JP3080179B2 - Control method of air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a method for controlling an air conditioner,
More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for controlling an air conditioner by transmitting information on state quantities such as temperature and humidity, airflow, etc., which are deeply related to comfort in a living space, from a remote controller to an air conditioner body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, comfort control of an air conditioner includes:
Comfort control according to season, comfort control according to time (life), comfort control according to room (living space), etc.
There are various things. Of these, regarding the comfort control of the living space, the setting of temperature and humidity, the setting of room temperature and air volume, and the like are important.

Conventionally, as a method of controlling the temperature of a living space,
In general, control is performed by a temperature sensor provided in an air conditioner, but since it is a one-point control, it does not always match the comfort of the living space, and since there is no information amount at that point, only the predicted control is used. could not. Therefore, (1) a control method that incorporates a temperature / humidity sensor into the remote control to transmit temperature information to the main unit and corrects the comfort of the living space, and (2) attach a temperature sensor independent of the remote control to the wall There has been proposed a method of controlling by wire.

[0004] On the other hand, with respect to the control of the air volume and the like, a method of generally supplying blown air to a person is generally used. However, recently, a draftless method has been studied as a technique for preventing this and improving comfort.

[0005]

However, in the control method (1) of transmitting the temperature information from the remote controller to the main body of the harmony device, since the position of the remote controller is not known, the temperature information obtained by the main body of the harmony device is not included. It was difficult to determine which of the temperature information obtained by the remote control should be prioritized, and it could only be used for correction. Further, since the temperature and humidity sensor is always housed in the remote control main body and has a structure in which the temperature is sensed through the vent hole, under certain conditions, the followability to the temperature change is poor, and since the true value is not shown, the control may be disrupted. was there. On the other hand, in the case of the control method using the remote controller and the wall sensor described in the above (2), although the position of the wall sensor is determined, an extra cost is required because a temperature sensor dedicated to the wall is required and a wired connection is required. Was.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of controlling the vehicle with emphasis on a living space by having a sensor function of detecting and transmitting a state quantity such as an airflow.

[0007]

The control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention has two modes. First, in an air conditioner that performs control by transmitting information on state quantities such as temperature, humidity, and airflow detected by a sensor of a remote controller with a sensor from the remote controller to a predetermined body such as a wall that forms a living space in the air conditioner. When the remote controller is stored in the holder provided at the position, the remote controller and a part of the holder are engaged with each other to activate the transmission function of the remote controller by a switch mechanism which is in the operation position, and the information of the state amount is periodically or When the remote control is removed from the holder by transmitting the signal according to a certain control specification and performing the temperature distribution improvement priority control, the transmission function of the remote control is deactivated by the switch mechanism.

A second mode is to form a living space in an air conditioner in which information on state quantities such as temperature, humidity, airflow, etc. detected by sensors of a remote controller with a sensor is transmitted from the remote controller to the main body of the air conditioner for control. When the remote controller is housed in a holder provided at a predetermined position such as a wall to be operated, the remote controller and a part of the holder engage with each other to be in an inactive position so that the transmission function of the remote controller is inactive. Is removed, the transmission function is activated, and the state quantity information is transmitted periodically or in accordance with a fixed control specification to perform the temperature distribution improvement priority control.

Although the description has been given of transmitting the state quantities such as temperature and humidity, air flow, etc., it is also possible to transmit the state quantities literally, or to transmit the processing result or command after the calculation. Is also good.

[0010]

In the first mode, when the remote controller with the sensor is stored in the holder, the remote controller and a part of the holder are engaged with each other, and the switch mechanism is set to the operation position. As a result, the remote controller with the sensor is switched to a state in which information on the state quantities such as temperature, humidity, and air current detected by the sensor is transmitted, and the information on the state quantities is periodically or fixedly transmitted to the main body of the harmony device. Send according to. In the main body of the harmony device, receiving this, the temperature distribution improvement priority control based on the state quantity, that is, control in which the room temperature detected by the remote controller with the sensor is prioritized over the room temperature detected by the suction port of the main body of the harmony device. ,
The control is performed in accordance with the load of the room or to make the room temperature distribution uniform. On the other hand, when you remove the remote control from the holder,
The transmission is stopped, and only control by information transmission by the user's remote control operation becomes possible.

The second mode is the reverse of the first mode. When the remote controller is removed from the holder, a transmission state is set, and information on the state quantity is transmitted periodically or according to a fixed control specification, and the temperature distribution is improved. Control is exercised. When the remote controller is stored in the holder, the transmission is stopped.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner used in this embodiment has a compressor 1, a four-way valve 2,
An outdoor heat exchanger 3 and a decompression device 4 are provided, and an indoor heat exchanger 5 is provided on the indoor unit B side, and these are sequentially connected to form a refrigeration cycle. An outdoor blower 6 is provided in the vicinity of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 and an indoor blower 7 is provided in the vicinity of the indoor heat exchanger 5, so that air is blown to exchange heat.

Reference numeral 10 denotes an indoor control device, and reference numeral 20 denotes an outdoor control device, each of which is formed by a microcomputer. The indoor control device 10 includes a heat exchange temperature sensor 8 for detecting a condensing temperature during cooling of the indoor heat exchanger 5 or an evaporating temperature Te for heating, and an indoor temperature sensor 9 for detecting an indoor temperature Ta (book).
And are connected. Reference numeral 11 denotes a remote control, which is a sensor for detecting a room temperature Ta (re), humidity, air flow, or the like as a state quantity of the surrounding living space in which the remote control 11 is placed, in addition to a switch for operating on / off, an operation mode switch, and the like. 1
Two.

The indoor control device 10 receives an input of a switch and temperature information Ta (re) from the remote controller 11 and an input of temperature information Ta (book) from the heat exchange temperature sensor 8 and the indoor temperature sensor 9 to input the indoor information. It has a function of controlling the rotation speed of the blower 7 (air volume control), controlling the elevation angle position of the louver 15, controlling the turning angle position of the grill 17, controlling the operation frequency of the compressor 1, and controlling the operation of the entire air conditioner. In the present embodiment, the air volume is controlled by switching the tap of the motor 13 of the indoor blower 7. Further, by controlling the pulse motors 14 and 16, the elevation angle position of the louver 15 provided at the outlet from the indoor heat exchanger 5 and the turning angle position of the grill 17 are independently controlled, whereby the wind direction is changed. It can be controlled.

The outdoor control device 20 decodes the serial operation signal sent from the indoor control device 10 and performs compression based on the contents of the command and temperature information of a current sensor and an outdoor heat exchange temperature sensor (not shown). The output frequency of the inverter (variable frequency device) 21 of the compressor 1 is controlled to operate the compressor 1 at a variable speed of 20 to 110 Hz.

Next, the configuration of the remote controller 11 will be described.

In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a remote control holder 22 is installed on a wall surface forming a living space at a height suitable for detecting the comfort of the living space. The remote control holder 22 has a depth such that the sensor portion 12 (FIG. 4) protruding from the casing 110 when the remote control 11 is stored is sufficiently exposed to the outside. A cutout portion 23 exposing the portion 18 and the display portion 19 is formed.

Further, a protrusion 24 is provided on the bottom inner surface of the holder 22 so as to be slidable left and right, and the position can be shifted left and right by an operation portion 25 penetrating the lower surface. On the other hand, a plurality of bottom switches 26 arranged side by side are provided below the
2, one of the bottom switches 26 is selectively pressed by the protrusion 24 of the holder to switch to a state of sensing and transmitting information on state quantities such as temperature, humidity, air flow, etc. The information of the sensor unit 2 is transmitted based on the timing and control specifications. That is, switching of whether or not to activate the transmission function of the remote controller 11 is performed by a mutually engaging switch mechanism provided on the remote controller 11 and a part of the remote controller holder 22.

When the remote controller 11 is placed in the holder 22,
The remote controller 11 transmits a setting change command by the bottom switch 26 to the main body 30 of the harmony machine, and further transmits the state quantity or processing information of the surrounding living space grasped by the sensor section 12 to the main body 30 of the harmony machine at intervals (constant cycle). Send. The state quantity of the living space is, for example, the room temperature Ta (R) due to the radiant heat of the wall detected by the remote controller 11, and
0 is the difference between the room temperature Ta (i) and the set temperature Ts |
Based on the magnitude of Ts−Ta (R) |, the rotation speed of the compressor 1 (inverter output frequency) and the rotation speed of the indoor blower 7 (air volume) are controlled to provide comfortable air conditioning in accordance with the load of the room. Realize faster. Further, by controlling the elevation angle position of the louver 15 and the turning angle position of the grill 17 at the outlet, the room temperature distribution is made uniform regardless of the size and shape of the room.

In this case, the room temperature sensor 9 is also provided on the side of the main body 30 of the harmony machine, and the room temperature (suction temperature) Ta (book) detected by this and the room temperature Ta (re) detected by the remote controller side. Conflict with Therefore, the main unit 30
Calculates the temperature difference | Ta (book) −Ta (li) | from the interval transmission from the remote controller 11, and if the temperature difference is large, it is considered that the temperature is not stable and detected by the remote controller. The room temperature Ta (i) is given priority. For example, when | Ta (book) −Ta (b) | ≦ 1.5 ° C., the control based on | Ts−Ta (book) |
The control based on Ts−Ta (li) | is prioritized. Thus, the control is “temperature distribution improvement priority control” considering the living space.

On the other hand, when the remote controller 11 is removed, the function of the bottom switch 26 selected above is switched from the sensor remote controller state to the normal remote controller state, and the operation unit 1 is turned off.
By operating an operation switch separately provided on the control unit 8, the user can transmit a desired state quantity or the like to the main body 30. At this time, the transmission code is different from that in the sensor remote control state, so that the harmony device main body 30 can identify the information in which state. Therefore, even if there are a plurality of predetermined positions where the remote control 11 is installed,
By changing each transmission code, appropriate control can be performed. For example, the main unit 30
On the other hand, holders 22 are provided on the front, right and left walls, respectively, and their control contents can be changed and used.
Further, when the remote controller 11 is removed from the holder 22, the position of the remote controller becomes unknown, so that a control different from the above can be performed by transmitting the correction function by the user.

In any case, since the remote controller 11 has two functions, that is, the original function of the remote controller and the function of sensing the comfort of the wall, a plurality of controls can be performed by one remote controller, and the cost can be reduced.

FIG. 5 shows a specific configuration example of the sensor section 12 of the remote controller 11. From the casing 110 to the cylindrical rod 1
The wire mesh portion 122 is provided at the tip of the wire mesh portion 122 and a temperature sensor 123 is disposed at the tip of the wire mesh portion 122. The temperature response of the sensor having this structure is shown by a curve A in FIG. In the figure, a curve B shows a case of a conventional structure in which the casing is provided in the casing 110 and a through hole is provided in the casing. As is clear from the comparison between the curves A and B, the conventional structure has poor response and may cause an error in the response control. However, if the structure is protruded from the casing of the remote controller 11 as shown in FIG. While avoiding the influence of heat inside the casing, the living space is easily affected by heat radiation and convection, and the temperature responsiveness can be extremely improved.

The specific configuration of the sensor section 12 can be variously modified based on the configuration shown in FIG. For example, in FIG. 4, the protrusion (121) has an elastic structure so as not to damage the remote controller when it is dropped. FIG. 7 shows a modification of this embodiment. When the base of the sensor unit 12 is rotatably mounted by the universal joint 27 and the storage position is set along the casing 110 from a position protruding to the outside, damage to external force is prevented. It is supposed to be. As shown in FIG. 8, the protruding portion is provided on a casing 1 by a switch (not shown) or the user operation switch.
10 and the casing 110 when not in use.
It may be made to be able to be stored inside. Also, the casing 1
The information may be transmitted after a certain period of time after protruding from 10. 4 and 7, reference numeral 28 denotes a stand used when the remote controller 11 is taken out of the holder 22 and used.

Next, an example of control focusing on drafting of a human body will be described.

The control flow shown in FIG.
It is assumed that the remote controller 11 is removed and placed on the table 31 as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is assumed that the human is at the remote control position. However, even when the remote control position does not match the occupant position, that is, even when the remote control 11 is placed in the holder 22, By predicting the wind direction by the angles of the louver 15 and the grill 17, the present invention can be applied as it is.

First, in the case of the normal operation mode as a premise, the indoor control device 10 controls the set temperature Ts and the indoor temperature Ta.
11 and FIG. 12, the rotation speed of the compressor 1 is controlled by the temperature difference | Ts−Ta (book) |, and the rotation speed of the indoor blower 7 is similarly determined. ,strength,
Allocate to several stages, such as weak and breeze. However, when the operation mode is set, the control shown in FIG. 10 is started.

In the control flow shown in FIG. 10, the harmony machine main unit 30 first controls the remote controller 11 in both cooling and heating.
(FIG. 9), the set temperature Ts and the room temperature T
The magnitude of the difference | Ts−Ta (li) | of a (ri) is determined (steps 41 and 51). That is, as described above, the remote controller 1
The room temperature Ta (R) on the first side is preferentially handled.
When the temperature difference is large, that is, in cooling, | Ts−Ta (R)
| ≧ 1.0 ° C. and | Ts−Ta (R) | ≦ 1.5 ° C. for heating, the elevation angle position of the louver 15 and the grill 17
By controlling the turning angle position of, the wind direction is directed to the remote controller 11 side, and control is performed so that the air is blown around the place where the person is (the remote controller position in FIG. 9) (steps 42 and 52).
Then, a sampling time hole is taken and the process is continued (steps 43 and 53).

Next, when the temperature difference | Ts-Ta (li) | becomes smaller and the room temperature approaches the set temperature, that is, | Ts-Ta (li) | <1.0 ° C. for cooling, and | Ts- for heating. T
a (li) |> 1.5 ° C., in order to prevent the wind from being applied to the human body, the elevation angle position of the louver 15 and the turning angle position of the grill 17 are controlled to adjust the wind direction of the outlet. The position is changed to the side opposite to the place where the person is (the remote control position in FIG. 9) or to the left and right of the remote control position (steps 44, 45; 5).
4). However, the control to set the wind direction of the outlet to a direction that does not hit a human is mainly the turning angle position control of the grill 17. The air conditioner is controlled so as to be directed downward and horizontal during cooling.

Next, in order to adjust as much as possible the feeling given to the human body due to the disappearance of the wind in accordance with the change in the wind direction, the indoor set temperature Ts is set to 1.5 ° C. to 1.0 ° C. during cooling.
About 1.2 to 2 ° C during heating. In the example of FIG. 10, the indoor set temperature Ts is decreased by −1.0 ° C. during cooling and + 1.5 ° C. during heating (step 46;
55). Then, a predetermined sampling time is held (steps 47 and 56). Further, in order to enhance the circulator effect of the indoor air, the tap (blowing rotation position) of the motor 13 of the indoor blower 7 is increased by one step, and the rotation speed of the indoor blower 7 is increased by one step from the lowest position (step 57). In the case of FIG.
The control for increasing the air volume is performed only during the heating, but may be performed during the cooling.

With the above-described control, the warm-up time at the time of startup (warmth)
Prevents cold and (cold) warmth, and prevents wind discomfort when stable. Therefore, the comfort can be improved by performing this control.

In the above embodiment, the remote controller 11
Has been described in which the transmission function of the remote controller 11 is activated. However, by reversing the meaning of the operation position when the bottom switch 26 of the remote controller 11 is turned on and off, the transmission function of the remote controller 11 is deactivated when stored. can do. Even in this case, the remote control 11
In a state out of the range, the temperature distribution improvement priority control is performed based on the amount of information surrounding the remote control position, so that effects such as uniformizing the temperature distribution in the room can be obtained.

[0034]

In summary, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

In the case of the first embodiment, when stored in the remote control holder, the function of detecting the surrounding state quantity and transmitting it to the air conditioner is performed, and when removed from the holder, the function of the remote control is achieved. Two or more functions can be used by one remote control. In addition, since the position of the holder is specified in advance and the temperature distribution improvement priority control is performed based on the amount of information transmitted when the holder is stored, effects such as uniform temperature distribution in the room can be obtained in various room configurations. Can be

Also in the case of the second embodiment, the function of detecting the state quantity around the position of the remote control and transmitting it to the air conditioner when removed from the remote control holder is achieved, and the function of the remote control when stored in the holder. Thus, one remote control can serve two or more functions. Further, in the state where the remote control holder is removed from the remote control holder, the temperature distribution improvement priority control is performed based on the transmitted information amount, so that effects such as uniformizing the temperature distribution in the room can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an air conditioner to which the method of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an arrangement in a room according to the method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a switch mechanism portion of a remote controller and a holder.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of a remote controller.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a sensor unit of the remote controller.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the temperature responsiveness of the sensor unit of FIG. 5 in comparison with a conventional case.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of the sensor unit of the remote controller.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another modified example of the sensor unit of the remote controller.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an arrangement of a remote controller removed from a holder in a room.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the control method of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of controlling the number of revolutions of a compressor during heating.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of controlling the number of revolutions of the compressor during cooling.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 compressor 2 four-way valve 3 outdoor heat exchanger 4 expansion valve 5 indoor heat exchanger 6 outdoor blower 7 indoor blower 8 indoor heat exchange sensor 9 indoor temperature sensor 10 indoor control device 11 remote controller with sensor 12 sensor unit 13 indoor blower motor 14 Pulse motor 15 Louver 16 Pulse motor 17 Grill 18 Operation unit 19 Display unit 20 Outdoor control device 21 Inverter 22 Remote control holder 24 Protrusion (switch mechanism) 25 Operation unit 26 Bottom switch (switch mechanism)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An air conditioner for controlling by transmitting information on state quantities such as temperature, humidity, and air flow detected by a sensor of a remote controller with a sensor from a remote controller to a main body of the air conditioner. When the remote controller is stored in a holder provided at a predetermined position, the remote controller and a part of the holder are engaged with each other to activate a transmission function of the remote controller by a switch mechanism which is in an operation position, and the information of the state quantity is periodically transmitted. Or, the temperature distribution improvement priority control is performed by transmitting according to a certain control specification, and when the remote control is removed from the holder, the transmission function of the remote control is deactivated by the switch mechanism. Control method. 2. An air conditioner for controlling by transmitting information on state quantities such as temperature, humidity, and airflow detected by a sensor of a remote controller with a sensor from the remote controller to a main body of the harmony device. When the remote controller is stored in the holder provided at a predetermined position, the remote controller and a part of the holder are engaged with each other and the transmission mechanism of the remote controller is deactivated by a switch mechanism which is in an inoperative position, and the remote controller is removed from the holder. Is a method for controlling an air conditioner, wherein the transmission function is activated, and the information on the state quantity is transmitted periodically or in accordance with a fixed control specification to perform temperature distribution improvement priority control.