Air Conditioner Fault Display for Refrigerant Leak and Abnormality

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Solution Overview

Problem

In air-conditioning apparatus, when a refrigerant leakage condition and an abnormal condition occur simultaneously, only the refrigerant leakage condition is displayed, leading to the service provider being unaware of the additional abnormality, resulting in unnecessary additional repairs after the refrigerant leakage is addressed.

Innovation Solution

The air-conditioning apparatus is designed to display both the refrigerant leakage condition and the other abnormal condition simultaneously on a display part, allowing users and service providers to recognize both issues at once.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If only the most significant abnormality (refrigerant leakage) is displayed preferentially, then the display priority and significance are improved, but the information completeness deteriorates because other abnormalities are not shown

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay priorityVSAvoidinformation completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The display is segmented into multiple regions: a first display region that always shows the most significant abnormality (refrigerant leakage), and a second display region that shows other abnormalities. This segmentation allows both priority display and information completeness to be achieved simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The solution transitions from a one-dimensional display (single abnormality shown at a time) to a two-dimensional display structure (multiple abnormalities shown in different regions). By adding the spatial dimension of display regions, the system can present hierarchical information without overwriting critical data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If refrigerant leakage is handled first through repair procedures, then the safety issue is resolved, but the time to address other abnormalities increases due to sequential handling

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidrepair time
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The display controller prepares and displays information about multiple abnormalities simultaneously, including refrigerant leakage and other abnormalities. This preliminary presentation of complete information allows the service provider to plan and execute repairs for multiple issues in a single visit, reducing total repair time while maintaining safety priorities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the display is overwritten to show only refrigerant leakage, then the significance of the critical issue is emphasized, but the ease of operation deteriorates because users cannot recognize all issues at once

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveissue recognitionVSAvoiduser convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The display interface is segmented into distinct regions that simultaneously present different types of abnormality information. The first display region highlights critical refrigerant leakage issues, while the second display region presents other abnormalities. This segmentation enables users to quickly grasp both the most critical issue and additional problems without requiring multiple interactions or interpretations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3521717B1Air conditioning device
Publication Date: 2022.02.23 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3521717B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3521717B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3521717B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present invention relates to display of abnormal conditions in an air-conditioning apparatus, and has an object to provide an air-conditioning apparatus that enables a user to recognize both a leakage of refrigerant and an abnormal condition when a refrigerant leakage condition and the abnormal condition have occurred. In the air-conditioning apparatus of the present invention, when a condition in which a leakage of refrigerant is detected and a condition in which an abnormality is detected have occurred together, the refrigerant leakage condition and the abnormal condition are displayed together on a display part. Consequently, when the condition in which the leakage of refrigerant is detected and the condition in which the abnormality is detected have occurred, the user is allowed to recognize the leakage of refrigerant and the abnormal condition at once.