air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner that improves power efficiency during drying.SOLUTION: An air conditioner comprises a body case 101 comprising an internal space 110, a circulation air passage 103 connecting the internal space 110 and an indoor space, a refrigeration cycle 102 for performing dehumidification operation for dehumidifying air in the circulation air passage 103, and a control part 107 for controlling the operation of the refrigeration cycle 102. The control part 107 has a dehumidification mode in which air is circulated between the internal space 110 and the indoor space via the circulation air passage 103 while the dehumidification operation is performed, and a circulation mode in which air is circulated between the internal space 110 and the indoor space via the circulation air passage 103 while the dehumidification operation is not performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner that dehumidifies air. [Background technology]

[0002] Air conditioners, or air conditioners, that dehumidify the air in a bathroom to dry items such as clothes hung out to dry in the bathroom are known. For example, an air conditioner has been disclosed that dehumidifies the air in a bathroom by using a refrigeration cycle to recover moisture from the air, and dries clothes by evaporating the moisture held in the clothes into the dehumidified air (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5082523 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such conventional air conditioners, a refrigeration cycle is operated using electricity to dry items such as clothes hung out to dry in the bathroom. As the items in the bathroom dry, the amount of moisture they retain evaporates into the air decreases. As a result, as the clothes dry, the humidity of the air drawn into the air conditioner gradually decreases, and the amount of moisture recovered by the refrigeration cycle decreases. In other words, there is a problem in that the efficiency of drying clothes relative to the amount of power consumed decreases.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has an object to provide an air conditioner with improved power efficiency during drying. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, the air conditioner of the present invention comprises a main body case having an internal space, a circulation air duct connecting the internal space to an indoor space, a circulation fan that circulates air between the internal space and the indoor space via the circulation air duct, a refrigeration cycle that performs a dehumidification operation to dehumidify the air in the circulation air duct, and a control unit that controls the operation of the refrigeration cycle and the circulation fan, and the control unit has a dehumidification mode in which air is circulated between the internal space and the indoor space via the circulation air duct while the dehumidification operation is being performed, and a circulation mode in which air is circulated between the internal space and the indoor space via the circulation air duct without performing the dehumidification operation, thereby achieving the desired object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention can provide an air conditioner with improved power efficiency during drying. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a building in which an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed. [Figure 2] Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioner [Figure 3] A schematic diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioner and the airflow in dehumidification mode and circulation mode. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing operation control of a control unit of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment and airflow in a ventilation mode. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing the operation control of the control unit of the air conditioner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Dimensions of components in each drawing are appropriately enlarged or reduced for ease of understanding. Also, in each drawing, some components that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted. Furthermore, terms including ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) The air conditioner according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0011] First, an example of a building in which an air conditioner 100 is installed will be described using Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram that shows an example of a building 200 in which an air conditioner 100 is installed.

[0012] The building 200 represents a typical house where people live, and includes a first floor F1, a second floor F2, an inter-floor R, and an exterior wall opening 30.

[0013] The first floor F1 corresponds to the first floor of the building 200 and includes a bathroom 10 and a living space 20, which are indoor spaces. The indoor space is a space where air is circulated between the air conditioner 100 and the interior space of the air conditioner 100 (described later), and can be used to dry clothes and other items that retain moisture. The bathroom 10 and the living space 20 are connected to each other, allowing air to pass between them. Examples of means for achieving this connection include providing a gap or a gate on the outer edge of the door between the bathroom 10 and the living space 20.

[0014] Bathroom 10 includes bathroom inlet opening 11 and bathroom outlet opening 12. Bathroom 10 belongs to an indoor space.

[0015] Bathroom intake opening 11 is an opening for drawing air from bathroom 10 into air conditioner 100, and is provided on part of the ceiling of bathroom 10. Note that bathroom intake opening 11 may be provided on the floor or wall of bathroom 10 as long as it is capable of drawing air from bathroom 10 into air conditioner 100.

[0016] Bathroom outlet opening 12 is an opening for blowing air conditioned by air conditioner 100 into bathroom 10, and is provided in part of the ceiling of bathroom 10. Bathroom outlet opening 12 may be provided in any location as long as it is capable of blowing air conditioned by air conditioner 100 into bathroom 10, and may be provided in the floor or wall of bathroom 10.

[0017] Living space 20 is equipped with a living space outlet opening 21 and is provided with an instruction panel 22. In this embodiment, living space 20 is a dressing room adjacent to bathroom 10, and bathroom 10 and the dressing room, which is living space 20, are partially connected to allow air to pass between them. Living space 20 belongs to the indoor space.

[0018] The living space outlet opening 21 is an opening for blowing out air conditioned by the air conditioner 100 into the living space 20, and is provided in a part of the wall surface of the living space 20.

[0019] The instruction panel 22 transmits instructions related to the operation of the air conditioner 100 as signals to an instruction receiving unit, which will be described later. The instruction panel 22 is provided on a part of the wall surface of the living space 20, and is operated by the user of the air conditioner 100.

[0020] The second floor F2 corresponds to the second floor of the living space 20 of the building 200. The building 200 may be a single-story building without the second floor F2.

[0021] The space between floors R is a non-residential space between the first floor F1 and the second floor F2 of the building. In the space between floors R, an air conditioner 100 is installed at the ceiling position of the bathroom 10. In the space between floors R, ducts D1 and D2 are provided. If the building 200 is a single-story building without a second floor F2, the space above the ceiling corresponds to the space between floors R.

[0022] The duct D1 is an air transport path for transporting air from the air conditioner 100 to the living space outlet opening 21.

[0023] The duct D2 is an air transport path for transporting air from the air conditioner 100 to the exterior wall opening 30.

[0024] The exterior wall opening 30 is provided in the exterior wall of the building 200, is connected to the duct D2, and is an opening for connecting an interior space of the air conditioner 100, which will be described later, with the outdoors.

[0025] (Configuration of air conditioner 100) Next, the configuration of the air conditioner 100 will be described in detail using Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram that shows the configuration of the air conditioner 100 of Fig. 1.

[0026] Air conditioner 100 dries items that are hung out to dry in bathroom 10 or living space 20. Air conditioner 100 includes a main body case 101, a refrigeration cycle 102, a circulation air duct 103, a circulation fan 104, a ventilation air duct 105, a ventilation fan 106, a control unit 107, a humidity sensor 108, an instruction receiving unit 109, and an instruction panel 22.

[0027] The main body case 101 forms the outer shell of the air conditioner 100 and is a housing having an internal space 110 to house other components that make up the air conditioner 100. The main body case 101 has an intake port 111, an outlet port 112, and an exhaust port 113.

[0028] Internal space 110 is a space formed inside main body case 101.

[0029] Inlet 111 is an inlet for drawing air from bathroom 10 into main body case 101 through bathroom inlet opening 11.

[0030] The air outlet 112 includes a first air outlet 114, a second air outlet 115, and an air outlet switching mechanism .

[0031] First air outlet 114 is an air outlet for blowing air from interior space 110 into bathroom 10 through bathroom air outlet opening 12.

[0032] The second air outlet 115 is an air outlet for blowing air from the interior space 110 into the living space 20 through the living space air outlet opening 21. The second air outlet 115 communicates with the living space air outlet opening 21 provided on the ceiling surface of the living space 20 via a duct D1.

[0033] The outlet switching mechanism 116 switches between the first outlet 114 and the second outlet 115 to determine the destination of the air in the interior space 110, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 107. The outlet switching mechanism 116 includes a substantially plate-shaped first closing means 117 and a first support portion 118 that rotatably supports the first closing means 117. The control unit 107 rotates the first closing means 117, causing the first closing means 117 to close either the first outlet 114 or the second outlet 115.

[0034] The exhaust port 113 is an air outlet for blowing out to the outdoors the air that has been drawn into the interior space 110 of the air conditioner 100 from the bathroom intake opening 11 via the intake port 111. The exhaust port 113 communicates with a second exterior wall opening 40 provided on the exterior wall of the building 200 via a duct D2. In other words, it is an opening for connecting the interior space 110 to the outdoors.

[0035] The refrigeration cycle 102 is provided in the internal space 110 and performs a dehumidifying operation by recovering moisture from the air in the circulation air passage 103, and circulates a refrigerant through a compressor 119, a first heat exchanger 120, an expander 121, and a second heat exchanger 122 connected in series in a ring shape. The refrigeration cycle 102 operates when power is supplied.

[0036] When power is supplied to the compressor 119, the compressor 119 compresses the gaseous refrigerant passing through the inside thereof and also circulates the refrigerant within the refrigeration cycle 102.

[0037] The first heat exchanger 120 is a condenser that condenses the refrigerant into a liquid by dissipating heat from the refrigerant to the air passing through the circulation air passage 103. The first heat exchanger 120 heats the air passing through the circulation air passage 103 by the heat dissipated from the refrigerant.

[0038] The expander 121 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant passing through it and expands it, causing a portion of the liquid to evaporate.

[0039] The second heat exchanger 122 is an evaporator, and evaporates the remaining refrigerant that did not evaporate in the expander by absorbing heat from the air passing through the circulation air duct 103 into the refrigerant. The second heat exchanger 122 cools the air passing through the circulation air duct 103 by absorbing heat into the refrigerant.

[0040] The circulation air passage 103 is an air passage that connects the interior space 110 with the indoor space, and connects the air intake 111, the second heat exchanger 122, the first heat exchanger 120, the circulation fan 104, and the air outlet 112 in this order.

[0041] Circulation fan 104 is provided in interior space 110, and when power is supplied, it draws air into main body case 101 through intake port 111 and generates an airflow that blows the drawn air out into the indoor space through outlet port 112. In other words, circulation fan 104 circulates air between interior space 110 and the indoor space via circulation air passage 103. A known fluid machine such as a centrifugal fan or an axial flow fan can be used as circulation fan 104.

[0042] Ventilation air duct 105 is an air duct for transporting air from an indoor space to the outdoors via internal space 110, and connects air inlet 111, internal space 110, and exhaust outlet 113 in this order. The ventilation air duct includes air duct opening / closing unit 123.

[0043] Air path opening and closing unit 123 is a rotatable plate-like member, and is provided in ventilation air path 105 between air inlet 111 and ventilation fan 106. Air path opening and closing unit 123 opens or closes ventilation air path 105 between air inlet 111 and ventilation fan 106 by rotating. Note that Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which air path opening and closing unit 123 opens ventilation air path 105.

[0044] Ventilation fan 106 is provided in internal space 110, and when power is supplied, it draws air into main body case 101 through air inlet 111 and generates an airflow that blows the drawn air out of main body case 101 through air outlet 113. That is, ventilation fan 106 draws air from the indoor space into internal space 110 via ventilation air duct 105 and blows it out from internal space 110 to the outdoors.

[0045] The control unit 107 includes a timer that measures the operation time, and executes operational control based on various operation types of the air conditioner 100 based on instruction information received by the instruction receiving unit 109 from the instruction panel 22, information transmitted from the humidity sensor 108, and time information measured by the timer. The control unit 107 is electrically connected to the refrigeration cycle 102, the circulation fan 104, the ventilation fan 106, the air outlet switching mechanism 116, the air path opening / closing unit 123, etc. so as to be able to communicate with each other, and performs overall control of the power supply to the air conditioner 100.

[0046] The timer unit measures the operation time from when the instruction receiving unit 109 receives a command to start the operation of the air conditioner 100 .

[0047] Humidity sensor 108 is provided near intake port 111 and detects the humidity of the untreated air drawn from the indoor space into internal space 110. Humidity sensor 108 transmits a signal including information on the detected humidity to control unit 107. Note that the untreated air is air drawn from the indoor space into internal space 110 before passing through refrigeration cycle 102, which performs a dehumidifying operation.

[0048] The instruction receiving unit 109 receives instruction signals related to the operation of the air conditioner 100 transmitted from the instruction panel 22, and transmits the instruction information to the control unit 107. The instruction receiving unit 109 receives instructions to start operation of the air conditioner 100, instructions to end operation of the air conditioner 100, instructions for a specified operation time from the start to the end of operation of the air conditioner 100, instructions for the destination of air discharge from the air outlet 112, etc.

[0049] The control unit 107 also has a dehumidification mode and a circulation mode. The dehumidification mode and the circulation mode are started by the control unit 107 based on an instruction received by the instruction receiving unit 109 and information transmitted from the humidity sensor 108. The dehumidification mode and the circulation mode will be described in detail later.

[0050] The configuration of the air conditioner 100 has been described above.

[0051] Next, detailed operations of the air conditioner 100 in various operation modes (dehumidification mode, circulation mode, ventilation mode) will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0052] (Dehumidification mode) First, detailed operation in the dehumidification mode will be described using Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram that shows the configuration of the air conditioner 100 in Fig. 2 and the airflow of the air conditioner 100 in the dehumidification mode and the circulation mode.

[0053] In the dehumidification mode, control unit 107 rotates air passage opening / closing unit 123 to close ventilation air passage 105, and operates refrigeration cycle 102 and circulation fan 104. As a result, in the dehumidification mode, air conditioner 100 draws air from bathroom 10, which is an indoor space, into interior space 110 through air inlet 111, passes the air through operating refrigeration cycle 102, and blows the air into the indoor space through air outlet 112. In refrigeration cycle 102, the compressor is energized by control unit 107, and first heat exchanger 120 operates as a condenser and second heat exchanger 122 operates as an evaporator.

[0054] The air passing through the refrigeration cycle 102 is cooled by the second heat exchanger 122, which serves as an evaporator, and the air begins to condense, forming condensation, and the condensed water adheres to the second heat exchanger 122. The condensed water adhering to the second heat exchanger 122 is collected in a drain pan or the like and then drained to the outside of the air conditioner 100 via a drain outlet. In other words, the amount of moisture contained in the air after passing through the second heat exchanger 122 is less than the amount of moisture contained in the air before passing through the second heat exchanger 122. Therefore, in the dehumidification mode, the air flowing through the circulation air duct 103 passes through the second heat exchanger 122, and moisture is recovered, i.e., the air is dehumidified. The air after passing through the second heat exchanger 122 is heated and its temperature increases as it passes through the first heat exchanger 120, which serves as a condenser. The air in the circulation air duct 103, whose humidity has decreased and whose temperature has increased due to passing through the refrigeration cycle 102, is then blown out into the indoor space through the air outlet 112. The air, which has been blown into the indoor space with its humidity reduced and temperature increased by the refrigeration cycle 102, comes into contact with the objects to be dried hanging out to dry in the indoor space, and is again sucked into the interior space 110 through the bathroom intake opening 11 via the intake port 111. In other words, the air continues to circulate between the indoor space and the interior space 110 while being dehumidified.

[0055] At this time, the air that comes into contact with the object to be dried evaporates the moisture contained in the object to be dried. That is, in the dehumidification mode, the object to be dried is dried by the air blown out from the air conditioner 100. The destination of the air blown out from the air outlet 112 can be selected from either the first air outlet 114 or the second air outlet 115 depending on the presence or absence of an object to be dried, and the user can select the appropriate destination by operating the instruction panel 22.

[0056] (Circulation mode) Next, the operation of the circulation mode will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0057] In the dehumidification mode, control unit 107 rotates air passage opening / closing unit 123 to close ventilation air passage 105, and operates circulation fan 104. Note that refrigeration cycle 102 is not operated. As a result, in the circulation mode, air conditioner 100 draws air from bathroom 10, which is an indoor space, into internal space 110 through air inlet 111, passes it through refrigeration cycle 102, which is not operating, and blows it out into the indoor space through air outlet 112. Because refrigeration cycle 102 is not operating, the air drawn into internal space 110 through air inlet 111 is blown out into the indoor space through air outlet 112 without being dehumidified by refrigeration cycle 102.

[0058] The air blown into the indoor space comes into contact with the objects to be dried hanging in the indoor space, and is sucked again into the interior space 110 through the bathroom intake opening 11 via the intake port 111. In other words, the air continues to circulate between the indoor space and the interior space 110 without being dehumidified.

[0059] At this time, if the air that comes into contact with the object to be dried is below the drying humidity level, it evaporates the moisture contained in the object to be dried. That is, in circulation mode, the object to be dried is dried by the air blown out from the air conditioner 100 only if the air that comes into contact with the object is below the drying humidity level. The humidity of the air that continues to circulate between the indoor space and the internal space 110 continues to increase due to the evaporation of the moisture contained in the object to be dried. Note that the drying humidity is the humidity that can evaporate the moisture contained in the object to be dried, and is a value that varies depending on the temperature of the air near the object to be dried and the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried. Note that the destination of the air blown out from the air outlet 112 can be selected from either the first air outlet 114 or the second air outlet 115 depending on the presence or absence of an object to be dried, and the user can select the appropriate destination by operating the instruction panel 22.

[0060] The above is a detailed description of the operation of the air conditioner 100 in various operation modes (dehumidification mode, circulation mode).

[0061] While the dehumidification mode continues, moisture in the objects to be dried continues to evaporate, decreasing the amount of moisture retained. As the amount of moisture retained in the objects to be dried decreases, the amount of moisture retained in the objects to be dried also decreases, resulting in a decrease in the humidity of the untreated air drawn into the interior space 110 through the air inlet 111. The lower the humidity of the untreated air, the less condensation occurs when the air is cooled by the second heat exchanger 122. That is, continuing the dehumidification mode reduces the amount of moisture recovered by the refrigeration cycle 102. Because the refrigeration cycle 102 operates by power supply, continuing the dehumidification mode reduces the laundry drying efficiency relative to power consumption. On the other hand, in the circulation mode, the refrigeration cycle 102 is not operated, and air continues to circulate between the indoor space and the interior space 110 without being dehumidified. As described above, when the humidity of the circulating air is below the drying humidity, moisture retained in the objects to be dried can evaporate. Therefore, when the humidity of the air before treatment is equal to or lower than the drying humidity, the object to be dried can be dried while suppressing power consumption by operating in the circulation mode instead of the dehumidification mode. For the above reasons, it is desirable to be able to switch between the dehumidification mode and the circulation mode depending on the humidity of the air before treatment.

[0062] (Operation control of air conditioner 100 by control unit 107) Next, the operation control of the air conditioner 100 by the control unit 107 when the instruction receiving unit 109 receives an instruction to start operation of the air conditioner 100 at the specified operation time X will be described in detail using Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation control of the control unit 107 of the air conditioner 100.

[0063] First, when the control unit 107 receives an instruction to start operation of the air conditioner 100, the timer unit starts measuring the operation time (S1). After the timer unit starts measuring, the control unit 107 subsequently starts the dehumidification mode.

[0064] In the dehumidification mode, the control unit 107 starts the operation of the circulation fan 104 (S2), and then starts the refrigeration cycle 102 (S3). At this time, the air blown into the indoor space with its humidity reduced and temperature increased by the refrigeration cycle 102 comes into contact with the objects to be dried hanging out to dry in the indoor space, and is then sucked back into the interior space 110 through the inlet 111 via the bathroom inlet opening 11. The air that comes into contact with the objects to be dried evaporates the moisture contained in the objects. That is, in the dehumidification mode, the air conditioner 100 dries the objects to be dried by operating the refrigeration cycle 102. As the dehumidification mode continues, the amount of moisture contained in the objects to be dried decreases over time. Accordingly, the humidity of the unprocessed air sucked in through the inlet 111 also decreases.

[0065] In the dehumidification mode, the humidity sensor 108 detects the humidity of the air before treatment and determines whether the humidity of the air before treatment is equal to or lower than a first humidity (S4). If the humidity sensor 108 detects a humidity lower than the first humidity (e.g., 30% RH) that is lower than the dry humidity, the control unit 107 stops the refrigeration cycle 102 and starts the circulation mode (Yes in S4 → S7).

[0066] In the circulation mode, air with a third humidity or lower circulates between the indoor space and the internal space 110. At this time, the air that comes into contact with the object to be dried has a humidity level lower than the drying humidity level, so the moisture held in the object to be dried evaporates. That is, in the circulation mode, the air conditioner 100 dries the object to be dried using only the power to operate the circulation fan 104, without operating the refrigeration cycle 102. As the circulation mode continues, the humidity of the air that continues to circulate between the indoor space and the internal space 110 continues to increase over time due to the evaporation of moisture from the object to be dried. As a result, the moisture held in the object to be dried becomes more difficult to evaporate.

[0067] In the circulation mode, the humidity sensor 108 detects the humidity of the untreated air and determines whether the humidity of the untreated air is equal to or higher than a second humidity (S8). If the humidity sensor 108 detects a humidity equal to or higher than a second humidity (e.g., 80% RH) that is higher than the first humidity, the control unit 107 starts the dehumidification mode by operating the refrigeration cycle 102 (Yes in S8 → S3).

[0068] As described above, the control unit 107 starts the circulation mode when the humidity sensor 108 detects a humidity equal to or lower than the first humidity, and starts the dehumidification mode when the humidity sensor 108 detects a humidity equal to or higher than the second humidity, and repeats this process.

[0069] When the timer measures the elapse of the designated operation time X, the operation of the air conditioner 100 is stopped regardless of whether the air conditioner is operating in the dehumidification mode or the circulation mode. Specifically, during operation in the dehumidification mode, the timer determines whether the designated operation time X has elapsed (S5). When the timer measures the elapse of the designated operation time X, the control unit 107 stops the dehumidification operation of the refrigeration cycle 102 and stops the operation of the circulation fan 104 (Yes in S5 → S6). Furthermore, during operation in the circulation mode, the timer determines whether the designated operation time X has elapsed (S9). When the timer measures the elapse of the designated operation time X, the control unit 107 stops the operation of the circulation fan 104 (Yes in S9 → S10).

[0070] The above-described operation control allows the object to be dried even when the refrigeration cycle 102 is not operating, and allows the refrigeration cycle 102 to operate only when the humidity of the air before treatment is relatively high. This improves the efficiency of drying the object relative to the power consumption.

[0071] Furthermore, as mentioned above, it is desirable for control unit 107 to start the dehumidification mode first when it receives an instruction to start operation of air conditioner 100. Before air conditioner 100 starts operating, the air inside main body case 101 is stagnant, and therefore the humidity is not equivalent to the humidity in bathroom 10, and the humidity detected by humidity sensor 108 immediately after receiving an instruction to start operation is likely to be significantly different from the humidity in bathroom 10. Furthermore, immediately after receiving an instruction to start operation, the objects to be dried have not yet been dried by air conditioner 100, and the amount of moisture they retain has evaporated significantly, so it is desirable to execute the dehumidification mode regardless of the humidity detected by humidity sensor 108.

[0072] (Embodiment 2) 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to embodiment 2 and the airflow in the ventilation mode of the air conditioner 100. The same components as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted. The difference from embodiment 1 is that the control unit further has a ventilation mode.

[0073] The control unit 124 has a dehumidification mode, a circulation mode, and a ventilation mode. The control unit 124 starts the circulation mode when the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 108 is equal to or lower than a third humidity level, and starts the ventilation mode when the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 108 is equal to or higher than a fourth humidity level. The control unit 124 also starts the dehumidification mode when the decrease in humidity per unit time detected by the humidity sensor 108 during operation in the ventilation mode falls below a predetermined decrease value. The operation of the air conditioner 100 in the dehumidification mode and the circulation mode is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0074] (Ventilation mode) The operation of the ventilation mode will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0075] In the ventilation mode, the control unit 124 rotates the air duct opening / closing unit 123 to open the ventilation air duct 105 and operates the ventilation fan 106. As a result, in the ventilation mode, the air conditioner 100 draws air from the bathroom 10, which is an indoor space, into the interior space 110 through the air inlet 111 and blows it out through the ventilation air duct 105 and out through the air outlet 113 toward the outdoors. At this time, the operation of the air conditioner 100 in the ventilation mode causes air from an adjacent space (not shown) adjacent to the indoor space to flow into the indoor space. That is, in the ventilation mode, air from spaces other than the interior space 110 in the building 200 flows into the indoor space, passes through the indoor space, and is then blown out through the interior space 110 toward the outdoors. In the ventilation mode of this embodiment, the adjacent space is a space in which no items to be dried are dried, and the humidity of the air guided from the adjacent space into the indoor space is a predetermined humidity lower than the fourth humidity, for example, 50%.

[0076] (Operation control of air conditioner 100 by control unit 124) Next, the operation control of the air conditioner 100 by the control unit 124 when the instruction receiving unit 109 receives an instruction to start operation of the air conditioner 100 at the specified operation time X will be described in detail using Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation control of the control unit 124 of the air conditioner 100.

[0077] First, when the control unit 124 receives an instruction to start operation of the air conditioner 100, the timer unit starts measuring the operation time (S21). After the timer unit starts measuring, the control unit 124 subsequently starts the dehumidification mode.

[0078] In the dehumidification mode, the control unit 124 starts the operation of the circulation fan 104, and then starts the refrigeration cycle 102 (S22 → S23). At this time, the air blown into the indoor space with its humidity reduced and temperature increased by the refrigeration cycle 102 comes into contact with the objects to be dried hanging out to dry in the indoor space, and is then sucked back into the interior space 110 through the suction port 111 via the bathroom suction opening 11. The air that comes into contact with the objects to be dried evaporates the moisture contained in the objects. That is, in the dehumidification mode, the air conditioner 100 dries the objects to be dried by operating the refrigeration cycle 102. As the dehumidification mode continues, the amount of moisture contained in the objects to be dried decreases over time. Accordingly, the humidity of the unprocessed air sucked in through the suction port 111 also decreases.

[0079] In the dehumidification mode, the humidity sensor 108 detects the humidity of the air before treatment and determines whether the humidity of the air before treatment is equal to or lower than a third humidity (S24). If the humidity sensor 108 detects a humidity lower than the dry humidity, that is, equal to or lower than the third humidity (e.g., 30% RH), the control unit 124 stops the refrigeration cycle 102 and starts the circulation mode (Yes in S24 → S27).

[0080] In the circulation mode, air with a third humidity or lower circulates between the indoor space and the internal space 110. At this time, the air that comes into contact with the object to be dried has a humidity level lower than the drying humidity level, so the moisture held in the object to be dried evaporates. That is, in the circulation mode, the air conditioner 100 dries the object to be dried using only the power to operate the circulation fan 104, without operating the refrigeration cycle 102. As the circulation mode continues, the humidity of the air that continues to circulate between the indoor space and the internal space 110 continues to increase over time due to the evaporation of moisture from the object to be dried. As a result, the moisture held in the object to be dried becomes more difficult to evaporate.

[0081] In the circulation mode, humidity sensor 108 detects the humidity of the untreated air and determines whether the humidity of the untreated air is equal to or higher than a fourth humidity (S28). If humidity sensor 108 detects a humidity higher than the third humidity (e.g., 80% RH) or higher, control unit 124 stops circulation fan 104 (Yes in S28 → S31). Next, air path opening / closing unit 123 is rotated to open ventilation air path 105, and ventilation fan 106 is operated, thereby starting the ventilation mode (S32).

[0082] In the ventilation mode, air in the indoor space is blown out through ventilation air duct 105 and exhaust port 113 toward the outdoors, and air from the adjacent space flows into the indoor space. That is, air in the indoor space with a fourth humidity is exhausted to the outdoors, and air with a predetermined humidity lower than the fourth humidity is allowed to flow from the adjacent space into the indoor space, thereby reducing the humidity of the air in the indoor space without operating refrigeration cycle 102. As the ventilation mode continues, the humidity of the air in the indoor space approaches the predetermined humidity over time.

[0083] In the ventilation mode, the control unit 124 determines whether the decrease in humidity per unit time detected by the humidity sensor 108 is equal to or less than a predetermined decrease value (for example, a decrease in humidity of 0.3% RH per minute) (S33). If the decrease in humidity per unit time detected by the humidity sensor 108 is equal to or less than the predetermined decrease value, the control unit 124 stops the ventilation fan 106 and rotates the air path opening / closing unit 123 to close the ventilation air path 105 (Yes in S33 → S36). Thereafter, the control unit 124 starts the dehumidification mode by operating the circulation fan 104 and the refrigeration cycle 102 (S22 → S23).

[0084] As described above, the control unit 124 starts the circulation mode when the humidity sensor 108 detects a third humidity or less, starts the ventilation mode when the humidity sensor 108 detects a fourth humidity or more, starts the dehumidification mode when the decrease in humidity per unit time detected by the humidity sensor 108 falls below a predetermined decrease value, and repeats this process.

[0085] When the timer measures the passage of the specified operation time X, the operation of the air conditioner 100 is stopped regardless of whether the air conditioner is operating in the dehumidification mode, the circulation mode, or the ventilation mode. Specifically, the timer determines whether the specified operation time X has elapsed during operation in the ventilation mode (S34). When the timer measures the passage of the specified operation time X, the control unit 124 stops the operation of the ventilation fan 106 and rotates the air duct opening / closing unit 123 so as to close the ventilation air duct 105. The stopping operation of the air conditioner 100 when the timer measures the passage of the specified operation time X during operation in the dehumidification mode and the circulation mode is the same as the content of the frame line W shown in FIG. 4 of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described again.

[0086] With the above operation control, the object to be dried can be dried even when the refrigeration cycle 102 is not operating, and when the humidity of the air before treatment is relatively high, the humidity of the air before treatment is reduced by exhausting the air before operating the refrigeration cycle 102, and the object to be dried can be dried by operating the refrigeration cycle 102 only when the humidity has decreased by exhausting the air. This improves the drying efficiency of the object to be dried relative to the power consumption.

[0087] In addition, in the ventilation mode, the circulation fan 104 may be configured to operate simultaneously with the ventilation fan 106. In this case, the total amount of air passing through the indoor space increases, and accordingly the amount of air that comes into contact with the objects to be dried increases. This promotes evaporation of moisture held in the objects to be dried, and therefore, the drying of the objects to be dried can be promoted even in the ventilation mode. This shortens the drying time of the objects to be dried.

[0088] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component or each processing step, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. In the above-described embodiments, content that allows for such design changes is described with the notation "in the embodiment" or "in the embodiment," but this does not mean that design changes are not permitted in content that does not have such notation. [Industrial Applicability]

[0089] The air conditioner according to the present invention is capable of air conditioning a bathroom using a refrigeration cycle, and is therefore useful as an air conditioner used for drying clothes in a bathroom. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 10 Bathroom 11 Bathroom intake opening 12 Bathroom air outlet 20 Living space 21 Living space air outlet 22 Instruction Panel 30 Exterior wall entrance 100 Air conditioner 101 Main unit case 102 Refrigeration Cycle 103 Circulating air duct 104 Circulation Fan 105 Ventilation air duct 106 Ventilation fan 107 Control Unit 108 Humidity Sensor 109 Instruction Reception Department 110 Interior Space 111 Intake port 112 Air outlet 113 Exhaust port 114 First outlet 115 Second outlet 116 Air outlet switching mechanism 117 First closure means 118 First support part 119 Compressor 120 First heat exchanger 121 Expander 122 Second heat exchanger 123 Air passage opening and closing section 124 Control Unit 200 buildings D1 Duct D2 Duct F1 First Floor F2 Second Floor R floor

Claims

1. A main body case having an internal space; a circulation air duct connecting the interior space and an indoor space; a circulation fan that circulates air between the interior space and the indoor space through the circulation air passage; a refrigeration cycle that performs a dehumidification operation to dehumidify the air in the circulation air duct; a control unit that controls the operation of the refrigeration cycle and the circulation fan, The control unit a dehumidification mode in which air is circulated between the interior space and the indoor space via the circulation air passage while the dehumidification operation is being performed; a circulation mode in which air is circulated between the internal space and the indoor space through the circulation air passage without performing the dehumidifying operation, a humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the untreated air drawn into the interior space from the indoor space; The control unit starts the circulation mode when the humidity sensor detects that the untreated air is at or below a predetermined first humidity, and starts the dehumidification mode when the humidity sensor detects that the untreated air is at or above a predetermined second humidity that is higher than the first humidity.

2. A main body case having an internal space; a circulation air duct connecting the interior space and an indoor space; a circulation fan that circulates air between the interior space and the indoor space through the circulation air passage; a refrigeration cycle that performs a dehumidification operation to dehumidify the air in the circulation air duct; a control unit that controls the operation of the refrigeration cycle and the circulation fan, The control unit a dehumidification mode in which air is circulated between the interior space and the indoor space via the circulation air passage while the dehumidification operation is being performed; The air circulation path is used to circulate air between the interior space and the indoor space without performing the dehumidifying operation. A circulation mode that circulates air between the an air inlet for connecting to the indoor space; the internal space; a ventilation duct that is connected in sequence to an exhaust port for connecting to the outdoors; a ventilation fan that draws air from the indoor space into the internal space through the ventilation air duct and blows the air from the internal space to the outdoors; an air path switching unit for passing air in the indoor space through only one of the circulation air path and the ventilation air path; The control unit further includes a ventilation mode in which air in the indoor space is discharged to the outdoors through the ventilation air duct, a humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the untreated air drawn into the interior space from the indoor space; The control unit When the humidity sensor detects that the untreated air has a predetermined third humidity or less, the circulation mode is started. When the humidity sensor detects that the untreated air has a predetermined fourth humidity or higher, which is higher than the third humidity, the ventilation mode is started. The air conditioner starts the dehumidification mode when the amount of decrease in humidity per unit time detected by the humidity sensor during operation in the ventilation mode becomes equal to or less than a predetermined decrease value.

3. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising an instruction receiving unit for receiving an instruction to the control unit, wherein the control unit starts the dehumidification mode when instructed to start operation by the instruction receiving unit, regardless of the humidity detected by the humidity sensor.

4. the instruction receiving unit is capable of receiving a designated operation time from the start to the end of the operation, The control unit includes a timer unit that measures an operation time from when the control unit receives a command to start the operation from the instruction receiving unit, 4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein when the timer unit measures the passage of the specified operating time during operation in the dehumidification mode, the control unit stops the dehumidification operation of the refrigeration cycle and stops operation of the circulation fan.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein when the timer measures the passage of the specified operation time during operation in the circulation mode, the control unit stops operation of the circulation fan.

6. An instruction receiving unit for receiving instructions to the control unit, wherein when the control unit receives an instruction to start operation from the instruction receiving unit, the control unit starts the dehumidification mode regardless of the humidity detected by the humidity sensor, the instruction receiving unit is capable of receiving a designated operation time from the start to the end of the operation, The control unit includes a timer unit that measures an operation time from when the control unit receives a command to start the operation from the instruction receiving unit, When the timer unit measures the passage of the specified operation time during the operation in the dehumidification mode, the control unit stops the dehumidification operation of the refrigeration cycle and stops the operation of the circulation fan, The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein when the timer measures the passage of the specified operation time during operation in the ventilation mode, the control unit stops operation of the ventilation fan.

7. The device has an inlet for drawing in air and an outlet for blowing out air, The indoor space is a bathroom and a dressing room with air circulation, The air inlet is for connecting the bathroom to the interior space, The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the air outlet is for connecting the interior space to the dressing room.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the indoor space is a bathroom.

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