Control device for indoor unit, indoor unit including the same, control method for indoor unit, and control program for indoor unit

Abstract

To prevent a refrigerant leaking into an air conditioning environment from staying in a specific area by securing a desired air volume.SOLUTION: A control device 200 for an indoor unit is a control device for an indoor unit including a filter that is provided on an air duct and collects dust contained in a fluid passing through the air duct, and a cleaning mechanism that cleans the filter, and includes a leakage detection unit 210 that is provided in a housing of the indoor unit and detects a leakage amount of a refrigerant, and a control unit 211 that executes a cleaning operation for cleaning the filter by the cleaning mechanism when leakage is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device for an indoor unit, an indoor unit equipped with the same, a control method for an indoor unit, and a control program for an indoor unit. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a need to switch to refrigerants with low GWP in air conditioners to curb global warming. However, when flammable refrigerants such as conventional hydrocarbons are used as low-GWP refrigerants, safety measures must be taken to prevent explosions and fires. Furthermore, when a leak detection sensor detects a flammable refrigerant leaking from the indoor unit, a safety measure is available that turns on the indoor unit fan to agitate the refrigerant and keep it below an ignition concentration, and international standards also specify a minimum agitation airflow rate.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses that when a refrigerant detection unit such as a refrigerant sensor provided in an indoor unit detects a refrigerant leak, during diffusion operation to diffuse the leaked refrigerant, a part of the air outlet is closed by an air outlet opening / closing mechanism to suppress or block the blowing of conditioned air from that part. In this way, by closing a part of the air outlet, the wind speed of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet is increased, improving the diffusion efficiency of the leaked refrigerant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6222252

[0005] As mentioned above, a certain amount of airflow is required to agitate flammable refrigerant that has leaked from the indoor unit. However, in an actual air-conditioning environment, continued operation of the indoor unit can cause dust and other particles to clog the filter, potentially reducing the airflow. For this reason, it is desirable for the filter to be unclogged when the refrigerant sensor detects a refrigerant leak. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an indoor unit control device that can prevent leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area by ensuring a desired air volume, an indoor unit equipped with the same, a control method for the indoor unit, and a control program for the indoor unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A control device for an indoor unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for an indoor unit that is provided on an air duct and includes a filter that captures dust contained in a fluid passing through the air duct and a cleaning mechanism that cleans the filter, and that is provided within the housing of the indoor unit and includes a leak detection unit that detects refrigerant leaks, and a control unit that, when the leak is detected, executes a cleaning operation to clean the filter using the cleaning mechanism.

[0008] An indoor unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the indoor unit control device, the filter, and the cleaning mechanism.

[0009] A control method for an indoor unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for an indoor unit that is provided on an air duct and has a filter that captures dust contained in a fluid passing through the air duct and a cleaning mechanism that cleans the filter, and includes a leakage detection step that detects the amount of refrigerant leakage within a housing of the indoor unit, and a control step that, when the leakage is detected, executes a cleaning operation using the cleaning mechanism to clean the filter.

[0010] A control program for an indoor unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to function as a control device for any of the indoor units described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an indoor unit control device that can prevent leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area by ensuring a desired air volume, an indoor unit equipped with the same, a control method for an indoor unit, and a control program for an indoor unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the indoor unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the indoor unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the indoor unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a control device for an indoor unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of functions of a control device of an indoor unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of refrigerant distribution inside an indoor unit when refrigerant leaks into the indoor unit. [Figure 8] This is an example of a case where the direction of a flap provided in an indoor unit is controlled to face vertically downward. [Figure 9] This is an example of a case where the direction of a flap provided in an indoor unit is controlled to reciprocate between a vertically downward direction and a predetermined direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment, and when there are multiple embodiments, it also includes configurations that combine the embodiments. In the following description, "up" and "upper" refer to the upper side in the vertical direction, and "lower" and "lower" refer to the lower side in the vertical direction, and the vertical direction is not precise and may include errors.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an indoor unit 1 of an air conditioning apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. Figs. 2 to 4 are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the indoor unit 1 according to this embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional views of Figs. 2 to 4 are views of the indoor unit 1 taken along section line II-II in Fig. 1. Note that, in this embodiment, an example in which the invention is applied to a wall-mounted indoor unit will be described, but the type of indoor unit is not limited to wall-mounted types, and it goes without saying that the invention can also be applied to other types of indoor units, such as ceiling-mounted types and free-standing types. 3 and 4, some of the reference numerals shown in FIG. 2 are omitted.

[0015] In this embodiment, the direction that is horizontal when installed (the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 1) is referred to as the left-right direction, the direction that is vertical when installed is simply referred to as the up-down direction, and the direction perpendicular to these left-right and up-down directions is referred to as the front-to-rear direction. Note that the front side when installed is the front side in the front-to-rear direction.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the indoor unit 1 includes a housing 2 in the shape of a horizontally elongated rectangular parallelepiped. As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 2 defines an internal space S therein. The housing 2 is made up of a base 3 that forms the back side of the housing 2, a front panel 4 that covers the front side of the base 3, an inlet panel 6 that covers a front opening 5 of the front panel 4, an outlet grill 7 that is disposed between the front and bottom surfaces of the front panel 4, and a ceiling panel (ceiling portion) 8 that defines the upper side of the internal space S. The ceiling panel 8 extends approximately horizontally. The indoor unit 1 is provided on the ventilation duct 20 and includes an air filter (filter) 15 that captures dust contained in the fluid passing through the ventilation duct 20, and a cleaning device (cleaning mechanism) 30 that cleans the air filter.

[0017] The base 3 is integrally molded with an air flow path wall 9 that forms an outlet flow path 20A for air blown out from a crossflow fan (fan) 18. An intake port 12 is formed in the ceiling panel 8. The inlet panel 6 is installed so that it can move up and down by the driving force of an electric motor (panel drive unit), not shown. An opening 13 is provided in the lower part of the inlet panel 6. Furthermore, an air outlet 14 is opened in the outlet grill 7, which is disposed between the front and bottom surfaces of the front panel 4.

[0018] An air filter (filter) 15 is disposed inside the housing 2. Furthermore, a plate-fin tube-type indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger) 17 is disposed downstream of the air filter 15 in the ventilation duct 20, which is the air flow path inside the indoor unit 1. Details of the air filter 15 will be described later. As shown in FIG. 2, the indoor heat exchanger 17 is divided into a first heat exchanger 17A disposed on the front side and a second heat exchanger 17B disposed on the rear side. Furthermore, the lower portion of the first heat exchanger 17A on the front side has a bent-in-the-eye shape. The upper ends of the first heat exchanger 17A and the second heat exchanger 17B are connected by a bracket. The first heat exchanger 17A is composed of three panel-shaped heat exchangers, which are arranged so that they overlap when viewed from the front. The first heat exchanger 17A is composed of two panel-shaped heat exchangers, which are arranged so that they overlap when viewed from the front.

[0019] The indoor heat exchanger 17, which is divided or folded into multiple pieces, is arranged so that its cross section forms an inverted V shape from the lower front surface to the upper and rear surfaces inside the housing 2. In other words, the first heat exchanger 17A arranged on the front side of the indoor heat exchanger 17 and the second heat exchanger 17B arranged on the rear side are arranged so that their upper ends are close to each other and the distance between them gradually increases downward, forming an inverted V-shaped arrangement.

[0020] The indoor heat exchanger 17 also has a plurality of tubes 17C through which the refrigerant flows and which extend in a predetermined direction (the longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 1), and a plurality of plate-shaped fins arranged perpendicular to the extension direction of the tubes 17C.

[0021] A cross-flow fan 18 having an elongated cylindrical shape is disposed downstream of the indoor heat exchanger 17 so as to be rotatable about a central axis (horizontal axis). The cross-flow fan 18 is rotated by a driving force from a fan motor (not shown), thereby introducing air (arrow A1 in FIG. 1) from the air inlet 12 or the like into the interior space S and supplying the introduced air to the indoor heat exchanger 17.

[0022] A stabilizer 19 molded integrally with the outlet grille 7 is disposed downstream and in front of the crossflow fan 18. The stabilizer 19 and the air flow path wall 9 molded on the base 3 form an outlet flow path 20A leading to the outlet 14. After heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 17, the air passes through the outlet flow path 20A and is discharged from the outlet 14 to the outside of the housing 2 (arrow A2 in FIG. 1).

[0023] The outlet grille 7 is integrally molded with a drain pan 21 that receives drain water flowing down from the first heat exchanger 17A that constitutes the indoor heat exchanger 17, together with a stabilizer 19. The outlet grille 7 is also rotatably provided with a plurality of vertical louvers 22 that adjust the direction of the temperature-controlled air blown out from the air outlet 14 in the left-right direction, and is also rotatably provided with horizontal flaps (flaps) 23 that adjust the direction of the temperature-controlled air in the up-down direction.

[0024] Next, the air filter 15 and the cleaning device (cleaning mechanism) 30 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. In the following description, the "normal state" refers to a state other than the state in which the indoor unit 1 is performing a cleaning operation in which the cleaning device 30 cleans the air filter 15. The cleaning operation is executed by a control unit 211 included in the control device 200, which will be described later.

[0025] In the normal state, air filter 15 is provided between air intake 12 and indoor heat exchanger 17 so as to cover indoor heat exchanger 17 from above. More specifically, in the normal state, air filter 15 is provided below ceiling panel 8 and above indoor heat exchanger 17. Air filter 15 covers substantially the entire area of ​​indoor heat exchanger 17 in the left-right direction (the longitudinal direction of indoor unit 1). In the normal state, the rear portion of air filter 15 is close to the rear end of ceiling panel 8 and is aligned with ceiling panel 8. In addition, the front portion of air filter 15 is provided along first heat exchanger 17A. That is, in the normal state, the front portion of air filter 15 is curved downward.

[0026] The air filter 15 has a plurality of filter gears 26 protruding upward from the upper surface (upper surface in normal state) of both ends in the left-right direction (longitudinal direction of the indoor unit 1), and a collection section (not shown) provided in the central region in the left-right direction.

[0027] The plurality of filter gears 26 are arranged side by side at approximately equal intervals over approximately the entire area in the front-to-rear direction (movement direction) of the air filter 15. The plurality of filter gears 26 are configured to engage with a gear portion of the cleaning device 30, which will be described later. The collection portion is a sheet-like member that allows air to pass through and has a plurality of direct filter holes (not shown) that collect dust and the like contained in the air.

[0028] The indoor unit 1 is provided with a cleaning device 30 that cleans the air filter 15, and a guide part 40 that defines the path along which the air filter 15 moves.

[0029] The cleaning device 30 is disposed in the internal space S. The cleaning device 30 is provided in front of the indoor heat exchanger 17. More specifically, the cleaning device 30 is provided in front of the bent portion of the first heat exchanger 17A. The cleaning device 30 includes two gear units (movement devices) (not shown) provided at both left and right ends, a cleaning unit motor (not shown) that rotates and drives the gear units, a first brush unit (brush) 31 provided in the center region in the left and right direction, a second brush unit (brush) 32 provided opposite the first brush unit 31, and a dust box 33 that is a discharge destination for dust and the like collected by the first brush unit 31 and the second brush unit 32. The second brush unit 32 and the dust box 33 are provided below the first brush unit 31. The relative positions of the components provided in the cleaning device 30 are not limited to this example and may be changed as appropriate.

[0030] Each gear unit rotates around a central axis extending in the left-right direction by the driving force from the cleaning unit motor. Each gear unit is configured to engage with a filter gear 26. In a normal state, each gear engages with the filter gear 26 that is located furthest forward among the multiple filter gears 26 units.

[0031] The first brush part 31 has a cylindrical member extending in the left-right direction and a brush (not shown) made of a plurality of fibrous members attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member. The first brush part 31 comes into contact with the collecting part to push the dust and other particles collected by the collecting part downward.

[0032] The second brush part 32 rotates around a central axis extending in the left-right direction, and is a brush (not shown) made up of a plurality of fibrous members extending radially, and sweeps the dust, etc. pushed out by the first brush part 31 into the dust box 33. The second brush part 32 captures the dust, etc. scraped off by the first brush part 31. In other words, the second brush part 32 captures the dust, etc. adhering to the brush of the first brush part 31, for example, like a comb. The second brush part 32 sweeps the collected dust, etc. into the dust box 33.

[0033] The configuration of the cleaning device 30 is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, the second brush unit 32 may not be provided. In this configuration, the brush of the first brush unit 31 directly sweeps the dust and other particles scraped from the collection unit into the dust box 33. Alternatively, for example, the second brush unit 32 and the dust box 33 may be provided above the first brush unit 31. In this configuration, the brush of the first brush unit 31 comes into contact with the collection unit of the air filter 15, thereby scraping the dust and other particles collected by the collection unit from the collection unit. In other words, the brush comes into contact with the upper surface of the collection unit (the upper surface in the normal state), to which dust easily adheres, and scoops up the dust and other particles adhering to the upper surface of the collection unit. The second brush unit 32 then collects the dust and other particles scraped by the first brush unit 31. In other words, the second brush unit 32 collects the dust and other particles adhering to the brush of the first brush unit 31, like a comb. The second brush part 32 blows out the collected dust and the like into a dust box 33.

[0034] The guide portion 40 has a first guide portion 41 that holds the air filter 15 under normal conditions, and a second guide portion 42 that connects the air filter 15 to the gear portion of the cleaning device 30 during cleaning operation, and defines the movement path of the air filter 15 moved by the cleaning device 30.

[0035] The first guide portion 41 has a left guide portion that guides the filter gear 26 provided at the left end of the air filter 15, and a right guide portion that guides the filter gear 26 provided at the right end of the air filter 15. The left guide portion and the right guide portion are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The distance between the left guide portion and the right guide portion is approximately the same as the left-right length of the collection portion. In other words, the left guide portion and the right guide portion are arranged so as not to block air flow toward the collection portion. Because the left guide portion and the right guide portion have approximately the same configuration, they will be described collectively as the first guide portion 41 in the following explanation. In other words, the following explanation of the first guide portion 41 applies to both the left guide portion and the right guide portion.

[0036] The first guide portion 41 is made up of two rails that are spaced apart and generally parallel to one another, and the filter gear 26 of the air filter 15 is disposed in the space formed between the two rails, thereby enabling the filter gear 26 to be held. The first guide portion 41 is provided below the ceiling panel 8 and above the indoor heat exchanger 17. The rear portion of the first guide portion 41 is located close to the rear end of the ceiling panel 8 and is provided along the ceiling panel 8. The front portion of the first guide portion 41 is provided along the first heat exchanger 17A. That is, the front portion of the first guide portion 41 is curved downward in the normal state.

[0037] The front end of the first guide part 41 is located behind the gear part of the cleaning device 30 and in the vicinity of the rear end of the gear part. The front end of the first guide part 41 extends in a tangential direction of the gear part. The length of the first guide part 41 in the extending direction is approximately the same as the length of the air filter 15 in the front-rear direction (the length from one end to the other end in the movement direction). In a normal state, the air filter 15 is held by the first guide part 41.

[0038] Similar to the first guide portion 41, the second guide portion 42 has a left guide portion that guides the filter gear 26 provided at the left end of the air filter 15, and a right guide portion that guides the filter gear 26 provided at the right end of the air filter 15. The left guide portion and the right guide portion are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The distance between the left guide portion and the right guide portion is approximately the same as the length of the collection portion in the left-right direction. Because the left guide portion and the right guide portion have approximately the same configuration, they will be collectively referred to as the second guide portion 42 in the following explanation.

[0039] The second guide portion 42 is composed of two rails that are spaced apart and generally parallel to each other, and the filter gear 26 of the air filter 15 is disposed in the space formed between the two rails, thereby enabling the filter gear 26 to be held. The lower end of the second guide portion 42 is located in front of the gear portion and in the vicinity of the front end of the gear portion. The lower end of the second guide portion 42 extends along the tangential direction of the gear portion. The second guide portion 42 extends upward from the lower end and curves rearward as it extends upward. The upper end of the second guide portion 42 is disposed within the internal space S.

[0040] The second guide portion 42 is arranged so as not to block the air passage 20 located between the air inlet 12 and the indoor heat exchanger 17 (see FIGS. 2 to 4). The first guide portion 41 and the second guide portion 42 do not intersect. The first guide portion 41 and the second guide portion 42 are spaced apart and are each configured independently. That is, the first guide portion 41 and the second guide portion 42 do not have overlapping portions.

[0041] Next, the operation of the cleaning device 30 during cleaning operation in this embodiment will be described. As described above, in the normal state, the air filter 15 is disposed in the first guide portion 41, and the filter gear 26 disposed at the frontmost position (forward in the direction of movement) is engaged with the gear portion of the cleaning device 30.

[0042] When cleaning operation begins, the cleaning motor is first driven. When the cleaning motor is driven, the gear unit rotates due to the driving force of the cleaning motor. At the same time as the gear unit rotates, the second brush unit 32 also begins to rotate. The gear unit rotates in a direction such that the lower half of the gear unit moves from rear to front. As the gear unit rotates, the air filter 15 moves. The front end of the air filter 15 initially moves a predetermined angle along the arc of the gear unit. At this time, the first brush unit 31 of the cleaning device 30 comes into contact with the collecting unit of the air filter 15, causing dust and other particles to be scraped out of the collecting unit. The scraped out dust and other particles are collected by the second brush unit 32 and then swept into the dust box 33. In this way, dust and other particles are removed from the collecting unit of the air filter 15.

[0043] Next, the cleaning motor is driven again to rotate the gear unit again. At this time, the rotation direction of the gear unit is reversed from before. That is, the lower half of the gear unit is now moving from front to rear. As a result, the air filter 15 moves in the opposite direction from before, toward the first guide unit 41. Note that the cleaning device 30 also cleans the air filter 15 while it is moving toward the first guide unit 41. When the air filter 15 returns to being held by the first guide unit 41, the cleaning motor is stopped, and the cleaning operation ends.

[0044] The movement path of the air filter 15 during cleaning operation will be described in detail. When the cleaning operation starts, the air filter 15 first moves diagonally downward and forward along the first guide portion 41. When it reaches the cleaning device 30, the air filter 15 makes a U-turn along the lower half of the gear portion. That is, it makes an upward U-turn. After making the U-turn, the air filter 15 moves diagonally upward along the second guide portion 42. Position sensors PS1 and PS2 for determining the position of the air filter 15 are provided at predetermined positions along the second guide portion 42. For example, the position sensor PS1 may be provided near the center of the extension direction of the second guide portion 42, and the position sensor PS2 may be provided near the end of the second guide portion 42 opposite to the end on the cleaning device 30 side. Note that when the air filter 15 is stored in the first guide portion 41, the air filter 15 moves in the opposite direction. In this way, the movement path of the air filter 15 according to this embodiment does not intersect or overlap, that is, it is a single path.

[0045] Next, the control device 200 of the indoor unit 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 200 of the indoor unit 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the control device 200 of the indoor unit 1 is a computer, and includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor) 201, a main memory 202, a secondary storage 203, a communication interface 204, etc. The control device 200 of the indoor unit 1 may also include an input device 205 that accepts input from the user, a display 206, etc. These respective parts are connected via, for example, a bus 208.

[0046] The main memory device 202 is composed of writable memory such as cache memory and RAM (Random Access Memory), and is used as a working area for reading out programs executed by the CPU 201 and writing data processed by the programs. The secondary storage device 203 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Examples of the secondary storage device 203 include a magnetic disk such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, and a semiconductor memory such as a solid state drive (SSD).

[0047] 6 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of functions of the control device 200 of the indoor unit 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 200 of the indoor unit 1 includes a leakage detection unit 210 and a control unit 211.

[0048] A series of processes for realizing the various functions described below is stored in the secondary storage device 203 (see FIG. 5) in the form of a program (e.g., a boiler control program), for example, and the CPU 201 reads this program into the main storage device 202 and executes information processing and arithmetic processing to realize the various functions. Note that the program may be pre-installed in the secondary storage device 203, provided in a state stored in another computer-readable storage medium, or distributed via wired or wireless communication means. Examples of computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and semiconductor memories.

[0049] The leak detection unit 210 is provided in the housing of the indoor unit 1 and detects refrigerant leakage. The leak detection unit 210 is, for example, a refrigerant leakage sensor and detects the concentration of refrigerant in a detection target range. The control device 200 detects a refrigerant leakage, for example, when the refrigerant concentration detected by the leak detection unit 210 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The leak detection unit 210 is not limited to a refrigerant leak sensor that detects the concentration of the refrigerant, but may also be one that detects parameters such as temperature and pressure in order to determine whether or not there is a leak of the refrigerant. Furthermore, the predetermined threshold value is set appropriately depending on the type of refrigerant, the operation settings of the indoor unit 1, user input, and the like.

[0050] Fig. 7 shows an example of refrigerant distribution inside the indoor unit 1 when refrigerant leaks into the indoor unit 1. When refrigerant leaks into the indoor unit 1, the concentration of refrigerant inside the housing differs, for example, as shown in Fig. 7. In the example of Fig. 7, hatching indicates that the refrigerant concentration is higher in specific areas area1 and area2 than in other areas. For this reason, in order to quickly detect a refrigerant leak, it is preferable to provide the leak detection unit 210 in a location where the refrigerant concentration in specific areas area1 and area2 can be detected. The locations and number of leak detection units 210 may be changed as appropriate.

[0051] For example, when the leakage detection unit 210 detects a refrigerant leak or when the amount of refrigerant leakage is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the control unit 211 executes a cleaning operation to clean the air filter 15 using the cleaning device 30. For example, when the concentration of refrigerant inside the indoor unit 1 detected by the leakage detection unit 210 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the control unit 211 executes a cleaning operation to clean the air filter 15. By performing cleaning operation, the control unit 211 drives the cleaning motor to move the air filter 15 from the first guide portion 41 located on the ventilation passage 20 to the second guide portion 42, and removes dust from the air filter 15 with a brush.

[0052] Furthermore, the control unit 211 may be configured to determine whether to perform or stop the cleaning operation in accordance with the detection amount of the leakage detection unit 210, as well as detection signals from various sensors included in the indoor unit 1 and the operating state of the indoor unit 1. For example, the control unit 211 may be configured to perform the cleaning operation when the amount of refrigerant leakage detected by the leakage detection unit 210 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and to stop the cleaning operation when both the detection signal of the position sensor PS1 near the center position in the extension direction of the second guide part 42 and the detection signal of the position sensor PS2 near the end of the second guide part 42 on the cleaning device 30 side and the opposite end are turned ON.

[0053] In addition, when the air filter 15 is retracted to the second guide portion 42 and the leakage detection portion 210 detects that the amount of refrigerant leakage is less than a predetermined threshold, the control portion 211 may control the cleaning motor to position the air filter 15 on the ventilation duct 20.

[0054] The control unit 211 may also control various actuators such as the cross flow fan 18 and the cleaning motor provided in the cleaning device 30, depending on the detection signals of various sensors and the operating state of the indoor unit 1. The control unit 211 may also control the airflow direction of the vertical louvers 22 and horizontal flaps 23, depending on the detection signals of various sensors and the operating state of the indoor unit 1.

[0055] For example, when a refrigerant leak is detected by the leak detection unit 210, the control unit 211 may control the direction of the horizontal flap 23 provided in the indoor unit 1 to face vertically downward. Furthermore, when a refrigerant leak is detected by the leak detection unit 210, the control unit 211 controls the direction of the horizontal flap 23 provided in the indoor unit 1 to move back and forth between the vertically downward direction and a predetermined direction. In this way, by appropriately controlling the direction of the horizontal flap 23, it is possible to prevent leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area in an air-conditioned environment.

[0056] The control device 200 may include, for example, an internal clock. The control device 200 may generate time information indicating the time on the clock at a predetermined timing. The time information may be information about the time that has elapsed since the predetermined timing. The control unit 211 may determine whether or not to perform a cleaning operation based on the time information.

[0057] (Impact of cleaning operations) Next, the effect of performing the cleaning operation on leaked refrigerant will be described. The cleaning operation is performed by the control unit 211 when the refrigerant concentration in the area to be detected by the leak detection unit 210 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, or when the leak detection unit 210 detects a refrigerant leak.

[0058] In a state where air filter 15 is present between air intake 12 and cross flow fan 18 (see FIG. 2), air filter 15 acts as an obstruction in the air path, which is the direction of air flow inside indoor unit 1. Furthermore, if air filter 15 becomes clogged with dust or dirt, the amount of air flowing from air intake 12 to cross flow fan 18 will decrease. If refrigerant leaks in this state, even if cross flow fan 18 is rotated, a sufficient amount of air may not be secured, and the leaked refrigerant may not be agitated to a concentration below the ignition level.

[0059] When cleaning operation is performed in this embodiment, the air filter 15 arranged in the first guide part 41 is wound up by the cleaning motor provided in the cleaning device 30, and the dust and dirt collected by the air filter 15 is removed by the first brush part 31 and the second brush part 32 and sent to the second guide part 42 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In other words, there is no air filter 15 between the suction port 12 and the cross flow fan 18.

[0060] In this way, cleaning device 30 removes dust and dirt from the collection portion of air filter 15 using air filter 15, and also moves air filter 15 out from between suction port 12 and cross flow fan 18. This reduces ventilation resistance, and allows cross flow fan 18 to rotate without reducing the amount of air flowing from suction port 12 to cross flow fan 18, thereby agitating the leaked refrigerant to below an ignition concentration.

[0061] After the air filter 15 is sent to the second guide portion 42 by the cleaning operation, the air filter 15 may be placed back into the first guide portion 41. In this case, the air filter 15 is not clogged because it has been cleaned by the cleaning device 30. Therefore, even if the cleaned air filter 15 is placed back into the first guide portion 41, the amount of air flowing from the suction port 12 to the cross flow fan 18 does not decrease. Therefore, by rotating the cross flow fan 18, the leaked refrigerant can be agitated to a concentration below the ignition concentration. Furthermore, the air filter 15 may be disposed in the second guide part 42 until the amount of refrigerant leakage detected by the leakage detection part 210 becomes less than a predetermined threshold value.

[0062] (Regarding flap directional control) In this embodiment, the control unit 211 may change the direction of the horizontal flap 23, for example, when the leakage detection unit 210 detects a refrigerant leak or when the amount of refrigerant leak is equal to or greater than a threshold value. FIG. 8 shows an example in which the direction of the flap provided in the indoor unit 1 is controlled to face vertically downward. When the leakage detection unit 210 detects a refrigerant leak, the control unit 211 may control the direction of the horizontal flap 23 provided in the indoor unit 1 to face vertically downward. When a refrigerant leaks into an air-conditioned environment, most of the refrigerant (e.g., R32) that is heavier than air will accumulate near the floor. For this reason, when the leakage detection unit 210 detects a refrigerant leak, that is, when the refrigerant accumulates near the floor, the control unit 211 controls the direction of the horizontal flap 23 to face vertically downward. This control agitates the refrigerant that has leaked into the air-conditioned environment. This makes it possible to prevent the refrigerant that has leaked into the air-conditioned environment from accumulating in a specific area.

[0063] FIG. 9 shows an example of a case where the direction of the flap provided in the indoor unit 1 is controlled so as to reciprocate between a vertically downward direction and a predetermined direction. 8, the control unit 211 may control the direction of the horizontal flap 23 provided in the indoor unit 1 to reciprocate between a vertically downward direction and a predetermined direction when the leak detection unit 210 detects a refrigerant leak. For example, when the leak detection unit 210 detects a refrigerant leak, that is, when refrigerant is accumulating near the floor surface, the control unit 211 controls the direction of the horizontal flap 23 to reciprocate between a vertically downward direction and a horizontal direction. This control agitates the refrigerant that has leaked in the air-conditioned environment. This makes it possible to prevent the refrigerant that has leaked in the air-conditioned environment from accumulating in a specific area. The predetermined direction is not limited to the horizontal direction, and may be determined based on the operation settings of the indoor unit 1 input by the user. The predetermined direction may also be determined based on the detection results of the leakage detection section 210. The predetermined direction may also be set as appropriate by combining other known techniques.

[0064] (Regarding the timing of cleaning operation) In this embodiment, the control unit 211 may execute a cleaning operation depending on the operating state of the indoor unit 1. For example, the control unit 211 may execute a cleaning operation when driving the crossflow fan 18 provided in the indoor unit 1. Specifically, the control unit 211 retracts the air filter 15 from above the ventilation duct 20 while driving the crossflow fan 18. That is, since there is no obstruction above the ventilation duct 20, the speed of the intake airflow can be increased. In this way, the desired air volume can be ensured with respect to the volume of air taken in by the indoor unit 1 and the volume of air blown out from the indoor unit 1. That is, it is possible to prevent refrigerant that has leaked into the air-conditioned environment from accumulating in a specific area.

[0065] Furthermore, the control unit 211 may be configured to execute a cleaning operation when the indoor unit 1 is stopped after operating for a predetermined time. After the indoor unit 1 has operated for a predetermined time, there is a high possibility that a predetermined amount of dust or more will have adhered to the air filter 15. By having the control unit 211 execute a cleaning operation after the indoor unit 1 has operated for a predetermined time, the period during which the indoor unit 1 operates with a clogged filter is shortened. This prevents a decrease in the volume of air taken in by the indoor unit 1 and the volume of air blown out from the indoor unit 1. In other words, by ensuring the desired volume of air, it is possible to prevent leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area in the air-conditioned environment.

[0066] (others) Furthermore, the control unit 211 may control the rotation speed of the crossflow fan 18 in accordance with the amount of refrigerant leakage detected by the leakage detection unit 210. For example, a rotation speed setting value for the crossflow fan 18 corresponding to the difference between the amount of refrigerant leakage detected by the leakage detection unit 210 and a predetermined threshold value may be stored in advance in the secondary storage device 203. The control unit 211 may then extract from the secondary storage device 203 the rotation speed setting value for the crossflow fan 18 corresponding to the detection result of the leakage detection unit 210, and control the crossflow fan 18. This makes it possible to achieve both agitation of refrigerant that has leaked into the air-conditioned environment and efficient operation of the indoor unit 1.

[0067] According to this embodiment, the following effects are achieved. When the leak detection unit 210 detects a refrigerant leak inside the indoor unit 1, the control unit 211 included in the control device 200 controls the cleaning device 30 to clean the air filter 15. Specifically, as the cleaning unit motor included in the cleaning device 30 rotates, the air filter 15 is transported between the first brush unit 31 and the second brush unit 32 along the ventilation duct 20, and each brush unit removes dust and other particles adhering to the collection unit of the air filter 15. Cleaning the air filter 15 in this way reduces clogging of the air filter 15 and can prevent a decrease in the amount of air passing through the ventilation duct 20. This ensures a desired amount of airflow blown out from the indoor unit 1 and can prevent leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area in an air-conditioned environment.

[0068] Furthermore, when performing cleaning operation, the control unit 211 drives the cleaning motor to retract the air filter 15 from the first guide portion 41 to the second guide portion 42. That is, when the leakage detection unit 210 detects a refrigerant leak inside the indoor unit 1, the control unit 211 retracts the air filter 15 from the ventilation duct 20. This prevents a decrease in the volume of air taken in by the indoor unit and the volume of air blown out from the indoor unit. This makes it possible to prevent the leaked refrigerant from accumulating in the air-conditioned environment. In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the cleaning device 30 moves the air filter 15 and cleans it, but this is not limiting, and a mechanism for cleaning the air filter 15 in a fixed state may also be used.

[0069] Furthermore, when the leakage detection unit 210 detects a refrigerant leak inside the indoor unit 1, the control unit 211 may perform control to switch the direction of the horizontal flap 23 provided in the indoor unit 1. This allows air to be blown evenly over a wide area, including a specific area where leaked refrigerant may accumulate in an air-conditioned environment. This makes it possible to prevent leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area in an air-conditioned environment.

[0070] Furthermore, the control unit 211 may be configured to execute cleaning operation when driving the crossflow fan 18 provided in the indoor unit 1. In this case, it is possible to ensure the desired air volume regarding the volume of air taken in by the indoor unit and the volume of air blown out from the indoor unit, and it is possible to prevent leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area in the air-conditioned environment.

[0071] Furthermore, the control unit 211 may be configured to execute a cleaning operation when the indoor unit 1 is stopped after operating for a predetermined period of time. In other words, the control unit 211 executes a cleaning operation at a timing when there is a high possibility that the air filter 15 is clogged with dust or the like, thereby shortening the period during which the filter is clogged. This makes it possible to ensure the desired air volume for the air taken in by the indoor unit 1 and the air volume blown out from the indoor unit 1. This makes it possible to prevent refrigerant that has leaked into the air-conditioned environment from accumulating in a specific area.

[0072] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. It is also possible to appropriately combine known air conditioning control technologies.

[0073] (Additional notes) The indoor unit control device, the indoor unit equipped with the same, the indoor unit control method, and the indoor unit control program described in each of the embodiments described above can be understood, for example, as follows. A control device (200) for an indoor unit according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for an indoor unit (1) that is provided on an air duct (20) and includes a filter (15) that captures dust contained in a fluid passing through the air duct and a cleaning mechanism (30) that cleans the filter, and that is provided in a housing of the indoor unit and includes a leak detection unit (210) that detects refrigerant leakage, and a control unit (211) that, when the leakage is detected, executes a cleaning operation to clean the filter using the cleaning mechanism.

[0074] According to the indoor unit control device of the present disclosure, when a refrigerant leak is detected by the leak detection unit, the control unit executes a cleaning operation to clean the filter using the cleaning mechanism. When a refrigerant leak is detected, the cleaning mechanism cleans the filter that has captured dust, reducing filter clogging. This prevents a decrease in the air volume taken in by the indoor unit and the air volume blown out from the indoor unit. This ensures a desired air volume, preventing leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area in the air-conditioned environment.

[0075] The indoor unit control device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the first aspect, wherein the leakage detection unit detects refrigerant leakage when the amount of refrigerant leakage is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0076] According to the indoor unit control device of the present disclosure, the leak detection unit detects a refrigerant leak when the amount of refrigerant leakage is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. In this way, the leak detection unit detects a refrigerant leak based on a quantitative comparison, making it possible to more accurately grasp the extent of the refrigerant leak.

[0077] In the control device for an indoor unit according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in either the first or second aspect, the cleaning mechanism includes a winding mechanism that retracts the filter from the ventilation duct to an evacuation path (42), and brushes (31, 32) that are provided on the path of the evacuation path and remove dust from the filter, and the cleaning operation is an operation in which the winding mechanism retracts the filter to the evacuation path and the brushes remove dust from the filter.

[0078] According to the indoor unit control device of the present disclosure, the cleaning mechanism includes a winding mechanism that retracts the filter from the ventilation duct to an evacuation path and a brush that is located on the path of the evacuation path and removes dust collected by the filter from the filter. The cleaning operation involves retracting the filter to the evacuation path using the winding mechanism and removing dust from the filter using the brush. When the control unit executes the cleaning operation, the winding mechanism retracts the filter to the evacuation path and removes the filter from the ventilation duct. This prevents a decrease in the volume of air taken in by the indoor unit and the volume of air blown out from the indoor unit. This prevents refrigerant leaking into the air-conditioned environment from accumulating. Furthermore, when the cleaning operation is performed, the obstruction (filter) on the ventilation duct can be removed and the filter can be cleaned at the same time.

[0079] In the control device for an indoor unit according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the third aspect, the control unit controls the winding mechanism to position the filter on the ventilation path when the filter is retracted into the retraction path and the leakage detection unit does not detect the leakage.

[0080] In the indoor unit control device according to the present disclosure, if the leak detection unit detects no refrigerant leak, the control unit controls the winding mechanism to place the filter in the ventilation duct. In this way, if no refrigerant leak is detected, the cleaned filter can be placed in the ventilation duct again. Therefore, even if a filter is placed in the ventilation duct, it is possible to prevent a difference between the volume of air drawn in and the volume of air blown out by the indoor unit.

[0081] In the control device for an indoor unit according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the control unit controls the direction of a flap (23) provided in the indoor unit to be vertically downward when the leakage is detected.

[0082] According to the indoor unit control device of the present disclosure, when a refrigerant leak is detected, the direction of a flap provided in the indoor unit is controlled to face vertically downward. Because the leaked refrigerant is heavier than air, it accumulates vertically downward in the air-conditioned environment. By controlling the flap to face vertically downward, the control unit can intensively blow air toward a specific area where the refrigerant is accumulating. This prevents the leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area in the air-conditioned environment.

[0083] In the control device for an indoor unit according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, when the leakage is detected, the control unit controls the direction of a flap (23) provided in the indoor unit to reciprocate between a vertically downward direction and a predetermined direction.

[0084] According to the indoor unit control device of the present disclosure, when a refrigerant leak is detected, the direction of a flap provided in the indoor unit is controlled to reciprocate between a vertically downward direction and a horizontal direction. Because the leaked refrigerant is heavier than air, it accumulates vertically downward in the air-conditioned environment. In such a case, the control unit controls the direction of the flap to reciprocate between a vertically downward direction and a horizontal direction. This allows air to be blown evenly over a wide area, including a specific area where the leaked refrigerant accumulates in the air-conditioned environment. This prevents the leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area in the air-conditioned environment.

[0085] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure provides a control device for an indoor unit in any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the control unit executes the cleaning operation when a fan (18) included in the indoor unit is driven.

[0086] According to the indoor unit control device of the present disclosure, the control unit executes a cleaning operation when the indoor unit's fan is driven. That is, the control unit retracts the filter from the ventilation duct while driving the fan. This removes obstructions from the ventilation duct, allowing the intake air speed to increase. In this way, the desired air volume can be ensured for both the air intake and the air blown out by the indoor unit. This prevents leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area in the air-conditioned environment.

[0087] An indoor unit control device according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure is any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the control unit executes the cleaning operation when the indoor unit is stopped after operating for a predetermined period of time.

[0088] According to the indoor unit control device of the present disclosure, the control unit executes a cleaning operation when the indoor unit stops after operating for a predetermined period of time. After the indoor unit has operated for a predetermined period of time, there is a high possibility that a predetermined amount of dust or more will adhere to the filter. By executing a cleaning operation after the indoor unit has operated for a predetermined period of time, the control unit can shorten the period during which the filter becomes clogged. This ensures that the desired air volume is maintained for both the air intake and the air output of the indoor unit. This prevents leaked refrigerant from accumulating in a specific area in the air-conditioned environment.

[0089] An indoor unit according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure comprises the indoor unit control device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the filter, and the cleaning mechanism.

[0090] A control method for an indoor unit according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for an indoor unit (1) that is provided on an air duct (20) and includes a filter (15) that captures dust contained in a fluid passing through the air duct and a cleaning mechanism (30) that cleans the filter, the control method including: a leakage detection step of detecting a refrigerant leakage in a housing of the indoor unit; and a control step of executing a cleaning operation to clean the filter by the cleaning mechanism when the leakage is detected.

[0091] A control program for an indoor unit according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to function as the control device for an indoor unit according to any one of the first to eighth aspects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1 Indoor unit 2. Case 3. Bass 4 Front Panel 5 Front opening 6 Inlet Panel 7. Exhaust grill 8 Ceiling Panels 9 Air passage wall 12 Intake port 13 Aperture 14 Air outlet 15 Air filter 17 Indoor heat exchanger 17A 1st heat exchanger 17B 2nd heat exchanger 17C tube 18 Crossflow fan 19 Stabilizer 20 Ventilation duct 20A Outlet flow path 21 Drain pan 22 Vertical louvers 23 Horizontal flap 26 Filter Gear 30 Cleaning equipment 31 First Brush Section 32 Second brush section 33 Dustbin 40 Guide section 41 First guide section 42 Second guide section 100 Air conditioning equipment 200 control device 201 CPU 202 Main storage 203 Secondary storage device 204 Communication Interface 205 Input Devices 206 Display 208 Bus 210 Leak detection unit 211 Control Unit PS1, PS2 position sensors S interior space area1,area2 area

Claims

1. A control device for an indoor unit that is provided on an air duct and includes a filter that captures dust contained in a fluid passing through the air duct, and a cleaning mechanism that cleans the filter, a leakage detection unit provided in a housing of the indoor unit and configured to detect leakage of refrigerant; a control unit that executes a cleaning operation to clean the filter by the cleaning mechanism when the leakage is detected; An indoor unit control device comprising:

2. The indoor unit control device according to claim 1 , wherein the leakage detection unit detects refrigerant leakage when the amount of refrigerant leakage is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

3. the cleaning mechanism includes a winding mechanism that retracts the filter from the ventilation duct to an evacuation path, and a brush that is provided on a path of the evacuation path and removes dust from the filter; The indoor unit control device according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning operation is an operation in which the winding mechanism retracts the filter into the retraction path and the brush removes dust from the filter.

4. The control device for an indoor unit according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the winding mechanism to position the filter on the ventilation path when the leakage detection unit does not detect the leakage while the filter is retracted to the retraction path.

5. The indoor unit control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a direction of a flap provided in the indoor unit to face vertically downward when the leakage is detected.

6. The indoor unit control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a direction of a flap provided in the indoor unit to reciprocate between a vertically downward direction and a predetermined direction when the leakage is detected.

7. The control device for an indoor unit according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit executes the cleaning operation when a fan provided in the indoor unit is driven.

8. The control device for an indoor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit executes the cleaning operation when the indoor unit is stopped after operating for a predetermined time.

9. The indoor unit control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the filter; the cleaning mechanism; An indoor unit equipped with:

10. A method for controlling an indoor unit that is provided with a filter that is provided in an air duct and that captures dust contained in a fluid that passes through the air duct, and a cleaning mechanism that cleans the filter, a leakage detection step of detecting a refrigerant leakage in a housing of the indoor unit; a control step of executing a cleaning operation to clean the filter by the cleaning mechanism when the leakage is detected; A method for controlling an indoor unit having the above construction.

11. A control program for an indoor unit that causes a computer to function as the control device for the indoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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