling operation, a large amount of dust adheres to the cross-flow fan 21, and if cleaning operation is performed immediately after dehumidification operation, which tends to cause dust to stick, thorough mode is set, which improves the cleanliness of the product by performing cleaning operation and thereby improving the cleanliness of the product.

[0069] <Example 2> Next, control during cleaning operation in the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 12. The configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted.

[0070] When normal operation is stopped, the indoor control unit 100a determines whether a setting has been made to automatically perform cleaning operation after normal operation is stopped, or whether a switch on the remote control 110 has been operated to issue an instruction to start cleaning operation (step S201).If it determines that an instruction to start cleaning operation has been issued, it proceeds to the next step; if no instruction to start cleaning operation has been issued, it repeats the determination in step S201.

[0071] If it is determined in step S201 that an instruction to start a cleaning operation has been issued, the indoor side control unit 100a checks the number of cleaning operations that have been performed in the past stored in the memory unit 100a1 (step S202), and determines whether the number of cleaning operations that have been performed in the past is less than a predetermined value C (step S203). If the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S203 that the number of cleaning operations that have been performed in the past is less than the predetermined value C, it determines whether the operation that was being performed immediately before the instruction to perform a cleaning operation was issued was a cooling operation or a dehumidifying operation (step S204).

[0072] If the indoor control unit 100a determines in step S204 that the operation previously performed was cooling or dehumidifying, it sets the thorough mode in which the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 is adjusted according to the number of cleaning operations performed in the past (step S205). Furthermore, if the indoor control unit 100a determines in step S204 that the operation previously performed was heating operation, it sets the standard mode in which the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 is adjusted according to the number of cleaning operations performed in the past (step S206). The details of adjusting the rotation speed of cross-flow fan 21 depending on the number of cleaning operations will be described later.

[0073] If the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S203 that the number of cleaning operations performed in the past is equal to or greater than the predetermined value C, it notifies the user that it is time to replace the brush 76 by making a predetermined alarm sound from a speaker (not shown) installed in the indoor unit 20 and flashing an indicator lamp (not shown) (step S207), and then terminates the control. The reason for notifying the timing of replacement of the brush 76 will be described later.

[0074] When the thorough mode is set in step S205 or the standard mode is set in step S206, the indoor control unit 100a determines whether the cleaning operation has ended by confirming that the microswitch 38 is turned ON and that the moving body 60 is stored in the motor case 57 (step S208).If it determines that the cleaning operation has ended, it counts up the number of cleaning operations that have been performed, and the memory unit 100a1 stores the number of cleaning operations that have been performed (step S209), and then stops each drive unit and ends the control. If it is determined in step S208 that the cleaning operation has not ended, the indoor side control section 100a repeats the determination in step S208.

[0075] Next, the setting of the rotation speed of cross-flow fan 21 according to the number of cleaning operations performed in the past and the notification of replacement of brush 76 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0076] When the thorough mode is set in step S205 or the standard mode is set in step S206, the indoor control unit 100a compares the number of cleaning operations previously performed stored in the memory unit 100a1 with each of the preset values. If the confirmed number of cleaning operations is less than the predetermined value A, the indoor control unit 100a sets the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 to x in the standard mode or x+n in the thorough mode, where n is a positive number.

[0077] Further, if the number of times of the confirmed cleaning operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value A and less than a predetermined value B, the indoor control unit 100a sets the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 to x + a in the standard mode and x + n + a in the careful mode. However, A < B, and a is a positive number. Also, if the number of times of the confirmed cleaning operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value B and less than a predetermined value C, the indoor control unit 100a sets the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 to x + a + b in the standard mode and x + n + a + b in the careful mode. However, B < C, and b is a positive number.

[0078] As described above, when the cleaning operation is performed, the number of times of the cleaning operation performed in the past is confirmed, and the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 during the cleaning operation is increased as the number of times of the cleaning operation increases. If it is expected that the brush 76 deteriorates due to the large number of times of the cleaning operation and the dust removal power of the dust adhering to the cross-flow fan 21 during the cleaning operation decreases, by increasing the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 during the cleaning operation, even if the brush 76 is in a deteriorated state, it is possible to prevent the dust removal power of the dust adhering to the cross-flow fan 21 from extremely decreasing, so that the cross-flow fan 21 can be kept clean.

[0079] Also, if the number of times of the cleaning operation performed in the past is equal to or greater than a predetermined value C as in step S207, it is notified that the replacement timing of the brush 76 has been reached. If the number of times of the cleaning operation is large and the deterioration of the brush 76 is remarkable, and the cleaning performance of the cross-flow fan 21 by the cleaning operation cannot be ensured, the user is urged to replace the brush 76, so that the brush 76 can be replaced at an appropriate timing, and the cleanliness of the product can be maintained.

[0080] [Effect of Example 2] Next, the effect of Example 2 will be described. The effect of Example 2 described below is also exhibited in Example 3 described below.

[0081] When performing a cleaning operation, if the count value in memory unit 100a1, which serves as a counting means, is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, indoor control unit 100a sets the rotation speed of cross-flow fan 21 higher than when the count value is less than the predetermined value. When performing a cleaning operation, if the number of previous cleaning operations is large, it is expected that brush 76 has deteriorated and that the ability to remove dust adhered to cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation will be reduced. In this way, if the ability to remove dust adhered to cross-flow fan 21 is expected to be reduced due to deterioration of brush 76, the rotation speed of cross-flow fan 21 is increased when performing a cleaning operation compared to when the number of previous cleaning operations has been performed less than the predetermined value. This prevents a decrease in the cleaning ability of cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation and maintains the cleanliness of the product.

[0082] Example 3 14A and 14B show an air conditioner 10A according to Example 3. The same components as those in the air conditioner 10 of Example 1 are given the same reference numerals as in Example 1, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0083] In the third embodiment, a worm 59 is employed that is housed in a transmission unit housing 41A and can be driven by a gear unit 53 (see FIG. 4), instead of the driving force transmission unit 54 (toothed rope 56, drive pulley 55) (see FIG. 4) of the first embodiment. A driven unit 61A of a moving body 60A includes a rack gear 65 that meshes with the worm 59.

[0084] When cleaning motor 52 (see FIG. 6) is activated, worm 59 (driving force transmission part) that is provided across the width of case 30 rotates. Because driven part 61A has rack gear 65 that meshes with worm 59, rotation of worm 59 moves moving body 60A in the left-right direction.

[0085] 14A, the rack gear 65 of the moving body 60 is positioned above the worm 59 and is in mesh with the worm 59.

[0086] 15A and 15B, the transmission unit storage section 41 is covered by a cover 42 except for the end on the storage side. That is, an opening 45 is formed at the end on the storage side of the transmission unit storage section 41. The width of this opening 45 is set wider than the width of the driven section 61 of the moving body 60.

[0087] 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 housing 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 housing 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 unit 54).

[0088] Returning to FIG. 6B , the air conditioner 10 of the first embodiment also allows the movable body 60, which is in the stored position relative to the toothed rope 56 (driving force transmission unit), to be attached and detached. When the wiping unit 80 is removed from the support unit 70, the head of the screw 91 is exposed from within the frame of the support unit 70. The head of the screw 91 faces forward. That is, the shaft of the screw 91 (not shown) extends in the front-to-rear direction (the depth direction of the case 30). The driven unit 61 and both ends 56 a, 56 a of the toothed rope 56 are overlapped with each other in the front-to-rear direction and fixed by the screw 91. When the screw 91 is removed, the fixation between the both ends 56 a, 56 a of the toothed rope 56 and the movable body 60 is released. Thereafter, the movable body 60 can be removed from the toothed rope 56 by moving the movable body 60 forward.

[0089] Referring to Figure 5, downstream end 84a of sheet 84 is located vertically below the point where bristles 77 of brush 76 contact outer edge 24 of cross-flow fan 21. Therefore, downstream end 84a of sheet 84 can reliably wipe away dust adhering to cross-flow fan 21.

[0090] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the examples provided that the functions and effects of the present invention are achieved.

[0091] For example, in each of the embodiments described above, the moving body 60 is provided with the brush 76 and the sheet 84, but it may be provided with only the brush 76. Furthermore, although the switching means for switching between a state in which brush 76 is in contact with cross-flow fan 21 and a state in which it is not in contact with cross-flow fan 21 has been described as being composed of cleaning motor 52 and slide portion 58, it is not limited to this. In other words, any means that can switch brush 76 to a state in which it is not in contact with cross-flow fan 21 during normal operation and a state in which brush 76 is in contact with cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation falls within the scope of the switching means of the present invention.

[0092] The present invention may also be applied to a cleaning operation in which the following modes can be set using the remote control 110: a normal mode, a powerful mode in which the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 is increased to emphasize cleaning performance compared to the normal mode, and a quiet mode in which the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 is decreased to emphasize quietness compared to the normal mode. That is, when the powerful mode or the quiet mode is selected, the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation is increased if the operation performed immediately before the cleaning operation was cooling or dehumidifying compared to when the operation performed immediately before the cleaning operation was heating. This makes it possible to reliably remove dust adhering to the cross-flow fan 21 while satisfying the requirements for cleanability and quietness during cleaning operation, which are important in each mode.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, when the thorough mode is set during cleaning operation, the rotation speed of cross-flow fan 21 is increased compared to the standard mode, thereby enhancing the ability to remove dust adhering to cross-flow fan 21. However, this is not limited to this. For example, when the thorough mode is set, the drive speed of cleaning motor 52 may be slowed compared to the standard mode, thereby increasing the time that brush 76 contacts cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation in the thorough mode compared to the standard mode, thereby enhancing the cleaning ability of cross-flow fan 21. Furthermore, when the thorough mode is set, the moving body 60 moves back and forth over the guide surface 40 more times than in the standard mode, so that the time that the brush 76 contacts the cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation when the thorough mode is set is longer than in the standard mode, thereby improving the cleaning ability of the cross-flow fan 21. In other words, when the thorough mode is set during cleaning operation, the ability to remove dust adhering to the cross-flow fan 21 can be increased compared to when the standard mode is set, and any means for improving the cleaning ability of the cross-flow fan 21 falls within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 10...Air conditioner 21...cross-flow fan 30…cases 31...Air intake 32...Air outlet 76...Brush 100...Control unit 100a...Indoor control unit 100a1…Storage section

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 blows air by rotating; A heating operation that drives the fan to warm the room; a cooling operation in which the fan is driven to cool the room; a brush that is installed in the case and that can clean the fan by contacting the fan; a control unit that controls a cleaning operation for cleaning the fan with the brush, The cleaning operation can be set to a standard mode and a thorough mode that has a stronger dust removal power than the standard mode, The air conditioner is characterized in that, when the cleaning operation is performed, the control unit sets a previous commemorative mode if the cooling operation was performed immediately before, and sets the standard mode if the heating operation was performed immediately before.

2. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the rotation speed of the fan during the cleaning operation in the thorough mode is higher than that in the standard mode.

3. a counting means for counting the number of times the cleaning operation has been performed, 2. The air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein, when the cleaning operation is being performed, the control unit sets the rotation speed of the fan higher when the count value of the counting means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value compared to when the count value is less than the predetermined value.

4. a dehumidification operation for driving the fan to dehumidify the room, 4. The air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein when the cleaning operation is performed, the control unit sets a previous commemorative mode if the dehumidification operation was performed immediately before.

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