Air conditioner, outdoor unit, indoor unit and air conditioning system

Abstract

This outdoor unit (10) is a responsive machine that responds to a transition to a standby state in which power is fed to an indoor unit (20) and no power is fed to the outdoor unit (10). The outdoor unit (10) comprises: an outdoor control circuit (14) that controls operation of the outdoor unit (10), the outdoor control circuit (14) not being fed with power from a three-phase AC power supply (40) in the standby state; and a power-feeding relay (18) that, through an opening / closing operation, switches whether power is fed from the three-phase AC power supply (40) to the outdoor control circuit (14). The power-feeding relay (18) is a latching relay. In an initialization state in which no power is fed from the three-phase AC power supply (40) to the air-conditioning device (100), the power-feeding relay (18) retains an on state in which power is fed to the outdoor control circuit (14). The air-conditioning device (100) can reduce the amount of electric power consumed without requiring labor performed by a user.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner, an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, and an air conditioning system. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to reduce power consumption when the air conditioner is not operating, some air conditioners are known that cut off the power supply to the internal circuits of the outdoor unit when the air conditioner is not operating. In such air conditioners, when the air conditioner starts operating, the indoor unit supplies power to the outdoor unit, thereby terminating the standby state of the outdoor unit and starting it up.

[0003] Therefore, to realize such an air conditioner, both the outdoor unit and the indoor unit must be compatible devices that can transition to a standby state. Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioner in which the user can switch the connection of a jumper wire to allow or prohibit transition to a standby state in case compatible and non-compatible devices are mixed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-156963 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, as described in Patent Document 1, if the user determines whether the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are compatible and manually allows or prohibits transition to standby mode, this places a heavy burden on the user. Therefore, it is preferable to have the internal circuit of the outdoor unit execute a process corresponding to the process performed by the user in the technology described in Patent Document 1. However, depending on the state of the outdoor unit, the internal circuit of the outdoor unit may not be able to execute the above-mentioned process. For example, if power is not supplied to the internal circuit of the outdoor unit, the internal circuit of the outdoor unit may not be able to execute the above-mentioned process. Therefore, there is a demand for a technology that can reduce power consumption without requiring the user's effort.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an air conditioner, an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, and an air conditioning system that reduce power consumption without causing any hassle to the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioning device according to the present disclosure comprises: the first device is a compatible device that is capable of transitioning to a standby state in which power is supplied to the second device but not to the first device, The first device is a control circuit that controls the operation of the first device and is not powered by the main power supply in the standby state; a power supply relay that switches between supplying power from the main power supply to the control circuit by opening and closing the power supply relay, the power supply relay is a latching relay, In an initial state in which no power is being supplied from the main power supply to the air conditioner, the power supply relay maintains an ON state in which power is being supplied to the control circuit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In the present disclosure, a power supply relay, which is a latching relay, switches between supplying power to a control circuit included in the first device, and in the initial state when power is not being supplied from the main power source to the air conditioner, the power supply relay maintains an ON state in which power is supplied to the control circuit. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, power consumption can be reduced without causing any inconvenience to the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 1 [Figure 2] State transition diagram of the air conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 [Figure 3] 1 is a first flowchart showing a power supply control process executed by an air conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a second flowchart showing the power supply control process executed by the air conditioning apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a relay state table for an air conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 2 [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a relay state table of an air conditioning apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] Configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to a third embodiment [Figure 9] Configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 4 [Figure 10] Configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 5 [Figure 11] Configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to a sixth embodiment [Figure 12] Configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to embodiment 7 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 1000 according to Embodiment 1. The air conditioning system 1000 is a system for conditioning indoor air. The air conditioning system 1000 includes an air conditioning apparatus 100 and a remote controller 30. The operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an initial state in which no power is supplied from a three-phase AC power supply 40.

[0012] The air conditioner 100 is a device that conditions indoor air. Conditioning indoor air means adjusting the temperature, humidity, air cleanliness, etc. of the indoor air. The air conditioner 100 conditions the indoor air in accordance with operations received from a user by a remote controller 30. The indoor unit 20 and the remote controller 30 are capable of communicating with each other.

[0013] The air conditioning apparatus 100 comprises an outdoor unit 10, an indoor unit 20, a power line 51, a common line 52, and a signal line 53. The outdoor unit 10 is a piece of equipment that conditions indoor air and is installed outdoors. The indoor unit 20 is a piece of equipment that conditions indoor air and is installed indoors. The indoor unit 20 blows air into the room for heating, cooling, dehumidification, ventilation, etc.

[0014] Although not shown in the figures, the outdoor unit 10 is equipped with devices such as an electric compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, and an expansion valve, while the indoor unit 20 is equipped with devices such as an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan. The air conditioning apparatus 100 uses these devices to form a refrigerant circuit (not shown) that executes a refrigeration cycle. The outdoor unit 10 is an example of a first device, and the indoor unit 20 is an example of a second device.

[0015] The power supply line 51 is an electric wire for supplying AC power from the outdoor unit 10 to the indoor unit 20. The common line 52 is an electric wire for supplying AC power from the outdoor unit 10 to the indoor unit 20, and is also an electric wire for transmitting and receiving signals between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. The signal line 53 is an electric wire for transmitting and receiving signals between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. The outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are connected to each other by the power supply line 51, the common line 52, and the signal line 53.

[0016] As will be described later, the indoor unit 20 is connected to the R phase and S phase of the three-phase AC power supply 40 via a power supply line 51 and a common line 52, and receives a supply of single-phase AC power from the three-phase AC power supply 40. The signal line 53 is used for sending and receiving signals, and is also used to supply AC power during the transition of the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100. Therefore, in this embodiment, the signal line 53 is a wiring member similar to the power supply line 51 and the common line 52. However, the signal line 53 may be a wiring member different from the power supply line 51 and the common line 52, as long as it is a wiring member having a current capacity according to the supply power.

[0017] The air conditioning apparatus 100 receives a supply of three-phase AC power from a three-phase AC power supply 40. Specifically, the outdoor unit 10 receives a supply of three-phase AC power from the three-phase AC power supply 40 and uses the supplied power as drive power for the internal circuits of the outdoor unit 10, an electric compressor (not shown), etc. The outdoor unit 10 also supplies single-phase power of the AC power supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the indoor unit 20. In this way, the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are supplied with power from the three-phase AC power supply 40. The three-phase AC power supply 40 is an example of a main power supply.

[0018] The air conditioning apparatus 100 can transition to a standby state in which power is supplied to the indoor unit 20 but not to the outdoor unit 10. That is, in this embodiment, both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are compatible devices that are compatible with transitioning to the standby state. Note that a state in which power is not supplied to the outdoor unit 10 means a state in which power is not supplied to the internal circuits, electric compressor, etc. of the outdoor unit 10. Therefore, even in a state in which power is not supplied to the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20 can receive single-phase power from the three-phase AC power supply 40 via the outdoor unit 10.

[0019] In standby mode, the outdoor unit 10 consumes very little power. Therefore, an air conditioning apparatus 100 that can transition to standby mode consumes little power. However, if both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are not compatible devices, there is a possibility that the air conditioning apparatus 100 will not operate properly when it transitions to standby mode. Therefore, if both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are not compatible devices, it is desirable for the air conditioning apparatus 100 not to transition to standby mode.

[0020] When the air conditioning apparatus 100 transitions to standby mode, the outdoor unit 10 cuts off the power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the outdoor unit 10 and transitions to standby mode. When the air conditioning apparatus 100 returns from standby mode, the indoor unit 20 supplies power to the outdoor unit 10, causing the outdoor unit 10 to return from standby mode. Therefore, for example, if the outdoor unit 10 is a compatible device but the indoor unit 20 is not a compatible device, the outdoor unit 10 may be able to transition to standby mode, but it may have difficulty returning from standby mode. Furthermore, for example, if the outdoor unit 10 is not a compatible device, the outdoor unit 10 may not be able to transition to standby mode in the first place.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor unit 10 includes an outdoor terminal block 11, an outdoor rectifier circuit 12, an inverter circuit 13, an outdoor control circuit 14, a communication power supply circuit 15, an outdoor communication circuit 16, a power supply switching relay 17, a power supply relay 18, and a capacitor 122.

[0022] The outdoor terminal block 11 includes an R terminal 111, an S terminal 112, a T terminal 113, an outdoor S1 terminal 114, an outdoor S2 terminal 115, and an outdoor S3 terminal 116. The outdoor terminal block 11 is connected to a three-phase AC power supply 40 via the R terminal 111, the S terminal 112, and the T terminal 113, and supplies three-phase AC power to the outdoor unit 10. The outdoor S1 terminal 114 is connected to the R terminal 111, and the outdoor S2 terminal 115 is connected to the S terminal 112. The outdoor unit 10 supplies single-phase AC power to the indoor unit 20 via the outdoor S1 terminal 114 and the outdoor S2 terminal 115.

[0023] The outdoor rectifier circuit 12 rectifies AC power supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40. In other words, the outdoor rectifier circuit 12 converts this AC power into DC power of a desired voltage. The outdoor rectifier circuit 12 is connected to an R terminal 111, an S terminal 112, and a T terminal 113.

[0024] The capacitor 122 smoothes the output of the outdoor rectifier circuit 12. One end of the capacitor 122 is connected to the outdoor rectifier circuit 12 via the power supply relay 18, and the other end of the capacitor 122 is connected directly to the outdoor rectifier circuit 12. The capacitor 122 supplies smoothed DC power to the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14.

[0025] The inverter circuit 13 is connected to the capacitor 122 and converts the DC power supplied from the capacitor 122 into AC power of a desired frequency and voltage. The inverter circuit 13 supplies the AC power to a motor (not shown) that drives an electric compressor, for example, under the control of the outdoor control circuit 14. The frequency and voltage of the AC power generated by the inverter circuit 13 correspond to the operation of such a motor.

[0026] The outdoor control circuit 14 is a so-called microcomputer. The outdoor control circuit 14 includes a memory circuit 141 that stores programs and data for operating a processor included in the microcomputer. The outdoor control circuit 14 controls the outdoor communication circuit 16 to communicate with the indoor unit 20. The outdoor control circuit 14 controls the inverter circuit 13 in response to signals received from the indoor unit 20. As will be described later, the outdoor control circuit 14 also controls the operating state of the outdoor unit 10. When the air conditioning apparatus 100 transitions to a standby state, the outdoor control circuit 14 is powered off and stops operating. The outdoor control circuit 14 is an example of a control circuit, and the memory circuit 141 is an example of a memory circuit.

[0027] The communication power supply circuit 15 generates DC power from single-phase AC power supplied between the outdoor S1 terminal 114 and the outdoor S2 terminal 115, and supplies the generated DC power to the outdoor communication circuit 16. One input terminal of the communication power supply circuit 15 is connected to the outdoor S1 terminal 114, and the other input terminal of the communication power supply circuit 15 is connected to the outdoor S2 terminal 115 via a power supply switching relay 17. The communication power supply circuit 15 includes, for example, a half-wave rectifier circuit that generates DC power by half-wave rectification.

[0028] The outdoor communication circuit 16 transmits and receives signals to and from the indoor communication circuit 25 using a current loop formed between the outdoor communication circuit 16 and the indoor communication circuit 25 via the common line 52 and the signal line 53. One end of the outdoor communication circuit 16 is connected to the outdoor S3 terminal 116, and the other end of the outdoor communication circuit 16 is connected to the outdoor S2 terminal 115 via the communication power supply circuit 15 and the power supply switching relay 17. The outdoor communication circuit 16 is an example of a communication circuit.

[0029] The power supply switching relay 17 is a so-called c-contact relay and includes a fixed contact 17a, a fixed contact 17b, a movable contact 17c, and a coil (not shown) that switches the connection destination of the movable contact 17c. The fixed contact 17a is a normally open contact, and the fixed contact 17b is a normally closed contact. Therefore, when no current flows through this coil, the movable contact 17c is connected to the fixed contact 17b. On the other hand, when current flows through this coil, the movable contact 17c is connected to the fixed contact 17a.

[0030] In this embodiment, fixed contact 17a is connected to the other input terminal of communication power supply circuit 15, fixed contact 17b is connected to reset coil 18R of power supply relay 18, and movable contact 17c is connected to outdoor S2 terminal 115. When no current flows through the coil, movable contact 17c is connected to fixed contact 17b, and power supply switching relay 17 is turned off. On the other hand, when current flows through the coil, movable contact 17c is connected to fixed contact 17a, and power supply switching relay 17 is turned on.

[0031] The coil is connected to the outdoor control circuit 14, and whether or not current is applied to the coil is controlled by the outdoor control circuit 14. In other words, the power supply switching relay 17 is a relay that switches the connection destination of the outdoor S2 terminal 115 between the communication power supply circuit 15 and the reset coil 18R in accordance with control by the outdoor control circuit 14. The power supply switching relay 17 is a c-contact relay, and the movable contact 17c is connected to the fixed contact 17a only while current is flowing through the coil. In the initial state where no power is being supplied to the air conditioner 100 from the three-phase AC power supply 40, power supply to the outdoor control circuit 14 is cut off, and the outdoor control circuit 14 is not operating. Therefore, in the initial state, no current flows through the coil, and the power supply switching relay 17 is in the off state, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0032] The power supply relay 18 is a relay that switches between supplying power to the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14 and not supplying power. The power supply relay 18 is a so-called two-winding latching relay, and includes a fixed contact 18a, a fixed contact 18b, a movable contact 18c, a set coil 18S, and a reset coil 18R. When a voltage is applied to the set coil 18S, the movable contact 18c remains in the operating state, and the power supply relay 18 is turned off. When a voltage is applied to the reset coil 18R, the movable contact 18c remains in the reset state, and the power supply relay 18 is turned on.

[0033] In this embodiment, the fixed contact 18a is connected to one output terminal of the outdoor rectifier circuit 12, and the fixed contact 18b is connected to one end of the capacitor 122. When a voltage is applied to the set coil 18S, the movable piece 18c opens, causing the fixed contacts 18a and 18b to become non-conductive, and the power supply relay 18 is turned off. When a voltage is applied to the reset coil 18R, the movable piece 18c closes, causing the fixed contacts 18a and 18b to become conductive, and the power supply relay 18 is turned on.

[0034] The set coil 18S is connected to the outdoor control circuit 14, and whether or not a voltage is applied to the set coil 18S is controlled by the outdoor control circuit 14. The reset coil 18R is connected to the fixed contact 17b of the power supply switching relay 17, and whether or not a voltage is applied to the reset coil 18R is controlled by the indoor control circuit 23 via the power supply switching relay 17 and the outdoor start relay 26.

[0035] In this way, the power supply relay 18 is a relay that switches between supplying power to the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14 by opening and closing the movable piece 18c. The power supply relay 18 cuts off the power supply to the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14 according to the control of the outdoor control circuit 14, and supplies power to the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14 according to the control of the indoor control circuit 23.

[0036] The state of the movable contact 18c of the power supply relay 18, which is a latching relay, is maintained unless a voltage is applied to the coil. Therefore, there is no need to continuously pass a current through the coil of the power supply relay 18. Furthermore, latching relays are generally shipped from the factory with the movable contact 18c set to the reset state. Therefore, when the power supply relay 18 is shipped from the factory, no voltage has ever been applied to the coil of the power supply relay 18, so the power supply relay 18 is in the on state, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0037] In this embodiment, since the outdoor unit 10 is a compatible device, the outdoor unit 10 is provided with a power supply switching relay 17 and a power supply relay 18. If the outdoor unit 10 is not a compatible device, the outdoor unit 10 does not have a power supply switching relay 17, and the outdoor S2 terminal 115 is always connected to the communication power supply circuit 15. If the outdoor unit 10 is not a compatible device, the outdoor unit 10 does not have a power supply relay 18, and power is always supplied to the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14.

[0038] The indoor unit 20 includes an indoor terminal block 21 , an indoor rectifier circuit 22 , an indoor control circuit 23 , a power supply state detection circuit 24 , an indoor communication circuit 25 , an outdoor start relay 26 , and a receiving circuit 27 .

[0039] The indoor terminal block 21 includes an indoor S1 terminal 211, an indoor S2 terminal 212, and an indoor S3 terminal 213. The indoor S1 terminal 211 is connected to the outdoor S1 terminal 114 via a power supply line 51. The indoor S2 terminal 212 is connected to the outdoor S2 terminal 115 via a common line 52. The indoor S3 terminal 213 is connected to the outdoor S3 terminal 116 via a signal line 53. The indoor S1 terminal 211 is connected to the R phase of the three-phase AC power supply 40 in the outdoor unit 10. The indoor S2 terminal 212 is connected to the S phase of the three-phase AC power supply 40 in the outdoor unit 10. Single-phase AC power is supplied between the indoor S1 terminal 211 and the indoor S2 terminal 212.

[0040] The indoor rectifier circuit 22 is connected to the indoor S1 terminal 211 and the indoor S2 terminal 212, and rectifies AC power supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40 via the outdoor unit 10. That is, the indoor rectifier circuit 22 converts this AC power into DC power of a desired voltage. The indoor rectifier circuit 22 supplies the generated DC power to the indoor control circuit 23 and the power supply status detection circuit 24. Although not shown, a capacitor for smoothing the output is provided on the output side of the indoor rectifier circuit 22.

[0041] The indoor control circuit 23 is a so-called microcomputer. The indoor control circuit 23 includes a memory circuit 231 that stores programs and data for operating the processor included in the microcomputer. The indoor control circuit 23 controls the indoor communication circuit 25 to communicate with the outdoor unit 10. For example, the indoor control circuit 23 receives commands from the remote controller 30 and transmits signals to the outdoor communication circuit 16 to control the operating state of the outdoor unit 10. The indoor control circuit 23 also controls the operating state of the indoor unit 20, as will be described later. The indoor control circuit 23 is always supplied with power from the indoor rectifier circuit 22 in order to receive commands from the remote controller 30, except in the initial state when no power is supplied to the air conditioner 100 from the three-phase AC power supply 40.

[0042] The indoor control circuit 23 controls the power supply relay 18 so that the power supply relay 18 is initialized to the on state when power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100 begins. Specifically, when the power supply status detection circuit 24 detects a drop in the output voltage of the indoor rectifier circuit 22, the indoor control circuit 23 switches the power supply relay 18 to the on state by keeping the outdoor start relay 26 in the on state for a certain period of time. The indoor control circuit 23 is an example of an initialization circuit, and the memory circuit 231 is an example of a memory circuit.

[0043] The power supply status detection circuit 24 detects the power supply status from the three-phase AC power supply 40. Specifically, the power supply status detection circuit 24 constantly detects the output voltage of the indoor rectifier circuit 22 and outputs the detection result to the indoor control circuit 23. In the present embodiment, the power supply status detection circuit 24 is provided separately from the indoor control circuit 23 and detects the output voltage of the indoor rectifier circuit 22. Note that the configuration is not limited to the above, as long as it is capable of detecting the status of the AC power supplied between the indoor S1 terminal 211 and the indoor S2 terminal 212. For example, the power supply status detection circuit 24 may be provided on the input side of the indoor rectifier circuit 22 or may be built into the indoor control circuit 23. The power supply status detection circuit 24 may also detect the frequency of the AC power. The power supply status detection circuit 24 is an example of a power supply status detection circuit.

[0044] The indoor communication circuit 25 transmits and receives signals to and from the outdoor communication circuit 16 using a current loop formed between the outdoor communication circuit 16 and the indoor communication circuit 25 via the common line 52 and the signal line 53. One end of the indoor communication circuit 25 is connected to the indoor S3 terminal 213 via the outdoor start relay 26, and the other end of the indoor communication circuit 25 is connected to the indoor S2 terminal 212.

[0045] The outdoor start relay 26 is a so-called c-contact relay and includes a fixed contact 26a, a fixed contact 26b, a movable contact 26c, and a coil (not shown) that switches the connection destination of the movable contact 26c. The fixed contact 26a is a normally open contact, and the fixed contact 26b is a normally closed contact. Therefore, when no current flows through this coil, the movable contact 26c is connected to the fixed contact 26b. On the other hand, when current flows through this coil, the movable contact 26c is connected to the fixed contact 26a.

[0046] In this embodiment, the fixed contact 26a is connected to the indoor S1 terminal 211, the fixed contact 26b is connected to one end of the indoor communication circuit 25, and the movable contact 26c is connected to the indoor S3 terminal 213. When no current flows through the coil, the movable contact 26c is connected to the fixed contact 26b, and the outdoor start relay 26 is in the OFF state. On the other hand, when current flows through the coil, the movable contact 26c is connected to the fixed contact 26a, and the outdoor start relay 26 is in the ON state.

[0047] The coil is also connected to the indoor control circuit 23, and whether or not current is applied to the coil is controlled by the indoor control circuit 23. In other words, the outdoor start relay 26 is a relay that switches the connection destination of the indoor S3 terminal 213 between the indoor S1 terminal 211 and the indoor communication circuit 25 in accordance with control by the indoor control circuit 23. The outdoor start relay 26, which is a c-contact relay, has the movable contact 26c connected to the fixed contact 26a only while current is flowing through the coil. Here, in the initial state when no power is supplied to the air conditioning apparatus 100 from the three-phase AC power supply 40, power supply to the indoor control circuit 23 is cut off, and the indoor control circuit 23 is stopped operating. Therefore, in the initial state, no current flows through the coil, and the outdoor start relay 26 is in the off state, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0048] In this embodiment, since the indoor unit 20 is a compatible device, the indoor unit 20 is provided with an outdoor start relay 26. If the indoor unit 20 is not a compatible device, the indoor unit 20 does not have an outdoor start relay 26, and the indoor S3 terminal 213 is always connected to the indoor communication circuit 25.

[0049] The remote controller 30 accepts operations by the user and transmits commands according to the accepted operations to the receiving circuit 27. Examples of commands include an operation command that instructs the air conditioning apparatus 100 to operate, and a stop command that instructs the air conditioning apparatus 100 to stop operation. For example, the user can perform operation operations, including adjusting the set temperature of the air conditioning apparatus 100, stop operations, etc., by operating buttons on the remote controller 30. The remote controller 30 may be a so-called wired remote control that is connected to the indoor unit 20 by a signal line, or a so-called wireless remote control that is connected to the indoor unit 20 using infrared rays or radio waves.

[0050] As explained above, the outdoor unit 10 is provided with a power supply relay 18 that switches between supplying and not supplying power to the internal circuits of the outdoor unit 10 by opening and closing the power supply relay 18. This power supply relay 18 is a latching relay, and in the initial state where no power is being supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100, it is held in an ON state where power is being supplied to the internal circuits of the outdoor unit 10. Therefore, power supply to the internal circuits of the outdoor unit 10 starts at the same time as power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 starts to be supplied to the air conditioner 100.

[0051] Therefore, the air conditioning apparatus 100 can appropriately execute the start-up process described below. In the start-up process, for example, it is determined whether or not there is any non-compatible device, and if there is any non-compatible device, transition to a standby state is prohibited. Therefore, if the start-up process is executed appropriately, the air conditioning apparatus 100 can operate appropriately even if there is any non-compatible device. Note that the start-up process is executed automatically, and does not require any judgment or setting by the user.

[0052] Next, the transition of the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a state transition diagram of the air conditioning apparatus 100.

[0053] 2, while the air conditioning apparatus 100 is receiving power from the three-phase AC power supply 40, which is its main power supply, it transitions between four operating states: a start-up state J1, a stopped state J2, an operating state J3, and a standby state J4. The operating states of the air conditioning apparatus 100, the outdoor unit 10, and the indoor unit 20 coincide with each other. The initial state J0 described above is a state in which no power is being supplied to the air conditioning apparatus 100 from the three-phase AC power supply 40, and is the state of the hardware before transitioning to the start-up state.

[0054] The start-up state is a state in which power is supplied to the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20, and in which start-up processing including mode switching processing is executed. The start-up processing is processing that is executed when power supply to the air conditioning apparatus 100 begins. The start-up processing includes not only mode switching processing, but also general processing required when starting up the air conditioning apparatus 100. For example, the start-up processing includes processing for transmitting and receiving signals between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 and establishing communication between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20.

[0055] The mode switching process is a process of checking whether or not there is any non-compatible equipment among the equipment included in the air conditioning apparatus 100, and switching the operation mode of the equipment included in the air conditioning apparatus 100 depending on whether or not there is any non-compatible equipment. Non-compatible equipment is equipment that does not support transitioning to a standby state. Operation modes include an allowable mode that allows transitioning to a standby state, and an unallowable mode that does not allow transitioning to a standby state. When the operation mode is an allowable mode, transitioning from a stopped state to a standby state is allowed. When the operation mode is an unallowable mode, transitioning from a stopped state to a standby state is prohibited. In other words, transitioning from a stopped state to a standby state is allowed only when both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are compatible equipment.

[0056] For example, if both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are compatible devices, the mode switching process sets the operation modes of both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 to the permissible mode. On the other hand, if at least one of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 is a non-compatible device, the mode switching process sets the operation modes of both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 to the non-permissible mode. The operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus 100, the operation mode of the outdoor unit 10, and the operation mode of the indoor unit 20 are the same. Whether each device is a compatible device can be determined by referring to compatibility information acquired from each device. The compatibility information is information indicating whether the device is a compatible device.

[0057] Note that when the air conditioning apparatus 100 is equipped with two devices, and it is clear that one of the devices is a compatible device, this one device can determine whether the other device is a compatible device. For example, if the outdoor unit 10 is a compatible device, the outdoor unit 10 acquires compatibility information from the indoor unit 20 and determines whether the indoor unit 20 is a compatible device based on the acquired compatibility information. If the determination results in the indoor unit 20 being a compatible device, the operating mode of the outdoor unit 10 is set to the permissible mode. On the other hand, if the indoor unit 20 is a non-compatible device, the operating mode of the outdoor unit 10 is set to the non-permissible mode.

[0058] When power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100 begins, the operating state of the air conditioner 100 transitions from an initial state to a start-up state. When the start-up process is completed while the operating state of the air conditioner 100 is in the start-up state, the operating state of the air conditioner 100 transitions from the start-up state to a stopped state. The power consumption in the start-up state is approximately the same as the power consumption in the stopped state.

[0059] The stopped state is a state in which power is supplied to the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20, and the devices required to execute the refrigeration cycle are stopped. An example of the devices required to execute the refrigeration cycle is the electric compressor provided in the outdoor unit 10. The stopped state is a state in which the outdoor unit 10 can immediately transition to an operating state when an operation command is received from the remote controller 30. Note that the stopped state is a state in which the outdoor communication circuit 16 and the indoor communication circuit 25 are operable. Therefore, for example, in the stopped state, the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 may send and receive signals for steady communication.

[0060] If the air conditioning apparatus 100 receives a stop command from the remote controller 30 while the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 is in the operating state, the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 transitions from the operating state to the stopped state. If the air conditioning apparatus 100 receives an operation command from the remote controller 30 while the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 is in the stopped state, the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 transitions from the stopped state to the operating state.

[0061] If the air conditioning device 100 does not receive an operation command from the remote controller 30 within a certain period of time after the operating state of the air conditioning device 100 transitions to a stopped state, the power supply relay 18 is switched from an on state to an off state, and the operating state of the air conditioning device 100 transitions from a stopped state to a standby state.

[0062] This certain period of time is set to ensure stable operation of the air conditioning apparatus 100. For example, when the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 transitions from an operating state to a stopped state, it is expected that the refrigerant pressure in the electric compressor provided in the outdoor unit 10 will become uniform during the time it takes for the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 to transition from the stopped state to a standby state. Furthermore, for example, when scheduled operation is set in which operation starts and stops are repeated, frequent switching of the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 is suppressed. The power consumption in the stopped state is approximately the same as the power consumption in the start-up state.

[0063] Note that if the operating mode of the air conditioning apparatus 100 is a non-permissible mode, transition from the stopped state to the standby state is prohibited. Therefore, if the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 is stopped, the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 will be maintained in the stopped state until the air conditioning apparatus 100 receives an operation command from the remote controller 30.

[0064] The operating state is a state in which power is supplied to the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20, and the devices required to execute the refrigeration cycle are operating. The operating state also includes a restricted power supply state, a thermo-off state, etc. If the air conditioning apparatus 100 receives an operation command from the remote controller 30 while in the standby state, the power supply relay 18 is switched from the off state to the on state, and the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 transitions from the standby state to the operating state. The power consumption in the operating state is the greatest among the power consumption in the four operating states described above.

[0065] The standby state is a state in which power is not supplied to the outdoor unit 10, power is supplied to the indoor unit 20, and the devices required to execute the refrigeration cycle are stopped. The standby state is a state in which the air conditioning apparatus 100 can transition to an operating state when it receives an operation command from the remote controller 30. When transitioning from the standby state to the operating state, power is supplied to the outdoor unit 10, and the outdoor unit 10 starts up.

[0066] In the standby state, the power supply relay 18 is in the OFF state and no power is supplied to the outdoor unit 10. Therefore, the power consumption in the standby state is the smallest among the power consumption in the four operating states described above. If the power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100 is cut off while the operating state of the air conditioner 100 is in the standby state, the air conditioner 100 will return the state of each relay to its initial state, as will be described later. In other words, the indoor control circuit 23 turns on the outdoor start relay 26 and turns on the power supply relay 18.

[0067] Next, the power supply control process executed by the air conditioning apparatus 100 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 3 and 4. The power supply control process is executed in response to the start of power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioning apparatus 100, for example.

[0068] A relay state table is shown in Fig. 5. The relay state table is a table that shows the state of each relay at each step of the flowchart in correspondence with the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100. As shown in Fig. 5, the start-up state corresponds to steps S101 to S105, the stop state and operating state correspond to steps S106 to S111, and the standby state corresponds to steps S112 to S118. There is no difference between the state of each relay in the stop state and the state of each relay in the operating state.

[0069] First, when power is supplied to the air conditioner 100 from the three-phase AC power supply 40, in step S101, the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 start receiving power, and the outdoor control circuit 14 and the indoor control circuit 23 start operating. At this time, the operating state of the air conditioner 100 transitions from the initial state to the start-up state. Note that the state of each relay in step S101 remains unchanged from the state of each relay in the initial state.

[0070] In step S102, the outdoor control circuit 14 turns on the power supply switching relay 17 and connects the outdoor S2 terminal 115 to the communication power supply circuit 15. As a result, single-phase AC power supplied between the outdoor S1 terminal 114 and the outdoor S2 terminal 115 is supplied to the communication power supply circuit 15, causing the communication power supply circuit 15 to start operating. At the same time, the outdoor S2 terminal 115 is connected to one end of the outdoor communication circuit 16 via the communication power supply circuit 15. At this time, the outdoor start relay 26 is in the off state, so the indoor S3 terminal 213 is connected to the indoor communication circuit 25. Therefore, a current loop is formed between the outdoor communication circuit 16 and the indoor communication circuit 25 via the signal line 53 and the common line 52. That is, in step S102, the outdoor control circuit 14 turns on the power supply switching relay 17, thereby enabling signal transmission and reception between the outdoor communication circuit 16 and the indoor communication circuit 25.

[0071] The state of each relay in step S102 does not change until the power supply relay 18 is turned off in step S110, which will be described later. If the outdoor unit 10 is a non-compatible device, the outdoor S2 terminal 115 is always connected to the communication power supply circuit 15, which is equivalent to a state in which the power supply switching relay 17 is always on, so there is no need to perform step S102.

[0072] Next, in step S103, the outdoor control circuit 14 determines whether the standby state return flag stored in the memory circuit 141 of the outdoor control circuit 14 is off. If the outdoor control circuit 14 determines that the standby state return flag is off (step S103: YES), it executes the processing of step S104. If the outdoor control circuit 14 determines that the standby state return flag is not off (step S103: NO), it executes the processing of step S107. At this time, the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 transitions from the start-up state to the operating state.

[0073] The standby state return flag is a flag used to shorten the time required to transition from the standby state to the operating state. After starting operation, the outdoor control circuit 14 determines whether the current state is a state in which the operation has returned from the standby state by referring to the standby state return flag. If the current state is a state in which the operation has returned from the standby state, the processes of steps S104 and S105 can be omitted, and the time required to transition from the standby state to the operating state can be shortened.

[0074] In step S104, the outdoor control circuit 14 and the indoor control circuit 23 transmit and receive signals between the outdoor communication circuit 16 and the indoor communication circuit 25 to exchange model information. The model information includes flag information indicating whether the outdoor unit 10 or the indoor unit 20 is a compatible device that can transition to a standby state. This flag information is provided in the header portion of the communication frame. The flag information is an example of compatibility information. The exchange of model information is performed as part of the startup process. The process of step S104 may be any process that can check for the presence or absence of non-compatible devices in the process of step S105, which will be described later.

[0075] For example, if the outdoor unit 10 is a compatible device, the outdoor unit 10 may transmit a communication frame exclusively for compatible devices to which only compatible devices can return a response. In this case, the outdoor unit 10 can determine that an indoor unit 20 that returns a response is a compatible device and that an indoor unit 20 that does not return a response is a non-compatible device. On the other hand, the indoor unit 20 can determine that an outdoor unit 10 that transmits a communication frame exclusively for compatible devices during startup processing is a compatible device and that an outdoor unit 10 that does not transmit a communication frame exclusively for compatible devices is a non-compatible device. Note that in this embodiment, there is one indoor unit 20, but if the air conditioning apparatus 100 is equipped with multiple indoor units 20, the outdoor control circuit 14 exchanges model information with all of the indoor units 20.

[0076] In step S105, the outdoor control circuit 14 of the outdoor unit 10, which is a compatible device, or the indoor control circuit 23 of the indoor unit 20, which is a compatible device, determines whether or not there is any non-compatible device, based on the model information exchanged in step S104. In other words, the outdoor control circuit 14 or the indoor control circuit 23 determines whether at least one of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 is a non-compatible device, or whether both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are compatible devices.

[0077] If the outdoor control circuit 14 or the indoor control circuit 23 determines that there is a non-compliant device (step S105: YES), it executes the process of step S106. At this time, the outdoor control circuit 14 or the indoor control circuit 23 switches its own operation mode to the non-permissible mode and transitions its own operation state to the stopped state. On the other hand, if the outdoor control circuit 14 or the indoor control circuit 23 determines that there is no non-compliant device (step S105: NO), it executes the process of step S107. At this time, the outdoor control circuit 14 or the indoor control circuit 23 switches its own operation mode to the permissible mode and transitions its own operation state to the stopped state.

[0078] In this embodiment, there is one indoor unit 20, but if the air conditioning apparatus 100 is equipped with multiple indoor units 20, the outdoor control circuit 14 determines whether all of the indoor units 20 are compatible devices. Also, if both the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are non-compatible devices, the processing of step S105 is unnecessary, and the processing of step S106 is necessarily executed. The outdoor control circuit 14 or the indoor control circuit 23 that has switched the operating mode to the non-permissible mode does not change the state of each relay thereafter.

[0079] In step S106, the outdoor control circuit 14 and the indoor control circuit 23 perform non-compatible processing. The non-compatible processing is the same as the processing performed when the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are non-compatible devices. In other words, the non-compatible processing is processing in which transition from a stopped state to a standby state is prohibited, and state transitions between the stopped state and the operating state are repeated in accordance with commands from the remote controller 30. Note that the processing from step S107 onwards is processing performed when the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are compatible devices.

[0080] In step S107, the outdoor control circuit 14 turns off the standby state return flag stored in the memory circuit 141 of the outdoor control circuit 14. Turning off the standby state return flag is synonymous with clearing a set standby state return flag. Also, turning on the standby state return flag is synonymous with setting the standby state return flag.

[0081] In step S108, the outdoor control circuit 14 and the indoor control circuit 23 determine whether a certain time has elapsed since they transitioned to the stopped state. That is, the outdoor control circuit 14 and the indoor control circuit 23 check the time that has elapsed since they transitioned to the stopped state, and determine whether the elapsed time exceeds the certain time. If the outdoor control circuit 14 and the indoor control circuit 23 determine that the certain time has not elapsed since they transitioned to the stopped state (step S108: NO), they return to the process in step S108 and execute the process of checking the elapsed time again.

[0082] Although not shown, in step S108, if an operation command is received from the remote controller 30 before the fixed time has elapsed, the outdoor control circuit 14 and the indoor control circuit 23 initialize the elapsed time and transition the operating state to the operating state. If a stop command is received from the remote controller 30 in the operating state after the transition, the outdoor control circuit 14 and the indoor control circuit 23 transition the operating state to the stopped state again and execute the processing of step S108. In other words, if the stopped state continues for a fixed time without receiving an operation command from the remote controller 30, the outdoor control circuit 14 and the indoor control circuit 23 execute the processing of step S109.

[0083] In this embodiment, the outdoor control circuit 14 periodically checks the elapsed time measured by the outdoor control circuit 14 to determine whether the stopped state has continued for a certain period of time. The outdoor control circuit 14 can determine whether the stopped state has continued for a certain period of time by various methods. For example, the outdoor control circuit 14 may periodically check the elapsed time measured by the indoor control circuit 23 to determine whether the stopped state has continued for a certain period of time. The outdoor control circuit 14 may also execute the process of step S109 by interrupt processing that occurs when the elapsed time measured by a timer unit (not shown) reaches a certain period of time.

[0084] In step S109, the outdoor control circuit 14 turns on the standby state return flag stored in the memory circuit 141 of the outdoor control circuit 14. As described above, the standby state return flag is provided to shorten the time required to transition from the standby state to the operating state. The standby state return flag is information used by the outdoor control circuit 14 to determine whether to transition the operating state to the start-up state or the operating state in step S103 after the outdoor control circuit 14 starts operating after execution of step S114. The standby state return flag is an example of designation information. The designation information is information that designates whether to execute mode switching processing when power supply from the three-phase AC power source 40 to the outdoor control circuit 14 starts.

[0085] In the present embodiment, the standby state return flag is stored in a nonvolatile memory which is the storage circuit 141 of the outdoor control circuit 14. Any configuration may be used as long as the outdoor control circuit 14 can determine whether the operating state should be transitioned to a start-up state or an operating state in step S103 after the outdoor control circuit 14 starts operating in step S114. For example, the standby state return flag may be stored in a nonvolatile memory or a volatile memory which is the storage circuit 231 of the indoor control circuit 23, and after the outdoor control circuit 14 starts operating, the standby state return flag may be transmitted from the indoor control circuit 23 to the outdoor control circuit 14.

[0086] In step S110, the outdoor control circuit 14 applies a voltage to the set coil 18S for a fixed time to turn off the power supply relay 18 and cut off the power supply to the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14. This fixed time is the time for which voltage should be applied to the set coil 18S to turn off the power supply relay 18. This fixed time is a relatively short time, for example, one second.

[0087] In step S111, the outdoor control circuit 14 turns the power supply switching relay 17 off, and the outdoor control circuit 14 and the indoor control circuit 23 transition their operating states to a standby state. In this embodiment, it is assumed that immediately after the power supply to the outdoor control circuit 14 is cut off in step S110, the outdoor control circuit 14 turns the power supply switching relay 17 off before the DC power stored in the capacitor 122 is completely discharged. Any configuration may be used as long as the states of all relays are turned off when the operating state transitions to the standby state.

[0088] For example, in step S110, when a certain time has elapsed since the power supply was cut off, that is, when the DC power stored in the capacitor 122 has been completely discharged, the outdoor control circuit 14 stops operating. For this reason, the outdoor control circuit 14 may not turn the power supply switching relay 17 off, but the power supply switching relay 17 may be turned off in conjunction with the power supply to the outdoor control circuit 14 being cut off. Furthermore, the timing at which the power supply relay 18 and the power supply switching relay 17 are turned off may be reversed. In other words, the outdoor control circuit 14 may turn the power supply switching relay 17 off in step S110, and then turn the power supply relay 18 off in step S111, thereby transitioning the operating state to the standby state.

[0089] In step S112, the indoor control circuit 23 determines whether or not an operation command has been received from the remote controller 30. If the indoor control circuit 23 determines that an operation command has been received (step S112: YES), it executes the process of step S113. If the indoor control circuit 23 determines that an operation command has not been received (step S112: NO), it executes the process of step S115. Note that the state of each relay in steps S112 and S115 does not change from the state of each relay in step S111.

[0090] In step S113, the indoor control circuit 23 turns on the outdoor start relay 26 for a certain period of time, connecting the indoor S3 terminal 213 to the indoor S1 terminal 211. At this time, the power supply switching relay 17 is in the off state, so the outdoor S2 terminal 115 is connected to the reset coil 18R. Therefore, the outdoor S2 terminal 115, which is connected to the S terminal 112, is connected to the outdoor S1 terminal 114, which is connected to the R terminal 111, via the power supply switching relay 17, reset coil 18R, signal line 53, outdoor start relay 26, and power line 51. As a result, a current loop is formed by single-phase AC power via the signal line 53 and power line 51.

[0091] That is, in step S113, the indoor control circuit 23 turns on the outdoor start relay 26 for a certain period of time, thereby supplying single-phase AC power for only the certain period of time between the signal line 53 and the power line 51. Note that in the state of each relay in step S113, no current loop is formed between the outdoor communication circuit 16 and the indoor communication circuit 25 via the signal line 53 and the common line 52, so signals cannot be sent or received.

[0092] In step S113, the indoor control circuit 23 turns the outdoor start relay 26 back to the OFF state after a certain period of time has elapsed. This certain period of time is the time during which voltage should be applied to the reset coil 18R to turn on the power supply relay 18 in step S114. This certain period of time is a relatively short period of time, for example, one second.

[0093] When a voltage is applied to the reset coil 18R in step S113, the power supply relay 18 is turned on in step S114, and the power supply relay 18 supplies power to the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14. This causes the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14 to start operating. After starting operation through the processing of step S114, the outdoor control circuit 14 executes the processing of step S102.

[0094] In step S115, the indoor control circuit 23 determines whether the power supply voltage of the indoor unit 20 has dropped. That is, the indoor control circuit 23 checks the detection result of the power supply status detection circuit 24 and determines whether the output voltage of the indoor rectifier circuit 22 has dropped. If the indoor control circuit 23 determines that the power supply voltage of the indoor unit 20 has dropped (step S115: YES), it executes the process of step S116. If the indoor control circuit 23 determines that the power supply voltage of the indoor unit 20 has not dropped (step S115: NO), it executes the process of step S112.

[0095] In step S115, determining that the output voltage of the indoor rectifier circuit 22 has decreased means that power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100 has been cut off in standby mode. The processing in step S115 is processing to determine the necessity of the initialization processing to be performed in steps S116 to S118. The initialization processing is processing to initialize the states of each relay and the standby mode return flag. The initialization processing is processing to ensure that power is reliably supplied to the outdoor unit 10 and that start-up processing is reliably executed when power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100 is resumed.

[0096] In this embodiment, the power supply status detection circuit 24 detects the output voltage of the indoor rectifier circuit 22. Any configuration is acceptable as long as it can detect the state of AC power supplied between the indoor S1 terminal 211 and the indoor S2 terminal 212. For example, the frequency of AC power supplied between the indoor S1 terminal 211 and the indoor S2 terminal 212 may be detected on the input side of the indoor rectifier circuit 22. In this case, if this frequency is 0 Hz, it is determined that no AC power is being supplied. However, the air conditioning apparatus 100 performs steps S116 to S118 after the indoor control circuit 23 confirms the detection result of the power supply status detection circuit 24. For this reason, taking into account the time required for processing steps S116 to S118, it is desirable to be able to confirm the detection result before the power supply to the indoor unit 20 is completely cut off.

[0097] In step S116, the indoor control circuit 23 turns on the outdoor start relay 26 for a certain period of time, connecting the indoor S3 terminal 213 to the indoor S1 terminal 211. At this time, the power supply switching relay 17 is in the off state, so the outdoor S2 terminal 115 is connected to the reset coil 18R. Therefore, the outdoor S2 terminal 115, which is connected to the S terminal 112, is connected to the outdoor S1 terminal 114, which is connected to the R terminal 111, via the power supply switching relay 17, reset coil 18R, signal line 53, outdoor start relay 26, and power line 51. As a result, a current loop is formed by single-phase AC power via the signal line 53 and power line 51.

[0098] That is, in step S116, the indoor control circuit 23 turns on the outdoor start relay 26 for a certain period of time, thereby supplying single-phase AC power for only the certain period of time between the signal line 53 and the power supply line 51. Note that in the state of each relay in step S116, no current loop is formed between the outdoor communication circuit 16 and the indoor communication circuit 25 via the signal line 53 and the common line 52, and therefore signals cannot be sent or received.

[0099] In step S116, the indoor control circuit 23 returns the outdoor start relay 26 to the OFF state after a certain period of time has elapsed. This certain period of time is the period of time during which a voltage should be applied to the reset coil 18R to turn on the power supply relay 18 in step S117. This certain period of time is a relatively short period of time, for example, one second.

[0100] As a result of the voltage being applied to the reset coil 18R in step S116, the power supply relay 18 is turned on in step S117, and power is supplied to the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14.

[0101] In step S118, the outdoor control circuit 14 turns off the standby state return flag stored in the memory circuit 141 of the outdoor control circuit 14. When the states of the relays and the standby state return flag are initialized in steps S116 to S118, the air conditioning apparatus 100 ends the power supply control process.

[0102] In this embodiment, the power supply relay 18, which is a latching relay, switches between supplying power to the outdoor control circuit 14 provided in the outdoor unit 10. In the initial state where power is not being supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100, the power supply relay 18 maintains an ON state in which power is supplied to the outdoor control circuit 14. Furthermore, the power supply relay 18 is controlled so that it is initialized to the ON state when power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100 begins. Therefore, when power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100 begins, power is reliably supplied to the outdoor unit 10, and startup processing can be executed. As a result, proper operation of the air conditioner 100 can be expected. Because this startup processing is executed automatically, it does not require the user's effort. Therefore, this embodiment makes it possible to reduce power consumption without requiring the user's effort.

[0103] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the indoor control circuit 23, which is an initialization circuit, switches the power supply relay 18 to the ON state when it detects a drop in the output voltage of the indoor rectifier circuit 22. Therefore, according to this embodiment, when power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100 begins, power is reliably supplied to the outdoor unit 10, making it possible to execute the start-up process.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outdoor control circuit 14 executes a mode switching process. In the mode switching process, the outdoor control circuit 14 acquires model information, including compatibility information indicating whether the indoor unit 20 is a compatible device, from the indoor unit 20 through communication via the outdoor communication circuit 16. In addition, in the mode switching process, the outdoor control circuit 14 switches the operation mode of the outdoor unit 10 to the permissible mode if the indoor unit 20 is a compatible device, and switches the operation mode of the outdoor unit 10 to the non-permissible mode if the indoor unit 20 is not a compatible device. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the air conditioning apparatus 100 can perform appropriate operation whether the indoor unit 20 is a compatible device or a non-compatible device.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a standby state return flag, which is designation information specifying whether or not to execute mode switching processing when power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the outdoor control circuit 14 starts, is stored in the memory circuit 141 or the memory circuit 231. Then, when the air conditioning apparatus 100 transitions to the standby state, the standby state return flag is set to specify that mode switching processing will not be executed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the processing when returning from the standby state, and it is possible to quickly transition the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100 from the standby state to the operating state.

[0106] (Embodiment 2) In the first embodiment, an example was described in which a single power supply relay 18 is used to switch between on and off of power supply to the internal circuit of the outdoor unit 10. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which a plurality of relays are used to switch between on and off of power supply to the internal circuit of the outdoor unit 10A. Hereinafter, descriptions of configurations and functions similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0107] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 1000A pertaining to Embodiment 2. The air conditioning system 1000A includes an air conditioning apparatus 100A and a remote controller 30. The air conditioning apparatus 100A includes an outdoor unit 10A, an indoor unit 20, a power supply line 51, a common line 52, and a signal line 53. The operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100A shown in FIG. 6 is an initial state in which no power is being supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40. The outdoor unit 10A and the indoor unit 20 are compatible devices. The outdoor unit 10A is an example of a first device.

[0108] The outdoor unit 10A includes an outdoor terminal block 11, an outdoor rectifier circuit 12, an inverter circuit 13, an outdoor control circuit 14, a communication power supply circuit 15, an outdoor communication circuit 16, a power supply switching relay 17, a power supply relay 18, a capacitor 122, a resistor 181, and an outdoor relay 182.

[0109] Resistor 181 is a resistor for suppressing inrush current that occurs mainly in capacitor 122 when power is supplied to the internal circuits of outdoor unit 10A. Resistor 181 is connected in series with power supply relay 18. When power supply relay 18 is in the on state and outdoor relay 182 is in the off state, a path connecting outdoor rectifier circuit 12 and capacitor 122 is formed via power supply relay 18 and resistor 181, and inrush current is suppressed. In other words, when power supply relay 18 is in the on state and outdoor relay 182 is in the off state, power supply relay 18 supplies power to inverter circuit 13 and outdoor control circuit 14 while suppressing inrush current.

[0110] Outdoor relay 182 is a so-called "a-contact relay" and includes fixed contact 182a, movable contact 182b, and a coil (not shown) that switches the connection destination of the movable contact. When no current flows through this coil, movable contact 182b and fixed contact 182a are open, and when current flows through this coil, movable contact 182b and fixed contact 182a are connected. Outdoor relay 182 is connected in parallel to power supply relay 18 and resistor 181 so as to bypass power supply relay 18 and resistor 181.

[0111] The movable contact 182b is connected to one output terminal of the outdoor rectifier circuit 12, and the fixed contact 182a is connected to one end of the capacitor 122. When no current flows through the coil, the movable contact 182b and the fixed contact 182a are open, and the outdoor relay 182 is in the OFF state. On the other hand, when current flows through the coil, the movable contact 182b and the fixed contact 182a are connected, and the outdoor relay 182 is in the ON state. The coil is also connected to the outdoor control circuit 14, and whether or not electricity is supplied to the coil is controlled by the outdoor control circuit 14. In other words, the outdoor relay 182 switches between whether or not power is supplied to the inverter circuit 13 and the outdoor control circuit 14 by opening and closing the movable contact in accordance with the control of the outdoor control circuit 14.

[0112] The outdoor relay 182, which is a contact a relay, is a relay in which the movable contact 182b is connected to the fixed contact 182a only while current is flowing through the coil. Here, in the initial state when power is not supplied to the air conditioner 100A from the three-phase AC power supply 40, the outdoor control circuit 14 is powered off and stops operating, and no current flows through the coil. For this reason, in the initial state, the outdoor relay 182 is in the off state, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0113] 7 shows a relay state table for the air conditioning apparatus 100A according to the present embodiment. This relay state table shows the state of each relay in each step shown in embodiment 1 in correspondence with the operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100A. In the present embodiment, the state of the outdoor relay 182 basically follows the state of the power supply relay 18, just like the state of the power supply switching relay 17. In other words, the state of the outdoor relay 182 is the same as the state of the power supply switching relay 17.

[0114] When the outdoor relay 182 is in the on state, even if the power supply relay 18 is in the on state, the power supply path to the internal circuit of the outdoor unit 10A is bypassed via the outdoor relay 182. Therefore, when the outdoor relay 182 is in the on state, the power supply relay 18 may be in the off state.

[0115] In this embodiment, the outdoor relay 182 is connected in parallel to a series circuit including the power supply relay 18 and the resistor 181. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress inrush current.

[0116] (Embodiment 3) In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which a DC voltage is applied to the set coil 18S included in the power supply relay 18, and an AC voltage is applied to the reset coil 18R included in the power supply relay 18. However, the set coil and reset coil of a latching relay generally correspond to either a DC voltage or an AC voltage. In other words, a latching relay in which the set coil operates on a DC voltage and the reset coil operates on an AC voltage is not common. For this reason, it is preferable that the voltage applied to either coil is DC / AC converted before being applied to the coil. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the set coil and the reset coil are AC-compatible coils. Hereinafter, descriptions of configurations and functions similar to those of the first and second embodiments will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0117] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 1000B pertaining to Embodiment 3. The air conditioning system 1000B includes an air conditioning apparatus 100B and a remote controller 30. The air conditioning apparatus 100B includes an outdoor unit 10B, an indoor unit 20, a power supply line 51, a common line 52, and a signal line 53. The operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100B shown in FIG. 8 is an initial state in which no power is being supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40. The outdoor unit 10B and the indoor unit 20 are compatible devices. The outdoor unit 10B is an example of a first device.

[0118] The outdoor unit 10B includes an outdoor terminal block 11, an outdoor rectifier circuit 12, an inverter circuit 13, an outdoor control circuit 14, a communication power supply circuit 15, an outdoor communication circuit 16, a power supply switching relay 17, a power supply relay 18B, a capacitor 122, and a power supply operation relay 183.

[0119] The power supply relay 18B includes a set coil 18SA, which is an AC compatible coil, and a reset coil 18RA, which is also an AC compatible coil. The AC compatible coil is a coil that is driven by a current that flows when an AC voltage is applied. One end of the set coil 18SA is connected to the R terminal 111, and the other end of the set coil 18SA is connected to one end of the power supply operation relay 183. One end of the reset coil 18RA is connected to the fixed contact 17b of the power supply switching relay 17, and the other end of the reset coil 18RA is connected to the outdoor S3 terminal 116.

[0120] Power supply operation relay 183 is a so-called a-contact relay, and includes fixed contact 183a, movable contact 183b, and a coil (not shown) that switches the connection destination of movable contact 183b. When no current flows through the coil, movable contact 183b and fixed contact 183a are open, and when current flows through the coil, movable contact 183b and fixed contact 183a are connected.

[0121] The movable contact 183b is connected to one end of the set coil 18SA, and the fixed contact 183a is connected to the S terminal 112. When no current flows through the coil, the movable contact 183b and the fixed contact 183a are open, and the power supply operation relay 183 is in the OFF state. On the other hand, when current flows through the coil, the movable contact 183b and the fixed contact 183a are connected, and the power supply operation relay 183 is in the ON state. The coil is also connected to the outdoor control circuit 14, and whether or not current is applied to the coil is controlled by the outdoor control circuit 14. In other words, the power supply operation relay 183 switches whether or not an AC voltage is applied to the set coil 18SA by opening and closing the movable contact 183b in accordance with the control of the outdoor control circuit 14.

[0122] In the a-contact relay, the movable contact 183b is connected to the fixed contact 183a only while current is flowing through the coil. Therefore, in the initial state when no power is being supplied to the air conditioner 100B from the three-phase AC power supply 40, the outdoor control circuit 14 is powered off and stops operating, so no current flows through the coil. Therefore, in the initial state, the power supply operation relay 183 is in the off state, as shown in Figure 8. Furthermore, this coil is a DC-compatible coil that is driven by the current that flows when a DC voltage is applied.

[0123] The operation of the air conditioner 100B is the same as the operation of the air conditioner 100, except that the operation of the outdoor control circuit 14 passing a current through the set coil 18S is replaced by an operation of passing a current through the coil of the power supply operation relay 183. In this embodiment, the outdoor control circuit 14 passes a current through the coil of the power supply operation relay 183, turning the power supply operation relay 183 on, so that an AC voltage is applied from the R terminal 111 and the S terminal 112 to the set coil 18SA via the power supply operation relay 183.

[0124] In the present embodiment, the power supply to the circuit inside the outdoor unit 10B is controlled by a power supply relay 18B including a set coil 18SA which is an AC compatible coil and a reset coil 18RA which is also an AC compatible coil. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effects as in the first embodiment using a general latching relay.

[0125] (Fourth embodiment) In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the movable contact 18c of the power supply relay 18, which is a latching relay, maintains the reset state and the power supply relay 18 maintains the ON state until the power supply relay 18 is shipped and used. However, due to dropping, vibration during transportation, or the like, the state of the movable contact 18c of the power supply relay 18 may change from the reset state to the operating state, and the state of the power supply relay 18 may change from the ON state to the OFF state. In this case, even if power is supplied to the air conditioner 100 from the three-phase AC power supply 40, the outdoor unit 10 may not start. In this embodiment, based on the configuration of the third embodiment, an example will be described in which the power supply relay 18B is reliably initialized to the ON state. Hereinafter, descriptions of configurations and functions similar to those of the first to third embodiments will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0126] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 1000C pertaining to Embodiment 4. The air conditioning system 1000C includes an air conditioning apparatus 100C and a remote controller 30. The air conditioning apparatus 100C includes an outdoor unit 10C, an indoor unit 20, a power supply line 51, a common line 52, and a signal line 53. The operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100C shown in FIG. 9 is an initial state in which no power is being supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40. The outdoor unit 10C and the indoor unit 20 are compatible devices. The outdoor unit 10C is an example of a first device.

[0127] The outdoor unit 10C includes an outdoor terminal block 11, an outdoor rectifier circuit 12, an inverter circuit 13, an outdoor control circuit 14, a communication power supply circuit 15, an outdoor communication circuit 16, a power supply switching relay 17, a power supply relay 18B, an initialization circuit 19, a capacitor 122, and a power supply operation relay 183.

[0128] The initialization circuit 19 is a circuit that switches the power supply relay 18B to the ON state using an inrush current. The initialization circuit 19 is driven by the inrush current that flows when power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100C begins. The initialization circuit 19 includes a second outdoor rectifier circuit 191 and a capacitor 192. The initialization circuit 19 is an example of an initialization circuit.

[0129] One end of the second outdoor rectifier circuit 191 is connected to the R terminal 111, and the other end of the second outdoor rectifier circuit 191 is connected to one end of the reset coil 18RA. In the initial state, the power supply switching relay 17 is in the off state, and therefore the end connected to the reset coil 18RA is connected to the S terminal 112 via the reset coil 18RA and the power supply switching relay 17. Therefore, when the three-phase AC power supply 40 starts supplying power to the air conditioner 100C, single-phase AC power is supplied to the second outdoor rectifier circuit 191. The second outdoor rectifier circuit 191 rectifies the AC power supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40. That is, the second outdoor rectifier circuit 191 converts this AC power into DC power of a desired voltage. The second outdoor rectifier circuit 191 supplies this DC power to a capacitor 192.

[0130] The capacitor 192 is connected to the second outdoor rectifier circuit 191 and stores DC power supplied from the second outdoor rectifier circuit 191. Here, an inrush current flows through the capacitor 192 until a sufficient amount of DC power is stored in the capacitor 192. In the present embodiment, the capacitor 192 is a ceramic capacitor. However, the capacitor 192 may be any component that operates with the inrush current that occurs when power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioning apparatus 100C begins. The capacitor 192 may be, for example, an electrolytic capacitor. Alternatively, a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) thermistor may be used instead of the capacitor 192.

[0131] In the present embodiment, in the initial state, when power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100C begins, an inrush current flows to the capacitor 192 via the second outdoor rectifier circuit 191. The inrush current flows through the R terminal 111, the second outdoor rectifier circuit 191, the capacitor 192, the reset coil 18RA, the power supply switching relay 17, and the S terminal 112. At this time, an AC voltage is applied to the reset coil 18RA, and the power supply relay 18B is initialized to the on state.

[0132] When sufficient DC power is stored in capacitor 192 due to the inrush current, the output of second outdoor rectifier circuit 191 saturates and the inrush current stops flowing. In other words, the initialization circuit 19 is a circuit that is driven by the inrush current that is generated when power supply to the air conditioner 100C begins from the three-phase AC power supply 40. While the inrush current is being generated, the initialization circuit 19 applies an AC voltage to the reset coil 18RA of the power supply relay 18B, turning on the power supply relay 18B and setting it to its initial state.

[0133] In the present embodiment, the initialization circuit 19 initializes the power supply relay 18B to the ON state each time power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100C is started. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the air conditioner 100C can be started up reliably, improving the reliability of the air conditioner 100C. Note that in the present embodiment, it is not necessary to perform the initialization process of the power supply relay 18 based on the detection result of the power supply status detection circuit 24, as shown in the first embodiment.

[0134] (Embodiment 5) In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which a DC voltage is applied to the set coil 18S included in the power supply relay 18, and an AC voltage is applied to the reset coil 18R included in the power supply relay 18. However, as described above, a latching relay in which the set coil operates on a DC voltage and the reset coil operates on an AC voltage is not common. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the set coil and reset coil are DC-compatible coils. Hereinafter, descriptions of configurations and functions similar to those of embodiments 1 to 4 will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0135] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 1000D pertaining to Embodiment 5. The air conditioning system 1000D includes an air conditioning device 100D and a remote controller 30. The air conditioning device 100D includes an outdoor unit 10D, an indoor unit 20, a power supply line 51, a common line 52, and a signal line 53. The operating state of the air conditioning device 100D shown in FIG. 10 is an initial state in which no power is being supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40. The outdoor unit 10D and the indoor unit 20 are corresponding devices. The outdoor unit 10D is an example of a first device.

[0136] The outdoor unit 10D includes an outdoor terminal block 11, an outdoor rectifier circuit 12, an inverter circuit 13, an outdoor control circuit 14, a communication power supply circuit 15, an outdoor communication circuit 16, a power supply switching relay 17, a power supply relay 18D, a capacitor 122, a converter circuit 184, and a power supply operation relay 185.

[0137] The converter circuit 184 is a so-called AC (Alternating Current) / DC (Direct Current) converter. One input of the converter circuit 184 is connected to the R terminal 111, and the other input of the converter circuit 184 is connected to the S terminal 112. When the three-phase AC power supply 40 supplies power to the air conditioning apparatus 100D, single-phase AC power is supplied to the converter circuit 184. The converter circuit 184 rectifies the AC power supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40. In other words, the converter circuit 184 converts this AC power into DC power of a desired voltage. The voltage value of the DC power is equal to or less than the rated input of the reset coil 18RD of the power feed relay 18D.

[0138] The power supply relay 18D includes a set coil 18SD that is a DC compatible coil and a reset coil 18RD that is also a DC compatible coil. The set coil 18SD is connected to the outdoor control circuit 14. One end of the reset coil 18RD is connected to the converter circuit 184, and the other end of the reset coil 18RD is connected to one end of the power supply operation relay 185.

[0139] Power supply operation relay 185 is a so-called a-contact relay, and includes fixed contact 185a, movable contact 185b, and coil 185A that switches the connection destination of movable contact 185b. When no current flows through coil 185A, movable contact 185b and fixed contact 185a are open. When current flows through coil 185A, movable contact 185b and fixed contact 185a are connected.

[0140] In this embodiment, the movable contact 185b is connected to one end of the reset coil 18RD, and the fixed contact 185a is connected to the converter circuit 184. When no current flows through the coil 185A, the movable contact 185b and the fixed contact 185a are open, and the power supply operation relay 185 is in the OFF state. On the other hand, when current flows through the coil 185A, the movable contact 185b and the fixed contact 185a are connected, and the power supply operation relay 185 is in the ON state. Furthermore, one end of the coil 185A is connected to the fixed contact 17b of the power supply switching relay 17, and the other end of the coil 185A is connected to the outdoor S3 terminal 116. Whether or not to energize the coil 185A is controlled by the indoor control circuit 23 via the outdoor start relay 26. In other words, the power supply operation relay 185 switches between applying and not applying a DC voltage to the reset coil 18RD by opening and closing the movable contact 185b in accordance with the control of the indoor control circuit 23.

[0141] In addition, in the power supply operation relay 185, which is an a-contact relay, the movable contact 185b is connected to the fixed contact 185a only while current is flowing through the coil 185A. In other words, in the initial state when power is not being supplied to the air conditioner 100D from the three-phase AC power supply 40, the indoor control circuit 23 is powered off and stops operating, so no current flows through the coil 185A. For this reason, in the initial state, the power supply operation relay 185 is in the off state, as shown in Fig. 10. In addition, the coil 185A is an AC-compatible coil that is driven by the current that flows when an AC voltage is applied.

[0142] The operation of air conditioner 100D in the present embodiment is the same as the operation of air conditioner 100 in embodiment 1, except that the operation of indoor control circuit 23 passing current through reset coil 18R is replaced with an operation of passing current through coil 185A of power supply operation relay 185. In the present embodiment, indoor control circuit 23 passes current through coil 185A of power supply operation relay 185, turning on power supply operation relay 185. As a result, a DC voltage is applied from converter circuit 184 to reset coil 18RD via power supply operation relay 185.

[0143] In the present embodiment, the power supply to the internal circuit of the outdoor unit 10D is controlled by a power supply relay 18D including a set coil 18SD that is a DC compatible coil and a reset coil 18RD that is also a DC compatible coil. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effects as in the first embodiment using a general latching relay.

[0144] (Sixth embodiment) In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the movable contact 18c of the power supply relay 18, which is a latching relay, maintains the reset state and the power supply relay 18 maintains the ON state until the power supply relay 18 is shipped and used. However, as described above, due to dropping, vibration during transportation, or the like, the state of the movable contact 18c of the power supply relay 18 may change from the reset state to the operating state, and the state of the power supply relay 18 may change from the ON state to the OFF state. In this case, even if power is supplied to the air conditioning apparatus 100 from the three-phase AC power supply 40, the outdoor unit 10 may not start. In this embodiment, based on the configuration of the fifth embodiment, an example will be described in which the power supply relay 18D is reliably initialized to the ON state. Hereinafter, descriptions of configurations and functions similar to those of the first to fifth embodiments will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0145] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 1000E pertaining to Embodiment 6. The air conditioning system 1000E includes an air conditioning apparatus 100E and a remote controller 30. The air conditioning apparatus 100E includes an outdoor unit 10E, an indoor unit 20, a power supply line 51, a common line 52, and a signal line 53. The operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100E shown in FIG. 11 is an initial state in which no power is being supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40. The outdoor unit 10E and the indoor unit 20 are compatible devices. The outdoor unit 10E is an example of a first device.

[0146] The outdoor unit 10E includes an outdoor terminal block 11, an outdoor rectifier circuit 12, an inverter circuit 13, an outdoor control circuit 14, a communication power supply circuit 15, an outdoor communication circuit 16, a power supply switching relay 17, a power supply relay 18D, an initialization circuit 19E, a capacitor 122, a converter circuit 184, and a power supply operation relay 185.

[0147] The initialization circuit 19E includes a capacitor 193. The capacitor 193 is connected to the converter circuit 184 and stores DC power supplied from the converter circuit 184. Note that an inrush current flows through the capacitor 193 until sufficient DC power is stored in the capacitor 193. In the present embodiment, the capacitor 193 is a ceramic capacitor. However, the capacitor 193 may be any component that operates with the inrush current that occurs when power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioning apparatus 100E begins. The capacitor 193 may be, for example, an electrolytic capacitor. Alternatively, a PTC thermistor may be used instead of the capacitor 193. The initialization circuit 19E is an example of an initialization circuit.

[0148] In the present embodiment, in the initial state, when power supply from three-phase AC power supply 40 to air conditioner 100E begins, an inrush current flows to capacitor 193 via converter circuit 184. The inrush current flows through a path from R terminal 111, converter circuit 184, reset coil 18RD, capacitor 193, and S terminal 112. At this time, a DC voltage is applied to reset coil 18RD, and power supply relay 18D is initialized to the on state.

[0149] When sufficient DC power is stored in capacitor 193 due to the inrush current, the output of converter circuit 184 saturates and the inrush current stops flowing. In other words, initialization circuit 19E is a circuit that is driven by the inrush current that is generated when power supply to the air conditioning apparatus 100E begins from three-phase AC power supply 40. While the inrush current is being generated, initialization circuit 19E applies a DC voltage to reset coil 18RD of power supply relay 18D, turning on power supply relay 18D to initialize it.

[0150] In the present embodiment, the initialization circuit 19E initializes the power supply relay 18D to the ON state each time power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100E is started. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the air conditioner 100E can be started up reliably, and the reliability of the air conditioner 100E can be improved. Note that in the present embodiment, the initialization process of the power supply relay 18 based on the detection result of the power supply status detection circuit 24, as shown in embodiment 1, does not have to be performed.

[0151] (Embodiment 7) In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the movable contact 18c of the power supply relay 18, which is a latching relay, maintains the reset state and the power supply relay 18 maintains the ON state until the power supply relay 18 is shipped and used. However, as described above, due to dropping, vibration during transportation, or the like, the state of the movable contact 18c of the power supply relay 18 may change from the reset state to the operating state, and the state of the power supply relay 18 may change from the ON state to the OFF state. In this case, even if power is supplied to the air conditioning apparatus 100 from the three-phase AC power supply 40, the outdoor unit 10 may not start. In this embodiment, based on the configuration of the fifth embodiment, an example will be described in which the power supply relay 18D is reliably initialized to the ON state. Hereinafter, descriptions of configurations and functions similar to those of the first to sixth embodiments will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0152] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 1000F pertaining to Embodiment 7. The air conditioning system 1000F includes an air conditioning apparatus 100F and a remote controller 30. The air conditioning apparatus 100F includes an outdoor unit 10F, an indoor unit 20, a power supply line 51, a common line 52, and a signal line 53. The operating state of the air conditioning apparatus 100F shown in FIG. 12 is an initial state in which no power is being supplied from the three-phase AC power supply 40. The outdoor unit 10F and the indoor unit 20 are compatible devices. The outdoor unit 10F is an example of a first device.

[0153] The outdoor unit 10F includes an outdoor terminal block 11, an outdoor rectifier circuit 12, an inverter circuit 13, an outdoor control circuit 14, a communication power supply circuit 15, an outdoor communication circuit 16, a power supply switching relay 17, a power supply relay 18D, an initialization circuit 19F, a capacitor 122, and a converter circuit 184.

[0154] The initialization circuit 19F is a circuit that is driven by a charging voltage that is charged by power supplied to the air conditioner 100F from the three-phase AC power supply 40. The initialization circuit 19F switches the power supply relay 18D to the ON state when the charging voltage is equal to or greater than a first voltage and less than a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage. The initialization circuit 19F includes a capacitor 194, an input voltage detection circuit 195, an XOR (eXclusive OR) circuit 196, and an OR circuit 197. The initialization circuit 19F is an example of an initialization circuit.

[0155] Capacitor 194 is connected to converter circuit 184 and stores DC power supplied from converter circuit 184. In this embodiment, capacitor 194 is an electrolytic capacitor. However, capacitor 194 may be any component that is capable of charging when power supply from three-phase AC power supply 40 to air conditioning apparatus 100F begins. Capacitor 194 may be, for example, a ceramic capacitor.

[0156] Input voltage detection circuit 195 has one input terminal and two different output terminals, and detects the voltage stored in capacitor 194 as the input voltage. When the input voltage is equal to or greater than a first voltage, input voltage detection circuit 195 outputs a signal to the first output terminal. When the input voltage is equal to or greater than a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage, input voltage detection circuit 195 outputs a signal to the second output terminal.

[0157] In this embodiment, input voltage detection circuit 195 is a single voltage detection IC. However, input voltage detection circuit 195 may be any circuit that can output signals at two different detection voltages. For example, input voltage detection circuit 195 may include two voltage detection ICs: a first voltage detection IC (integrated circuit) that outputs a signal when the input voltage is equal to or higher than a first voltage, and a second voltage detection IC that outputs a signal when the input voltage is equal to or higher than a second voltage.

[0158] The time from when the first output terminal starts to output a signal until the second output terminal starts to output a signal corresponds to the time for which a voltage should be applied to the reset coil 18RD. This time is appropriately designed based on the capacitance of the capacitor 194, the hysteresis of the input voltage detection circuit 195, etc. This time is a relatively short time, for example, one second.

[0159] XOR circuit 196 has two different input terminals and one output terminal. The two input terminals are connected to a first output terminal and a second output terminal of input voltage detection circuit 195, respectively. XOR circuit 196 outputs a signal to its output terminal during a period when there is a difference between the signals input to the two input terminals. In this embodiment, XOR circuit 196 is a standalone logic IC. However, XOR circuit 196 may be included in input voltage detection circuit 195, and the output signal of XOR circuit 196 may be output directly from input voltage detection circuit 195 to OR circuit 197.

[0160] The OR circuit 197 has two different input terminals and one output terminal. One of the input terminals of the OR circuit 197 is connected to the output terminal of the XOR circuit 196, and the other end of the OR circuit 197 is connected to a signal path that is output when current is applied to the coil 185A. The OR circuit 197 outputs a signal to its output terminal while a signal is input to at least one of its input terminals. A DC voltage is applied to the reset coil 18RD in response to the output signal of the OR circuit 197.

[0161] In the present embodiment, in the initial state, when power is supplied to the air conditioning apparatus 100F from the three-phase AC power supply 40, charging of the capacitor 194 begins via the converter circuit 184. While the voltage of the capacitor 194 is equal to or greater than a first voltage and less than a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage, a signal is output from the OR circuit 197. At this time, a DC voltage is applied to the reset coil 18RD, and the power feed relay 18D is initialized to the on state.

[0162] When the voltage of capacitor 194 is equal to or higher than the second voltage, no signal is output from OR circuit 197 unless current is flowing through coil 185A. In other words, initialization circuit 19F is a circuit that is driven by the charging voltage when power supply to air conditioner 100F begins from three-phase AC power supply 40. While the charging voltage is equal to or higher than the first voltage and lower than a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage, initialization circuit 19F applies a DC voltage to reset coil 18RD of power supply relay 18D, turning on power supply relay 18D and initializing it.

[0163] In the present embodiment, the initialization circuit 19F initializes the power supply relay 18D to the ON state each time power supply from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the air conditioner 100F is started. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the air conditioner 100F can be started up reliably, and the reliability of the air conditioner 100F can be improved. Note that in the present embodiment, the initialization process of the power supply relay 18 based on the detection result of the power supply status detection circuit 24, as shown in embodiment 1, does not have to be performed.

[0164] (Variation) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, various modifications and applications are possible when implementing the present disclosure. It is optional which parts of the configurations, functions, and operations described in the above embodiments are adopted in the present disclosure. Furthermore, in addition to the above-described configurations, functions, and operations, further configurations, functions, and operations may also be adopted in the present disclosure. Furthermore, the configurations, functions, and operations described in the above-described embodiments can be freely combined.

[0165] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the outdoor unit 10 is the first device and the indoor unit 20 is the second device. For example, if the indoor unit 20 is connected to a main power supply and power is supplied from the indoor unit 20 to the outdoor unit 10, the outdoor unit 10 may be the second device and the indoor unit 20 may be the first device.

[0166] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the main power supply is a three-phase AC power supply 40 that supplies three-phase AC power. For example, if the air conditioning apparatus 100 is driven by single-phase AC power, the main power supply may be a single-phase AC power supply that supplies single-phase AC power.

[0167] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the air conditioning apparatus 100 is equipped with one indoor unit 20. The air conditioning apparatus 100 may be equipped with multiple indoor units 20. In this case, the multiple indoor units 20 are connected in parallel to the outdoor unit 10 via a power line 51, a common line 52, and a signal line 53.

[0168] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the power feeding relay 18 is provided on the path connecting the outdoor rectifier circuit 12 and the capacitor 122. The power feeding relay 18 may be located anywhere as long as it is possible to switch between supplying and not supplying power from the three-phase AC power supply 40 to the outdoor unit 10. For example, the power feeding relay 18 may be provided on the input side of the outdoor rectifier circuit 12. In this case, however, it is necessary to cut off the AC power supplied via the R terminal 111 and the S terminal 112. For this reason, at least two relays are required.

[0169] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0170] The present disclosure is applicable to air conditioning systems equipped with outdoor units and indoor units. [Explanation of symbols]

[0171] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F outdoor unit, 11 outdoor terminal block, 12 outdoor rectifier circuit, 13 inverter circuit, 14 outdoor control circuit, 15 communication power circuit, 16 outdoor communication circuit, 17 power supply switching relay, 17a, 17b, 18a, 18b, 26a, 26b, 182a, 183a, 185a fixed contact, 17c, 26c, 182b, 183b, 185b moving contact, 18, 18B, 18D power supply relay, 18c moving part, 18S, 18SA, 18SD set coil, 18R, 18RA, 18RD reset coil, 19, 19E, 19F initialization circuit, 20 indoor unit, 21 indoor terminal block, 22 indoor rectifier circuit, 23 Indoor control circuit, 24 power supply status detection circuit, 25 indoor communication circuit, 26 outdoor start relay, 27 receiving circuit, 30 remote controller, 40 three-phase AC power supply, 51 power line, 52 common line, 53 signal line, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F air conditioner, 111 R terminal, 112 S terminal, 113 T terminal, 114 outdoor S1 terminal, 115 outdoor S2 terminal, 116 outdoor S3 terminal, 122, 192, 193, 194 capacitor, 141, 231 memory circuit, 181 resistor, 182 outdoor relay, 183, 185 power supply operation relay, 184 converter circuit, 185A coil, 191 second outdoor rectifier circuit, 195 input voltage detection circuit, 196 XOR circuit, 197 OR circuit, 211 indoor S1 terminal, 212 indoor S2 terminal, 213 indoor S3 terminal, 1000, 1000A, 1000B, 1000C, 1000D, 1000E, 1000F air conditioning system

Claims

1. An air conditioning apparatus including a first device and a second device powered by a main power supply, the first device is a compatible device that is capable of transitioning to a standby state in which power is supplied to the second device but not to the first device, The first device is a control circuit that controls the operation of the first device and is not powered by the main power supply in the standby state; a power supply relay that switches between supplying power from the main power supply to the control circuit by opening and closing the power supply relay, the power supply relay is a latching relay, the power supply relay maintains an ON state in which power is supplied to the control circuit in an initial state in which power is not supplied from the main power supply to the air conditioning apparatus. Air conditioning equipment.

2. an initialization circuit that controls the power supply relay so that the power supply relay is initialized to the on state when power supply from the main power source to the air conditioning apparatus starts; The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The second device is a power supply state detection circuit for detecting a power supply state from the main power supply; the initialization circuit, the initialization circuit switches the power supply relay to the on state when the power supply state detection circuit detects a disruption of power supply from the main power supply; The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 2.

4. the first device includes the initialization circuit; the initialization circuit is driven by an inrush current that flows when power supply from the main power supply to the air conditioning apparatus starts, and switches the power supply relay to the on state by the inrush current. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

5. the first device includes the initialization circuit; the initialization circuit is driven by a charging voltage generated by power supplied from the main power supply, and switches the power feeding relay to the on state when the charging voltage is equal to or greater than a first voltage and less than a second voltage higher than the first voltage; The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

6. the first device includes a communication circuit for communicating with the second device; the control circuit acquires compatibility information indicating whether the second device is the compatible device from the second device through communication via the communication circuit, and if the second device is the compatible device, executes a mode switching process to switch the operation mode of the first device to an allowable mode that allows the first device to transition to the standby state, and if the second device is not the compatible device, executes a mode switching process to switch the operation mode of the first device to a non-allowable mode that does not allow the first device to transition to the standby state; When the operation mode of the first device is the allowable mode and the air conditioning apparatus is to be transitioned to the standby state, the control circuit switches the power supply relay to an off state in which no power is supplied to the control circuit. The air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. a memory circuit for storing designation information for designating whether or not the mode switching process is to be executed when power supply from the main power source to the control circuit starts; the control circuit updates the designation information to designate not to execute the mode switching process when the air conditioning apparatus transitions to the standby state; the control circuit executes the mode switching process in accordance with the designation information when power supply from the main power source to the control circuit starts. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 6.

8. An outdoor unit that is powered by the main power supply together with the indoor unit, The indoor unit is powered and the outdoor unit is not powered; a control circuit that controls the operation of the outdoor unit and is not supplied with power from the main power supply in the standby state; a power supply relay that switches between supplying power from the main power supply to the control circuit by opening and closing the power supply relay, the power supply relay is a latching relay, The power supply relay maintains an ON state in which power is supplied to the control circuit in an initial state in which power is not supplied from the main power supply to the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. outdoor unit.

9. An indoor unit that is powered by the main power supply together with the outdoor unit, The outdoor unit is a device that can transition to a standby state in which power is supplied to the indoor unit but not to the outdoor unit, and includes a control circuit that controls the operation of the outdoor unit and is not supplied with power from the main power supply in the standby state, and a power supply relay that switches between supplying power from the main power supply to the control circuit by opening and closing the control circuit, the power supply relay is a latching relay, The power supply relay maintains an ON state in which power is supplied to the control circuit in an initial state in which power is not supplied from the main power supply to the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, an initialization circuit that controls the power supply relay so that the power supply relay is initialized to an ON state in which power is supplied to the control circuit when power supply from the main power source to the outdoor unit and the indoor unit starts; Indoor unit.

10. An air conditioning system comprising an outdoor unit powered by a main power supply, an indoor unit powered by the main power supply, and a remote controller that accepts operations on the outdoor unit or the indoor unit, the outdoor unit is a device that is capable of transitioning to a standby state in which power is supplied to the indoor unit but not to the outdoor unit, The outdoor unit is a control circuit that controls the operation of the outdoor unit and is not supplied with power from the main power supply in the standby state; a power supply relay that switches between supplying power from the main power supply to the control circuit by opening and closing the power supply relay, the power supply relay is a latching relay, The power supply relay maintains an ON state in which power is supplied to the control circuit in an initial state in which power is not supplied from the main power supply to the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. Air conditioning system.

Images