Air conditioning apparatus

• US 4,744,223 A
• Filed: 11/25/1986
• Issued: 05/17/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Umezu, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US06/934,820
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 62/176 E, 62/180, 62/203, 62/228.4, 236/44 C
• US Class Current: 62/176.5
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/67 Switching between heating and cooling modes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/86 by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/0253 with variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

The air conditioning apparatus comprises a variable speed compressor provided outside of a room for compressing a refrigerant, a heat-exchanger provided inside of the room together with a blower, a controller for controlling the operation of the compressor and the blower, and a plurality of sensors connected with the controller for detecting room temperature, heat-exchanger temperature and humidity in the room. A switching means is further provided for selectively setting the operational mode of the controller, and means is further provided in the controller for controlling the rotating speed of the compressor and the quantity of air delivered from the blower based on the setting of the switching means and the outputs of the sensors such that during the cooling operation of the apparatus, the temperature of the heat-exchanger is varied in two or more predetermined ranges.

Claims

1. An air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a variable speed compressor provided outside of a room for compressing a refrigerant;

a heat-exchanger provided inside of the room for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air;

a blower provided inside of the room for delivering air passing through the heat-exchanger;

a plurality of sensors for detecting room temperature, heat-exchanger temperature, and humidity in the room;

a switching means for selectively setting an operational mode; and

means for controlling the rotating speed of said compressor and the quantity of air delivered from said blower based on the setting of said switching means and the outputs of said sensors such that during at least part of the operation of the apparatus, the rotating speed of the compressor is increased when the quantity of air is decreased, and the rotating speed of the compressor is decreased when the quantity of air is increased, to vary the temperature of said heat exchanger in two or more predetermined ranges.

2. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a standard humidity operation is selected by said switching means, said controlling means controls the rotating speed of the compressor and the quantity of air delivered from said blower such that when the room temperature and the humidity in the room are both higher than reference values, the rotating speed is controlled to a high value while the delivery of air is controlled to a small value.

3. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a high humidity operation is selected by said switching means, said controlling means controls the rotating speed of said compressor and the delivery of air such that the rotating speed becomes a low value while the delivery of air becomes a high value.

4. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a low humidity operation is selected by said switching means, said control means controls the rotating speed of said compressor and the delivery of air such that the rotating speed becomes a high value and the delivery of air becomes a small value.

5. An air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a variable speed compressor for compressing a refrigerant;

a heat-exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air;

a blower for delivering air passing through the heat-exchanger;

a plurality of sensors for detecting room temperature, heat-exchanger temperature, and humidity in the room;

a switching means for selectively setting an operational mode;

means for executing an ON-OFF control of said compressor based on a comparison between the room temperature and a predetermined reference valve;

means for selecting dehumidifying-cooling operation or cooling-emphasized operation based on a comparison between the humidity in the room and a reference valve determined according to the operational mode set by said switching means; and

means for controlling the rotating speed of said compressor and the quantity of air delivered from said blower such that when said selecting means selects said dehumidifying-cooling operation, the rotating speed of said compressor increases while the delivery of air from said blower decreases in order to keep the heat-exchanger temperature at a predetermined low temperature, and such that when said selecting means selects said cooling-emphasized operation, the rotating speed of said compressor decreases while the delivery of air from said blower increases in order to keep the heat-exchanger temperature at a predetermined high temperature.

6. A method of operating an air conditioning apparatus including a variable speed compressor for compressing a refrigerant, a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air, a blower for delivering air passing through the heat exchanger, and a plurality of sensors for detecting room temperature, heat-exchanger temperature, and humidity in the room, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting an operational mode with a switching means;

executing an ON-OFF control of said compressor based on a comparison between the room temperature and a predetermined reference value;

selecting a dehumidifying-cooling operation or cooling-emphasized operation based on a comparison between the humidity in the room and reference value determined according to the operational mode set by said switching means; and

controlling the rotating speed of said compressor and the quantity of air delivered from said blower such that when said selecting means selects said dehumidifying-cooling operation, the rotating speed of said compressor increases while the delivery of air from said blower decreases in order to keep the heat-exchanger temperature at a predetermined low temperature, and such that when said selecting means selects said cooling-emphasized operation, rotating speed of said compressor decreases while the delivery of air from said blower increases in order to keep the heat-exchanger temperature at a predetermined high temperature.