JP2008096005A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner that can suppress mold generated in a blower fan and that can be used comfortably without scattering unpleasant mold and odor derived from mold.
An indoor blower fan 11 having conductivity and an energizing means 23 for energizing the indoor blower fan 11 are energized, and the temperature of the indoor blower fan 11 is raised by energizing the indoor blower fan 11 with the energizing means 23. The temperature of the indoor air blower fan 11 is increased, the surface temperature of the indoor air blower fan 11 is adjusted to be equal to or higher than the set temperature 40 ° C., and the state is continued for a predetermined time 10 minutes. The inside of the indoor unit 2 can be quickly dried together with the blower fan 11 to suppress mold growth.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to suppression of mold that is likely to occur in a blower fan of an indoor unit.

  The air conditioner is used to adjust the temperature and humidity in the air-conditioned room and maintain a comfortable environment for residents.

  For example, during cooling operation or dehumidifying operation, moisture contained in the indoor air is condensed on the indoor heat exchanger that acts as an evaporator, and is drained to the outside as drain water to lower the indoor humidity and further reduce the temperature. . At this time, condensed water adheres to the indoor heat exchanger, but the moisture inside the indoor heat exchanger does not evaporate in a short time even after the cooling or dehumidifying operation is stopped. The humidity will be maintained, and mold and bacteria will easily propagate inside the indoor unit.

  After that, when the operation is started again, molds and bacteria that have propagated inside the indoor unit and odors derived from them are blown out, so that the indoor unit generates a strange odor and allergens such as mold spores are released. There were problems such as discomfort to the human body.

  As a countermeasure for such a problem, a technique of an air conditioner having a function of drying the interior of an indoor unit after a cooling operation is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

In this conventional air conditioner, after the cooling operation or after the dehumidifying operation, the draining operation instruction means performs a draining operation to drain the water adhering to the indoor heat exchanger, and then the drying operation instruction means performs the heating operation to perform the indoor heat exchange. The drying operation of the vessel was performed, and an attempt was made to efficiently remove the water adhering to the heat exchanger.
JP-A-11-159832

  However, in the above-described conventional configuration, after cooling operation, moisture is first discharged by draining operation and then dried by heating operation to remove moisture condensed on the heat exchanger. However, cooling operation or dehumidification operation is performed. There is a problem that the condensed water adhering to the blower fan, for example, scattered from the heat exchanger, takes time to evaporate and cannot be sufficiently removed. In addition, since it is difficult to completely dry the indoor heat exchanger, drain pan, drain hose, etc. of the air conditioner in the circulation of heating air, the humidity rises again after the heating operation is completed, especially on the surface of the blower fan. The conditions were suitable for the growth of wet mold.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and is configured to increase the temperature of the blower fan by energizing the conductive blower fan. In addition to effective drying due to the temperature rise, heat shock Therefore, it is intended to provide an air conditioner that can suppress the growth of mold mycelium and can be used comfortably.

In order to solve the conventional problem, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes a conductive blower fan and energization means for energizing the blower fan, and energizes the blower fan by the energization means. The temperature of the blower fan can be increased. When the blower fan itself rises in temperature and is effectively dried and gives a heat shock, germination of mold spores adhering to the blower fan surface and growth of mycelia can be suppressed.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The air conditioner of the present invention can suppress mold generated in the blower fan, and can provide an air conditioner that can be used comfortably without scattering unpleasant mold and mold-derived odor. .

  1st invention is equipped with the ventilation fan which has electroconductivity, and the electricity supply means to energize the said ventilation fan, The air of the structure which can raise the temperature of the said ventilation fan by energizing the said ventilation fan by the said electricity supply means It is a harmony machine. The blower fan itself rises in temperature and is effectively dried, and heat shock is applied to suppress the germination of mold spores attached to the blower fan surface and the growth of mycelia. It is possible to provide an air conditioner that can be used comfortably without scattering odors.

  In particular, the second invention has a configuration in which the surface temperature of the blower fan can be raised to 40 ° C. or higher in the first invention, thereby effectively drying and efficiently and reliably performing a heat shock. For example, mold mycelium growth can be suppressed even by heating for about 10 minutes a day.

  In the third invention, in particular, the blower fan of the first or second invention is made of a conductive metal, and can be easily made into a blower fan having conductivity without requiring any special treatment.

  In the fourth aspect of the invention, in particular, the blower fan of the first or second aspect is formed of a conductive resin, and it is easily conductive without requiring any special treatment even when compared with a normal resin formation process. It can be set as the ventilation fan which has property. That is, the blower fan of the air conditioner is generally made of resin, but can be produced using conventional equipment as it is.

  In the fifth invention, in particular, the surface of the blower fan of the first or second invention is subjected to conductive plating. By simply plating a conventional blower fan that has been used in the past as a post-treatment, the blower fan can have a conductive property as it is and can be easily produced. Moreover, since an electric current flows only on the surface of a ventilation fan, only the surface of the ventilation fan which wants to raise temperature can be heated efficiently.

  In the sixth invention, in particular, the surface of the blower fan of the first or second invention is coated with a conductive paint. By simply applying a conductive paint coating as a post-treatment to a conventional blower fan that has been used in the past, it can be made into a blower fan having conductivity as it is and can be easily produced. Moreover, since an electric current flows only on the surface of a ventilation fan, only the surface of the ventilation fan which wants to raise temperature can be heated efficiently.

  In a seventh aspect of the present invention, the blower fan is a cross flow fan. The blower fan is long and has a shape suitable for energization, and the entire temperature can be increased uniformly.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a refrigeration cycle diagram of a well-known general separated type wall-mounted air conditioner. In FIG. 1, an outdoor unit 1 and an indoor unit 2 are connected by piping to constitute a heat pump type refrigeration cycle. The outdoor unit 1 is provided with a compressor 3, a four-way valve 4 for switching the refrigerant flow, an outdoor heat exchanger 5 and an expansion valve 6, and the indoor unit 2 is provided with an indoor heat exchanger 7 in order. Piping is connected.

  During the cooling operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3 flows through the four-way valve 4, the outdoor heat exchanger 5, the expansion valve 6, and the indoor heat exchanger 7, and is again sucked into the compressor 3 via the four-way valve 4. . In addition, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3 during the heating operation flows through the four-way valve 4, the indoor heat exchanger 7, the expansion valve 6, and the outdoor heat exchanger 5, and is again sucked into the compressor 3 via the four-way valve 4. Is done.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the indoor unit 2 is configured by arranging an indoor heat exchanger 7 and a crossflow fan indoor blower fan 11 in an indoor air passage 10 constituted by a frame 8 and a fan case 9. During the cooling operation or the heating operation, the indoor air sucked from the suction grill 13 by the indoor blower fan 11 passes through the indoor heat exchanger 7 and blows out cool air or warm air from the outlet 14 into the room as the living space. A cooling operation or a heating operation is performed.

  The air conditioner control device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a main body control device 12 arranged inside the indoor unit 2 as shown in FIG. It is comprised by the remote control 15 which performs driving | operation operation | movement.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of energization of the indoor fan of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the energization means according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the indoor blower fan 11 is connected to a motor 20 at one end to obtain driving force, and the other end of the indoor blower fan 11 is supported by a bearing 21. Here, the indoor blower fan 11 has overall conductivity from the motor 20 side to the bearing 21 side, and is formed of, for example, a conductive resin. A temperature raising power source 22 is slidably connected to the shaft 20a of the motor 20 and the fan shaft 11a on the bearing 21 side. The method of connecting the temperature raising power source 22 for energizing the indoor blower fan 11 is not limited to these shafts, but the end plate 11b of the indoor blower fan 11 (cross flow fan), the bearing 21 if there is conductivity, or the like. But it ’s okay.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the presence / absence of power supply from the temperature raising power source 22 and the voltage can be adjusted by the energization instruction means 12 a built in the main body control device 12. By energizing the indoor fan 11 based on an instruction from the energization instruction unit 12a to the temperature raising power source 22, the temperature of the indoor fan 11 can be increased or freely adjusted. The energization means 23 shows the entire structure and control for energizing the indoor fan 11. Here, the indoor fan 11 is a cross flow fan. The cross flow fan is long as a blower fan and has a shape suitable for energization, and can raise the temperature almost uniformly.

  The operation and action of the air conditioner configured as described above will be described. Normally, when a user operates the remote controller 15 to perform a cooling operation or a dehumidifying operation, the indoor heat exchanger 7 functions as an evaporator in the indoor unit 2 and the temperature of the indoor air conditioner becomes low. Since condensation forms on the surface, the interior of the indoor unit 2 during the cooling period from early spring to the beginning of autumn is kept in a high humidity state, which is an environment suitable for mold growth.

Mold spores are usually 100 μm or less suspended in the air. Mold spores sucked into the indoor unit 2 together with air adhere to the indoor air passage 10, the indoor heat exchanger 7, the indoor blower fan 11, and the like disposed inside the indoor unit 2 together with dirt such as static electricity or oil mist. The relative humidity during the cooling period in the indoor unit 2 is kept at about 100% during operation and over 90% for a long time even during stoppage. The mold growth rate varies greatly depending on temperature and humidity. Generally, the temperature is 20 ° C. to 30 ° C., the humidity is 70% or more, and the higher these values, the faster the mold growth rate. Therefore, germination of mold spores, growth of mycelia, reproduction of spores occurs in the indoor unit 2, and the interior of the indoor unit 2 is easily contaminated with mold. Particularly, the part that is easily contaminated with mold is a part where the humidity is likely to be high, such as the heat exchanger 7 and the indoor fan 11. When the indoor blower fan 11 is a cross-flow fan, when the mold grows, it grows between the blades, and finally closes the blades of the indoor blower fan 11 so that no air is emitted from the indoor unit 2. There is also. In addition, the mold which grows easily in the indoor unit 2 is a hygroscopic mold widely present in a normal room, for example, Cladosporium, Altanaria, Aspergillus and the like.

  Therefore, the air conditioner of the present invention automatically receives energization instruction means upon receiving a stop signal when the user instructs the end of the cooling operation of the air conditioner by operating the remote controller 15 during the cooling operation, for example. The power supply is instructed from 12a to the power source 22, and the indoor fan 11 is energized. Thereby, the temperature of the indoor air blowing fan 11 is raised, the surface temperature of the indoor air blowing fan 11 is adjusted to be equal to or higher than the set temperature Ts ° C., and the state is continued for a predetermined time M. By doing so, the interior of the indoor unit 2 can be quickly dried together with the indoor fan 11 to suppress mold growth.

  FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram showing the mold suppression effect of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, and confirms the effect of the current air conditioner for Altanaria. The test method is that the room is cooled for about 3 hours once a day in a room with an environment of about 30 ° C., and then the indoor fan 11 itself is heated to 40 ° C. and 60 ° C. for 10 minutes. I went like that. The mold growth is evaluated by using a “mold sensor” manufactured by the Institute for Environmental Biology on the surface of the indoor fan 11 and measuring the hyphal length from the micrograph after the test to obtain the growth rate. It was.

  Altanaria germinated on the first day regardless of whether or not the temperature of the indoor blower fan 11 was increased, and the hyphae grew up to nearly 2000 μm on the sixth day in the unheated reference. On the other hand, when the temperature of the indoor blower fan 11 is increased, the growth of hyphae is suppressed to 600 μm or less regardless of 40 ° C. and 60 ° C. Moreover, the result with which the difference of the growth rate did not differ greatly in any of 40 degreeC and 60 degreeC was obtained. The set temperature Ts ° C is preferably a low temperature in view of energy saving, but it can be said that the growth of mycelia can be suppressed if it is at least 40 ° C or more, and the time M for maintaining the temperature rise is 10 minutes. A degree is considered sufficient. However, it is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that it may be changed as necessary.

  From the above confirmation experiment, it can be seen that automatically energizing the indoor fan 11 and increasing the temperature of the indoor fan 11 after the cooling operation of the air conditioner is effective in suppressing mold growth.

  In this embodiment, the case where the indoor blower fan 11 having conductivity is molded from a conductive resin has been described. However, the indoor blower fan 11 may be composed of various conductive materials such as metal, and is molded from an insulator material. The surface of the fan may be made conductive by performing a plating process or a coating process with a conductive paint. Of course, those conductive materials are more suitable in terms of energy saving as they are more easily heated and heated when energized.

The air conditioner of the present invention includes a conductive blower fan and energization means for energizing the blower fan. By energizing, the temperature of the blower fan can be raised to suppress mold growth. Therefore, it can be used not only for wall-mounted room air conditioners but also for various types of air conditioners such as window type and duct type, dehumidifiers and humidifiers whose casings are humid environments, and various blowers such as ventilation fans and fans. Is also applicable.

Refrigeration cycle diagram of the air conditioner in the embodiment of the present invention Sectional drawing of the indoor unit of the air conditioner in embodiment of this invention Schematic diagram of energization of the indoor fan of the air conditioner in the embodiment of the present invention The control block diagram of the electricity supply means of the air conditioner in embodiment of this invention The characteristic view which shows the mold suppression effect of the air conditioner in embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outdoor unit 2 Indoor unit 7 Indoor heat exchanger 10 Indoor air path 11 Indoor ventilation fan 11a Fan shaft 11b End plate 12 Main body control apparatus 12a Energization instruction means 20 Motor 20a Motor shaft 21 Bearing 22 Temperature rising power supply 23 Energization means

Claims (7)

Air having a conductive blower fan and energizing means for energizing the blower fan, wherein the temperature of the blower fan can be raised by energizing the blower fan by the energizing means. Harmony machine. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a surface temperature of the blower fan can be increased to 40 ° C. or more. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blower fan is made of a conductive metal. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blower fan is formed of a conductive resin. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface of the blower fan is subjected to conductive plating. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface of the blower fan is coated with a conductive paint. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the blower fan is a cross flow fan.