Air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner that gives a notification for urging replacement of a brush at an appropriate timing.SOLUTION: An air conditioner 10 includes a control device 100 which outputs a set output value of preset PWM control during execution of cleaning operation of cleaning a cross-flow fan 21 by bringing a brush 76 into contact with the rotating cross-flow fan 21, and controls a predetermined output value to a corrected output value by feedback control when an inner fan motor 25 is not rotating at a set rotational frequency for cleaning operation. The control device 100 can accurately determine degradation of the brush 76 by giving a notification for urging replacement of the brush 76 when detecting degradation of the brush 76 based on the corrected output value in cleaning operation, and can urge replacement of the brush 76 at an appropriate timing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

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

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

[0003] The air conditioning device shown in Patent Document 1 has a case fixed to a wall, a fan housed in the case that rotates to blow air into the room, and a brush unit that is arranged to be able to come into contact with the fan and to clean the fan.

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

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-143961 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with this conventional cleaning device, the brush comes into contact with the fan during cleaning operation to rotate the fan, which means that the brush deteriorates over time and deforms in a direction that does not interfere with the rotation of the fan, making it difficult to remove dust that has accumulated on the fan.

[0007] In addition, the degree of deterioration of the brushes varies depending on the frequency and operating time of cleaning operations for each air conditioner, making it difficult to notify the user when it is time to replace the brushes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, claim 1 of the present invention provides an air conditioning system comprising a case having an air intake port that can take in air from outside and an air outlet port that can blow the taken-in air to the outside, a cross-flow fan that is installed within the case and rotates to blow air, an internal fan motor that drives the cross-flow fan to rotate, a cleaning mechanism that is installed within the case and has a brush that can clean the cross-flow fan, and a control device that outputs a predetermined PWM control set output value when performing a cleaning operation in which the brush is brought into contact with the rotating cross-flow fan to clean the cross-flow fan, and that, if the internal fan motor is not rotating at the set rotation speed for the cleaning operation, feedback-controls the set output value to a corrected output value; and if the control device detects deterioration of the brush based on the corrected output value during the cleaning operation, it issues a warning to recommend replacement of the brush.

[0009] In addition, in claim 2, the control device is provided with a judgment unit that judges whether the corrected output value during the cleaning operation has fallen below a predetermined threshold value, and an external notification unit that prompts the user to replace the brush, and when the judgment unit judges that the corrected output value has fallen below the predetermined threshold value, the notification unit issues a notification that prompts the user to replace the brush.

[0010] In a third aspect of the present invention, the determination unit uses an average value of the corrected output values ​​from the start of the cleaning operation to the end of the cleaning operation for determination.

[0011] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, the determination unit uses the maximum value of the correction output value from the start of the cleaning operation to the end of the cleaning operation for the determination.

[0012] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the determination unit uses the minimum value of the correction output value from the start of the cleaning operation to the end of the cleaning operation for the determination. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to this invention, it is possible to accurately determine the deterioration of the brush and to prompt the user to replace the brush at an appropriate time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning device 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] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the cross-flow fan and the moving body at the start of cleaning. [Figure 11] 5 is a flowchart illustrating the contents of an internal fan motor control in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] A diagram showing the relationship between the set output value and the corrected output value when the brush deteriorates [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the contents of an internal fan motor control in the second embodiment. [Figure 14] A diagram showing the relationship between the set output value and the corrected output value when the brush deteriorates [Figure 15]A diagram showing the relationship between the set output value and the corrected output value when the brush deteriorates [Figure 16] A diagram showing the relationship between the set output value and the corrected output value when the brush deteriorates DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fr indicates front, Rr indicates rear, Le indicates left, Ri indicates right, Up indicates top, and Dn indicates bottom.

[0016] First Embodiment 1 shows an air conditioner 10 according to a first embodiment. The air conditioner 10 has a cooling function for cooling the indoor space In and a heating function for heating the indoor space In.

[0017] The air conditioner 10 includes an outdoor unit 11 provided outdoors (Ou) and an indoor unit 20 provided indoors (In). The outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 20 are connected to each other so that a refrigerant can circulate. Unless otherwise specified below, the direction in which the refrigerant circulates is based on the direction during cooling operation.

[0018] The outdoor unit 11 is equipped with a four-way switching valve 12 that switches the direction in which the refrigerant circulates during cooling operation and heating operation, a compressor 13 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.

[0019] The indoor unit 20 is used by hanging it on a wall Wa inside the room In. A case 30 of the indoor unit 20 is fixed to the wall Wa via a support plate. The case 30, 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 a DC motor supported by the cross-flow fan 21 and capable of feedback control for driving the cross-flow fan 21 to a preset rotation speed, and an indoor heat exchanger 27 that exchanges heat with the air taken in by the cross-flow fan 21.

[0020] During cooling operation, which is a type of normal operation, the refrigerant that has been 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.

[0021] Air is introduced into the case 30 of the indoor unit 20 by operating the cross-flow fan 21. The introduced air passes around the periphery of the indoor heat exchanger 27 and is sent to the indoor 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.

[0022] 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).

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

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

[0026] 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).

[0027] [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).

[0028] [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.

[0029] [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.

[0030] [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.

[0031] The transmission unit storage section 41 is covered by a cover 42. A surface 42a of the cover 42 smoothly connects the upstream guide surface 43 and the downstream guide surface 44 (they are continuous without protruding or recessing from the guide surface 40). In other words, the surface 42a of the cover 42, together with the upstream guide surface 43 and the downstream guide surface 44, constitutes 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] [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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] [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 .

[0037] [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.

[0038] [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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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 and can wipe away 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 has base 78 on which resin bristles 77 are attached that wipe away dust from cross-flow fan 21.

[0041] [How to replace the brush] If brush 76 has deteriorated, the user can remove engaging portion 83 from lower frame 74 and replace it with a new brush 76, thereby enabling good cleaning of cross-flow fan 21. At this time, sheet 84 provided on the back of brush 76 can also be replaced with a new sheet 84.

[0042] [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.

[0043] In this way, during cleaning operation, the brush 76 cleans the cross-flow fan 21 by coming into contact with the cross-flow fan 21, so if the cleaning operation is performed multiple times, the brush 76 will bend in a direction that does not interfere with the rotation of the cross-flow fan 21.

[0044] [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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] Sheet 84 is in contact with guide surface 40, and brush 76 is in contact with 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 wiped away 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 is in contact with main body 81 during cleaning.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] [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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] [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.

[0052] [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.

[0053] [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.

[0054] [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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] [Control device] 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 device 100 is composed of an indoor side control unit 100a installed in the indoor unit 20 and an outdoor side control unit 100b installed in the outdoor unit 11. When the indoor side control unit 100a receives various operation instructions from the remote control 110, it operates each actuator installed in the indoor unit 20 in accordance with the contents of the operation instructions, and 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.

[0058] The judgment unit 101 is provided in the indoor control unit 100a and judges whether the corrected output value during cleaning operation falls below a predetermined threshold value, and determines whether the brush 76 has deteriorated based on the judgment result.

[0059] The notification unit 102 is provided in the indoor side control unit 100a, and when the determination unit 101 determines that the brush 76 has deteriorated, issues a notification urging the user to replace the brush 76. Notification methods include the indoor side control unit 100a turning on or blinking a lamp provided in the indoor unit 20, or the indoor side control unit 100a displaying a message on the display unit of the remote control 110 urging the user to replace the brush 76 (for example, the display unit of the remote control 110 may display a message saying "The brush cannot be recognized correctly. Please replace the brush as this may result in poor cleaning.").

[0060] [Cleaning operation] Next, the operation of moving body 60 and cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0061] When the indoor control unit 100a determines that it has received a signal to stop normal operation from the remote control 110 with the setting of performing cleaning operation after normal operation has ended, or that it has received a command signal to perform cleaning operation by operating a switch on the remote control 110, it stops normal operation and then drives the cleaning motor 52 to move the moving body 60 from the end 36a, which is the storage position (step S101).

[0062] After completing the processing of step S101, the indoor control unit 100a determines whether the moving body 60 has reached a predetermined position where it contacts the right end side of the cross-flow fan 21 based on the pulse count of the cleaning motor 52 (step S102). When the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S102 that the moving body 60 has reached the predetermined position, it stops driving the cleaning motor 52 and starts driving the internal fan motor 25 to rotate the cross-flow fan 21 (step S103). The rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 during cleaning operation is set to a low rotation speed that does not blow air, as the purpose is to remove dust adhering to the cross-flow fan 21 with the brush 76. The details of the feedback control in driving the internal fan motor 25 here will be described later. If the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S102 that the moving object 60 has not reached the predetermined position, it repeats the determination in step S102.

[0063] When the processing of step S103 is completed, the indoor side control section 100a determines whether or not the start of driving of the inner fan motor 25 has been confirmed based on a change in the rotation speed of the inner fan motor 25 (step S104). When the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S104 that the start of driving of the internal fan motor 25 has been confirmed, it resumes driving of the cleaning motor 52 and cleans the cross-flow fan 21 with the brush 76 and the guide surface 40 with the sheet 84 (step S105). If the indoor side control section 100a determines in step S104 that the start of driving of the indoor fan motor 25 cannot be confirmed, it repeats the determination in step S104.

[0064] After completing the process of step S105, the indoor side control section 100a determines whether the moving body 60 has reached the left end side of the movable guide surface 40 based on the pulse number count of the cleaning motor 52 (step S106). When the indoor control unit 100a determines in step S106 that the moving body 60 has reached the left end side of the guide surface 40, it stops driving the internal fan motor 25 and reverses the rotation of the cleaning motor 52 to move the moving body 60 toward the right side of the guide surface 40 (step S107). If the indoor side control section 100a determines in step S106 that the moving body 60 has not reached the left end side of the guide surface 40, it repeats the determination in step S106.

[0065] After completing the process of step S107, the indoor side control section 100a determines whether the moving body 60 has reached the end 36a, which is the storage position, based on the output signal of the microswitch 38 (step S108). If the indoor side control section 100a determines in step S108 that the microswitch 38 is in the closed state and that the moving body 60 has reached the storage position, it stops driving the cleaning motor 52 and ends the cleaning operation. If the indoor side control section 100a determines in step S108 that the microswitch 38 is in the open state and the moving body 60 has not reached the storage position, it repeats the determination in step S108.

[0066] [Fan motor control during cleaning operation] Next, the control of the fan motor 25 during the cleaning operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 11 and FIG.

[0067] When the indoor side control unit 100a determines that it has received a signal instructing it to start the cleaning operation mode that drives the internal fan motor 25 based on the switch operation of the remote control 110 or the pre-settings on the remote control 110 (step S201: Yes), it starts driving the internal fan motor 25 (step S202).

[0068] At this time, if the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S201 that cleaning operation is to be performed, it outputs a preset PWM control setting output value to the internal fan motor 25 according to the set rotation speed for cleaning operation, and operates the internal fan motor 25 to achieve the set rotation speed, which is a weak rotation speed for cleaning operation (step S202).

[0069] The indoor side control section 100a checks whether the rotation speed of the indoor fan motor 25 is the set rotation speed (step S203).

[0070] If the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 is the set rotation speed (Yes in step S203), the indoor side control section 100a continues the confirmation in step S3 until the cleaning operation is completed in step S4.

[0071] Furthermore, if the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 is not the set rotation speed (step S203 is No), the indoor side control unit 100a feedback controls the set output value of the PWM control according to the deviation, outputs a corrected output value so that the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 becomes the set rotation speed, and operates the internal fan motor 25 (step S205).

[0072] At this time, the judgment unit 101 checks whether the corrected output value has fallen below a predetermined threshold value (step S206), and if it determines that the corrected output value has not fallen below the predetermined threshold value (step S206 is No), it proceeds to step S204 and continues checking step S203 until the cleaning operation is completed.

[0073] Furthermore, if the judgment unit 101 determines that the corrected output value is below a predetermined threshold value (Yes in step S206), the process proceeds to step S7, and the notification unit 102 outputs a notification that the brush 76 has deteriorated and that replacement of the brush 76 is recommended (step S7).

[0074] After the notification by the notification unit 102, the process proceeds to step S4, and the confirmation in step S203 is continued until the cleaning operation is completed.

[0075] In this way, indoor control unit 100a attempts to rotate cross-flow fan 21 at a preset set output value in order to drive internal fan motor 25, but as brush 76 deteriorates over time, it gradually bends in a direction that does not impede the rotation of cross-flow fan 21, and cross-flow fan 21 can be driven at a corrected output value that is smaller than the set output value. At this time, determination unit 101 determines that brush 76 has deteriorated if the corrected output value falls below a predetermined threshold, making it possible to accurately determine the deterioration of brush 76.

[0076] Furthermore, since the judgment unit 101 judges whether the brush 76 needs to be replaced based on the corrected output value, it is possible to judge the deterioration of the brush 76 according to each individual air conditioning device, rather than based on statistical data such as the number of cleanings or the number of years of use, and therefore it is possible to notify the user at an appropriate time to encourage replacement of the brush 76.

[0077] Furthermore, when it is determined that the brush 76 has deteriorated, a notification is given to urge replacement with a new brush 76, and since the new brush 76 comes into contact with the rotating cross-flow fan 21, the cleaning performance of the cross-flow fan 21 during cleaning operation is improved.

[0078] Next, a second embodiment in which the timing for determining that the brush 76 has deteriorated is different will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 13 and FIG.

[0079] When the indoor side control unit 100a determines that it has received a signal instructing it to start the cleaning operation mode that drives the internal fan motor 25 based on the switch operation of the remote control 110 or the pre-settings on the remote control 110 (step S208 is Yes), it starts driving the internal fan motor 25 (step S209).

[0080] At this time, if the indoor side control unit 100a determines in step S208 that cleaning operation should be performed, it outputs a preset PWM control setting output value to the indoor fan motor 25, and operates it so that the preset rotation speed for cleaning operation is reached (step S209).

[0081] The indoor side control section 100a checks whether the rotation speed of the indoor fan motor 25 is the set rotation speed (step S210).

[0082] If the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 is the set rotation speed (Yes in step S210), the indoor side control section 100a continues the confirmation in step S210 until the cleaning operation is ended in step S212.

[0083] Furthermore, if the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 is not the set rotation speed (step S210 is No), the indoor side control unit 100a feedback controls the set output value of the PWM control, outputs a corrected output value so that the rotation speed of the internal fan motor 25 becomes the set rotation speed, and operates the internal fan motor 25 (step S211).

[0084] At this time, the indoor side control section 100a stores the output corrected output value, proceeds to step S212, and continues checking the rotation speed of the inner fan motor 25 in step S210 until the cleaning operation is completed.

[0085] When the cleaning operation is completed (step S212 is Yes), the indoor control unit 100a calculates the average corrected output value, which is the average value of the corrected output values ​​during the stored cleaning operation, and the judgment unit 101 performs a deterioration judgment of the brush 76 to confirm whether the average corrected output value has fallen below a predetermined threshold value (step S213).

[0086] If the average corrected output value is below the predetermined threshold, the judgment unit 101 judges that the brush 76 has deteriorated (step S214: Yes), and the notification unit 102 outputs a notification that the brush 76 has deteriorated and that replacement of the brush 76 is recommended (step S215), and the process returns to step S8.

[0087] If the average corrected output value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value, the determining unit 101 determines that the brush 76 has not deteriorated (No in step S214), and the process returns to step S8.

[0088] Thus, during one cleaning run, the way in which cross-flow fan 21 and brush 76 come into contact changes, and feedback control is performed multiple times, which, combined with the low rotation speed of internal fan motor 25, causes large variations in the corrected output value, so at the end of the cleaning run, judgment unit 101 judges deterioration of brush 76 based on whether the average corrected output value of the cleaning run is below a predetermined threshold value. As a result, even if the corrected output value is low, it is stored as one of the variations, and deterioration of brush 76 can be accurately judged based on the average corrected output value.

[0089] In addition, in the second embodiment, the judgment unit 101 judges the deterioration of the brush 76 by comparing the average corrected output value, which is the average value of the corrected output values, with a predetermined threshold value, but this is not limited to this, and the deterioration judgment of the brush 76 in step S213 may be made by comparing with a value other than the average corrected output value.

[0090] For example, another embodiment of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As another form of the second embodiment, there is a method in which a predetermined second threshold value having an output value higher than the predetermined threshold values ​​of the first and second embodiments is determined in advance, and the predetermined second threshold value is compared with a maximum corrected output value, which is the maximum value among the variations in the corrected output value. As shown in FIG. 15, the determination unit 101 compares the maximum corrected output value in the cleaning operation stored in the indoor side control unit 100a with a predetermined second threshold value. In this case, if the maximum corrected output value is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold value, it may be determined that the brush 76 is not deteriorated, and if the maximum corrected output value is below the predetermined second threshold value, it may be determined that the brush 76 is deteriorated.

[0091] Another variation of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As another form of the second embodiment, there is a method in which a predetermined third threshold value having an output value lower than the predetermined threshold values ​​of the first and second embodiments is determined in advance, and the predetermined third threshold value is compared with a minimum corrected output value, which is the smallest value among the variations in the corrected output value. As shown in FIG. 16, the determination unit 101 compares the minimum corrected output value in the cleaning operation stored in the indoor side control unit 100a with a predetermined third threshold value. In this case, if the minimum correction output value is equal to or greater than a predetermined third threshold value, it may be determined that the brush 76 is not deteriorated, and if the minimum correction output value is below the predetermined third threshold value, it may be determined that the brush 76 is deteriorated.

[0092] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments as long as the functions and effects of the present invention are achieved. For example, in each of the embodiments described above, the cleaning mechanism 50 is described as being configured to include the brush 76 and the sheet 84 on the moving body 60, but it may also be configured to include only the brush 76 on the moving body 60. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 10...Air conditioner 21...cross-flow fan 25...Internal fan motor 30…cases 31...Air intake 32...Air outlet 50...Cleaning mechanism 76...Brush 100...Control device 100a...Indoor control unit 101…Judgment section 102…Information Department

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 cross-flow fan that is installed within the case and rotates to blow air; an inner fan motor that rotates and drives the cross-flow fan; a cleaning mechanism disposed within the case and having a brush capable of cleaning the cross-flow fan; an air conditioning system comprising: a control device that outputs a preset PWM control set output value during a cleaning operation in which the brush is brought into contact with the rotating cross-flow fan to clean the cross-flow fan; and that, when the internal fan motor is not rotating at the set rotation speed during the cleaning operation, feedback-controls the set output value to a corrected output value; The control device an air conditioning device, wherein when deterioration of the brush is detected based on the corrected output value in the cleaning operation, a notification is given to urge replacement of the brush.

2. The control device a determination unit that determines whether the corrected output value during the cleaning operation is below a predetermined threshold value; an external notification unit that prompts replacement of the brush; 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein when the determining unit determines that the corrected output value is below the predetermined threshold value, the notifying unit issues a notification urging replacement of the brush.

3. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the determining unit uses an average value of the corrected output values ​​from the start of the cleaning operation to the end of the cleaning operation for the determination.

4. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the determining unit uses a maximum value of the correction output value from the start of the cleaning operation to the end of the cleaning operation for the determination.

5. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit uses the minimum value of the correction output value from the start of the cleaning operation to the end of the cleaning operation for the determination.

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