Air conditioning system

Abstract

To efficiently improve the temperature of a non-living room space in which an air conditioning device is not installed.SOLUTION: An air conditioning system comprises: an air conditioning device (2) installed in a living room (11) in a building; a temperature sensor (3) installed in a non-living room space (12) adjacent to the living room via an opening part (13), and for detecting the room temperature of the non-living room space; and air conditioning control means (4). The air conditioning control means selectively executes a living room priority mode in which the air conditioning device is operated on the basis of the room temperature of the living room, and a non-living room priority mode in which the air conditioning device is operated on the basis of the room temperature of the non-living room space detected by the temperature sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning system, and more particularly to an air conditioning system installed in a building in which an occupied room and a non-occupied space are adjacent to each other via an opening. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been technologies for improving the comfort of the indoor environment of buildings such as homes. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-28432 (Patent Document 1) proposes a technology for comparing the outdoor temperature with the indoor temperature and selecting the optimal mode from multiple operating modes including exhaust heat hot air mode, air conditioning mode, and unoccupied mode. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-28432 A (Patent No. 6392437) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In today's homes, improvements in insulation have made the temperature difference between living spaces (air-conditioned rooms) and non-living spaces (non-air-conditioned rooms) such as hallways smaller than before, but the indoor temperature of non-living spaces in winter is still lower and colder than the indoor temperature of living rooms.

[0005] The technology in Patent Document 1 is a technology that improves the comfort of living spaces and the energy efficiency of air conditioners, so it is not expected to have an effect of improving temperatures in non-living spaces. Furthermore, installing air conditioners in non-living spaces is costly and therefore undesirable.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an air conditioning system that can efficiently improve the temperature of non-occupied spaces where air conditioning equipment is not installed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An air conditioning system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an air conditioning unit installed in an occupied room in a building, a temperature sensor installed in a non-occupied space adjacent to the occupied room via an opening and detecting the indoor temperature of the non-occupied space, and air conditioning control means. The air conditioning control means selectively executes an occupied room priority mode in which the air conditioning unit operates based on the indoor temperature of the occupied room, and a non-occupied room priority mode in which the air conditioning unit operates based on the indoor temperature of the non-occupied space detected by the temperature sensor.

[0008] Preferably, in the non-occupied room priority mode, the blowing direction of conditioned air by the air conditioner is directed toward the opening side.

[0009] If a door is provided at the opening, the air conditioning system preferably further includes a door opening means for opening the door when the non-occupied room priority mode is executed.

[0010] Preferably, the air conditioning control means selects either the occupied room priority mode or the non-occupied room priority mode based on the relationship between the set temperature of the air conditioner and the indoor temperatures of the occupied room and the non-occupied space.

[0011] More preferably, the air conditioning control means selects the occupied room priority mode when the temperature difference between the room temperature and the set temperature exceeds a first predetermined value, and switches the operating mode of the air conditioning equipment to the non-occupied room priority mode when the temperature difference becomes equal to or less than the first predetermined value.

[0012] It is desirable that the air conditioning control means returns the operating mode of the air conditioning equipment to the occupied room priority mode when the temperature difference between the indoor temperature of the non-occupied space and the set temperature becomes less than a second predetermined value due to operation of the air conditioning equipment in the non-occupied room priority mode.

[0013] The non-habitable space may have a first chamber adjacent to the habitable space via an opening and a second chamber adjacent to the first chamber. In this case, the temperature sensor may be provided in at least one of the first chamber and the second chamber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, the temperature of a non-occupied space where no air conditioning equipment is installed can be efficiently improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1A is a diagram schematically showing an air conditioning method in occupied room priority mode, and FIG. 1B is a diagram schematically showing an air conditioning method in non-occupied room priority mode. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing an air conditioning process executed by the air conditioning control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an air conditioning method when a non-occupied space includes multiple rooms. [Figure 5] 10 is a graph showing the transition of room temperatures when a door between an occupied room and a non-occupied space is changed from a closed state to an open state in winter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0017] <Outline configuration> The general configuration of an air conditioning system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning system. A building that employs the air conditioning system according to this embodiment is typically a residential building.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows an example of a floor plan of a house. The house includes a living room 11 in which an air conditioner (indoor unit) 2 is installed and a non-living space 12 in which no air conditioner is installed, and the living room 11 and the non-living space 12 are adjacent to each other (communicate with each other) via an opening 13. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the living room 11 is a private room (master bedroom), and the non-living space 12 is a hallway (staircase hall). A door 14 is provided in the opening 13. The door 14 is a fixture that can open and close the opening 13, and may be a sliding door.

[0019] In such a house, when the air conditioner 2 is operated in winter, the indoor temperature of the non-occupied space 12 changes depending on whether the door 14 is open or closed. In other words, the temperature difference between the indoor temperature of the occupied room 11 and the indoor temperature of the non-occupied space 12 (hereinafter referred to as the "inter-room temperature difference") varies depending on whether the door 14 is open or closed.

[0020] Figure 5 shows the results of a test conducted in winter (outdoor temperature 0°C) to examine the relationship between the open / closed state of a door and the indoor temperatures of a living room (living / dining room [LDK]) and a non-living room (hallway). Figure 5 is a graph showing the change in indoor temperatures when a door between a living room and a living space is opened and closed. The solid line shows the change in indoor temperature of the living room, and the dashed line shows the change in indoor temperature of the non-living space. Because the living room is air-conditioned (heated) by an air conditioner, the indoor temperature of the living room remains close to the set temperature (e.g., 22°C) regardless of the door's open / closed state. In contrast, because the non-living space does not have an air conditioner, the indoor temperature of the non-living space is naturally higher when the door is open than when it is closed (fully closed). For this reason, it is recommended to open the door, especially in winter, to improve the thermal environment in the non-living space.

[0021] However, as shown in the graph in Figure 5, even when the door is open, it takes time for the indoor temperature in the non-occupied space to stabilize (test results show it takes more than two hours). One possible reason for this is that even when the door is opened from a closed state, if the indoor temperature in the occupied space is close to the set temperature of the air conditioner, the output of the air conditioner remains almost unchanged.

[0022] Therefore, as shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioning system according to this embodiment is mainly characterized in that a temperature sensor 3 is provided in the non-occupied space 12, making it possible to control the air conditioner 2 based on the indoor temperature of the non-occupied space 12. The specific configuration and operation of the air conditioning system according to this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0023] <Air conditioning system configuration example> As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioning system of this embodiment includes an air conditioning device 2 installed in a room 11 (private room), a temperature sensor 3 installed in a non-room space 12 (corridor), and an air conditioning control device 4 connected to the air conditioning device 2 and the temperature sensor 3 by wire or wirelessly.

[0024] The air conditioner 2 is an indoor unit of an air conditioner that performs heating and cooling, and is installed on a wall 111 of the living room 11. It is desirable that the wall 111 on which the air conditioner 2 is installed is a wall facing a wall (partition wall) 112 having an opening 13, but the air conditioner 2 may also be installed on a wall 113, 114 that intersects with the wall 112 having the opening 13. Alternatively, the air conditioner 2 may be of a ceiling-embedded type.

[0025] In a building where a corridor serving as a non-habitable space 12 is adjacent to multiple private rooms (habitable rooms), as in the floor plan shown in Figure 1, it is desirable to select an air conditioner installed in a frequently used private room or an air conditioner with high capacity as the air conditioner 2 to be used in this system. It is assumed that the habitable room 11 shown in Figure 1 is used more frequently than the other private rooms and has an air conditioner 2 with a relatively high capacity installed.

[0026] The temperature sensor 3 is installed on a wall, ceiling, etc. of the non-habitable space 12. It is desirable that the temperature sensor 3 is placed in a position away from the flow path of the conditioned air through the opening 13 (a position where the conditioned air does not directly hit the temperature sensor 3).

[0027] The air conditioning control device 4 selectively operates between an "occupied room priority mode" in which the air conditioner 2 is operated based on the indoor temperature of the occupied room 11, and a "non-occupied room priority mode" in which the air conditioner 2 is operated based on the indoor temperature of the non-occupied space 12 detected by the temperature sensor 3. The air conditioning control device 4 is realized by a computer including a processor and memory. The air conditioning control device 4 may be provided integrally with the air conditioner 2.

[0028] 2(A) is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an air conditioning method in occupied room priority mode. In occupied room priority mode, air conditioner 2 controls itself so that the temperature difference between the room temperature of occupied room 11 detected by temperature sensor 21 mounted on itself and the set temperature set in advance by the user (or the default set temperature) is within an allowable range (for example, 2°C or less).

[0029] In the occupied room priority mode, the door 14 is typically closed. By setting the operating mode of the air conditioner 2 to the occupied room priority mode, the temperature environment of the occupied room 11 can be maintained in a good state.

[0030] 2(B) is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an air conditioning method in non-occupied room priority mode. In non-occupied room priority mode, air conditioner 2 controls itself so that the temperature difference between the indoor temperature of non-occupied space 12 detected by temperature sensor 3 installed in non-occupied space 12 and the set temperature is within an allowable range (for example, 2°C or less).

[0031] In the non-occupied room priority mode, the door 14 is opened, and the opening 13 is left open as a path for the conditioned air. By setting the operating mode of the air conditioner 2 to the non-occupied room priority mode, the conditioned air (warm air in winter) reaches the non-occupied room space 12 through the opening 13, thereby improving the temperature environment in the non-occupied room space 12.

[0032] 2(B), in the non-occupied room priority mode, it is desirable that the direction in which conditioned air is blown from the air conditioner 2 be directed toward the opening 13. When the air conditioner 2 in this embodiment is in the non-occupied room priority mode, it changes the angle of the airflow direction guide (not shown) to a direction facing the opening 13 (hereinafter referred to as the "opening direction").

[0033] The angle adjustment to align the blowing direction of conditioned air with the opening direction is performed during the initial setup of the system, and the angle of the airflow direction guide pointing in the opening direction is assumed to be recorded in memory as the angle for non-occupied room priority mode. Alternatively, in cases where the air conditioning equipment 2 is equipped with an infrared sensor, a simulator 5 that generates infrared rays can be attached near the opening 13 (for example, on the wall above the opening 13), and the simulator 5 can be operated only in non-occupied room priority mode.

[0034] <Example of air conditioning system operation> 3 is a flowchart showing the air conditioning process executed by the air conditioning control device 4. This air conditioning process is started when a user commands the air conditioner 2 to operate and when the "non-occupied room air conditioning operation mode" is enabled (set to ON) by the user. When the "non-occupied room air conditioning operation mode" is disabled (set to OFF), the air conditioner 2 performs normal operation on its own.

[0035] The air conditioning control device 4 first checks the relationship between the indoor temperature (occupied room temperature) of the room 11 and the set temperature of the air conditioner 2 (step S1). If the temperature difference (absolute value) exceeds a first predetermined value, the "occupied room priority mode" is selected as the operating mode of the air conditioner 2 (step S3). On the other hand, if it is determined that the temperature difference (absolute value) is equal to or less than the first predetermined value, the room 11 has already been heated, and therefore the "non-occupied room priority mode" is selected as the operating mode of the air conditioner 2 (step S17).

[0036] The first predetermined value (threshold value defining the start condition for the non-occupied room operation mode) may be the same as the threshold value (tolerance range) for normal temperature control of the air conditioner 2, or may be greater than that. In this embodiment, the first predetermined value is the same as the threshold value for temperature control, for example, 2°C. Doing so has the advantage of allowing the operation mode to be switched to the non-occupied room priority mode relatively quickly.

[0037] If the occupied room priority mode is determined, the air conditioning control device 4 operates the air conditioner 2 normally in the occupied room priority mode (step S5). Specifically, heating operation is performed based on the temperature sensor 21 of the air conditioner 2, and the air direction remains the same as before (such as the direction set by the user). In the occupied room priority mode, as shown in FIG. 2(A), warm air blown out from the air conditioner 2 circulates within the occupied room 11, warming the room 11.

[0038] When the temperature difference (absolute value) between the room temperature and the set temperature becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value (2°C) (YES in step S7) by operating the air conditioning equipment 2 normally, the "non-occupied room priority mode" is selected and the operating mode of the air conditioning equipment 2 is switched from the "occupied room priority mode" to the "non-occupied room priority mode" (step S9).

[0039] At this time, the open / closed state of the target opening 13 is checked, and if the door 14 is fully closed, the door 14 is opened (step S11). The air conditioning system according to this embodiment is preferably equipped with door opening means (not shown) for opening the door 14. The door opening means may be realized by notification means that notifies the user by display or sound to encourage the door 14 to be opened, or may be realized by automatic opening / closing means that automatically opens and closes the door 14.

[0040] Next, the air conditioning control device 4 operates the air conditioner 2 in non-occupied room priority mode (step S13). Specifically, air conditioning (heating / cooling) is performed based on the temperature sensor 3 installed in the non-occupied room space 12, and the air direction is changed toward the opening 13. In the non-occupied room priority mode, as shown in FIG. 2(B), warm air blown out from the air conditioner 2 passes through the opening 13 and is sent into the non-occupied room space 12. In this way, the non-occupied room space 12 is heated.

[0041] When operating in non-occupied room priority mode in winter, heating operation is performed based on the relatively low indoor temperature of non-occupied space 12, not the relatively high indoor temperature of occupied room 11, so that heating operation can be performed without reducing the output of air conditioner 2 even if the indoor temperature of occupied room 11 reaches the set temperature of air conditioner 2. This allows non-occupied space 12 to be heated quickly. In this case, the time that door 14 is kept open can be shortened, thereby preventing a loss of comfort for the occupants in room 11.

[0042] Operation in non-occupied room priority mode continues until the temperature difference (absolute value) between the room temperature (non-occupied room temperature) in non-occupied space 12 and the set temperature of air conditioner 2 becomes equal to or less than a second predetermined value (NO in step S15). The second predetermined value (threshold value defining the stop condition of non-occupied room operation mode) may also be the same as the threshold value (tolerance range) for normal temperature control of air conditioner 2, for example, 2°C. The second predetermined value may also be a value greater than the first predetermined value (threshold value defining the start condition of non-occupied room operation mode). This makes it possible to prevent excessive heating of occupied room 11 while non-occupied room operation mode is being executed.

[0043] The second predetermined value is preferably between 2° C. and 5° C. If it is less than 2° C., the room 11 will be overheated, and if it is more than 5° C., there is a risk of heat shock due to the temperature difference with the room 11. It is also preferable that the second predetermined value is greater than the threshold (tolerance range) for normal temperature control of the air conditioner 2.

[0044] If the temperature difference (absolute value) between the indoor temperature (non-occupied room temperature) of the non-occupied space 12 and the set temperature of the air conditioner 2 becomes less than a second predetermined value (for example, 2°C), the process returns to step S3 (occupied room priority mode selection) and the series of processes is repeated.

[0045] In the occupied room priority mode, it is desirable that the door 14 be fully closed. For this reason, the air conditioning system according to this embodiment may be provided with a door closing means (not shown) that closes the door 14 when the operating mode of the air conditioner 2 is switched from the non-occupied room priority mode to the occupied room priority mode. The door closing means may be realized by a notification means that notifies the user by display or sound to promote the closing of the door 14, or may be realized by an automatic opening / closing means that automatically opens and closes the door 14.

[0046] If the non-occupied room priority mode is selected at the start of this air conditioning process (step S17), similarly to steps S11 and S13 above, the opening / closing status of the opening 13 is confirmed (step S19), and the air conditioner 2 is operated in the non-occupied room priority mode (step S21). Also, similarly to step S15, if the temperature difference (absolute value) between the room temperature (non-occupied room temperature) of the non-occupied space 12 and the set temperature of the air conditioner 2 is equal to or less than a second predetermined value (for example, 2°C), the process proceeds to step S3 (selection of the occupied room priority mode), and the series of processes is repeated.

[0047] The air conditioning process shown in FIG. 3 ends when the user issues an instruction to stop the operation of the air conditioner 2.

[0048] As described above, the air conditioning system according to this embodiment utilizes the air conditioning equipment 2 installed in the living room 11 to improve the temperature environment in the non-living space 12 without compromising the comfort of the living room 11. The improvement of the temperature environment in the non-living space 12 can be achieved not only during heating in the winter but also during cooling in the summer, and it is possible to reduce the heat in the non-living space 12 in the summer.

[0049] <Modification> (1) FIG. 1 shows an example in which living room 11 is a private room (master bedroom) and non-living space 12 is a hallway (corridor space), but this is not a limitation. Living room 11 may be any "air-conditioned room" in which air conditioning equipment 2 is installed, and examples of living room 11 include not only private rooms but also living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, etc. Non-living space 12 may be any "non-air-conditioned room" adjacent to living room 11 via opening 13 and typically not equipped with air conditioning equipment, and examples of non-living space 12 include not only hallways but also entrance halls, washrooms, dressing rooms, walk-in closets, studies, etc. Such non-living spaces 12 are typically smaller in area than living room 11 and are expected to be spent for shorter periods of time in them than living room 11 in daily life.

[0050] Also, the opening 13 may not have a door 14, and the living space 11 and the non-living space 12 may be in constant communication with each other via the opening 13.

[0051] (2) In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the non-habitable space 12 is composed of a single non-habitable room (for example, a hallway). However, as shown in FIG. 4, even in a case in which the non-habitable space includes first and second rooms 12A and 12B that are adjacent to each other, the temperature environment of both rooms 12A and 12B can be improved by the above-described air conditioning process.

[0052] In the example shown in Fig. 4, the first room 12A is a corridor arranged facing the opening 13 of the living room 11, and the second room 12B is a washroom arranged away from the opening 13. The second room 12B is in communication with the first room 12A via an opening 15. A door (not shown) may also be provided at the opening 15.

[0053] In this case, the above-described air conditioning process may be performed by providing a temperature sensor 3 in the second room 12B away from the opening 13. Alternatively, temperature sensors 3 may be provided in both rooms 12A and 12B, and when the non-occupied room priority mode is started, the condition for stopping the non-occupied room priority mode may be that the room temperatures in both rooms 12A and 12B fall below a second predetermined value.

[0054] In this way, a plurality of consecutive rooms (non-occupied rooms) can be efficiently heated by one air conditioner 2 installed in the occupied room 11. The second room 12B may be a sanitary space such as a bathroom or toilet.

[0055] (3) In the above embodiment, when the air conditioning device 2 starts operating, the relationship between the indoor temperature of the living room 11 and the set temperature of the air conditioning device 2 is confirmed, and the operating mode of the air conditioning device 2 is selected (determined). However, by setting a timer or the like, the air conditioning device 2 may be forced to operate in the non-living room priority mode during desired time periods (for example, the time when people return home, the time when they do housework, the time when they wake up, etc.).

[0056] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 2 Air conditioning equipment, 3,21 Temperature sensor, 4 Air conditioning control device, 11 Occupied room, 12 Non-occupied space, 12A First room, 12B Second room, 13,15 Opening, 14 Door, 111,112,113,114 Wall.

Claims

1. Air conditioning equipment installed in rooms within the building; a temperature sensor installed in a non-occupied space adjacent to the occupant room via an opening, the temperature sensor detecting the indoor temperature of the non-occupant space; An air conditioning system comprising an air conditioning control means that selectively executes an occupied room priority mode in which the air conditioning equipment is operated based on the indoor temperature of the occupied room, and a non-occupied room priority mode in which the air conditioning equipment is operated based on the indoor temperature of the non-occupied space detected by the temperature sensor.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein in the non-occupied room priority mode, the air conditioning equipment blows out conditioned air in a direction toward the opening.

3. A door is provided at the opening, The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , further comprising a door opening unit that opens the door when the non-occupied room priority mode is executed.

4. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the air conditioning control means selects either the occupied room priority mode or the non-occupied room priority mode based on the relationship between the set temperature of the air conditioning equipment and the indoor temperature of the occupied room and the indoor temperature of the non-occupied space.

5. The air conditioning system of claim 4, wherein the air conditioning control means selects the occupied room priority mode when the temperature difference between the indoor temperature of the occupied room and the set temperature exceeds a first predetermined value, and switches the operating mode of the air conditioning equipment to the non-occupied room priority mode when the temperature difference becomes equal to or less than the first predetermined value.

6. The air conditioning system of claim 5, wherein the air conditioning control means returns the operating mode of the air conditioning equipment to the occupied room priority mode when the temperature difference between the indoor temperature of the non-occupied space and the set temperature becomes less than a second predetermined value due to operation of the air conditioning equipment in the non-occupied room priority mode.

7. the non-living space has a first room adjacent to the living room via the opening and a second room adjacent to the first room, 7. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is provided in at least one of the first compartment and the second compartment.

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