Air conditioner

Abstract

This air conditioner, which uses a flammable refrigerant includes: a refrigerant leakage sensor for detecting leakage of a refrigerant; and an air conditioning control terminal (4) for displaying, on a display unit (50), prohibition of power supply cutoff to the air conditioner when a refrigerant leakage occurs. When a refrigerant leakage is detected by the refrigerant leakage sensor at the time of refrigerant leakage, the air conditioner starts a blower fan to agitate the leaked refrigerant at the same time as or before the display indicating that the power supply cutoff is prohibited. The air conditioner disables the operation of the air conditioning control terminal (4) when the refrigerant leakage occurs.

Description

air conditioner

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner equipped with a refrigerant leak sensor.

[0002] Conventionally, a method for indoor units that warn of refrigerant leaks is known, as described in Patent Document 1. Paragraph 0007 of Patent Document 1 states, "The first information output unit is configured to output information to a user corresponding to the indoor unit. When a refrigerant leak is detected by the leak detector, an alarm and a safety device are activated, and the first information output unit outputs guidance information to notify the user of the action to be taken by the safety device after the safety device has taken the safety measure, and further, after the guidance information is output, the output of the guidance information is stopped when the user has completed their action."

[0003] Patent No. 6875423

[0004] Paragraph 0008 of Patent Document 1 states that "when a refrigerant leak is detected by the refrigerant leak detector, an alarm and a safety device are activated, and guidance information for informing the user of what to do after the safety device has taken the safety measures can be output from the first information output unit." However, there is a problem in that the guidance information after the safety measures have been taken alone is not sufficient to ensure safety.

[0005] The present invention is an invention for solving the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an air conditioner that can give appropriate instructions to the user when a refrigerant leak is detected.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the air conditioner of the present invention is an air conditioner that uses a flammable refrigerant, and is characterized by including a refrigerant leak sensor that detects leakage of the refrigerant, and an air conditioning control terminal that displays on a display unit a message that power shutdown to the air conditioner is prohibited in the event of a refrigerant leak. Other aspects of the present invention will be described in the embodiments below.

[0007] According to the present invention, when a refrigerant leak is detected, an appropriate instruction can be given to the user.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing the processing when a refrigerant leak is detected in an air conditioner. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration and an example screen of an air conditioning control terminal (remote control) according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the display of air conditioning power cut-off prohibition information on an air conditioning control terminal. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the action to be taken using an icon display on an air conditioning control terminal. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the control processing flow when a refrigerant leak is detected by a refrigerant leak sensor. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the repair process by a service engineer. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an air conditioning control terminal, etc.

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 1 (air conditioning system) according to an embodiment. The air conditioner 1 has a refrigeration cycle configured by an outdoor unit 2 and multiple (two in FIG. 1 ) indoor units 3a, 3b connected by refrigerant piping 63. Although not shown in detail, the outdoor unit 2 includes a compressor that compresses the refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air. Although not shown in detail, each of the indoor units 3a, 3b includes an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the indoor air and the refrigerant, and a blower fan that blows the heat-exchanged air into the room.

[0010] The outdoor unit 2 and the indoor units 3a, 3b are communicatively connected via outdoor communication wiring 61. The indoor units 3a, 3b are connected to air conditioning control terminals 4a, 4b (remote controls) via air conditioning control terminal communication wiring 62a, 62b, respectively. The indoor unit 3a and the air conditioning control terminal 4a are installed in room 5a. The indoor unit 3b and the air conditioning control terminal 4b are installed in room 5b. The indoor units 3a, 3b have control devices 30a, 30b, respectively.

[0011] Refrigerant leakage sensors 71a, 71b that detect flammable refrigerant leakage are provided in the indoor units 3a, 3b, respectively. Refrigerant leakage sensors 72a, 72b that detect flammable refrigerant leakage are provided in the air conditioning control terminals 4a, 4b, respectively. In this embodiment, the refrigerant leakage sensors 71a, 71b, 72a, 72b are provided in both the indoor units 3a, 3b and the air conditioning control terminals 4a, 4b, but they may be provided in only one of them.

[0012] A flammable refrigerant is used as the refrigerant in the air conditioner 1. Examples of flammable refrigerants include CFC refrigerants, HCFC refrigerants, HFC refrigerants, and natural refrigerants, and preferably, a refrigerant containing R290 is used. Note that flammable refrigerants include slightly flammable refrigerants.

[0013] Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between the indoor units 3a and 3b, they will simply be referred to as indoor units 3. When there is no particular distinction between the air conditioning control terminals 4a and 4b, they will simply be referred to as air conditioning control terminals 4. When there is no particular distinction between the refrigerant leak sensors 71a and 71b, they will simply be referred to as refrigerant leak sensors 71. When there is no particular distinction between the refrigerant leak sensors 72a and 72b, they will simply be referred to as refrigerant leak sensors 72. Furthermore, when refrigerant leak sensors are referred to collectively, they will be referred to as refrigerant leak sensors 7. When there is no particular distinction between the control devices 30a and 30b, they will simply be referred to as control devices 30.

[0014] An example of operation when a refrigerant leak occurs in the living room 5a will be described below. Fig. 2 is a sequence diagram showing the processing when detecting a refrigerant leak in the air conditioner 1. In Fig. 2, first, an example in which the refrigerant leak sensor 71a is provided in the indoor unit 3a will be described.

[0015] When the refrigerant leak sensor 71a detects a refrigerant leak (sequence Q10), the indoor unit 3a transmits a message prohibiting power shutdown for the air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as air conditioning power shutdown prohibition information) to the connected air conditioning control terminal 4a and outdoor unit 2 (sequences Q11 and Q13). The air conditioning control terminal 4a, which has received the air conditioning power shutdown prohibition information from the indoor unit 3a, sounds a buzzer and displays the air conditioning power shutdown prohibition information on the display unit 50 (see FIG. 3) (sequence Q12). This allows the user to know that power shutdown for the air conditioner is prohibited. Furthermore, the user in the room 5a can grasp the status of the refrigerant leak in the room 5a and quickly contact a service center or the like.

[0016] The outdoor unit 2, which has received the air conditioning power supply shutdown prohibition information from the indoor unit 3a, transmits the information to the connected indoor units 3a and 3b (sequences Q14 and Q15). The indoor unit 3b, which has received the air conditioning power supply shutdown prohibition information from the outdoor unit 2, transmits the information to the connected air conditioning control terminal 4b (sequence Q16).

[0017] The air conditioning control terminal 4b, which has received the air conditioning power shutdown prohibition information from the indoor unit 3b, sounds a buzzer and displays the air conditioning power shutdown prohibition information on the display unit 50 (see FIG. 3) (sequence Q17). This allows the user in room 5b to be quickly notified of the refrigerant leak in room 5a and to know that power shutdown to the air conditioner is prohibited. The user in room 5b can grasp the status of the refrigerant leak in room 5a and quickly contact a service center or the like.

[0018] The reason why the air conditioning power shutdown prohibition information is communicated to the user is to start the blower fan to agitate the leaked refrigerant in the event of a leak, and to continue the agitation operation. In other words, when a refrigerant leak occurs and the refrigerant leak sensors 71, 72 detect a refrigerant leak, the blower fan is started to agitate the leaked refrigerant either simultaneously with or before the display of the prohibition of power shutdown.

[0019] Furthermore, when a refrigerant leaks, the air conditioner may disable operation of the air conditioning control terminal 4. This prevents the blower fan, which is activated to agitate the leaked refrigerant, from being stopped.

[0020] Next, a description will be given of an embodiment in which the refrigerant leak sensor 72a is provided in the air conditioning control terminal 4a. When the refrigerant leak sensor 72a detects a refrigerant leak (sequence Q10a), the air conditioning control terminal 4a transmits air conditioning power shutdown prohibition information to the connected indoor unit 3a (sequence Q11a) and displays the air conditioning power shutdown prohibition information on the display unit 50 (see FIG. 3) (sequence Q12).

[0021] The indoor unit 3a, which has received the air conditioning power supply shutdown prohibition information from the air conditioning control terminal 4a, transmits the information to the connected outdoor unit 2 (sequence Q13). The subsequent operation is the same as the operation example in which the refrigerant leak sensor 71 is provided in the indoor unit 3. As a result, all air conditioning control terminals 4 in the refrigerant system in which the refrigerant leak has occurred can notify the user of the refrigerant leak and inform them that power shutdown to the air conditioners is prohibited.

[0022] 1 and 2 show an example of a multi-air conditioner in which one outdoor unit is connected to multiple indoor units, but the invention can also be applied to wall-mounted air conditioners (separate air conditioners) used for home use in which one outdoor unit is connected to one indoor unit. In addition to wall-mounted air conditioners, the invention can also be applied to floor-standing air conditioners.

[0023] In some models of multi-air conditioners, the refrigerant leak sensor 7 may be located in the cooling / heating switching relay or the outdoor unit. Therefore, the location of the refrigerant leak sensor 7 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 1. That is, an air conditioner that uses a flammable refrigerant and has an outdoor unit and multiple indoor units that are communicably connected to form a refrigeration cycle may be provided with the refrigerant leak sensor 7 that detects refrigerant leakage from the refrigeration cycle, and an air conditioning control terminal 4 (remote control) that displays on a display unit 50 to notify the user that power shutdown to the air conditioner is prohibited in the event of a refrigerant leak.

[0024] 3 is a diagram showing the configuration and an example screen of the air conditioning control terminal 4 (remote control) according to this embodiment. The air conditioning control terminal 4 has an input unit 40 and a display unit 50. The input unit 40 has an operation stop button 41, a cross button 42 operated when selecting each item and changing settings, an OK button 43 for confirming settings, and a back button 44. Note that a light-emitting means (e.g., an LED (light emitting diode)) is attached to the top of the operation stop button 41, and is controlled to light up, for example, green during operation, turn off when operation is stopped, and light up red if an air conditioner error occurs.

[0025] Incidentally, the air conditioning control terminal 4 in this embodiment is a so-called general-purpose product, and the air conditioning control terminal 4a used in the indoor unit 3a and the air conditioning control terminal 4b used in the indoor unit 3b have the same specifications.

[0026] The display unit 50 has a set temperature display field 51, an operation mode display field 52 such as cooling mode, heating mode, automatic cooling / heating mode, and fan mode, an air volume adjustment display field 53, an air direction display field 54, a menu display field 55, and a display field 56 that displays the current set value.

[0027] 4 is a diagram showing an example of air conditioning power supply shutdown prohibition information displayed on the air conditioning control terminal 4. When the air conditioning control terminal 4 receives air conditioning power supply shutdown prohibition information from the indoor unit 3, it displays an alarm code 501, a message 502 including the air conditioning power supply shutdown prohibition information, an alarm reset button 503, a contact button 504, etc. on the display unit 50.

[0028] Here, the message 502 displays "Refrigerant leak detected. Ensure room ventilation. Do not turn off the power breaker for the air conditioner, but contact your service dealer immediately." This lets the user know that a refrigerant leak has occurred and that shutting off the power to the air conditioner is prohibited.

[0029] The message 502 on the air conditioning control terminal 4 in another room (for example, room 5b) may display, "A refrigerant leak has been detected in room 5a. Ensure that the room is ventilated. Do not turn off the power breaker for the air conditioner, but contact a service shop immediately." This allows someone in room 5b to take action to detect the refrigerant leak even when no one is in room 5a.

[0030] That is, when a refrigerant leak occurs, the message displayed may be different between the air conditioning control terminal 4 connected to the indoor unit 3 that detected the refrigerant leak and the air conditioning control terminals 4 connected to the other indoor units 3, such as "A refrigerant leak has been detected in this room" or "A refrigerant leak has been detected in another room." This allows the display unit 50 of the air conditioning control terminal 4 to also notify the user of information about the location where the refrigerant leak was detected (information identifying the indoor unit 3 or room 5).

[0031] In the example of message 502 shown in Figure 4, the part "Do not turn off the power breaker of the air conditioner, but contact a service store immediately" is underlined in red. Note that the text itself may also be displayed in red. In other words, the air conditioning control terminal 4 can color-code each item of actions that the user should take, displayed on the display unit 50, to make the level of importance easier to understand.

[0032] The display unit 50 of the air conditioning control terminal 4 may display one or more of the following (displays of prohibited actions): turning off the breaker of the air conditioner, unplugging the power plug of the indoor unit from the outlet, or turning off the power switch of the indoor unit. Depending on the model, the indoor unit is provided with a power switch, and turning off the power switch can cut off the power supply to the air conditioner itself, but turning off the power switch of such an indoor unit is also a prohibited action.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the actions to be taken using icons displayed on the air conditioning control terminal 4. The refrigerant leak alarm is shown in the form of a message in FIG. 4, but it may also be in the form of an icon displaying the "action to be taken." FIG. 5 shows that opening a window for ventilation and unplugging the power plug from the outlet are prohibited. The power plug includes the power plug of the indoor unit as well as the power plug of other electrical appliances. This allows the user to understand the actions to be taken using the display unit 50 of the air conditioning control terminal 4 and to take prompt and safe action. In other words, it is recommended that the air conditioning control terminal 4 display simplified icons as actions to be taken by the user on the display unit 50.

[0034] When the contact button 504 (see FIG. 4) is pressed, a message such as "The support center's telephone number is xxx-xxx-xxx" may be displayed. This allows the display unit 50 of the air conditioning control terminal 4 to guide the user to the appropriate action to take in the event of a refrigerant leak.

[0035] In this embodiment, an example is described in which a message or icon is displayed on the display unit 50 when a refrigerant leak is detected, but the "action to be taken" in response to the refrigerant leak may also be output as audio via a speaker or the like.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4, the air conditioning control terminal 4 can display on the display unit 50 a message that power shutdown to the air conditioner is prohibited, and can also display a message that a refrigerant leak has occurred on the same screen.

[0037] The air conditioning control terminal 4 may display a refrigerant leak status, and in the event of a refrigerant leak, may display a message to the user recommending ventilation in the room, a message to prohibit powering off the air conditioner, and a message to prohibit the use of fire on the display unit 50. This allows the user to sense an abnormality and understand what action to take without having to check the manual, allowing them to respond quickly and safely.

[0038] The air conditioning control terminal 4 may sound a buzzer (alarm) to prompt the user to check the display content of the display unit 50. This allows the user to take quick and safe action.

[0039] The air conditioning control terminal 4 may display on the display unit 50 that the indoor unit 3 is blowing air to agitate the leaked refrigerant. This allows the user to understand why a message is being displayed prohibiting power shutdown to the air conditioner.

[0040] The air conditioner may use a flammable refrigerant and may be equipped with a refrigerant leak sensor 7 that detects refrigerant leaks, and a means for displaying a message to an external information terminal via the Internet informing the user that power to the air conditioner should not be shut off in the event of a refrigerant leak, thereby informing the user to take prompt and safe action.

[0041] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a control process flow S100 when a refrigerant leak is detected by the refrigerant leak sensor 7. The control process in Fig. 6 can be executed by, for example, the control device 30 of the indoor unit 3 (see Fig. 1).

[0042] When the refrigerant leak sensor 7 detects a refrigerant leak (Yes in process S101), the control device 30 starts a safety measure operation (agitating the air with the blower fan of the indoor unit and sounding a buzzer) and also starts displaying information on the air conditioning control terminal 4 (remote control) (process S102). The information displayed by the air conditioning control terminal 4 basically notifies the user of the refrigerant leak and prohibits power cutoff to the air conditioner (for example, turning off the breaker of the air conditioner).

[0043] Then, the control device 30 determines whether the refrigerant concentration has fallen below a predetermined level (process S103), and if the refrigerant concentration has not fallen below the predetermined level (process S103, No), the control device 30 returns to process S103, and if the refrigerant concentration has fallen below the predetermined level (process S103, Yes), the control device 30 proceeds to process S104.

[0044] In process S104, when the safety measure operation is completed, the control device 30 stops agitating the air by the indoor unit's blower fan. The control device 30 then notifies a pre-registered service engineer that there is a refrigerant leak (process S105), and returns to the refrigerant leak standby process. Process S105 is effective when there is no user in the room. In process S102, when the display unit 50 of the air conditioning control terminal 4 displays the message "Please contact a service dealer immediately," it is recommended that the user contact a service engineer.

[0045] In step S102, as a safety measure, stirring is started by the blower fan of the indoor unit 3. If the indoor unit 3 is a model having an air deflector (for example, a floor-standing indoor unit, a wall-mounted indoor unit, or a ceiling-mounted indoor unit), it is advisable to blow air while swinging the air deflector. Specifications such as the blowing strength vary depending on the amount of refrigerant charged in the refrigeration cycle.

[0046] 7 is a diagram showing the repair process S110 performed by a service engineer. When a service engineer receives a report of a refrigerant leak, he rushes to the site, checks the refrigerant concentration at the leak location, and then turns off the breaker of the air conditioner (process S111). The service engineer then repairs the leak location (process S112) and executes an initialization process for the air conditioner (process S113).

[0047] As described above, the air conditioner of this embodiment is an air conditioner that uses a flammable refrigerant, and is characterized by including a refrigerant leak sensor 7 that detects refrigerant leaks, and an air conditioning control terminal 4 that displays on the display unit 50 that power shutdown to the air conditioner is prohibited in the event of a refrigerant leak. As a result, when a refrigerant leak is detected, appropriate instructions can be given to the user, and safety measures can be reliably implemented. Note that flammable refrigerants include slightly flammable refrigerants.

[0048] In the event of a refrigerant leak, the air conditioner may start the blower fan to agitate the leaked refrigerant when the refrigerant leak sensor detects a refrigerant leak, either simultaneously with or before the display of a message prohibiting power shutoff. This allows for immediate safety measures to be implemented. Of course, this does not preclude the fan from starting after the display.

[0049] 8 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the air conditioning control terminal 4 and other components. The air conditioning control terminal 4 includes a memory 1201, a processor 1202, a storage device 1203 such as a hard disk (HD), a communication unit 1204 such as a network interface card (NIC), and a user interface unit 1205. Note that while a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) may be considered as an example of a processor, other semiconductor devices may also be used as long as they are capable of executing predetermined processing.

[0050] The program stored in the storage device 1203 is then loaded into the memory 1201, and the loaded program is executed by the processor 1202. This embodies the functions of the processing units shown in Fig. 3. The air conditioning control terminal 4 has a user interface unit 1205 that includes a display, a touch panel, various buttons, and the like, which correspond to the input unit 40 and display unit 50 shown in Fig. 3.

[0051] (Modifications) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. It is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0052] In this embodiment, the safety measure is to start the blower fan to agitate the refrigerant, but this is not limited to this. For example, in a model with a shutoff valve in the refrigerant piping 63 (see FIG. 1) connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit of the refrigerant cycle, when a refrigerant leak is detected by a refrigerant leak sensor, the shutoff valve in the refrigerant piping can be closed simultaneously with or before a message indicating that power should not be shut off is displayed. This can reduce the amount of refrigerant leakage.

[0053] In each embodiment, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines in the product are necessarily shown. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are interconnected.

[0054] In addition, in the future, to prevent global warming, flammable natural refrigerants with low global warming potential (e.g., hydrocarbons such as propane and isobutane) may be used as refrigerants for refrigeration cycles. Such flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants can also be detected by gas leak sensors for LPG installed in kitchens. Therefore, control may be performed in cooperation with a gas leak sensor installed in the kitchen or elsewhere. For example, when a gas leak sensor installed in the kitchen or elsewhere detects a gas leak, the detection signal may be captured and information prohibiting power cut-off for the air conditioning system may be transmitted.

[0055] The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report indicates that if the GWP of carbon dioxide is set at 1, the GWP of propane, the main component of LPG, is extremely small at 0.02 and the GWP of butane is 0.006.

[0056] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Air conditioner 2 Outdoor unit 3, 3a, 3b Indoor unit 30, 30a, 30b Control device 4, 4a, 4b Air conditioning control terminal (remote control, remote controller) 7, 71a, 71b, 72a, 72b Refrigerant leak sensor (refrigerant leak detection means) 61 Outdoor communication wiring 62a, 62b Air conditioning control terminal communication wiring 5a, 5b Living room 40 Input unit 41 Operation stop button 42 Cross button 43 OK button 44 Back button 50 Display unit 51 Set temperature display field 52 Operation mode display field 53 Air volume adjustment display field 54 Air direction display field 55 Menu display field 501 Alarm code 502 Message 503 Alarm reset button 504 Contact button

Claims

1. An air conditioner that uses a flammable refrigerant, and is equipped with a refrigerant leak sensor that detects leakage of the refrigerant, and an air conditioning control terminal that displays on a display unit a message that power to the air conditioner should not be shut off in the event of a refrigerant leak.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the event of a refrigerant leak, when the refrigerant leak sensor detects a refrigerant leak, the air conditioner starts the blower fan to agitate the leaked refrigerant at the same time as or before the display indicating that power shutdown is prohibited.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the air conditioning control terminal displays a message about a refrigerant leak on the display screen at the same time as displaying a message about the prohibition of power shutdown on the display unit.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the air conditioning control terminal displays on the display unit the status of a refrigerant leak, displays a message to the user in the event of a refrigerant leak to encourage ventilation in the room, displays a message to the user that power to the air conditioner should not be cut off, and displays a message to the user that the use of fire is prohibited.

5. An air conditioner that uses a flammable refrigerant, comprising: a refrigerant leak sensor that detects leakage of the refrigerant; and means for causing an external information terminal to display, via the Internet, a message indicating that power to the air conditioner should not be shut off in the event of a refrigerant leak.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the air conditioning control terminal sounds a buzzer to prompt the user to check the contents displayed on the display unit.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that the air conditioning control terminal displays on the display unit that the indoor unit is blowing air to agitate the leaked refrigerant.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the air conditioning control terminal displays simplified icons on the display unit as actions that the user should take.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the air conditioning control terminal displays the actions to be taken by the user on the display unit in different colors to make the importance of each action easier to understand.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the air conditioning control terminal displays on the display unit one or more of the following as a message prohibiting power cutoff: turning off the breaker of the air conditioner; unplugging the power plug of the indoor unit from the outlet; or turning off the power switch of the indoor unit.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the air conditioner disables operations from the air conditioning control terminal in the event of a refrigerant leak.

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