Air conditioning system

Abstract

An air conditioning system (100) comprises: an outdoor unit (10); a first indoor unit (20); a first shutoff valve provided to first refrigerant piping (121a); a second shutoff valve provided to second refrigerant piping (121b); a shutoff device (30) in which the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve are disposed and which is configured to close the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve; a first refrigerant sensor (23); and a notification device (35). When a refrigerant leak is detected by the first refrigerant sensor (23), the shutoff device (30) closes the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve, and then causes the notification device (35) to issue a notification that the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve are closed.

Description

air conditioning system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to air conditioning systems.

[0002] Air conditioning systems are required to have sufficient safety measures against refrigerant leaks. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-134005 (Patent Document 1) discloses an air conditioning system that includes a shutoff valve unit having a first shutoff valve and a second shutoff valve, and that is configured to isolate the indoor unit from the refrigerant circuit by closing the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve in the event of a refrigerant leak.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-134005

[0004] In an air conditioning system such as that disclosed in JP 2020-134005 A, in order to ensure refrigerant leakage prevention measures, it is necessary for the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve to always operate as designed. For this reason, as part of maintenance work, workers have sometimes performed operation tests of the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve.

[0005] To improve the convenience of such operation tests, conventional air conditioning systems have been provided with indicators that light up when the first shut-off valve or the second shut-off valve is closed. An operator can conduct operation tests of the first and second shut-off valves by confirming that the indicator lights up when the shut-off valve unit is operated to close the first shut-off valve, and by confirming that the indicator lights up when the shut-off valve unit is operated to close the second shut-off valve.

[0006] However, when an air conditioning system is in operation, it is important that a service person or user can confirm that both the first and second shutoff valves are closed in the event of a refrigerant leak. Therefore, conventional indicators that light up when the first or second shutoff valve is closed cannot be used for such confirmation.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioning system that can notify that the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve are closed when a refrigerant leak occurs.

[0008] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system comprising an outdoor unit, a first indoor unit, a first shut-off valve provided in a first refrigerant pipe that flows refrigerant from the outdoor unit to the first indoor unit, a second shut-off valve provided in a second refrigerant pipe that flows refrigerant from the first indoor unit to the outdoor unit, a shut-off device in which the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve are arranged and configured to close the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve, a first refrigerant sensor that detects refrigerant leakage in the first indoor unit, and an alarm device, wherein when a refrigerant leakage is detected by the first refrigerant sensor, the shut-off device closes the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve and then causes the alarm device to alarm that the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve are closed.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, when a refrigerant leak occurs, it is possible to notify that the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve are closed.

[0010] 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between an indoor unit, a shutoff device, and a remote controller. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the configuration of an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, and a shutoff device. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, and a shutoff device. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the shutoff device when a refrigerant leak is detected in an indoor unit. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the shutoff device when a refrigerant leak is detected in an indoor unit. FIG. 7 is a logic circuit diagram illustrating the display state of a display according to the state of a shutoff valve. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the shutoff device according to a first modified example. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the air conditioning system according to a second modified example. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an air conditioning system according to a second embodiment.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. While multiple embodiments will be described below, it is anticipated from the beginning that the configurations described in each embodiment will be appropriately combined. Note that identical or corresponding parts in the drawings will be designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated.

[0012] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. In the description of Embodiment 1, an example will be described in which the air conditioning system 100 is applied to rooms A, B, and C, which are examples of air-conditioned spaces.

[0013] The air conditioning system 100 includes an outdoor unit 10, an indoor unit 20, a shutoff device 30, and a remote controller 50. As shown in Fig. 1, an indoor unit 20, a shutoff device 30, and a remote controller 50 are disposed in each of rooms A, B, and C.

[0014] The outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units 20 arranged in each of the rooms A, B, and C are connected by refrigerant pipes 121 through which a refrigerant flows. A shutoff device 30 is arranged in the refrigerant pipes 121. The refrigerant pipes 121 branch out outside the shutoff device 30 and are connected to the indoor units 20 arranged in each of the rooms A, B, and C.

[0015] The refrigerant piping 121 includes refrigerant piping 121a and 121b that circulate the refrigerant between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. The refrigerant piping 121a functions as a piping that flows liquid refrigerant from the outdoor unit 10 to the indoor unit 20, and the refrigerant piping 121b functions as a piping that flows gas refrigerant from the indoor unit 20 to the outdoor unit 10. The refrigerant piping 121a is an example of a first refrigerant piping, and the refrigerant piping 121b is an example of a second refrigerant piping. The outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, and the refrigerant piping 121 form a refrigerant circulation flow path through which the refrigerant circulates.

[0016] The shutoff device 30 includes a display 35. The shutoff device 30 has a function of closing the refrigerant pipe 121. When the shutoff device 30 closes the refrigerant pipe 121, the flow of refrigerant between rooms A to C is cut off. The display 35 has a function of notifying that the refrigerant pipe 121 is closed.

[0017] The outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, and the shutoff device 30 communicate with each other via a communication path established by wire or wirelessly. The indoor unit 20 and the remote controller 50 communicate with each other via a communication path established by wire or wirelessly.

[0018] The indoor unit 20 conditions the air-conditioned space by exchanging heat with the outdoor unit 10 via the refrigerant circulating through a refrigerant circulation flow path. The indoor unit 20 is equipped with a refrigerant sensor 23 that detects refrigerant leaks. The remote controller 50 accepts user operations related to the settings of the indoor unit 20. The remote controller 50 has a function of notifying the user of a refrigerant leak. The remote controller 50 is an example of a refrigerant leak notification device.

[0019] 2 is a diagram for explaining the relative positions of the indoor unit 20, the shutoff device 30, and the remote controller 50. Here, the relative positions of the indoor unit 20 and the like will be explained using room A as a representative example.

[0020] The indoor unit 20 is embedded in the ceiling of room A, which is an air-conditioned space. The shutoff device 30 is placed in the attic of room A. The remote controller 50 is placed on the wall of room A for user convenience. The remote controller 50 is connected to be able to communicate with the shutoff device 30. The remote controller 50 includes a display 51 and an operation unit 52. The user operates the operation unit 52 to input setting information, including the indoor temperature setting, into the remote controller 50. The display 51 displays the room temperature and various other information.

[0021] The shutoff device 30 and the indoor unit 20 are connected by a pair of refrigerant pipes 121 through which a refrigerant flows. The refrigerant sensor 23 is disposed near the refrigerant pipes 121 that pass through the indoor unit 20.

[0022] When a refrigerant leak is detected by the refrigerant sensor 23, the indoor unit 20 notifies the shutoff device 30 and the remote controller 50 of the refrigerant leak. The remote controller 50 displays alarm information on the display 51 based on the notification of the refrigerant leak. The shutoff device 30 closes the pair of refrigerant pipes 121 based on the notification of the refrigerant leak. Furthermore, after closing the pair of refrigerant pipes 121, the shutoff device 30 turns on the display 35 to notify that the pair of refrigerant pipes 121 are closed. The display 35 is an example of an alarm device.

[0023] 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the outdoor unit 10, indoor unit 20, and shutoff device 30. Here, an outline of the configuration of the outdoor unit 10, indoor unit 20, and shutoff device 30 will be described using one of the multiple indoor units 20 connected to the shutoff device 30 as a representative example. The shutoff device 30 includes a shutoff valve 34 that shuts off the pair of refrigerant pipes 121, a display 35, and a board 300 that opens and closes the shutoff valve 34 and controls the display 35.

[0024] The outdoor unit 10 includes a compressor 141, a heat exchanger 142, a fan 144, and a four-way valve 145. The four-way valve 145 is controlled so that the flow paths indicated by solid lines are connected inside during cooling operation, and so that the flow paths indicated by dashed lines are connected inside during heating operation. The heat exchanger 142 functions as a condenser during cooling operation, and as an evaporator during heating operation.

[0025] The indoor unit 20 includes a heat exchanger 242, an expansion valve 243, a fan 244, and a refrigerant sensor 23. The heat exchanger 242 functions as an evaporator during cooling operation, and as a condenser during heating operation.

[0026] The pair of refrigerant pipes 121 includes a pipe 121 a through which liquid refrigerant flows between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 , and a pipe 121 b through which gas refrigerant flows between the indoor unit 20 and the outdoor unit 10 .

[0027] In cooling operation, the heat exchanger 142 functions as a condenser, the heat exchanger 242 functions as an evaporator, and liquid refrigerant flows through the pipe 121a from the outdoor unit 10 to the indoor unit 20, while gas refrigerant flows through the pipe 121b from the indoor unit 20 to the outdoor unit 10. In this case, the fan 244 and the heat exchanger 242 exchange heat between the indoor air and the low-temperature liquid refrigerant or two-phase refrigerant, thereby cooling the room.

[0028] In heating operation, the heat exchanger 142 functions as an evaporator, the heat exchanger 242 functions as a condenser, and liquid refrigerant flows through the pipe 121a from the indoor unit 20 toward the outdoor unit 10, while gas refrigerant flows through the pipe 121b from the outdoor unit 10 toward the indoor unit 20. In this case, the fan 244 and the heat exchanger 242 exchange heat between the indoor air and the high-temperature gas refrigerant or two-phase refrigerant, and as a result, the room is heated.

[0029] The shutoff valves 34 include a shutoff valve 34a attached to the pipe 121a and a shutoff valve 34b attached to the pipe 121b. Each of the shutoff valves 34a and 34b is, for example, a linear expansion valve (LEV).

[0030] The circuit board 300 communicates with the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. When the indoor unit 20 notifies the circuit board 300 of a refrigerant leak, the circuit board 300 closes the shutoff valves 34a and 34b. This blocks the flow of refrigerant through the pipes 121a and 121b. After closing the shutoff valves 34a and 34b, the circuit board 300 turns on the indicator 35. This notifies a maintenance worker or a user that the shutoff valves 34a and 34b are closed.

[0031] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configurations of the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, and the shutoff device 30. In Fig. 4, the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, and the shutoff device 30 are shown.

[0032] The outdoor unit 10 includes a processor 11, a memory 12, a communication interface (I / F) 13, and an air conditioning mechanism 14. The air conditioning mechanism 14 includes a compressor 141, a heat exchanger 142, a fan 144, and a four-way valve 145.

[0033] The processor 11 is typically configured with a central processing unit (CPU) or a multi-processing unit (MPU). The processor 11 is an example of a computing device. The memory 12 includes an area in which programs executed by the processor 11 are stored, an area in which the processor 11 temporarily stores program code, work memory, etc., and an area in which an ID for other devices such as the shutoff device 30 to identify the outdoor unit 10 is stored. The memory 12 includes volatile memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), and non-volatile memory such as flash memory. The memory 12 may also be a solid state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD).

[0034] The processor 11 has a communication function. The processor 11 allows the communication destination to identify the communication source by transmitting data including the ID stored in the memory 12 to the communication destination. The processor 11 communicates with the shutoff device 30 via a communication interface (I / F) 13. The processor 11 also communicates with the indoor unit 20 via the communication interface 13 and the shutoff device 30.

[0035] The processor 11 controls various devices according to a program. This control is not limited to software processing, but can also be performed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuitry).

[0036] The indoor unit 20 includes a processor 21, a memory 22, a refrigerant sensor 23, an air conditioning mechanism 24, and communication interfaces (I / F) 26, 27. The air conditioning mechanism 24 includes a heat exchanger 242, an expansion valve 243, and a fan 244. The heat exchanger 242 is an example of a heat exchanger that exchanges heat with a heat source unit. The air conditioning mechanism 14 of the outdoor unit 10, the air conditioning mechanism 24 of the indoor unit 20, and the refrigerant piping 121 (see FIG. 1) form a refrigerant circulation path and a refrigerant circuit through which the refrigerant circulates.

[0037] The memory 22 includes an area for storing an ID that allows other devices, such as the shutoff device 30, to identify the indoor unit 20. The detailed configurations of the processor 21 and the memory 22 are similar to those of the processor 11 and the memory 12 already described, and therefore will not be described again here.

[0038] The processor 21 has a communication function. The processor 21 allows the communication destination to identify the source of the communication by transmitting data including the ID stored in the memory 22 to the communication destination. The processor 21 communicates with the cutoff device 30 via the communication interface 26. The processor 21 communicates with the remote controller 50 via the communication interface 27.

[0039] The shutoff device 30 includes a processor 31, a memory 32, shutoff valves 34 (34a, 34b), a display 35, and communication interfaces (I / F) 33, 36. The processor 31, the memory 32, and the communication interfaces (I / F) 33, 36 are mounted on a substrate 300. The substrate 300 or the processor 31 constitutes a control device. The control device includes processing circuitry. The display 35 is constituted by, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

[0040] The memory 32 includes an area for storing an ID that allows other devices such as the outdoor unit 10 to identify the shutoff device 30. The detailed configurations of the processor 31 and the memory 32 are similar to those of the processor 11 and the memory 12 already described, and therefore the description thereof will not be repeated here.

[0041] The processor 31 has a communication function. The processor 31 allows the communication destination to identify the communication source by transmitting data including the ID stored in the memory 32 to the communication destination. The processor 31 communicates with the outdoor unit 10 via the communication interface 33. The processor 31 communicates with the indoor unit 20 via the communication interface 36.

[0042] The processor 31 closes the shutoff valves 34a and 34b when a refrigerant leak is notified from the indoor unit 20. This closes the refrigerant pipes 121a and 121b. After the shutoff valves 34a and 34b are closed, the processor 31 turns on the indicator 35.

[0043] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the shutoff device 30 when a refrigerant leak is detected in the indoor unit 20. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the shutoff device 30 when a refrigerant leak is detected in the indoor unit 20. The operation of the shutoff device 30 will be described below with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. Note that the processing of the flowcharts described below is mainly executed by the processor 31 mounted on the board 300.

[0044] First, the shutoff device 30 determines whether or not it has received a refrigerant leak notification from any of the indoor units 20 subordinate to the shutoff device 30 (step S1). If it has not received a refrigerant leak notification from any of the indoor units 20, the shutoff device 30 ends the processing based on this flowchart.

[0045] A refrigerant leak is detected by a refrigerant sensor 23 mounted on the indoor unit 20. When a refrigerant leak occurs, the indoor unit 20 notifies the shutoff device 30 of the occurrence of the refrigerant leak. When the shutoff device 30 receives a refrigerant leak notification from one of the multiple indoor units 20, it outputs a command signal to each of the shutoff valves 34a and 34b to command them to close (step S2). As a result, the shutoff valves 34a and 34b, which are configured as linear expansion valves, gradually decrease their opening. The shutoff valves 34a and 34b reach zero opening, for example, approximately 30 seconds after the shutoff device 30 outputs the command signal. This blocks the refrigerant pipes 121a and 121b. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 , refrigerant is stopped from flowing into the air-conditioned spaces in which the multiple indoor units 20 are located.

[0046] In the present disclosure, the time from when the shutoff device 30 outputs a command signal until the opening degrees of the shutoff valves 34a, 34b become zero is referred to as the "waiting time." The shutoff device 30 determines whether the waiting time has elapsed since the output of the command signal (step S3). If the waiting time has not elapsed, the shutoff device 30 returns the process to step S2. If the waiting time has elapsed, the shutoff device 30 turns on the indicator 35 as shown in FIG. 5 (step S4) and ends the process based on this flowchart.

[0047] As described above, in this embodiment, the shutoff device 30 does not immediately turn on the indicator 35 after transmitting a command signal to the shutoff valves 34a, 34b, but turns on the indicator 35 after the waiting time has elapsed, i.e., after the shutoff valves 34a, 34b have closed. This makes it possible to reliably notify the user that the shutoff valves 34a, 34b are closed.

[0048] Fig. 7 is a logic circuit diagram for explaining the display state of the indicator 35 according to the state of the shutoff valves 34a, 34b. In Fig. 7, "X" indicates information on the indicator 35, with "display ON" corresponding to being lit and "display OFF" corresponding to being extinguished. As shown in Fig. 7, the information on the indicator 35 is represented by the output of an AND circuit when the open / closed states of the shutoff valves 34a and 34b are input. The indicator 35 is lit (display ON) when both the shutoff valve 34a and the shutoff valve 34b are closed, and is extinguished (display OFF) otherwise.

[0049] Therefore, the indicator 35 according to this embodiment differs from an indicator that lights up when the first or second shutoff valve is closed, such as an indicator employed for testing the opening and closing operation of shutoff valves. The indicator 35 can reliably notify a service technician or user that both shutoff valves 34a and 34b are closed in the event of a refrigerant leak. In other words, this embodiment can provide an air conditioning system that can notify a user that the first or second shutoff valve is closed in the event of a refrigerant leak.

[0050] Although an LED is used as an example of the indicator 35, the indicator 35 may be configured by a liquid crystal display device or the like instead of an LED. Furthermore, instead of the indicator 35, a speaker that notifies by voice that both the shutoff valve 34a and the shutoff valve 34b are closed may be used.

[0051] (Variation 1) Next, a variation of the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 will be described as "Variation 1." FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the shutoff device 30 according to the variation. The flowchart shown in FIG. 8 is obtained by adding steps S5 to S12 to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6. Below, of steps S1 to S12, the processing of steps S5 to S12 will be described, and the description of the processing of steps S1 to S4 will not be repeated. Note that the processing of the flowchart described below is mainly executed by the processor 31 mounted on the board 300.

[0052] If the shutoff device 30 has not received a refrigerant leak notification from any of the multiple indoor units 20 in step S1, it determines whether or not it has received a request signal requesting that the shutoff valve 34a be closed (step S5). The shutoff device 30 may receive such a request signal, for example, via the remote controller 50. This allows a maintenance worker to use the remote controller 50 to perform a circuit inspection (operation test) of the shutoff valve 34a. Alternatively, the shutoff device 30 may receive such a command via a terminal carried by the maintenance worker. In this way, the shutoff device 30 receives a request signal from outside.

[0053] If the shutoff device 30 receives a request signal requesting that the shutoff valve 34a be closed, the shutoff device 30 outputs a command signal to the shutoff valve 34a to command the valve to be closed (step S6). The shutoff device 30 then determines whether a first waiting time has elapsed (step S7). In the present disclosure, the time from when the shutoff device 30 outputs the command signal until the opening degree of the shutoff valve 34a becomes zero is referred to as the "first waiting time." After the first waiting time has elapsed, the shutoff device 30 causes the indicator 35 to flash in a first manner (step S8).

[0054] If the shutoff device 30 has not received a request signal requesting that the shutoff valve 34a be closed, the shutoff device 30 determines whether or not it has received a request signal requesting that the shutoff valve 34b be closed (step S9). The shutoff device 30 may receive such a request signal, for example, via the remote controller 50 or via a terminal carried by a maintenance worker. In this way, the shutoff device 30 receives a request signal from outside. If the shutoff device 30 has received a request signal requesting that the shutoff valve 34b be closed, the shutoff device 30 outputs a command signal to the shutoff valve 34b to command the valve to be closed (step S10).

[0055] Thereafter, the shutoff device 30 determines whether a second waiting time has elapsed (step S11). In the present disclosure, the time from when the shutoff device 30 outputs a command signal until the opening degree of the shutoff valve 34b reaches zero is referred to as the "second waiting time." After the second waiting time has elapsed, the shutoff device 30 causes the indicator 35 to flash in a second manner different from the first manner (step S12). More specifically, in step S12, the shutoff device 30 causes the indicator 35 to flash in a flashing pattern different from the first manner. Note that the first manner and the second manner may be the same.

[0056] According to a modified example, a maintenance worker can use the indicator 35 in inspecting the circuits of each of the shut-off valves 34a and 34b.

[0057] According to the modified example described above, a circuit inspection is performed based on the waiting time. In this case, the maintenance worker determines whether or not there is a malfunction by relying on the screen display of the indicator 35, which indicates the elapsed waiting time. Therefore, the shutoff valves 34a, 34b may be provided with sensors that detect the open / closed state of the valves, and the detected values ​​of the sensors may be input to the shutoff device 30. In this case, the shutoff device 30 can determine that the shutoff valves 34a, 34b are actually closed based on the detected values ​​of the sensors. Note that the shutoff valves 34a, 34b may be equipped in advance with sensors that detect the open / closed state.

[0058] If a foreign object flowing through the refrigerant pipe becomes caught between the valve needle and the inside of the valve, the valve will not close completely. In such a case, the shutoff device 30 may determine that the shutoff valves 34a, 34b are not closed based on the detection value of the sensor and display the determination result on the display 35. Note that if a foreign object becomes caught between the valve needle and the inside of the valve, the shutoff valves 34a, 34b may repeatedly open and close to remove the foreign object, causing the shutoff valves 34a, 34b to completely close. A maintenance worker may instruct the shutoff device 30 to perform a retry operation, which causes the shutoff valves 34a, 34b to repeatedly open and close.

[0059] (Variation 2) Next, a variation of the flowchart shown in Fig. 8 will be described as "Variation 2." The remote controller 50 may display "Circuit inspection in progress" on a screen until the first waiting time has elapsed in step S7 of Fig. 8 and until the second waiting time has elapsed in step S11. After the circuit inspection is completed, if the shutoff valves 34a, 34b are returned to the fully open state, the remote controller 50 may display "Circuit inspection completed" on a screen. In this way, when the remote controller 50 is used as a device for instructing the shutoff device 30 to perform a circuit inspection, the remote controller 50 may display the execution status of the circuit inspection as described above.

[0060] In this case, a remote controller 50 other than the remote controller 50 for instructing a circuit inspection may display a different display from that of the remote controller 50 for instructing a circuit inspection. For example, when a maintenance worker instructs a circuit inspection using the remote controller 50 located in room A, an error code or the like may be displayed on the remote controllers 50 located in rooms B and C. A specific example of processing related to the second modification will be described below with reference to FIG. 9 .

[0061] 9 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the air conditioning system 100 according to Modification 2. Here, in order to distinguish between the remote controller 50 arranged in room A and the remote controller 50 arranged in room B, the remote controller 50 arranged in room A will be referred to as the "remote controller 50A," and the remote controller 50 arranged in room B will be referred to as the "remote controller 50B." The remote controller 50A has a display 500A. The remote controller 50B has a display 500B. The configuration of the air conditioning systems 100 in rooms A and B is as shown in FIG. 1.

[0062] Here, it is assumed that a maintenance worker performs a circuit inspection using the remote controller 50A. The remote controller 50A accepts a circuit inspection operation from the maintenance worker (step S101). In this case, the remote controller 50A transmits a request signal to the shutoff device 30 (step S102). The request signal is the signal shown in either step S5 or step S9 of FIG. 8.

[0063] Next, the circuit breaker device 30 notifies the remote controllers 50A and 50B that a circuit inspection will be performed (step S103). Upon receiving the notification, the remote controller 50A displays the words "Circuit inspection in progress" on the display 500A (step S104), while the remote controller 50B upon receiving the notification displays an "Error Code" on the display 500B (step S105). The error code indicates that an unexpected error has occurred. The text information "Circuit inspection in progress" is an example of inspection information. The error code is an example of information different from inspection information. The circuit breaker device 30 performs the circuit inspection described with reference to FIG. 8 (step S106). Eventually, the circuit breaker device 30 causes the display 35 to flash in the first or second mode, completing the circuit inspection (step S107).

[0064] The circuit breaker 30 notifies the remote controllers 50A and 50B of the completion of the circuit inspection (step S108). The remote controller 50A, upon receiving the notification, displays the words "Circuit inspection completed" on the display 500A (step S109), while the remote controller 50B, upon receiving the notification, erases the "Error Code" that had been displayed on the display 500B (step S110). Note that in the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 , if the illumination state of the LED on the display 35 does not change even after the waiting time (first waiting time, second waiting time) has elapsed, the maintenance worker can identify that a malfunction such as an LED failure or a pulse failure has occurred.

[0065] Embodiment 2 Next, embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 100A according to embodiment 2. The air conditioning system 100A shown in Fig. 10 includes a plurality of shutoff devices 30. Refrigerant pipes 121a, 121b connected to the outdoor unit 10 branch off to the respective shutoff devices 30. One or a plurality of indoor units 20 are connected to each of the plurality of shutoff devices 30.

[0066] In this way, the air conditioning system according to the present disclosure may include a plurality of shutoff devices 30. The shutoff device 30 included in the air conditioning system 100A according to the second embodiment operates in the same manner as the shutoff device 30 included in the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment. In addition, the first modified example shown in Fig. 8 or the second modified example shown in Fig. 9 may be applied to the air conditioning system 100A according to the embodiment.

[0067] (Other Modifications) Other modifications related to Embodiments 1 and 2 will be described below. The refrigerant sensor 23 connected to the indoor unit 20 may be provided inside or outside the indoor unit 20. At least one of the shut-off valves 34a, 34b may be configured as a solenoid valve.

[0068] Instead of providing the display 35 on the shutoff device 30, the display 35 may be provided in the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, near the shutoff device 30, or in the room. In these cases, a communication path may be provided between the shutoff device 30 and the display 35.

[0069] A sensor unit equipped with a refrigerant sensor may be provided in each of rooms A to C. The sensor unit may include a refrigerant sensor and a refrigerant leak alarm device for alarming a refrigerant leak. When a refrigerant leak is detected by the refrigerant sensor, the sensor unit may notify the shutoff device 30 of the occurrence of a refrigerant leak. When the shutoff device 30 receives a notification from the sensor unit, it may execute the same processing as when it receives a notification from the indoor unit 20. That is, when the shutoff device 30 receives a notification from the sensor unit, it may close each of the shutoff valves 34a and 34b and then turn on the indicator 35.

[0070] The above embodiments will be summarized. (Section 1) The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system (100, 100A) including an outdoor unit (10), a first indoor unit (20), a first shutoff valve (34a) provided in a first refrigerant pipe (121a) through which refrigerant flows from the outdoor unit to the first indoor unit, a second shutoff valve (34b) provided in a second refrigerant pipe (121b) through which refrigerant flows from the first indoor unit to the outdoor unit, a shutoff device (30) in which the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve are arranged and configured to close the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve, a first refrigerant sensor (23) that detects refrigerant leakage from the first indoor unit, and an alarm device (35), and when a refrigerant leak is detected by the first refrigerant sensor, the shutoff device closes the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve and then causes the alarm device to alarm that the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve are closed (step S4).

[0071] (2) In the air conditioning system (100, 100A) described in 1, the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve are expansion valves, the shut-off device includes a control device (31) that controls the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve, and when a refrigerant leak is detected by the first refrigerant sensor, the control device outputs a command signal to each of the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve to command them to close, and after the time required for the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve to close has elapsed since the control device output the command signal to each of the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve (step S3), the control device causes the alarm device to alarm that the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve are closed.

[0072] (Item 3) In the air conditioning system (100, 100A) described in item 2, the notification device is a display.

[0073] (4) In the air conditioning system (100, 100A) described in paragraph 3, the control device is configured to receive from the outside a first request signal requesting that the first shut-off valve be closed and a second request signal requesting that the second shut-off valve be closed (steps S5, S9), and when the control device receives the first request signal, it changes the display mode of the display device to a first display mode after a first time period required for the first shut-off valve to close has elapsed since the command signal was output to the first shut-off valve (step S8), and when the control device receives the second request signal, it changes the display mode of the display device to a second display mode different from the first display mode after a second time period required for the second shut-off valve to close has elapsed since the command signal was output to the second shut-off valve (step S12).

[0074] (Item 5) The air conditioning system (100, 100A) described in any one of Items 1 to 4 further includes a refrigerant leak alarm device (50) that alerts the user to a refrigerant leak when the first refrigerant sensor detects a refrigerant leak.

[0075] (Item 6) The air conditioning system (100, 100A) described in any one of Items 1 to 5 further includes a second indoor unit (20) and a second refrigerant sensor (23) that detects refrigerant leakage in the second indoor unit, the first refrigerant piping branches outside the shutoff device and is connected to the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit, the second refrigerant piping branches outside the shutoff device and is connected to the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit, the shutoff device includes an alarm device, and when a refrigerant leakage is detected by the second refrigerant sensor, the shutoff device closes the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve and then causes the alarm device to alarm that the first shutoff valve and the second shutoff valve are closed.

[0076] (Item 7) The air conditioning system (100, 100A) described in Item 4 further comprises a second indoor unit (20), a second refrigerant sensor (23) that detects refrigerant leakage in the second indoor unit, a first remote controller (50A) that receives user operations related to the settings of the first indoor unit and has a first display (500A), and a second remote controller (50B) that receives user operations related to the settings of the second indoor unit and has a second display (500B), wherein the first refrigerant piping branches off outside the shutoff device and is connected to the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit, and the second refrigerant piping branches off outside the shutoff device and is connected to the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit, and the first remote controller is configured to send either a first request signal or a second request signal to the control device in response to the user's operation, and then display inspection information indicating that an inspection period is in progress on the first display, and the second remote controller displays information different from the inspection information on the second display when the inspection information is displayed on the first display.

[0077] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0078] 10 Outdoor unit, 11, 21, 31 Processor, 12, 22, 32 Memory, 13, 26, 27, 33, 36 Communication interface, 14, 24 Air conditioning mechanism, 20 Indoor unit, 23 Refrigerant sensor, 30 Shutoff device, 34, 34a, 34b Shutoff valve, 35 Display, 50 Remote controller, 51 Display, 52 Operation unit, 100, 100A Air conditioning system, 121, 121a, 121b Refrigerant piping, 141 Compressor, 142, 242 Heat exchanger, 243 Expansion valve, 144, 244 Fan, 145 Four-way valve, 300 Board, A to C Room.

Claims

1. It is an air conditioning system, Outdoor unit and The first indoor unit, A first shut-off valve is provided in the first refrigerant piping that flows refrigerant from the outdoor unit to the first indoor unit, A second shut-off valve is provided in the second refrigerant piping that flows refrigerant from the first indoor unit to the outdoor unit, A shut-off device comprising a first shut-off valve and a second shut-off valve arranged therein, and configured to close the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve, A first refrigerant sensor for detecting refrigerant leakage from the first indoor unit, Equipped with a notification device, When the shut-off device detects a refrigerant leak with the first refrigerant sensor, it closes the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve, and then notifies the notification device that the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve are closed. The shut-off device includes a control device that controls the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve, When the control device detects a refrigerant leak with the first refrigerant sensor, it outputs a command signal to the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve, respectively, to instruct them to close the valves. The aforementioned notification device is a display, The control device is configured to receive from an external source a first request signal requesting the closing of the first shut-off valve and a second request signal requesting the closing of the second shut-off valve. The control device is When the first request signal is received, after the first time required from the time the command signal is output to the first shut-off valve until the first shut-off valve closes, the display mode of the indicator is set to the first display mode. An air conditioning system that, upon receiving the second request signal, changes the display mode of the indicator to a second display mode different from the first display mode after a second time has elapsed, which is necessary from the time the command signal is output to the second shut-off valve until the second shut-off valve closes.

2. The first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve are expansion valves, The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the control device outputs the command signal to each of the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve, and after the time required for the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve to close has elapsed, the notification device notifies that the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve are closed.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a refrigerant leak notification device that notifies of a refrigerant leak when a refrigerant leak is detected by the first refrigerant sensor.

4. The second indoor unit, The system further comprises a second refrigerant sensor for detecting refrigerant leakage from the second indoor unit, The first refrigerant piping is branched outside the shutoff device and connected to the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit. The second refrigerant piping is branched outside the shutoff device and connected to the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit. The aforementioned shutoff device includes the aforementioned notification device, The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shut-off device, when a refrigerant leak is detected by the second refrigerant sensor, closes the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve, and then causes the notification device to notify that the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve are closed.

5. The second indoor unit, A second refrigerant sensor for detecting refrigerant leakage from the second indoor unit, A first remote controller having a first display accepts user operations regarding the settings of the first indoor unit, The system further includes a second remote controller having a second display, which accepts user operations regarding the settings of the second indoor unit, The first refrigerant piping is branched outside the shutoff device and connected to the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit. The second refrigerant piping is branched outside the shutoff device and connected to the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit. The first remote controller is configured to transmit either a first request signal or a second request signal to the control device in response to the user's operation, and then display inspection information on the first display indicating that it is the inspection period. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the second remote controller displays information different from the inspection information on the second display when the inspection information is displayed on the first display.