Air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner capable of: curbing performance deterioration due to aging; detecting a leakage of a coolant without erroneous detection; and improving safety against the leakage of the coolant.SOLUTION: An air conditioner comprises an indoor unit 5 which has: a sirocco fan 30 installed in a housing 10; an indoor heat exchanger 20 installed in the housing 10; a first coolant detection sensor 50 installed in a first region 24; and a second coolant detection sensor 51 installed in a second region 26. The air conditioner also has a control section 60 which controls the first coolant detection sensor 50 and the second coolant detection sensor 51. The control section 60 executes a first energization mode in which either one of the first coolant detection sensor 50 or the second coolant detection sensor 51 is energized and a second energization mode in which both the first coolant detection sensor 50 and the second coolant detection sensor 51 are energized.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner including an indoor unit that uses a flammable refrigerant, forms a circular refrigerant circuit by sequentially connecting a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a throttling device, and an indoor heat exchanger, and includes an indoor fan that promotes heat exchange between the indoor heat exchanger and the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger and indoor air, and is provided with a plurality of leakage detection sensors at the same location for detecting leakage of the flammable refrigerant. Further, Cited Document 1 also discloses a technique including switching control means for using one of a plurality of leakage detection sensors to detect leakage of a flammable refrigerant and switching to another leakage detection sensor when the leakage detection sensor fails after a certain period of time or during use.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides an air conditioner capable of ensuring safety against refrigerant leakage while suppressing performance degradation due to aging deterioration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present disclosure includes a housing, an indoor fan provided in the housing, an indoor heat exchanger provided in the housing, and a first refrigerant detection sensor installed in a first region that houses the Pipe connection part of the indoor heat exchanger, and the Bend partA second refrigerant detection sensor installed in a second area for accommodating, and an indoor unit having the same. A control unit for controlling the first refrigerant detection sensor and the second refrigerant detection sensor is provided. The control unit executes a first energization mode for energizing either one of the first refrigerant detection sensor and the second refrigerant detection sensor, and a second energization mode for energizing both the first refrigerant detection sensor and the second refrigerant detection sensor. The control unit causes the first energization mode to be executed when the indoor fan is stopped, and causes the second energization mode to be executed when the indoor fan is driven.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, by controlling in the first energization mode, only one of the first refrigerant detection sensor and the second refrigerant detection sensor is energized, so that the deterioration of the first refrigerant detection sensor or the second refrigerant detection sensor can be reduced. On the other hand, by controlling in the second energization mode to energize both the first refrigerant sensor and the second refrigerant sensor, the leaked refrigerant at each refrigerant leakage location can be quickly detected. Therefore, by controlling the control unit to switch between the first energization mode and the second energization mode, the life of the refrigerant detection sensor can be extended while ensuring safety.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] (Knowledge, etc. on which the present disclosure is based) When the inventors arrived at the present disclosure, a leakage detection sensor for detecting leakage of a flammable refrigerant was provided in plurality at the same location of an indoor unit. For detecting leakage of the flammable refrigerant, one of the plurality of leakage detection sensors was used, and switching control means for switching to another leakage detection sensor was provided when the leakage detection sensor failed after a certain period of time or during use.

[0009] However, in the conventional technology, for example, in the case where a bend portion and a pipe connection portion, which are locations where refrigerant is likely to leak, such as in a duct indoor unit, are arranged separately, the inventors found that it cannot be said to be a technology considering the extension of the service life of the refrigerant detection sensor when detecting refrigerant leakage at a plurality of locations, and in order to solve that problem, they came to constitute the subject matter of the present disclosure. The present disclosure provides an air conditioner capable of ensuring safety against refrigerant leakage while suppressing performance deterioration due to aging deterioration.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, there may be cases where a more detailed description than necessary is omitted. For example, there may be cases where a detailed description of well-known matters or a redundant description of substantially the same configuration is omitted. This is to avoid making the following description overly redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1.

[0012] [1-1. Configuration of Indoor Unit] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air conditioner 1 in the present embodiment includes an indoor unit 5. The indoor unit 5 includes a box-shaped housing 10. The housing 10 includes a top plate 11 and a bottom plate 12. On the left side of the housing 10 in FIG. 1 is a blower chamber 13, and on the right side of the housing 10 in FIG. 1 is a heat exchanger chamber 14 that houses the indoor heat exchanger 20. The blower chamber 13 and the heat exchanger chamber 14 are partitioned by a partition wall 15.

[0013] An intake port 16 for taking in indoor air is provided behind the blower chamber 13, and a plurality (three in the present embodiment) of scroll casings 31 that respectively house sirocco fans 30 as indoor fans are provided inside the blower chamber 13. An air outlet 17 is provided on the front side of the indoor heat exchanger 20 in the heat exchanger chamber 14.

[0014] The scroll casing 31 is formed at both ends of the scroll casing 31, and includes a fan opening 32 that sucks in the air flowing in from the intake port 16 by the rotation of the sirocco fan 30, and a blower passage 33 that discharges the air sucked in from the fan opening 32 toward the heat exchanger chamber 14. An electric motor 34 is provided between the scroll casings 31. The electric motor 34 is connected to the rotating shaft 35 of the sirocco fan 30 and rotationally drives the sirocco fan 30.

[0015] The sirocco fan 30 is a centrifugal fan. By the operation of the sirocco fan 30, air is sucked in from the intake port 16, flows into the inside of the scroll casing 31 from the direction of the rotating shaft 35 through the fan opening 32, blows out from the blower passage 33 to the indoor heat exchanger 20, and the conditioned air heat-exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger 20 is discharged into the room from the air outlet 17. A drain pan 21 is disposed at the lower part of the indoor heat exchanger 20 housed in the heat exchanger chamber 14 in FIG. 1.

[0016] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, in the heat exchanger chamber 14, a first partition plate 23 is provided which partitions the heat exchange region 22 of the indoor heat exchanger 20 and a pipe connection region at one end side of the indoor heat exchanger 20 to which the refrigerant pipes 47 and 48 from the outdoor unit 40 (see FIG. 3) are connected. The pipe connection region is the first region 24. Further, in the heat exchanger chamber 14, a second partition plate 25 is provided which partitions the heat exchange region 22 and a bend portion region at the other end side of the indoor heat exchanger 20 where the refrigerant pipe of the indoor heat exchanger 20 is bent. The bend portion region is the second region 26.

[0017] In the first region 24, a first refrigerant detection sensor 50 for detecting refrigerant leakage is disposed. In the second region 26, a second refrigerant detection sensor 51 is disposed. Note that the installation positions of the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 can be set as appropriate. However, since the refrigerant is heavier than air, it is preferable to install them at the lowest positions in the first region 24 and the second region 26.

[0018] [1-2. Configuration of the air conditioner] Next, the configuration of the air conditioner will be described. FIG. 3 is a refrigeration cycle diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioner. As shown in FIG. 3, the air conditioner 1 includes an outdoor unit 40 and an indoor unit 5. The outdoor unit 40 houses a compressor 41, a four-way valve 42 for switching the refrigerant flow path, an outdoor heat exchanger 43, an outdoor fan 44, and an outdoor throttling device 45. These compressor 41, four-way valve 42, outdoor heat exchanger 43, and outdoor throttling device 45 are sequentially connected by a refrigerant pipe 46.

[0019] The indoor unit 5 houses an indoor heat exchanger 20, an indoor throttling device 27, and a sirocco fan 30, respectively. The indoor heat exchanger 20 and the indoor throttling device 27 are connected via a refrigerant pipe 28. The compressor 41 of the outdoor unit 40 and the indoor heat exchanger 20 of the indoor unit 5 are connected by a liquid refrigerant pipe 47 and a gas refrigerant pipe 48. Near the indoor unit 5 of the liquid refrigerant pipe 47 and the gas refrigerant pipe 48, refrigerant shut-off valves 49 are provided respectively.

[0020] [1-3. Control Configuration] Next, the control configuration of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the air conditioner 1 includes a control unit 60. The control unit 60 includes, for example, a processor that executes programs such as a CPU or an MPU, and memories such as a ROM and a RAM. The processor reads out a control program stored in the memory and executes various processes through the cooperation of hardware and software.

[0021] The control unit 60 controls the compressor 41, the outdoor throttling device 45, the outdoor fan 44, the sirocco fan 30 of the indoor unit 5, and the indoor throttling device 27 of the outdoor unit 40 respectively based on a control program. The control unit 60 performs opening and closing control of the refrigerant shut-off valve 49 and the indoor throttling device 27 based on the detection signals of the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 of each indoor unit 5.

[0022] The control unit 60 is configured to execute a first energization mode in which either one of the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 is energized, and a second energization mode in which both the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 are energized. In the first energization mode, either the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 or the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 may be energized.

[0023] Further, the control unit 60 may be configured to execute a third energization mode in which the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 are alternately switched off for energization at predetermined intervals. In the third energization mode, the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 may be switched every day, or may be switched at any period such as every week, every month, every few months, or every year. In this case, when switching the energization between the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 in the third energization mode, the control unit 60 controls to energize the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 simultaneously for a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds). This is because a predetermined time is required until the refrigerant detection sensor can detect when the energization of the refrigerant detection sensor is started.

[0024] Therefore, for example, when switching from energizing the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 to energizing the second refrigerant detection sensor 51, while the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 is energized, the energization of the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 is started, and when the time for the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 to be able to detect has elapsed, the energization of the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 is controlled to stop.

[0025] The control unit 60 executes the first energization mode, for example, when the sirocco fan 30 is stopped, and executes the second energization mode when the sirocco fan 30 is driven. When the sirocco fan 30 is stopped, if refrigerant leakage occurs, the leaked refrigerant fills the casing 10 of the indoor unit 5 and also accumulates in the first region 24 and the second region 26. Therefore, even when either the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 or the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 is energized in the first energization mode, it is possible to detect refrigerant leakage. On the other hand, when the sirocco fan 30 is driven, since air is flowing in the heat exchanger chamber 14, if refrigerant leakage occurs from the first region 24 or the second region 26, it is necessary to detect refrigerant leakage in each region.

[0026] Further, the control unit 60 may execute the second energization mode when, for example, the compressor 41 is driving, and execute the first energization mode when the compressor 41 is stopped. This is because when the compressor 41 is driving, the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant pipe 46 increases particularly during the heating operation compared to when the compressor 41 is stopped, so the concentration increase rate of the leaked refrigerant is high. Therefore, by executing the second energization mode when the compressor 41 is driving, refrigerant leakage can be detected quickly, and safety can be ensured. By executing the first energization mode when the compressor 41 is not driven, the life of the refrigerant sensor can be extended.

[0027] [1-2. Operation] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. By driving the electric motor 34 to rotationally drive the sirocco fan 30, air is sucked in from the suction port 16. This air flows into the inside of the scroll casing 31 from the direction of the rotary shaft 35 through the fan opening 32, is blown out from the air duct 33 to the indoor heat exchanger 20, and the conditioned air heat-exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger 20 is discharged from the blowout port 17.

[0028] When the sirocco fan 30 is being driven, the control unit 60 controls in the second energization mode. The control unit 60 inputs the detection signals of the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51, and determines whether refrigerant leakage has occurred in the first region 24 or the second region 26. When refrigerant leakage is detected by the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 or the second refrigerant detection sensor 51, the control unit 60 closes the refrigerant shut-off valve 49.

[0029] Also, when the sirocco fan 30 is stopped, the control unit 60 controls in the first energization mode. In this case, the detection signals of the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 or the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 are input, and it is determined whether refrigerant leakage has occurred in the first region 24 or the second region 26. When refrigerant leakage is detected by the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 or the second refrigerant detection sensor 51, the control unit 60 closes the refrigerant shut-off valve 49.

[0030] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 60 executes a first energization mode in which either the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 or the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 is energized, and a second energization mode in which both the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 are energized. By controlling in the first energization mode, only one of the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 is energized, so that deterioration of the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 or the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 can be reduced. On the other hand, by controlling in the second energization mode and energizing both the first refrigerant sensor and the second refrigerant sensor, the leaked refrigerant at each refrigerant leakage location can be quickly detected. Therefore, by controlling the control unit 60 to switch between the first energization mode and the second energization mode, it is possible to extend the life of the refrigerant detection sensor while ensuring safety.

[0031] Also, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 60 executes the first energization mode when the sirocco fan 30 (indoor fan) is stopped, and executes the second energization mode when the sirocco fan 30 is driven. Thereby, while the sirocco fan 30 is stopped, the leaked refrigerant fills the housing. Therefore, even if it is detected by either the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 or the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 in the first energization mode, the leaked refrigerant can be detected. On the other hand, while the sirocco fan 30 is driven, the leaked refrigerant is carried by the air flowing through the heat exchanger chamber 14. Therefore, in the second energization mode, the leaked refrigerant at each refrigerant leakage location can be detected by the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51. Therefore, it is possible to extend the life of the refrigerant detection sensor while ensuring safety.

[0032] Further, according to the present embodiment, an outdoor unit 40 that houses a compressor 41 is provided, and the control unit 60 causes the second energization mode to be executed when the compressor 41 is operating, and causes the second energization mode to be executed when the compressor 41 is stopped. As a result, when the compressor 41 is operating, the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant pipe 46 increases compared to when the compressor 41 is stopped, so the concentration increase rate of the leaked refrigerant is high. Therefore, by executing the second energization mode when the compressor 41 is operating, the leaked refrigerant can be detected quickly, and safety can be ensured. By executing the first energization mode when the compressor 41 is not driven, the life of the refrigerant sensor can be extended.

[0033] Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 60 executes a third energization mode in which the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 are alternately switched off for a predetermined period. As a result, by alternately energizing the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51, the integrated energization time of each refrigerant sensor can be shortened, and the life of the refrigerant sensor can be extended.

[0034] Further, according to the present embodiment, when the control unit 60 performs the third energization mode and switches the energization between the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51, the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 are simultaneously energized for a predetermined time. As a result, when switching the energization of the refrigerant sensor, by partially overlapping the energization time, it is possible to prevent a time period during which the leaked refrigerant cannot be detected from occurring, and the safety can be improved.

[0035] (Embodiment 2) Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the indoor unit 5 in Embodiment 2. [2-1. Configuration of the indoor unit] As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, a communication pipe 55 that communicates the first region 24 and the second region 26 is provided inside the indoor unit 5. That is, since the first region 24 and the second region 26 communicate with each other via the communication pipe 55, for example, when refrigerant leakage occurs in the first region 24, the leaked refrigerant flows through the communication pipe 55 and is sent to the second region 26, and when refrigerant leakage occurs in the second region 26, the leaked refrigerant flows through the communication pipe 55 and is sent to the first region 24.

[0036] Regardless of whether the sirocco fan 30 is driven or stopped, the control unit 60 controls the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 in the first energization mode. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts and the description thereof is omitted.

[0037] [2-2. Function and Effect] In the present embodiment, the control unit 60 controls in the first energization mode. In this state, when refrigerant leakage occurs in either the first region 24 or the second region 26, the leaked refrigerant flows through the communication pipe 55 and moves to the other region. Thereby, even if the refrigerant is detected by the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 or the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 in the first energization mode, refrigerant leakage in the first region 24 or the second region 26 can be detected.

[0038] (Embodiment 3) Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the control unit 60 in Embodiment 3. [3-1. Control Configuration] As shown in FIG. 6, a third refrigerant detection sensor 52 is provided in the indoor unit 5. The third refrigerant detection sensor 52 is energized together with the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51. For example, when the control unit 60 controls the second energization mode, the third refrigerant detection sensor 52 is also controlled to detect the leaked refrigerant together with the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51. As for the indoor unit 5, as shown in the second embodiment, it is preferable that a refrigerant communication pipe 55 is provided. And the third refrigerant detection sensor 52 is installed in either the first region 24 or the second region 26.

[0039] [3-2. Action and effect] In this embodiment, by energizing the third refrigerant detection sensor 52 together with the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51, for example, when the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the third refrigerant detection sensor 52 are detecting the refrigerant, but the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 is not detecting the refrigerant, the control unit 60 determines that the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 is malfunctioning. When the control unit 60 determines that the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 is malfunctioning, it notifies the user to that effect. Thereby, it is possible to determine the malfunction of the refrigerant detection sensor. Also, when the control unit 60 determines that one of the refrigerant detection sensors is malfunctioning, in the first energization mode, it is preferable not to energize the malfunctioning refrigerant detection sensor and to energize the other refrigerant detection sensor. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably detect the leaked refrigerant.

[0040] Also, it is possible to determine the malfunction of the refrigerant detection sensor without providing the third refrigerant detection sensor 52. For example, during control in the second energization mode, when the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 detects the refrigerant and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 does not detect the refrigerant, it is determined that refrigerant leakage has occurred and the closing operation of the refrigerant cutoff valve 49 is performed. In that case, when the refrigerant leakage is a false detection, the control unit 60 may count the number of false detections of the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and determine that the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 is malfunctioning when the number of false detections exceeds a predetermined number.

[0041] Further, for example, when the control unit 60 monitors the detection output values of the first refrigerant detection sensor 50 and the second refrigerant detection sensor 51 and determines that there is an abnormality in the detection output values, it may determine that the refrigerant detection sensor with the abnormal detection output value has failed. Alternatively, the detection output values may be transmitted from the air conditioner 1 to a server that manages the air conditioning system, and the server may determine the failure of the refrigerant detection sensor.

[0042] (Other Embodiments) As described above, as examples of the technology disclosed in the present application, Embodiments 1 to 3 have been described. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and can also be applied to embodiments with changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. Further, it is also possible to combine the elements described in Embodiment 1 above to form a new embodiment.

[0043] Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below. In Embodiment 1, the configuration of executing the second energization mode when the compressor 41 is driven has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the second energization mode may be executed in a situation where refrigerant is flowing through the refrigerant pipe 28 in the indoor unit 5. This is because the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant pipe 28 in the indoor unit 5 becomes high when the refrigerant is flowing. Here, the situation where refrigerant is flowing through the indoor unit 5 includes, for example, cooling operation or heating operation. Also, the situation where refrigerant is not flowing through the indoor unit 5 includes, for example, during the stop of the air conditioning operation of the indoor unit 5, thermo-off operation (operation of driving the indoor blower without performing cooling or heating operation because the room temperature has reached the set temperature), or ventilation operation.

[0044] Further, the control unit 60 may execute the second energization mode within a predetermined time after the compressor 41 stops, and execute the first energization mode after a predetermined period has elapsed since the compressor 41 stopped. Even when the compressor 41 stops, refrigerant still flows through the refrigerant pipe 28 in the indoor unit 5 for a predetermined time. Compared with the state where no refrigerant is flowing through the refrigerant pipe 28, the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant pipe 28 is higher, and the concentration increase rate of the leaked refrigerant is faster. Further, the control unit 60 may execute the first energization mode within a predetermined time after starting the operation of the compressor 41, and execute the second energization mode after the predetermined time has elapsed since starting the operation of the compressor 41. This is because within a predetermined time after the start of the operation of the compressor 41, the refrigerant flow rate in the refrigerant pipe 28 of the indoor unit 5 is small, and the rate of increase in the concentration of the leaked refrigerant is relatively slow.

[0045] In the first embodiment, the control unit 60 has been described for the control of executing the second energization mode when the compressor 41 is driven. However, the technology disclosed in the present application is not limited to this. For example, the second energization mode may be executed during the heating operation, and the first energization mode may be executed during the cooling operation. During the heating operation, the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant pipe 46 particularly increases, so the rate of increase in the concentration of the leaked refrigerant is fast, and rapid detection of the leaked refrigerant is required. Thereby, it is possible to achieve both safety and reduction of performance degradation of the refrigerant sensor.

[0046] In the first to third embodiments, the configuration in which one indoor unit 5 is provided has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a plurality of indoor units are provided may be used. In this case, for example, when refrigerant is flowing through the refrigerant pipe of one of the two indoor units and not flowing through the refrigerant pipe of the other indoor unit, it is preferable that one indoor unit executes the second energization mode and the other indoor unit executes the first energization mode.

[0047] In the first to third embodiments, as an example of the indoor unit 5, a so-called duct indoor unit has been described. The indoor unit 5 may be any unit as long as the bend portion and the pipe connection portion are housed in different regions. Therefore, the indoor unit 5 is not limited to the duct indoor unit. For example, the indoor unit 5 may be a two-way cassette, a one-way cassette, or a floor-mounted indoor unit. In the first embodiment, as an example of the indoor fan, the sirocco fan 30 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the indoor fan may be a turbo fan, a cross-flow fan, or the like.

[0048] Note that the above-described embodiments are for exemplifying the technology in the present disclosure, and thus various changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. can be made within the scope of the claims or the equivalent scope thereof.

Industrial Applicability

[0049] As described above, the air conditioner according to the present invention can reduce the deterioration of the refrigerant detection sensor, can quickly detect the leaked refrigerant, and can extend the life of the refrigerant detection sensor while ensuring safety, and is preferably applicable to an air conditioner.

Explanation of Signs

[0050] 1 Air conditioner 5 Indoor unit 10 Housing 13 Blower chamber 14 Heat exchanger chamber 15 Partition wall 20 Indoor heat exchanger 22 Heat exchange area 23 First partition plate 24 First area 25 Second partition plate 26 Second area 27 Indoor throttling device 28 Refrigerant pipe 30 Sirocco fan 31 Scroll casing 32 Fan opening 40 Outdoor unit 41 Compressor 42 Four-way valve 43 Outdoor heat exchanger 44 Outdoor fan 45 Outdoor throttling device 46 Refrigerant pipe 47 Liquid refrigerant pipe 48 Gas refrigerant pipe 49 Refrigerant shut-off valve 50 First refrigerant detection sensor 51 Second refrigerant detection sensor 52 Third refrigerant detection sensor 55 Communication pipe 60 Control Unit

Claims

1. A housing, an indoor fan provided in the housing, an indoor heat exchanger provided in the housing, a first refrigerant detection sensor installed in a first region that houses a piping connection portion of the indoor heat exchanger, a second refrigerant detection sensor installed in a second region that houses a bend portion of the indoor heat exchanger, and includes an indoor unit, a control unit for controlling the first refrigerant detection sensor and the second refrigerant detection sensor is provided, the control unit executes a first energization mode in which either one of the first refrigerant detection sensor and the second refrigerant detection sensor is energized, and a second energization mode in which both the first refrigerant detection sensor and the second refrigerant detection sensor are energized, the control unit executes the first energization mode when the indoor fan is stopped, and executes the second energization mode when the indoor fan is driven, an air conditioner.

2. It includes a refrigerant flow path that communicates the first region and the second region, The air conditioner according to Claim 1.

3. When no refrigerant is flowing through the refrigerant piping in the indoor unit, the control unit executes the first energization mode, and when refrigerant is flowing through the refrigerant piping in the indoor unit, the control unit executes the second energization mode, The air conditioner according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

4. It includes an outdoor unit that houses a compressor, when the compressor is driven, the control unit executes the first energization mode, and when the compressor is stopped, the control unit executes the second energization mode, The air conditioner according to Claim 3.

5. When in thermo-off operation, blowing operation, or when the air conditioning operation is stopped, the control unit executes the first energization mode, The air conditioner according to Claim 3.

6. The control unit executes a third energization mode in which the energization of the first refrigerant detection sensor and the second refrigerant detection sensor is alternately switched at predetermined intervals, The air conditioner according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

7. When performing the third energization mode, when switching the energization of the first refrigerant detection sensor and the second refrigerant detection sensor, the control unit simultaneously energizes the first refrigerant detection sensor and the second refrigerant detection sensor for a predetermined time, The air conditioner according to Claim 6.

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