JPH08320143A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Objective] The clogging of the air filter 9 is prevented by detecting the clogging amount of the air filter 9 and displaying it when it reaches a predetermined value. [Structure] The air filter 9 is sandwiched between the front and rear light emitting parts.
20 and the light receiving part 21 are installed. When the change in the amount of light that has passed through the air filter 9 is detected by the received light amount change detection unit 22 and the determination unit 23 determines that clogging has occurred based on the change in the received light amount, this is displayed on the display unit 25.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a conventional air conditioner is shown in FIG. A suction port 11 is formed in the upper front part of a container casing 19 composed of the fan casing 1 and the front panel 2, and an outlet port 5 is formed in the lower front part. A suction grill (10) is installed in the suction port (11) so as to be rotatable around a shaft (12). A heat exchanger 3 is provided in an air flow path 13 connecting the suction port 11 and the air outlet 5, and a blower 4 made of a once-through fan or the like is disposed downstream of the heat exchanger 3. An air filter 9 is arranged behind the suction grill 10.

A drain pan 8 is arranged below the heat exchanger 3, and horizontal flaps 6a, 6b and a louver 7 are provided at the outlet 5.
Is provided. In addition, 14 is an installation plate.

During operation of the air conditioner, the once-through fan 4 rotates in the direction of the arrow, and the refrigerant from the outdoor unit (not shown) circulates in the heat exchanger 3.

Then, the indoor air is sucked into the air flow path 13 from the suction grille 10, and the dust contained therein when passing through the air filter 9 is captured and removed. Then, in the process of passing through the heat exchanger 3, it is cooled or heated by exchanging heat with the refrigerant, then sucked into the flow-through fan 4 and urged, and then blown out by the louver 7 and the horizontal flaps 6a and 6b. It is regulated and blown out into the room from the outlet 5.

[0006]

In the above conventional air conditioner, the operating time is integrated, and when the integrated time reaches a preset time (for example, 200 hours), it is turned on by lighting or the like. By informing the user, the air filter 9 is urged to be cleaned or replaced. Therefore, when the indoor air is heavily contaminated, the air filter 9
May be clogged with dust, and if the indoor air is less contaminated, the user may be forced to perform unnecessary cleaning or replacement of the air filter 9.

[0007]

The present invention has been invented in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its gist is to provide an inside of an equipment casing having an inlet and an outlet for indoor air. Forming an air flow path connecting the suction port and the air outlet,
In an air conditioner in which a heat exchanger and a blower are arranged in the air flow path and an air filter is arranged behind a suction grill installed in the suction port, a light emitting unit is provided on one side of the air filter. A light receiving unit that receives light emitted from the light emitting unit and transmitted through the air filter is installed on the other side, and a light receiving amount change detection unit that detects a change in the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit and a change in the light receiving amount The air conditioner is characterized in that it is provided with a discriminating unit for discriminating the clogging state of the air filter and a display unit for displaying the clogging state when the discriminating unit discriminates that the air filter is clogged.

Another feature is that the display unit is installed on the front surface of the device casing.

[0009]

In the present invention, the light emitted from the light emitting portion is transmitted through the air filter and is received by the light receiving portion, and the change in the light receiving amount based on the degree of clogging of the air filter is detected by the light receiving amount change detecting portion. . When the determination unit determines that the air filter is clogged from the change in the amount of received light, this is displayed on the display unit.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the light emitting section 20 is installed on the front side of the air filter 9 and the light receiving section 21 is installed on the rear side thereof. Therefore, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 20 passes through the air filter 9 and is received by the light receiving unit 21, and the larger the amount of dust captured by the air filter 9, that is, the degree of clogging of the air filter 9 is. The larger the value, the smaller the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 21. The light emitting section 20 may be installed on the rear side of the air filter 9 and the light receiving section 21 may be installed on the front side.

The amount of light emitted from the light emitting unit 20 and the light receiving unit 21
The amount of light received by is input to the received light amount change detection unit 22, where a change in the received light amount is detected. This detection value is determined by the discriminator 23
It is determined whether or not the air filter 9 is in the clogging state by being compared with the set value input from the setting section 24.

When the discriminating unit 23 discriminates the clogging, the output from this is inputted to the display unit 25 installed on the front surface of the casing 19 and displayed there. The received light amount change detection unit 22,
The determination unit 23 and the setting unit 24 are built in the device casing 19. Other configurations are similar to those of the conventional one shown in FIG. 2, and corresponding members are designated by the same reference numerals.

However, the degree of clogging of the air filter 9 can be accurately detected, and this is displayed when the degree of clogging reaches a predetermined value, so that the air filter 9 is clogged. The air filter 9 can be prevented and the user is not forced to perform unnecessary cleaning or replacement of the air filter 9.

[0014]

According to the present invention, the light emitted from the light emitting portion is transmitted through the air filter and is received by the light receiving portion, and the change in the light receiving amount is detected by the light receiving amount change detecting portion and the light receiving amount is detected from the change in the light receiving amount. When the determination unit determines that the air filter is clogged, this is displayed on the display unit. As a result, the degree of clogging of the air filter can be accurately detected, and this is displayed when the degree of clogging reaches a predetermined value, which can prevent the clogging of the air filter. It is possible to prevent the user from being forced to perform unnecessary cleaning and replacement of the air filter.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of an indoor unit of a conventional air conditioner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Suction grille 3 Heat exchanger 9 Air filter 20 Light emitting part 21 Light receiving part 22 Light receiving amount detecting part 23 Discriminating part 25 Display part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An air channel connecting the suction port and the air outlet is formed inside a casing having a suction port and an air outlet for indoor air, and a heat exchanger and a blower are arranged in the air channel. In the air conditioner having the air filter installed behind the suction grill installed at the suction port, the light emitting unit is installed on one side of the air filter and is emitted to the other side from the light emitting unit. A light-receiving unit that receives light that has passed through the air filter is installed, and a light-receiving amount change detection unit that detects changes in the light-receiving amount of the light-receiving unit and a determination unit that determines the clogging state of the air filter from the change in the light-receiving amount An air conditioner characterized by being provided with a display section for displaying this when the determination section determines that it is clogged. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is installed on the front surface of the housing.