JP7633191B2 - Air conditioners - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an air conditioner.

Conventionally, this type of device cools a low-temperature refrigerant by passing it through a heat exchanger that acts as an evaporator, and then operates a blower fan to blow air through the heat exchanger, causing condensation water to adhere to the heat exchanger and dehumidifying the room. In some cases, when the dehumidification operation is completed and low-temperature refrigerant is no longer passing through the heat exchanger, the blower fan is operated for a specified time to perform a drying operation to dry the heat exchanger, preventing the growth of mold and bacteria caused by moisture remaining in the heat exchanger. (For example, Patent Document 1)

JP 2005-334795 A

However, this conventional system cannot remove dust that has adhered to the heat exchanger.
One possible solution to this problem is for the user to pour cleaning water into the heat exchanger to remove dust, but unless a drying operation is performed in which the blower fan is turned on to dry the heat exchanger after it is reliably detected that water has been poured into the heat exchanger, the growth of mold and bacteria in the heat exchanger cannot be prevented, so there is room for improvement.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a housing and
A blower fan that is housed in the housing and draws air into the housing;
a heat exchanger housed in the housing and performing heat exchange with the air sucked in by the blower fan;
a water inlet for cleaning water formed in the housing for cleaning the heat exchanger;
An open/close switching means is provided at the water inlet and is capable of switching between opening and closing the water inlet;
an open/close detection means for detecting that the water inlet has been opened or closed by the open/close switching means;
a flush water receiver disposed vertically above the heat exchanger and having a drain hole for discharging the flush water poured through the water pouring port to the heat exchanger;
a drain tank into which the cleaning water flows after dropping from the drain hole of the cleaning water receiver and cleaning the heat exchanger;
A water level sensor that detects the water level of the drain tank;
a control unit that controls the operation of the blower fan based on the water level of the drain tank detected by the water level sensor,
The control unit is characterized in that after the opening/closing detection means detects that the water inlet has been opened or closed by the opening/closing switching means, when the water level sensor detects that the water level in the drain tank has risen, it drives the blower fan for a predetermined period of time.

In addition, claim 2 is characterized in that the control unit is configured to extend the predetermined time for driving the blower fan as the amount of rise in the water level in the drain tank detected by the water level sensor increases.

In addition, in claim 3, the open/close switching means is composed of a water inlet cover having a water inlet section that is supported retractably on the housing, closes the water inlet, and receives the flush water by being pulled out of the housing, and a drain section that is located at least vertically above the flush water receiver when pulled out of the housing and drains the flush water received by the water inlet section into the flush water receiver,
The opening/closing detection means is characterized by comprising a detector that detects when the water pouring port cover is pulled out from the water pouring port.

According to this invention, after the heat exchanger is reliably cleaned with cleaning water, a drying operation can be performed to dry the heat exchanger, thereby preventing the growth of mold and bacteria in the heat exchanger.

1 is an external perspective view of a dehumidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a left side view of the dehumidifier with the front and rear frames removed. FIG. Diagram explaining the structure around the drain tank of a dehumidifier FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the dehumidifier. FIG. FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the water inlet palate mainly from above. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 9 . FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram particularly showing the flush lever disposed on the rear frame. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the water inlet of the rear frame from the rear. A cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the water inlet and the water inlet cover from the rear and right. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the water inlet and the water inlet cover from the front and left. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the water storage section drain hole in a closed state from the front. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view from the left showing the water storage section drain hole in a closed state. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the water storage section drain hole from the front in an open state. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view from the left showing the water storage section drain hole in an open state. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the control process from cleaning of the heat exchanger to stopping of the drying operation.

One embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In this embodiment, the air conditioner according to the present invention will be described as being applied to a dehumidifier 1 that uses a vapor compression refrigeration cycle to condense moisture contained in the air and dehumidify it.

Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the dehumidifier 1 in this embodiment.

Figure 2 is a left side view of the dehumidifier 1 with the front frame 11 and rear frame 12 removed.

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the dehumidifier 1.

Figure 4 is a diagram explaining the structure around the drain tank 51 of the dehumidifier 1.

Figure 5 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the dehumidifier 1.

In the following explanation, we will follow the definitions of front, back, up, down, left and right shown in each drawing. Note that the vertical direction is the up and down direction, and the horizontal direction is a direction included in the surface direction that includes the front, back, left and right directions.

The dehumidifier 1 has a housing 10 that defines the exterior of the dehumidifier 1. The housing 10 has a front frame 11, a rear frame 12, a rear frame decorative plate 13, a top panel 14, and a base 15.

The front frame 11 and rear frame 12 are combined with each other to form the housing 10 that faces the front and rear of the dehumidifier 1.

The rear frame 12 has an intake port 21, a tank insertion port 22, a water inlet 23, and a lever support port 24. The intake port 21 has a number of slits 26, and has a filter 27 and a filter case 28 on its outer surface. The filter 27 is made of a resin net or nonwoven fabric, and removes dust and odorous components from the intake air. The filter case 28 fixes the filter 27 to the intake port 21. The tank insertion port 22 is located below the intake port 21, and the drain tank 51 is inserted and removed from here. The water inlet 23 and the lever support port 24 are located above the intake port 21 (details will be described later). The rear frame decorative plate 13 is attached to the top of the rear frame 12 to conceal parts of the rear frame 12 that should not be seen.

The top panel 14 is disposed above the combined front frame 11 and rear frame 12, forming the housing 10 facing upward. The top panel 14 has an air outlet 31, an operation unit 32, and an LED display unit 33. The air outlet 31 is disposed on the surface of the top panel 14 facing upward. The air outlet 31 has a louver unit 35 that can control the blowing direction of dry air from diagonally above to horizontally. The louver unit 35 has louvers 36 and a louver motor 37 that drives the louvers 36.

The operation unit 32 and LED display unit 33 are arranged on a surface that slopes diagonally downward from the top surface. The operation unit 32 is a touch panel that realizes, for example, an operation switch, a timer switch, an operation mode selection switch, and the like. The LED display unit 33 displays the operation status of the dehumidifier 1, and the like, by the lighting status of an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

The base 15 is positioned below the combined front frame 11 and rear frame 12 and serves as the foundation for the dehumidifier 1.

The main internal components of the dehumidifier 1 housed in the housing 10 are a fan case 41, a sirocco fan 42, a blower motor 43, a compressor 45, a heat exchanger 46, a drain pan 49, a drain tank 51, and a control unit 55.

The fan case 41 is placed on the base 15 and mainly supports and positions the sirocco fan 42 as a blower fan, the blower motor 43, and the drain tank 51.

The sirocco fan 42 rotates as the blower motor 43 rotates, drawing air in through the suction port 21 and creating a flow of air that is blown out through the air outlet 31. The sirocco fan 42 and the blower motor 43 are attached to the fan case 41 so that their rotation axes are aligned in the front-to-rear direction.

The compressor 45 is fixed on the base 15 and is connected to the heat exchanger 46 via piping 45a and a pressure reducing device 45b.

The heat exchanger 46 exchanges heat with the air sucked in through the suction port 21. The heat exchanger 46 has an evaporator 46a located near the suction port 21, and a condenser 46b located forward of the evaporator 46a. The evaporator 46a and the condenser 46b are fin-tube type heat exchangers in which fins 48 are attached to a U-shaped refrigerant tube 47. As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant tube 47 has multiple straight sections 47a extending horizontally (left-right direction) and bent sections 47b that bend vertically and connect the two straight sections 47a, and these straight sections 47a and bent sections 47b appear continuously along the length of the refrigerant tube 47.

The compressor 45, the pipes 45a, the pressure reducing device 45b, and the heat exchanger 46 form a refrigeration cycle through which the refrigerant flows. The refrigeration cycle includes, in the order in which the refrigerant flows, the compressor 45, the condenser 46b, the pressure reducing device 45b, and the evaporator 46a. When the refrigerant flows through the evaporator 46a, it absorbs heat from the air passing through the evaporator 46a and evaporates. When the refrigerant flows through the condenser 46b, it reheats and condenses the air passing through the condenser 46b. As a result, the air sucked in from the intake port 21 is cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 46a after dust and odor components are removed by the filter 27, and then heated by the condenser 46b and discharged from the outlet 31 as low-humidity air.

The drain pan 49 supports and fixes the heat exchanger 46 from below on the side opposite in the front-to-rear direction from the side where the sirocco fan 42 of the fan case 41 is located. The drain pan 49 supports the heat exchanger 46 in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions by engaging with the refrigerant pipes 47 and fins 48 located below the heat exchanger 46. The drain pan 49 has a drain outlet 49a, which receives the drain water that is generated and falls from the evaporator 46a and the washing water that has washed the evaporator 46a, and discharges it from this drain outlet 49a.

The drain tank 51 stores the wastewater discharged from the drain outlet 49a of the drain pan 49. The drain tank 51 is attached to and detached from the housing 10 by sliding it in the front-rear direction from the tank insertion opening 22. The drain tank 51 inserted into the housing 10 is disposed in the tank chamber 41b formed by the fan case 41.

The drain tank 51 has a tank lid 54. The tank lid 54 has a drain inlet 54a, through which drain water dripping from the drain outlet 49a of the drain pan 49 falls into the drain tank 51 and is stored.

A water level sensor 62 made of a metal plate is installed to the side of the drain tank 51 and is capable of detecting the water level in the drain tank 51 from changes in capacitance value due to a rise in the water level. The water level sensor 62 is connected to the control unit 55 via wiring (not shown) and transmits detected water level information for the drain tank 51 to the control unit 55. By sending water level information for the drain tank 51 based on the changed capacitance value from the water level sensor 62 to the control unit 55, the control unit 55 controls the operation of each part based on the water level in the drain tank 51.

The control unit 55 is supported by the case 56 and is disposed to the left of the fan case 41. The control unit 55 electrically controls each part, such as the louver motor 37, the blower motor 43, the compressor 45, and the LED display unit 33, based on instructions from the operation unit 32 and prestored programs, thereby controlling the overall operation of the dehumidifier 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 55 has a memory unit 57 and a timer 58. The memory unit 57 stores the operation programs of each part. The timer 58 measures time for timer operation of the dehumidifier 1. The control unit 55 also controls the operation of each part based on the detection result of the detector 120, which serves as an open/close detection means described later, that the water inlet 23 has been opened or closed.

The control unit 55 has a temperature sensor 59 and a humidity sensor 60. The temperature sensor 59 and the humidity sensor 60 are provided at predetermined positions on the dehumidifier 1 body and measure the ambient temperature and humidity of the dehumidifier 1. The control unit 55 uses the temperature and humidity as necessary to control each unit. The notification unit 61 outputs an alarm sound to notify the user of the situation based on instructions from the control unit 55.

The dehumidifier 1 further includes a cleaning water receiver 70, a drain hole holder 80, a water inlet cover 90, and a cleaning lever 100 as internal parts housed in the housing 10.

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the cleaning water receiver 70 and the drain hole holder 80.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the cleaning water receiver 70 mainly from above.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 7.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning water receiver 70 is disposed vertically above the heat exchanger 46 and to the rear of the fan case 41. The cleaning water receiver 70 has the functions of storing cleaning water for cleaning the heat exchanger 46, draining the stored cleaning water, and supporting the heat exchanger 46. The cleaning water receiver 70 has a water storage section 71, an overflow section 74, a support piece 76, and a heat exchanger holder 79.

The water storage section 71 is a storage space for cleaning water that opens upward. The water storage section 71 is disposed at least above the evaporator 46a. The water storage section 71 is preferably disposed over substantially the entire left-right length of the heat exchanger 46. The water storage section 71 has a capacity that can store at least a predetermined amount of cleaning water (e.g., 200 ml) required for cleaning the heat exchanger 46. The water storage section 71 has a pair of spring stoppers 72 on the left and right outer surfaces. The water storage section 71 has a rear wall 71a, a front wall 71b, and left and right walls 71d. The front wall 71b is lower than the rear wall 71a and the left and right walls 71d. This allows the water to overflow from the front wall 71b when cleaning water is poured in excess of the capacity of the water storage section 71.

The water storage section 71 has a water storage section drain hole 73 (drain hole) on the bottom surface 71c. The water storage section drain hole 73 is a slit-shaped hole that is preferably arranged over almost the entire left-right length of the water storage section 71, i.e., over almost the entire left-right length of the heat exchanger 46. The water storage section drain hole 73 is also arranged along the direction in which the straight portion 47a of the refrigerant pipe 47 extends. In the example of FIG. 6, the water storage section drain hole 73 is divided into two in the left-right direction. The water storage section drain hole 73 drains the cleaning water downward toward the heat exchanger 46. Specifically, the water storage section drain hole 73 is arranged above the evaporator 46a, which is close to the suction port 21 and prone to dust accumulation, and is far from electrical components such as the control unit 55 and the blower motor 43, and is formed in a position that allows the drained cleaning water to reach the refrigerant pipe 47 and fins 48 of the evaporator 46a.

The overflow section 74 is located in front of the water storage section 71 and above the condenser 46b. The overflow section 74 is spatially connected to the water storage section 71 above the front wall 71b of the water storage section 71. The overflow section 74 receives cleaning water that is poured beyond the water storage capacity of the water storage section 71 and overflows from the front wall 71b. The overflow section 74 has an overflow section drain hole 75 on the lower side. The overflow section 74 has a cleaning water flow path and an overflow section drain hole 75 so that the cleaning water is guided to the evaporator 46a side. In other words, while the overflow section 74 is located above the condenser 46b, the cleaning water is discharged to the rear evaporator 46a side.

The support piece 76 is a piece-like portion that extends forward from the front right end of the overflow section 74. The support piece 76 has a support hole 77, and engages with a claw 41a (Figure 2) that is arranged at a corresponding position on the fan case 41 through the support hole 77. In this way, the cleaning water receiver 70 is supported by the fan case 41.

The heat exchanger presser 79 is a plate-shaped member formed downward from the left and right ends of the cleaning water receiver 70 and having a surface direction along the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger presser 79 supports the heat exchanger 46 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions by engaging with the refrigerant tubes 47 and fins 48 located above the heat exchanger 46. The heat exchanger presser 79 also supports the heat exchanger 46 in the vertical direction by pairing with the drain pan 49 that also supports the heat exchanger 46.

The drain hole holder 80 is a generally frame-shaped member extending in the left-right direction and supported by the flush water receiver 70 to open and close the water storage section drain hole 73 of the water storage section 71. The drain hole holder 80 has a seal section 81, an arm section 83, and a lever connection section 87.

The sealing portion 81 is the lower end portion extending in the left-right direction of the drain hole holder 80, and has a left-right length corresponding to the left-right length of the water storage section drain hole 73. The sealing portion 81 has a sealing member 82, and when the water storage section drain hole 73 is closed, it securely closes the water storage section drain hole 73 so that the cleaning water stored in the water storage section 71 does not leak.

The arm portion 83 is disposed at the left and right ends of the drain hole holder 80, and has a pair of horizontal surfaces facing in the vertical direction. The arm portion 83 has a pair of spring holes 84. The pair of spring holes 84 supports one end of a pair of drain hole holder springs 85. The other ends of the pair of drain hole holder springs 85 are supported by a pair of spring stoppers 72 of the flush water receiver 70. As a result, the pair of drain hole holder springs 85 have a restoring force in the vertical direction, thereby supporting the drain hole holder 80 to the flush water receiver 70. When the drain hole holder 80 is unloaded, it is pulled downward, causing the seal portion 81 to close the water storage section drain hole 73, and when it is pulled upward against the restoring force, the seal portion 81 opens the water storage section drain hole 73.

The lever connection part 87 engages with the flush lever 100 and is a part that converts the left-right movement of the flush lever 100 into a force for operating the drain hole holder 80. The lever connection part 87 has a lever opening 88, and engages with the flush lever 100 that is inserted into the lever opening 88.
The lever connection part 87 has a shape that can convert left-right movement of the flush lever 100 into up-down movement of the drain hole holder 80. Specifically, the upper edge 88a of the lever opening 88 is inclined downward from right to left, so that when the flush lever 100 moves to the left, the drain hole holder 80 moves upward, and when the flush lever 100 moves to the right, the drain hole holder 80 moves downward.

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the water inlet cover 90 mainly from above.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in Figure 9.

The water inlet lid 90, which serves as an opening/closing switching means, normally blocks the water inlet 23, and during cleaning, has the function of pouring cleaning water into the cleaning water receiver 70 from outside the housing 10. The water inlet lid 90 has a drawer shape and is slid in the front-rear direction relative to the water inlet 23 of the rear frame 12. The water inlet lid 90 has a water inlet section 91 and a drain section 96.

The water injection section 91 is formed by a rear wall 91a, left and right walls 91b, a front wall 91c, and a bottom surface 91d, each of which extends in the vertical direction, forming a space that is open at the top. The rear surface of the rear wall 91a is flush with the rear frame 12 and is exposed to the outside of the dehumidifier 1. The rear wall 91a has a handle 92 that extends rearward. The handle 92 is used by the user when the water injection port cover 90 is pulled out from the housing 10. The front wall 91c is formed in a lattice shape and has an opening, through which cleaning water poured into the water injection section 91 is drained. The front wall 91c is lower in height than the rear wall 91a and the left and right walls 91b. The left and right walls 91b extend further forward than the front wall 91c. The left and right walls 91b each have a vertically extending anti-slip rib 93 on the surface facing outward.

The drainage section 96 is disposed in front of the front wall 91c and has a splash prevention wall 97 and a lower opening 98. The splash prevention wall 97 is a wall-shaped portion that slopes downward toward the front from the upper end of the front wall 91c to approximately the same plane as the bottom surface 91d of the water injection section 91. The lower opening 98 is formed by the lower end 97a of the splash prevention wall 97, the front end 99 of the bottom surface 91d, and left and right walls 91b that connect the left and right ends of the lower end 97a and the front end 99. The lower opening 98 is located approximately above the water storage section 71 of the flush water receiver 70 when the water injection port cover 90 is pulled out relative to the rear frame 12 and is in a state where water can be injected.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the cleaning lever 100 from the front.

Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram specifically showing the cleaning lever 100 arranged on the rear frame 12.

The flush lever 100 (instruction input unit) has a function of receiving an instruction from the user to open the drain hole holder 80. The flush lever 100 slides left and right relative to the lever support opening 24 of the rear frame 12. The flush lever 100 has a thin plate portion 101, a finger hook recess 102, a transmission portion 103, and a spring support portion 105.

The thin plate portion 101 is a plate-like member arranged to face approximately parallel to the rear surface 12a (front facing surface) of the rear frame 12. The finger hook recess 102 is formed in the approximately left-right center of the thin plate portion 101 and is a portion recessed in an approximately rectangular shape toward the front. The finger hook recess 102 is hooked by the user's finger when the user moves the cleaning lever 100 to the left. The transmission portion 103 is a cylindrical portion with an approximately trapezoidal cross section that protrudes toward the front approximately perpendicular to the thin plate portion 101. The transmission portion 103 is arranged at a position overlapping with the finger hook recess 102 when viewed in the front-rear direction. The transmission portion 103 has an upper surface 103a that faces approximately upward and is inclined downward from right to left. The transmission portion 103 has multiple (three in FIG. 10) contact ribs 104 on this upper surface 103a. The contact rib 104 is formed for the purpose of reducing the contact area with the upper edge 88a of the lever opening 88 of the drain hole holder 80 through which the transmission part 103 passes.

The spring support portion 105 is a small piece that rises forward from the right end side of the thin plate portion 101 and has a spring hole 106. The spring hole 106 supports one end of the lever spring 107. The other end of the lever spring 107 is supported by a spring stop portion 123 of the rear frame 12. As a result, the lever spring 107 has a restoring force in the left-right direction, thereby supporting the flush lever 100 on the rear frame 12. When no load is applied, the flush lever 100 is pulled to the right, and when it receives a force to the left from the finger hook recess 102, it slides to the left against the restoring force.

Next, we will explain the water inlet 23 and lever support port 24 on the rear frame 12.

Figure 13 is an oblique view of the rear frame 12 from the front.

Figure 14 is an oblique view showing the water inlet 23 of the rear frame 12 from the rear.

Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the water inlet 23 and the water inlet cover 90 from the rear and right.

Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the water inlet 23 and the water inlet cover 90 from the front and left.

The water inlet 23 has a water inlet opening 111, a pair of guide rails 113, a pair of lid retaining pieces 115, an elastic claw portion 116, and a protective wall 118.

The water inlet opening 111 is an opening formed in the rear frame 12, and corresponds to the dimensions of the rear wall 91a of the water inlet lid 90. The pair of guide rails 113 are roughly U-shaped members extending forward from the left and right edges 111a of the water inlet opening 111. The guide rails 113 fit into the grooves of the left and right sides 94 of the bottom surface 91d of the water inlet lid 90, thereby positioning the water inlet lid 90 and guiding its sliding in the front-to-rear direction.

The pair of lid retaining pieces 115 are small elastic pieces that extend forward from the left and right edges 111a of the water inlet opening 111 above the pair of guide rails 113. The pair of lid retaining pieces 115 have their front ends positioned at positions corresponding to the anti-slip ribs 93 on the left and right walls 91b of the water inlet lid 90, and by engaging with the anti-slip ribs 93 in the front-to-rear direction, they support the water inlet lid 90 so that it does not slide backward unintentionally. Furthermore, when the water inlet lid 90 is pulled backward by the user, the pair of lid retaining pieces 115 bend left and right to release their engagement with the anti-slip ribs 93.

The elastic claw portion 116 is an elastic thin plate member with a generally U-shaped cross section that extends forward from the upper edge 111b of the water inlet opening 111 and extends rearward through the bent portion 116a. The elastic claw portion 116 has a function of preventing water poured from the water inlet opening 111 from entering the inside of the housing 10 by the internal space of this U-shape. The elastic claw portion 116 has a retaining claw 117 at its tip. As shown in FIG. 14, when the water inlet cover 90 is pulled rearward a required amount, the retaining claw 117 hooks onto the upper end of the front wall 91c, thereby functioning as a retainer to prevent the water inlet cover 90 from being pulled out more than the required amount.

The protective wall 118 is a member with a substantially L-shaped cross section that extends forward from the upper edge 111b of the water inlet opening 111. The protective wall 118 divides the space of the water inlet opening 111 into left and right directions. As shown in FIG. 16, a detector 120 as an open/close detection means composed of a microswitch is disposed to the left of the protective wall 118, and the protective wall 118 protects the detector 120 from the flushing water poured from the water inlet 23. The detector 120 detects the opening and closing of the water inlet cover 90 by contacting the left wall 91b and switching to the ON state when the water inlet cover 90 is inserted, and by not contacting the left wall 91b and switching to the OFF state when the water inlet cover 90 is pulled out. The ON/OFF state of the detector 120 is transmitted to the control unit 55. The detector 120 may be arranged to switch to an OFF state when the water inlet lid 90 is inserted and to an ON state when the water inlet lid 90 is pulled out.

As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the lever support opening 24 holds the flush lever 100 so that it can slide left and right relative to the rear frame 12. The lever support opening 24 has a support opening 121, a pair of guide rails 122, and a spring stop portion 123 (Figure 12).

The support opening 121 exposes the finger recess 102 and a portion of the thin plate portion 101 of the cleaning lever 100 from the rear frame 12, allowing the user to slide the lever via the finger recess 102.

The pair of guide rails 122 are arranged on the rear surface 12a of the rear frame 12, above and below the upper and lower edges 121a of the support opening 121, parallel to the upper and lower edges 121a. The pair of guide rails 122 fit into the grooves of the upper and lower edges 101a (Figures 11 and 12) of the thin plate portion 101 of the cleaning lever 100, thereby positioning the cleaning lever 100 and guiding its sliding in the left and right directions.

The spring stop portion 123 is located on the rear surface 12a of the rear frame 12, to the right of the right edge 121b of the support opening 121. As described above, the spring stop portion 123 supports the other end of the lever spring 107.

Next, we will explain in detail the cleaning process for the heat exchanger 46 in the dehumidifier 1.

Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view from the front showing the water storage section drain hole 73 in a closed state.

Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view from the left showing the water storage section drain hole 73 in a closed state.

Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view from the front showing the water storage section drain hole 73 in an open state.

Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view from the left showing the water storage section drain hole 73 in an open state.

The dehumidifier 1 is operated for a certain period of time, and when it is time for the heat exchanger 46 to be cleaned, the cleaning process is started by the user.

In the cleaning process, the water inlet cover 90 is first pulled out by the user, and a predetermined amount of water is poured into the water inlet section 91 as cleaning water. If the water is poured too forcefully at this time, there is a risk that the water will splash off the bottom surface 91d and the left and right walls 91b. However, the elastic claw section 116 of the U-shaped water inlet 23 isolates the water inlet section 91 from the inside of the housing 10, preventing water from entering the inside of the housing 10. In addition, the protective wall 118 isolates the detector 120 from the water inlet section 91, preventing water from adhering to the detector 120.

The cleaning water is drained from an opening formed by the lattice of the front wall 91c. At this time, the lattice-like front wall 91c prevents foreign objects from falling down and the user's fingers from entering inside. The cleaning water falls downward from the lower opening 98 of the drain section 96. The fallen cleaning water is stored in the water storage section 71 of the cleaning water receiver 70. At this time, there is a risk that more water than the capacity of the water storage section 71 will be poured from the water inlet 23. To deal with this, the overflow section 74 can receive the water that overflows from the front wall 71b and guide it from the overflow section drain hole 75 to the evaporator 46a side, which is the object to be cleaned, preventing water from unintentionally entering the inside of the housing 10.

Once a predetermined amount of water has been poured and the water inlet cover 90 is closed, an instruction to open the drain hole holder 80 is received from the user. Specifically, the user slides the flush lever 100 to the left via the finger recess 102, which causes the transmission part 103 to move to the left and transmits force to the lever connection part 87 connected via the lever opening 88. As described above, the lever connection part 87 converts the left-right movement of the flush lever 100 into up-down movement. This causes the drain hole holder 80 to rise.

When the drain hole holder 80 rises, the water storage section drain hole 73 opens and the cleaning water stored in the water storage section 71 is drained. The cleaning water flows down from above the evaporator 46a, removing dust that has adhered to the evaporator 46a. The flowing down cleaning water and dust reach the drain pan 49 and are discharged into the drain tank 51, just like the drain water that falls from the evaporator 46a.

At this time, because a predetermined amount of cleaning water is stored in the water storage section 71 and then drained, the cleaning water is drained with more force than, for example, when water is poured from the water inlet 23 and led to the heat exchanger 46 without being stored. This makes it easier to remove dust from the evaporator 46a.

When all the water in the water storage section 71 has been drained, the flush lever 100 is released from the user's operation and automatically slides to the right due to the restoring force of the lever spring 107, automatically returning to its normal position. At the same time, the drain hole holder 80 also automatically moves downward due to the restoring force of the drain hole holder spring 85, returning to its normal position, and the water storage section drain hole 73 is closed.

Such a dehumidifier 1 can remove dust accumulated in the heat exchanger 46 by washing it away with cleaning water, and therefore is superior in terms of hygiene, since the dehumidifier 1 can remove the dust itself, compared to, for example, a case in which moisture in dust is removed by simply blowing air to dry it.

Next, the cleaning process and subsequent drying operation of the dehumidifier 1 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 21.

First, when the user presses the operation mode switch on the operation unit 32 and the compressor 45 and the blower motor 43 are operating at a predetermined rotation speed, the control unit 55 determines whether the water inlet cap 90 has been pulled out from the water inlet 23 by the user and the detector 120 has switched to the OFF state (step S101). If it determines that the detector 120 is in the OFF state, it stops the operation of the compressor 45 and the blower motor 43 to stop operation, and checks the water level of the drain tank 51 detected by the water level sensor 62 and stores it in the memory unit 57 (step S102). If the control unit 55 determines in step S101 that the water inlet cap 90 has not been pulled out from the water inlet 23 and the detector 120 has not switched to the OFF state, it repeats the determination of step S101.

When the user pours water through the water inlet lid 90 and operates the flush lever 100, the drain hole holder 80 rises, and if the sirocco fan 42 is operating at the same time that the flush water collected in the flush water receiver 70 falls into the evaporator 46a, the flush water may be guided toward the outlet 31 and blown out, causing the area around the dehumidifier 1 to get wet. By stopping the operation of the dehumidifier 1 when the user pulls the water inlet lid 90 out of the water inlet 23, the flush water is prevented from blowing out from the outlet 31.

If the operation is stopped at the time of the judgment in step S101 and the compressor 45 and the blower motor 43 are not driven, the operation is maintained in the stopped state.

After performing the process of step S102, the control unit 55 determines whether the user has inserted the water inlet cap 90 into the water inlet 23 and switched the detector 120 to the ON state (step S103). If it is determined that the detector 120 has switched to the ON state, the control unit 55 starts counting the elapsed time with the timer 58, and determines whether a predetermined waiting time (e.g., 3 minutes) has elapsed since the detector 120 switched to the ON state based on the timer count with the timer 58 (step S104). If the control unit 55 determines in step S103 that the detector 120 has not switched to the ON state, it repeats the determination of step S103. If the control unit 55 determines in step S104 that 3 minutes have not elapsed since the detector 120 switched to the ON state, it repeats the determination of step S104.

When the control unit 55 determines in step S104 that three minutes have passed since the detector 120 was switched to the ON state, it compares the water level in the drain tank 51 detected by the water level sensor 62 with the water level detected in step S102 and stored in the memory unit 57 to determine whether the water level has risen (step S105). If the control unit 55 determines in step S105 that the water level in the drain tank 51 has risen, it presumes that the evaporator 46a has been washed with washing water and proceeds to the next step, and if it determines that the water level has not risen, it presumes that the evaporator 46a has not been washed with washing water and ends control.

The water level in the drain tank 51 is compared with the water level when the water inlet lid 90 is pulled out from the water inlet 23. If the water level has risen, it can be determined that the user has poured water to clean the evaporator 46a and that the cleaning water after cleaning the evaporator 46a has flowed into the drain tank 51. If the water level has not risen, it can be determined that the user has mistakenly opened and closed the water inlet lid 90 from the water inlet 23 and that the evaporator 46a has not been cleaned. Depending on whether the water level in the drain tank 51 has risen, it can be reliably determined whether the evaporator 46a has been cleaned with cleaning water, and if the evaporator 46a has not been cleaned, the control is terminated, thereby preventing the drying operation performed after step S106 from being wasted.

If the control unit 55 determines in step S105 that the water level in the drain tank 51 is rising, it determines whether the amount of rise in the water level in the drain tank 51 is greater than a predetermined reference value (step S106). If the control unit 55 determines in step S106 that the amount of rise in the water level is greater than the predetermined reference value, it sets the predetermined time of the drying operation time to a long time (e.g., 30 minutes), starts counting on the timer 58, drives the blower motor 43, and starts the drying operation in which the sirocco fan 42 is driven at a predetermined rotation speed (e.g., minimum rotation speed) (step S107). If the control unit 55 determines that the amount of rise in the water level is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value, it sets the predetermined time of the drying operation time to a short time (e.g., 20 minutes), starts counting on the timer 58, drives the blower motor 43, and starts the drying operation in which the sirocco fan 42 is driven at a predetermined rotation speed (e.g., minimum rotation speed) (step S108).

After performing the process of step S107 or step S108, the control unit 55 judges whether the count value of the timer 58 has reached the drying operation time set in step S107 or step S108 (step S109). If the control unit 55 judges in step S109 that the drying operation time has elapsed, it stops driving the sirocco fan 42 to stop the drying operation and terminates control (step S110), and if it judges that the drying operation time has not elapsed, it repeats the judgment of step S109.

When the evaporator 46a is being cleaned, the amount of cleaning water poured in by the user through the water inlet lid 90 varies, resulting in differences in the degree to which the evaporator 46a is wetted by the cleaning water that has dropped from the cleaning water receiver 70. Since the amount of rise in the water level in the drain tank 51 varies depending on the amount of cleaning water poured in, the amount of cleaning water poured in can be estimated based on the amount of rise in the water level in the drain tank 51. When the amount of rise in the water level in the drain tank 51 is greater than a predetermined reference value, it can be estimated that more cleaning water is poured in and the evaporator 46a is more wet than when the amount is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value.

If the amount of rise in the water level of the drain tank 51 is greater than a predetermined reference value in step S106 and it is estimated that the evaporator 46a is highly wet, the drying operation time of the evaporator 46a is set to be longer than when the amount of rise in the water level of the drain tank 51 is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value, so that it is possible to prevent mold growth and the like due to insufficient drying of the evaporator 46a after cleaning with cleaning water. Also, if the amount of rise in the water level of the drain tank 51 is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value in step S106 and it is estimated that the evaporator 46a is not highly wet, the drying operation time of the evaporator 46a is set to be shorter, so that it is possible to prevent the drying operation from continuing for a long time even though the evaporator 46a is dry.

In this embodiment, the amount of rise in the water level in the drain tank 51 is compared with a predetermined reference value in step S106, and the drying operation time is set to a fixed value such as 30 minutes or 20 minutes. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the drying operation time that is longer in proportion to the amount of rise in the water level in the drain tank 51 may be set to a variable value. This sets the drying operation time to be longer the more cleaning water the user pours in, thereby preventing mold and bacteria growth in the evaporator 46a due to insufficient drying of the evaporator 46a, and preventing the drying operation from continuing for a long period of time even when the evaporator 46a is dry.

During drying operation, the blower motor 43 is driven at the lowest possible rotation speed. After washing with wash water, there is a possibility that a small amount of water droplets that do not fall into the drain pan 49 may remain in the evaporator 46a. During drying operation, if the blower motor 43 is driven at a high rotation speed to increase the amount of air blown by the sirocco fan 42, water adhering to the evaporator 46a may be guided toward the outlet 31, and water may be blown out from the outlet 31. During drying operation, by driving the blower motor 43 at the lowest possible rotation speed, the evaporator 46a can be dried while preventing water from being blown out from the outlet 31.

Next, the effects of the present invention will be explained.

After the control unit 55 detects that the water inlet 23 has been opened or closed by the water inlet lid 90 as an opening/closing switching means using the detector 120 as an opening/closing detection means, if the water level sensor 62 detects that the water level in the drain tank 51 has risen, the control unit 55 drives the sirocco fan 42 for a predetermined time. By detecting the opening and closing of the water inlet lid 90 using the detector 120, it can be assumed that the user has poured in cleaning water, but there is a possibility that the water inlet lid 90 has been opened and closed by mistake. If the water level in the drain tank 51 is detected to have risen after the detector 120 detects the opening and closing of the water inlet lid 90, it is determined that the user has poured in cleaning water, and the sirocco fan 42 is driven for a predetermined time to perform a drying operation to dry the heat exchanger 46. Since the drying operation is performed only when cleaning water is reliably poured in by the user, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of mold and bacteria due to moisture remaining in the heat exchanger 46, and it is also possible to prevent the drying operation from being performed even if cleaning water has not been poured in.

In addition, after the control unit 55 detects with the detector 120 that the water inlet 23 has been opened or closed by the water inlet cover 90, the control unit 55 sets the predetermined time for driving the sirocco fan 42 to be longer as the water level rise in the drain tank 51 detected by the water level sensor 62 increases. The degree of wetness of the heat exchanger 46 by the flushing water increases in proportion to the amount of flushing water poured in. The amount of flushing water poured in by the user is estimated based on the amount of rise in the water level in the drain tank 51, and if the amount of rise in the water level is large, it is determined that a large amount of flushing water has been poured and the heat exchanger 46 is wet, and the drying operation time for driving the sirocco fan 42 is set to be longer. The drying operation can reliably dry the heat exchanger 46, and can prevent the growth of mold and bacteria caused by moisture remaining in the heat exchanger 46.

The open/close switching means is composed of a water inlet cover 90 having a water inlet section 91 that is supported retractably on the housing 10, blocks the water inlet 23, and receives cleaning water when pulled out of the housing 10, and a drain section 96 that is located at least vertically above the cleaning water receptacle 70 when pulled out of the housing 10 and drains the cleaning water received by the water inlet section 91 into the cleaning water receptacle 70, and the open/close detection means is composed of a detector 120 that detects that the water inlet cover 90 has been pulled out of the water inlet 23. The user can easily pour cleaning water, and the simple configuration can detect whether there is a possibility of pouring cleaning water from the water inlet 23.

In this embodiment, the water inlet lid 90 that is installed so as to be able to be pulled out from the water inlet 23 has been described as the opening/closing switching means, but this is not limited to this. For example, as another opening/closing switching means, a configuration in which an openable/closable shutter is installed on the water inlet 23 may be used, and when cleaning the heat exchanger 46, a method in which the user opens the shutter and pours cleaning water into the cleaning water receiver 70 using a bottle with a nozzle or the like may be used. In this case, the opening and closing of the shutter is configured to be detectable by a detector 120 such as a microswitch, and the control unit 55 detects the opening of the shutter with the detector 120, and then, when it determines that the water level sensor 62 has detected a rise in the water level of the drain tank 51, it drives the sirocco fan 42 to start a drying operation, thereby cleaning the evaporator 46a and washing away dust, and preventing the occurrence of mold and bacteria due to moisture remaining in the evaporator 46a.

In the present embodiment, the microswitch that detects whether the water inlet lid 90 is pulled out is used as the detector 120, and the water inlet judgment means judges whether cleaning water is poured using the detector 120, but this is not limited to the above. For example, as another detector, an optical sensor capable of detecting the presence or absence of water in the cleaning water receptacle 70 in the housing 10 may be applied. After the optical sensor detects that the water in the cleaning water receptacle 70 has been depleted, if the water level sensor 62 detects that the water level in the drain tank 51 has risen, the sirocco fan 42 is driven to start a drying operation, thereby cleaning the evaporator 46a and washing away dust, and preventing the growth of mold and bacteria due to moisture remaining in the evaporator 46a.

In addition, in this embodiment, the water level is detected using the water level sensor 62 that detects the water level from a change in capacitance value, but this is not limited to this. For example, the water level sensor 62 may be a float that has a magnet and floats on water, housed in the drain tank 51, and multiple proximity sensors are provided vertically to detect the water level in the drain tank 51 by detecting the magnetic field of the magnet according to the water level. Any configuration that can detect a rise in the water level in the drain tank 51 when the user pours cleaning water from the water inlet 23 falls within the scope of the water level sensor of the present invention.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

For example, the air conditioner according to the present invention can be applied to other devices that have a heat exchanger that needs to be cleaned of dust contained in the drawn-in air, such as air conditioners, humidifiers, and dryers, in addition to the dehumidifier 1.

In the above example, the water storage section drain hole 73 is a slit extending in the left-right direction, but as long as it can drain the cleaning water from above the heat exchanger 46, it may be a slit divided into two or more parts, or multiple small circular, elliptical, or polygonal holes.

An example has been described in which the drain hole holder 80 is raised and the water storage section drain hole 73 is opened by manual operation of the flush lever 100 by the user, but the drain hole holder 80 may be opened and closed by the user's operation or automatically by an electrical mechanism.

1 Dehumidifier 10 Housing 23 Water inlet 42 Sirocco fan (blower fan)
43 Blower motor 46 Heat exchanger 46a Evaporator 46b Condenser 55 Control unit 70 Cleaning water receiver 73 Water storage section drain hole 90 Water inlet cover (opening/closing switching means)
91 Water injection section 96 Drainage section 120 Detector (opening/closing detection means)

Claims (3)

A housing and
A blower fan that is housed in the housing and draws air into the housing;
a heat exchanger housed in the housing and performing heat exchange with the air sucked in by the blower fan;
a water inlet for cleaning water formed in the housing for cleaning the heat exchanger;
An open/close switching means is provided at the water inlet and is capable of switching between opening and closing the water inlet;
an open/close detection means for detecting that the water inlet has been opened or closed by the open/close switching means;
a flush water receiver disposed vertically above the heat exchanger and having a drain hole for discharging the flush water poured through the water pouring port to the heat exchanger;
a drain tank into which the cleaning water flows after dropping from the drain hole of the cleaning water receiver and cleaning the heat exchanger;
A water level sensor that detects the water level of the drain tank;
a control unit that controls the operation of the blower fan based on the water level of the drain tank detected by the water level sensor,
The control unit detects via the opening/closing detection means that the water inlet has been opened or closed by the opening/closing switching means, and then when the water level sensor detects that the water level in the drain tank has risen, the control unit drives the blower fan for a predetermined period of time. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit is configured to lengthen the predetermined time for driving the blower fan as the amount of rise in the water level in the drain tank detected by the water level sensor increases. the open/close switching means is composed of a water inlet cover having a water inlet section supported retractably on the housing, which closes the water inlet and receives the flush water when pulled out from the housing, and a drain section which is located at least vertically above the flush water receiver when pulled out from the housing and drains the flush water received by the water inlet section into the flush water receiver,
3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the open/close detection means is configured with a detector that detects when the water inlet cover is pulled out from the water inlet.

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